Dear Editor,
I was born in Supenaam, on the bank of the mighty Essequibo River, and was literally brought into this world by African hands. The midwife, nurse Canterberry, struck me lightly; I cried and began breathing. I am no expert, but the DNA trail is clear; man came out of Africa. For some, this may be a stretch but – in a sense – we are all Africans.
It is simplistic (and a disservice) to think of Afro-Guyanese as a monolith. While they do not have the dizzying variety and complexity of Nigeria’s numerous ethnic groups (who sometimes eye each other warily) they do display differences in political outlook and philosophy. From the inception, there was Afro-Guyanese involvement in the PPP; significantly, Ashton Chase and Forbes Burnham himself. In fact, if memory serves me well, after the latter broke away, there were, for a short period, two PPP’s – the ‘mother party’ and the breakaway faction led by Burnham.
Freddie Kissoon, in one of his recent articles, pointed to the real power and influence wielded by Dr. Roger Luncheon and Clement Rohee who was, at one time, General Secretary of the PPP. Rohee also served in the positions of Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Foreign Trade and Minister of Home Affairs. Incidentally, Freddie complained about the price of Mr. Rohee’s recently published 582 page memoir “My Story My Song”. Indeed, the printed version is expensive but the Kindle version is available (as an instant download) from Amazon.com for US $5.99 and from Amazon.ca for CAD $7.46. Apart from Luncheon and Rohee, there were other Afro-Guyanese in or associated with the PPP at various levels; Cyril Belgrave, Brindley Benn, Clinton Collymore, Sam Hinds and a host of others.
Fast forward to today. Afro-Guyanese government involvement at ministerial level has been reported to be 33%, which is a good thing for Guyana. When an ethnic community is over represented at the top level of government, to deem that tokenism rings hollow. Beyond that, the portfolios are very substantial. To cite just one example, Prime Minister and First Vice-President Mark Phillips has responsibility for the energy sector, civil defence, telecoms and information. He is humble, quiet and unassuming and is well qualified; holding a Bachelors and Masters in Public Management. Additionally, to have been the head of the Army is no small thing. He is solid.
Then there is former magistrate Oneidge Walrond, the Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce. No doubt proud of her African heritage, she has also displayed an admirable multicultural ‘fluency’ – a vital asset for any politician in Guyana’s plural society. She looked smashing in Indian attire and was even comfortable eating with her hands. Her brother idolizes her; I read his post on Facebook last year. The face of Guyana to the world is African; Hugh Todd who holds the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs. Other prominent names in the current government are Robeson Benn, Bishop Juan Edghill, Joe Hamilton and Kwame McCoy. No political party is angelic; there are imperfections, but credit should be given where due.
So, in Guyana today, Afro-Guyanese are well represented in Government by PPP Afro-Guyanese (PAG’s) and in the Opposition by APNU Afro-Guyanese (AAG’s). There can be no pincer movement, as PAG’s are ‘loyal to the bone’. The tension and interaction between the two groups is interesting and, sometimes, amusing. In response to AAG taunts, I suppose PAG’s can retort: “Guess what? We are in the seat (of power) – and you ain’t!” Very substantial Afro-Guyanese representation in the Police, Army, Civil Service and Judiciary complete the picture. Guyana is a small country, with a still small economy, and there are only so many jobs that can be remunerated from the public purse.
There is a third (incognito) group. During the five month post-election ordeal, two Rastafarian gentlemen were interviewed in Kingston, Georgetown, in a Facebook livestream. They were refined and soft spoken. One of the two gave his name (at least phonetically) as “Ras Fas”. This was during the “guard the containers” phase of the fiasco. In the course of answering the interviewer, Ras Fas mentioned “Closet Afro-Guyanese PPP supporters” (CAGPS). Afro-Guyanese are as shrewd as Kenya’s Kikuyu tribe. In the years ahead, with multiracial ministerial community outreaches and oil money facilitating sharing out of goodies, the numbers of CAGPS could swell.
The demographics of Guyana have changed, and continue changing. Apart from the two major groups (neither one being near to a national majority) and Amerindians, there has been an influx of Brazilians, Venezuelans, Cubans, Chinese and others. Some of these people can legitimately become citizens, with the right to vote. In view of this, for any major party to focus only on one group, or to even give the impression of doing so – or, worse; to send exclusive and hostile signals to other groups! – would be a recipe for marginal status, even political suicide. To fail to grasp this is to be left behind.
Yours faithfully,
Sieyf Shahabuddeen
