Dear Editor,
The word change has come to represent the national watchword, password, and slogan. This word change also embodies to the core the nation’s expectations, its hopes; it registers the thorough disgust with all of the political nuances, subterfuges, and abuses that were so characteristic of bygone days.
Those crippling days and interminable years of wrath and woe must now be bygone in truth and in fact. They cannot continue.
They will not be allowed to be extended in form and substance, even appearance, if this population is serious about holding its leaders feet to the fire, and demanding a certain minimal level of conscience, of forethought, and of consideration, where such matters most, for the people.
In these new days, there just cannot be more of the old and wearying and distressing.
I submit that that 50% increase violated all of the aforementioned, and then some more. I submit that it is not reflective of change, genuine change. I believe that it took us back effortlessly to all the grotesqueries that afflicted and disturbed this society for so long.
The people of this country do not interpret change merely to mean removing and replacing an indescribably terrible group. The interpretations and expectations of change are all encompassed by change in thinking, change in attitudes, change in vision, change in message, change in behaviour, and change in methodology. We have had the absolute worst, for the most part, of all of these in the last two decades. No more! No more! No more, please!
Authentic public change derives from, is powered by, change deep within. Change cannot be an easy convenient surrogate for abstraction or political euphemism or political selfishness.
It is about what can be done to lift the spirits of the people, to empower them, and to give them that feeling in the gut, if not the soul, that their interests are paramount. That those elected will care more about them, than about themselves.
That they will move to address this abomination, now securely lodged as a bone in the throat. Now that would be surely indicative of real change, through the listening and then the acting.
Last, a thoughtful citizen shared that he cannot see President Granger being a willing partner in this decision; that his fingerprints are missing; and that he was overridden by internal dynamics of realpolitik.
It is a reflection of the goodwill that he has garnered. I urge that it be neither taken for granted nor wasted.
Yours faithfully,
GHK Lall
