-The Olympics, me and Guyana
Let’s declare the whole of August “Emancipation Month” for this column of twenty-eight years.
Herein we’ll not glibly wish “Happy Emancipation.” Because most times such ‘wishes” are clichéd, meaningless. Over the decades past Emancipation anniversaries should have attracted meaningful reflection, introspection and leader-inspired, sustained resilience to overcome post-1838 challenges.
What “Happy Emancipation”? Where is the Black man today? Where is the African-descended status now? 183 years since the British “freed” the ancestor-slaves? Is it not cold comfort, misplaced reasoning for Afro “leaders” to still blame the scars of slavery, colonial divide-and–rule European “strategies” and the Jagan-Jagdeo 23-year-old syndrome for the Afro-Guyanese condition now? Did Afros attract lasting empowerment under “their own” over the Burnham-Hoyte 28 years? How valid are their leaders’ claims now of hostile discrimination during the Ali one year after the Brigadier’s Five Years?
Emancipation, liberty, freedom, enslavement’s conclusion hardly seem to inspire objective political honesty. Perhaps it has something to do with “emancipation” itself.
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Post- Emancipation sabotage? No sustained resilience?
Some African-descended “leaders and intellectuals” are bound to be upset, disturbed by the second question immediately above. After all, ex-slaves pooled their apprenticeship earnings and purchased European-owned plantations to fashion what is popularly now described as our “Village Movement.”
Indeed numerous villages along the Atlantic Coast were fashioned by Afro-former slaves. Replete with the earliest forms of logical, effective local-government systems of administration and management. So just what happened to the “Africans” since the 1840’s to the early 1900’s? Sabotage? Competition? Discrimination? Yes, some of all the above. As well as the Black Man’s choices and self-defeating attitudes. (Disagree all you want!) This first replacement Indian, Chinese, Portuguese all landed before or after 1838’s emancipation. But we must applaud/celebrate the first former apprentice–slaves’ understanding that real emancipation should be way beyond dictionary definitions. While some accepted that emancipation meant their freedom to be “free” to relax with recreation from all work, the wiser freed people utilised emancipation to re-construct their lives, their future.
Then the ever-envious, greedy, vexed former masters found ways to sabotage African “independence”. From flooding-out village agriculture to manipulation of payments for African employment, conditions were stacked against development. Especially when the indentured were offered lands and other incentives to remain on the estates to engender unfair competition.
But what became of “African resilience” then? Was it just mere survival that dictated new indifference to land and agriculture? And turning to alternatives like professions and trades whilst never contemplating commerce and ownership of property like the newer “immigrants” seemed to favour?
I offer now for Emancipation Debate: After 183 years of “freedom”, inclusive of Burnham’s Co-op Bank, agri-development and housing banks, diasporic opportunities and Granger’s five years, how come other groups outperformed Afro-Guyanese in terms of personal economic development?
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“African” Business and “Indians” in the forces
Over past days I’ve been fully attracted to the beginnings of a national conversation regarding some equity or “balance” in various aspects of the country’s economy.
Messrs Campbell, Ramharack and (inevitably) Hammie Green have all made useful, even incisive, contributions to the debate.
I’ll withhold any personal substantial inputs for later except to direct attention to some socio- cultural attitudes and preferences. I submit that very much will have to be done to promote young Afro-interest in commerce—establishing Hardware stores, Pharmacies, Supermarkets and Factories. And not financing alone!
Do we really feel that Indo-Guyanese will abandon money-making enterprises to enlist in the Joint Forces? (Cheddi Jagan did remark to me publicly that “Indians” are in the armed forces of India, Mauritius and Sri Lanka). Just show me thirty Indo-girls who want to join our Police Force right now. Ho-ho-ho!
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The Olympics, Me – and Guyana
Hail the Olympics – the premier multi-sport showcase which originally allowed the world’s amateur sports-people to compete in friendly competition as they promoted togetherness and world peace. (Were the Greeks alone responsible for its origins?)
Japan obviously preserved their 2020 pandemic-interrupted preparations, costing millions, to be able to implement them now. Though one full year late the Tokyo 2020 games still managed to excite appetite for sports. Without the usual thousands of in-person spectators to inspire participants. Yet those athletes performed and entertained while displaying triumph of human spirit.
For me, Frankly Speaking, the technology was enthralling- digitalised venues, modern camera- work everywhere, almost flawless management.
Check out these sports and games: Handball, sailing, rowing, discus, javelin, Gymnastics (Trampolines), beach volleyball, equestrian (horse) events, archery, women’s rifle shooting; weightlifting, wrestling.
The foregoing is a partial list of sport(s) I watched. Some don’t seem to cost too much in terms of equipment. But could good old Guyana ever train for a few? Oil money will be earmarked for numerous facets of national development I know. But could our obviously sport-minded Minister and Director of Sport begin subsidising and grooming for the next Olympics and World Champions?
The seven Guyanese made me feel good to see the Golden Arrowhead. Reward them for the next games.
A few to consider…
1) How is the other Brigadier – the Prime Minister Phillips – getting along with his specific portfolio?
2) Is violence, or just the threat of it, an option to benefit those who are dedicated to continuous “professional” opposition?
3) Emancipation anniversary observances coincided with the PPP’s year one. At “emancipation” events on the WCB, naked politics prevailed.
4) Aubrey was livid! How could the Linden Lady Mayor accommodate the PPP Bishop!?
5) She made me feel so feeble and physically unhealthy! That 82-year old lady Wally Funk, who went up to space a few weeks ago.
next week!