Dear Editor,
Kindly permit a response to Mr. Rick Dalgetty’s letter `The Archives can be appropriately named after Rodney’ (SN Dec 4, 2019). That letter was riddled with too many blatant inaccuracies and should not be allowed to pass. It is important for history to be recorded truthfully, in all its warts and beauty, for others to learn from, analyse and judge. The danger of making truth a lie repeated often enough has done untold harm to society. Herein below is the rebuttal to Mr. Dalgetty’s inaccuracies:-
1. When the Timehri International Airport (1969) was renamed the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (1997) there were public outcries given the non-consultative nature of the re-naming and what was clearly seen as a dismissal of the contributions of our First People in whose honour the airport was re-named during the Forbes Burnham administration. It was formerly called the Atkinson Airfield. Note, it was during Sam Hinds’ presidency the airport was renamed not Bharrat Jagdeo as intimated by Mr. Dalgetty.
2. There was no “renaming of Mackenzie-Wismar-Christianburg to Linden.” The town (Local Government Authority) of Linden was established in 1970. MacKenzie, Wismar and Christiansburg are part of the town called Linden and still there. The only “significant bells ringing here” are the inaccuracies of Mr. Dalgetty’s claim.
3. “Roxanne Burnham Gardens and Melanie Damishana” were new communities built by the Burnham administration and admittedly named after two of Mr. Burnham’s daughters. While Mr. Dalgetty argued it is all about “power,” in decrying the use of that “power” by Messrs. Burnham and Hinds he is oblivious to or at ease in the use of this very “power” by Mr. Jagdeo in renaming a legally constituted institution (The National Archives) to a name (The Rodney Archives) that would evidently confuse and undermine its thrust.
Where he wrongly felt there was no squeak from Guyanese when Timehri was renamed, why should he expect silence from us now repeating what was done with Timehri? Are all things Dr. Walter Rodney immune from such responses or above the law?
4. On the Demerara Harbour Bridge, the snide aside to people referring to it as “Viola’s Passage,” should not ignore arriving at a name was a matter of public involvement. I was a child but can still remember when Guyanese were asked to participate in the naming exercise. It was a hot topic in my home where we were allowed to share our views and justify our responses. There was conversation in school, and I remember as a kid we put our hands up and waited our turn to be called by the teacher to propose a name and give our reason for same. After national submissions, it was decided the name would be the Demerara Harbour Bridge. The elements of consultation and involvement were present.
5. The effort to rename The National Archives, The Walter Rodney Archives followed the pattern of the renaming of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport which Mr. Dalgetty condemned. How does he justify
condemnation for one and support the other when the identical approach was pursued? Please refer here to the Act on this institution http://www.guyaneselawyer.com/lawsofguyana/Laws/cap4008.pdf
No right-thinking person will dispute Dr. Rodney’s academic and professional achievements, but these do not automatically grant the right to rename an institution appropriately named The National Archives in his name. I would like to be pointed to any significant democratic nation that names its National Archives after someone. Naming has denotative and connotative value. By its present name, it says the body of work stored there is that of the nation and not solely Rodney. The academics and proponents in the Rodney camp know this but will ignore it because it does not fit their intent and desire. There isn’t opposition to renaming a street after Dr. Rodney or some other fitting place but The National Archives is taking it a stretch too far.
6. Belabouring the fallacy that Rodney was denied employment at the University of Guyana when it is the right of every University Council- publicly or privately owned – to determine who is employed, for argument sake it can be said his presence/place has been secured in the institution, though some may say belatedly when a Chair was named in his honour. It would be interesting to know what work, if any, his family, comrades and colleagues have done to aid that Chair in bringing better understanding of his scholarship through access, review and critique. The truth is, there is doubt these persons really care about Dr. Walter Rodney beyond having found a way to use his death to ensure their relevance and survival.
Yours faithfully,
Minette Bacchus
