President Irfaan Ali today used the 151st birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi to commit to strengthening Guyana’s democratic institutions.
Speaking at a ceremony at the Promenade Gardens organized by the Indian High Commission, the President said: “The Republic of Guyana has just emerged from a bruising test of its democracy. My government is committed to strengthening the country’s democratic institutions and to insulating them from the threat of being undermined. In this task, we can draw wisdom from the Mahatma. His commitment to non-violence and his respect for civil liberties are important cornerstones in erecting an impregnable democratic rampart”.
Prime Minister Mark Phillips in his address also cited local circumstances in his tribute to Gandhi. He referred to laudatory remarks that had been made by Dr Martin Luther King about Gandhi.
“In a tribute to Gandhi, Dr. King said: ‘[Gandhi] would resist evil as much as the man who uses violence, but he resists it without external violence or violence of the spirit. That is what Gandhism does. It is a method of the strong.’
“Friends, these words ring ever true today even at home in Guyana. Just weeks after the lives of three innocent young men were violently taken; and just a short while after violent protests rocked our nation due to social and political differences- these words could not be more profound.
“Moreover, we now live in a world where information is endless, and our differences and conflicts are easily seen by an international audience. This has spurred the ability for hypersensitivity and an amplified opportunity for offences to be taken and acted upon. Like a disease, these reactions can spread across borders, causing multi-national uprisings of angry people, ready to engage in acts of violence as a recourse for their emotions”.
