Dear Editor,
I noted the response of Mr.Walter Persaud `All private cane farmers treated alike’ (SN April 22, 2015) to Mr. Balkarran’s concerns on the disparity in treatment of cane farmers. While I do not dispute his defence in its entirety, I categorically wish to reject his comment on the Belle Vue Cane Farmers as a point of clarification to the general readership.
Mr. Persaud’s claim that Balkarran’s letter was misleading (para I) is no less dissimilar from his claim when he stated that “Today these farmers (referenced Belle Vue Cane Farmers) are presently engaged in good cane farming practices and supplying canes to Wales Estate” (para 3). This is far from the truth.
I dare to question which farmers he is alluding to. Is it the original bona fide cane farmers/beneficiaries or the entrepreneur who has poached his way into the Belle Vue Cane Farming Community. It would be constructive for Mr. Persaud to familiarize himself with the institutional memory of Belle Vue Cane Farming to which Mr. Balkarran can attest to having in excess of over 50 years. Mr. Balkarran, therefore, speaks, writes and represents from a background of value laden knowledge and experience.
Mr. Balkarran’s letter must be contextualized within a milieu of over eight years of apparent frustration in his attempt to bring some form of redress to the beleaguered farmers of Belle Vue Cane Farming Community after some farmers’ rights were revoked by a Cane Farming Co-op Society and a National Cane Farming Act that were meant to represent and protect them.
I would like to inform/remind Mr. Persaud that the Belle Vue Pilot Scheme emerged as the first cane farming experiment by the Sugar Industry in 1956 . Fifty five cane farmers were selected from various sugar estates at the time to initiate this project. It was a highly successful one as I, like Mr. Balkarran, was a product of that soil and have witnessed, first hand, the evolution of that cane farming project and the eventual Co-op Society.
Over time ownership of these estates was passed on to the de facto beneficiaries of the original farmers due to attrition. Between 2007 and 2011 some 17 cane farmers had their land usurped by the Belle Vue Cane Farming Co-op Society and sold to a private entrepreneur. This was done in the absence of due process and without any compensation to the affected farmers.
During this period Mr. Balkarran made representations to the various subject Ministers of Labour and Agriculture, Head of the Presidential Secretariat, the President, Guysuco officials and the various Chief Cooperative Development Officers (CCDO) with a view to stopping the illegal sale of farmers estate.
In addition, numerous letters were published in the local print media to highlight the plight of the affected farmers and the need for a return of their properties.
As a result of Mr. Balkarran’s representation numerous interventions were made as follows:
2010 – Mr. Kareem Jabar, the CCDO used this authority as established in the Laws of Guyana, Chapter 88:01- Co-op Societies – Regulation 56 (Unfit committee) and declared the Society Committee unfit. He decommissioned the Committee which was reinstated by, then Minister of Labour, Manzoor Nadir without just cause. (see KN & SN July 2010).
2011 – Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud commissioned an enquiry into the administration of the Belle Vue Cane Farming Co-op & Marketing Society
2011- Consequent to the above enquiry, a brief from Dr. Luncheon requested that a Cabinet Sub Committee on Labour review the Belle Vue farmers’ plight with a view to returning the land to the dispossessed farmers.
2012- CCDO and Labour Minister, Gopaul decommissioned, yet again, the management of Co-op and established an Interim Management Committee.
In spite of all of the above initiatives, to date the affected farmers remain dispossessed and without any compensation. In the meantime the private entrepreneur continues to use his financial influence and capital to buy off the more gullible remaining farmers of Belle Vue Cane Farming Community. It is without doubt that when Mr. Walter Persaud speaks about the Belle Vue farmers being engaged in good practice in producing canes for the Wales factory, that he was speaking about that private individual—Oops.
I posit the above so that readers can better understand that when Mr. Walter Persaud speaks of the Belle Vue Cane Farmers, his representation is not only fallacious but smacks at the very souls of the deceased farmers whose legacy has been tarnished beyond redemption – sad to say.
In conclusion, I must submit that I do not know Mr. Walter Persaud personally.
I have never met, seen nor spoken with him. And while this letter is not intended to show any disrespect what so ever, I merely wish to state that should he choose to reply to this letter, I will have no further comment to make. I said what I have said—- they are the facts and above all else the truth.
Yours faithfully,
Tej Baijnath
Former Assistant Personnel
Manager – Wales Sugar Estate
Former Administrative Assistant
toChief Personnel Manager – Guysuco
– HO
Former Regional Industrial
Relations Manager – Guysuco- HO