Dear Editor,
Rastafari community of all Guyana and their counterparts are moved to release this manuscript and response to a recent letter by ‘Sam Hinds, Roger Luncheon, Bishop Edghill, Gillian Burton and others of African Descent, members of the of the PPP and PPPC’, that appeared in Stabroek News (October 31, 2017) as ‘Fair minded Guyanese of African descent must stand against this departure from the Carter Formula’.
All Rastafari we have spoken to state boldly to all Guyana that Rastafari are non-racial. There is East Indian Rastafari in Guyana and there are Rastafari of all races in every continent of the world. All are guided by the words and work of HIM Haile Selassie 1, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Juda, Light of the world, Elect of God.
Sam Hinds, Roger Luncheon and other Africans in the PPP and PPPC have been silent for twenty three years while the sacred air and consciousness of Guyanese of African descent was invaded and toxified by Cheddi Jagan, Janet Jagan, Sam Hinds, Bharrat Jagdeo, Donald Ramotar and PPP ministers of their governments. The music of India penetrated our consciousness from early morning at the exclusion of the music from Africa. Even the many musical forms of Caribbean music were permitted limited exposure as their governments worked relentlessly to divorce Guyana from African Caribbean.
For twenty three years pageants and sports in India penetrated our consciousness at the exclusion of the festivals and sports in Africa e.g. cricket in India connected the offspring of indentured Indians to their fore-parents in India but football in Africa was not shown to Guyanese to connect the offspring of enslaved Africans to their fore-parents who came from Africa. Even as East Indian ‘arrival’ symbols and festive days were celebrated by PPP/C governments similar symbols and days for Africans were forgotten.
After the 1992 elections the Agriculture Ministry set about to erase African culture and history. At the material culture, rice was expanded as cattle and pigs of the Burnham era were miniaturized. At the spiritual culture, the world class 1763 Monument (Cuffy) by Philip Moore of Jordanite spirituality was the destination of garbage and household rubbish. The USA based Guyanese Kamau Cush returned home and daringly mobilized all Guyanese to landscape that environment and refurbish the monument. He is still paying the price for this daring act. After this act, the 1763 Monument became the preferred location for wedding photographs of all races and a site for romantic reflection by Guyanese and peoples of other origin.
The younger PPP/C members in government were even more vicious than their elders. Cheddi and Janet Jagan passed the baton of power to Bharrat Jagdeo, Robert Persaud, Frank Anthony, Ashni Singh, Anil Nandlall, Priya Manickchand, Irfaan Ali and Donald Ramotar. Why did Sam Hinds, Roger Luncheon and the PPP and PPPC Africans fold arms while these arrogants did even greater damage to multiracial Guyana? Infrastructure was not even-raced – electric lights for the Indians and darkness for the Africans, paved roads for the Indian villages and dirt roads for the African villages. Roger Luncheon mouthed that no African at the time had the intelligence to be a diplomat of Guyana.
Robert Persaud at Agriculture and Mining did a number on African farmers and miners. Frank Anthony at Youth and Culture aimed to break African spirit even with refusal to have Philip Moore buried at the Seven Ponds where pilgrims will muse about this great Jordanite man-god. Anil Nandlall at Law was lawless. Priya Manickchand at Education encouraged abuse to Guyanese and foreigners. Donald Ramotar at the Presidency listened to Jagdeo instead of using his God given talent to create wealth for all Guyanese brothers and sisters.
Below are five important points we need to focus indelibly on as we review the past. Spirituality is the key to prosperity. It opens doors that are closed and love enters unknowingly. This completes the common factor.
- 1. Philip Moore must enter Georgetown and be reburied at the Seven Ponds. There has been no greater artist that Guyana has produced. He is a sacred soul without equal.
- Philip Moore’s painting ‘Jumbie Wedding’ must be restored with urgency and placed at a place of prominence for all Guyanese to view with dignity and regularity. Moon-gazer will warn us on our wedding to Exxon Mobil. Is it a jumbie wedding?
- The 1823 Monument must be removed from its present location and placed at Independence Park to inspire the psyche of Guyanese of African Descent.
- Forbes Burnham’s painting which was removed from the National Cultural Centre by Gail Texeira must return there since it is a historic plaque that represents posterity.
- The Jhandi flags of East Indian gods must be matched by Africa’s sacred colours of red, gold and green to inspire the prosperity of Africans who earn it.
African liberty of spirit is the road to African prosperity.
Yours faithfully,
Ras Leon Saul
Roy James
Elizabeth Nurse
‘Magic’ October
Ras Bizzi
Anis Miller
Conrad Noel
Ras Dalgettie I and others of the Rastafari community and their counterparts
