-Front-page murders – all the pages
If you were an adult (18-25 years) when Guyana gained its constitutional and governmental “independence” from Britain in May of 1966, you would be now in your seventies. Even eighties.
Of course a few assumptions would flow. That you are alive and well or unwell. That, hopefully, you still reside within the independent State’s borders. That you have some patriotic regard for this land of your birth, along with various concerns – and so on.
I was already an “adult” school teacher when I watched the brand new Golden Arrowhead being hoisted for the very first time at the National Park. That honour went to 2nd Lt. Desmond Roberts of the Guyana Defence Force. He was assisted by 2nd Lt. Ulric Pilgrim. And at midnight and after spectacular fireworks exploded. Lighted depictions of Prime Minister Burnham and the Kaieteur Falls held the thousands crammed into the park in awe. Much is made of the gesture when Burnham “embraced” a still lukewarm Cheddi Jagan. I espied Barbados’ Errol Barrow as I did South Africa’s Miriam Makeba both present on that momentous night.
Meanwhile, on the highest mountain-peaks wholly in Guyana – Mt. Ayanganna – 2nd Lt. Asad Ishoof (GDF), guided by mountaineer Adrian Thompson and Amerindian guide Isaac Jerry, was raising the new Arrowhead, possibly to indicate ownership of all Guyana.
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Independence? Why? How? Expectations
Well the “Independence generation” and those after have heard repeatedly, the tales of the slavery and indentureship periods wherein the European overlords imported Africans and Asians to work their plantations. Formal Crown Colony status afterwards ignited hope and actions by the “leaders” of the descendants of the labourers to fashion an anti-colonial “struggle” for eventual independence from the then Colonial Master – Great Britain. (Of course Britain became “Great” on the backs and resources of all its then colonies across the globe. No wonder the longing still for reparations!)
But what did we Guyanese know and/or expect of Independence when it arrived?
Frankly Speaking, even the articulate visionary orator Forbes Burnham did not acquaint the brand-new citizens with the full meaning of the new national status. We were given more to emotion than inspiration. Partly because, as members of Britain’s Colonial Commonwealth – then former British Empire – club, the Queen remained our monarch and still retained certain responsibilities. Until Burnham put an end to that in February of 1970.
Since the “why” and “how” of the May 1966 Independence Act and reality are now known, let me dwell on what the new, relatively-informed citizens of the new Guyana assumed, hoped, expected. However intellectually naïve those anticipations now seem.
Partly because of some politicians’ prognostications young citizens, post-1966, looked forward to: numerous new jobs, better wages, salaries, conditions, immediate improvements in education, health-care, infrastructure throughout towns and villages, 20th-century housing and transportation, modernized army and police services.
With the murderous riots of 1962 to ’64 behind us, we expected peaceful co-existence if not complete socio-political harmony and peaceful free and fair elections – for the first time as an independent State – in 1968. Alas!
The political leaders never spent enough – non-political – time advising of the consequences – responsibilities, roles required and attitudes and capacities necessary – which the long-sought “independence” would usher in. “Independent Guyanese” hardly realized that we were far far away from economic independence, that which is hardly ever possible even for the older “independent economies. Even to this day in our inter-dependent world. So what happened to new independent Guyana and its new citizens by 1968? 1970? 1980? Boy-oh-Boy!
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The visionary, the autocrat, the legacy
The new expectant citizens of my post–1966 generation were never prepared for under–preparedness of lopsided aid and trade; for China’s pre-eminence in the Calcined Bauxite market; for how the European Union manipulated our future with their strategic “preference” for our sugar’ for the enormous challenges when Burnham nationalized the “Commanding Heights of Our Economy”. Justified but overwhelming.
To me Forbes Burnham was a Statesman–Visionary who felt he had to rig elections to remain in power to fulfil his dreams of making resource–rich Guyana a Power-House in the Region. Absolute power and pretenders all around him led to selfish defeatist corruption. And when divisive political relations and confrontations were added, the independent State was doomed. Did Burnham’s brilliance fail us? And now that his PNC re-dominates, could we find any of his negative legacies being manipulated through his Burnhamist descendants? You tell me. Where were we after Republicanism (1970) and Presidency (1980)?
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“Independence” – And poor me
It is not that I can’t repeat 20 great achievements since independence. But I can easily list one hundred regrets and failures too. They caused my homeland to stand still, to retrogress, to lose hundreds of thousands of independent citizens to other people’s lands.
And it’s not that I don’t know how much blame for our national post–Independence plight to place with the People’s Progressive Party (PPP). But frankly speaking, as an erstwhile enthusiastic member of the PNC I view its mistakes as more tragic in our formative years.
Late 1965 to April 1966 I learnt and taught our new Greenland anthem. And the meaning of the Golden Arrowhead colours. Our re-discovered symbols. Fifty-three years later, today I’m not easily impressed by any new project, decades delayed. Good for today’s dot-com generation. I reject copycat music and cultures which overwhelm our youth because of some “Global Village”. Yet I was too proud and patriotic to join my family and thousands upon thousands abroad. Poor me! Now more elections cometh! Before or after our oil hopes. Poor me…
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Murder on the front-page
Just check our national print media. Murder, crime and court reports dominate most of the papers’ pages.
My Editor-in-Chief will tire of telling me why editors allow that criminal bad news on the front page daily (some small tourist-islands beg their editors to ease off that.) Former journalist and current High Commissioner for Canada, Ms Chatterjee, reminds us that the media “mirrors” the society. The internet/Facebook lists Guyana among the world’s ten murder capitals due to proportion against small populace. I promise to return to this soon. Morals? Intolerance? Religion? Parenting?
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Independence thoughts
1. So why/how was May 26 selected as the date? Ask Hammie Green.
2. My stifled regrets just before May 1966? That both the lyrics of our beloved new anthem and the design of our new flag were produced by foreigners! A Briton and an American! Boo-hoo.
3. Don’t expect any public response from UG Pro-Chancellor Joe Singh to attorney/accountant Ram’s criticism. (Hope I’m wrong…)
4. The four non-assembly former Ministers in new positions – along with the new four – will cost us…?
5. Great visit to the youths in prison on mother’s day by my favorite Bing–bang-boom-out Miner Minister Simona. Now the vibrant No.2 youth minister has to think of prevention of Youth Crime.
`Til next week!
