Dear Editor,
Why do some matters take so long, seemingly part of a programmed carousel? They lurch into reluctant effort, and go round and round, and back and forth, as though they are hot potatoes, best handled by somebody else. This is particularly glaring, when certain citizens are involved. An incident is publicized, sometimes a lethal one, or something involving the frauds of a favored one, or the slippage of another comrade in the charmed circle. The record is like this: the Guyana Police Force (GPF) looks and wisely leans away. To the DPP Chambers, it goes. There is hibernation, a careful ‘cooling-off’ period; then it is back to the GPF, for one reason or another, that looks legit. Time is bought, interest wanes, the attention of the public is diverted. That is, until the next fearsome or troubling occurrence takes place, such as a shooting, a bribe taken, a paramour injured, or an accident entangling senior people from governing royalty. Nobody should need names; not of victims, not of senior officials of the state now plagued by sloth, by indecision, by concerns about stepping out of bounds and becoming marked.
Marked for not being the kind of team player expected, not for the promotion rolls. I understand these human concerns amid the human drama. It is not without muted, but potent, political ingredients. None wants to be a boat rocker, a truth seeker, a contrarian. They have unwise people like me for those dirty jobs, to raise alarms that everybody ignores. That is, except for the Vice President; the man is like Nixon, such is his meanness, the penciling in of more names to his lengthening enemies list. Again, I appreciate that senior public servants understand the script, know their lines, and discern the limit of their roles and powers. It is simple: leave some things alone. When that proves problematic, slow it down to a tortured crawl. After all, it has been tried before, and worked before, since people forget (or are made to); citizens migrate (internally or mentally); and everybody moves on, given the established norms of democratic Guyana. Looking at the GPF, the DPP’s Office, and those watchdog offices-PCA, OPR, et al, I struggle to determine which entity takes pride of place. Namely, which is the bureaucratically slowest, politically smartest, and environmentally cutest. Stated otherwise, which group knows best re how the game works, how to go about making things look right, while ensuring that wrongdoing stays out of the light. I confess to being intrigued by the choreographed dances in official circles, some of them supposedly constitutional checks and balances, and protectors of ill-treated citizens. Yes, they have the press of priorities and many duties, but something looks grim in Guyana. Thus, I ponder whose interests come first. I don’t think it is those of citizens when sensitive circumstances detonate democratic pretenses. I present this publicly, and at the feet of leaders in the organizations mentioned. What is stood for? Who is stood with?
Sincerely,
GHK Lall
