Dear Editor,
I refer to the article, ‘Privilege in building economic wealth’ by Akola Thompson, published on December 03, 2021. The columnist made sweeping assertions about privilege and discrimination regarding particular ethnic groups in Guyana, without referencing statistical, and/or credible sources, nor personal experiences. At face value, the generalisations lack merit, and come off as personal opinions based on inherent bias rather than well-thought out arguments reflecting what is observed on the ground. The columnist wrote that economically, Indo-Guyanese are more privileged than Afro-Guyanese and Indigenous Peoples, while ‘anti-Blackness places Afro-Guyanese at the bottom rung of all groups…’ How did the columnist arrive at that conclusion? From a columnist, one expects those emanations to be logical and well presented.
Take employment in Guyana, for instance, what is the ethnic composition of the public sector currently? To which ethnic group do the majority of teachers, nurses, police officers, university lecturers, government agencies’ workers belong to? Also, note the ethnic composition of Headteachers, senior academics, administrators and senior personnel in all the taxpayer-funded institutions in Guyana. A public service job comes with a monthly salary (money) meaning ‘economic empowerment’, a retirement age and pension. In addition to greater job security than a private sector worker, the public sector comes with a higher minimum wage and even the cushion of workers’ unions. Where is the pension, age of retirement and job security for a small business owner, a market vendor, or a farmer? Many self-employed persons work 10-12 hours or more per day, not 8-4! Just look at the market vendors. Countless small businesses fail every year and the few that actually succeed and expand, do not reflect the reality of all persons who attempted, or continue to be self-employed. Many persons start their own businesses, then after a short while, are forced to seek employment in the public sector. We’re seeing this right now, with Covid-19, many small businesses incurred losses, or closed completely, while public and civil servants are still guaranteed a salary.
Generally speaking, the economic rewards that come from being a self-employed/business owner can be much more than a salaried worker, providing one is successful. However, the risks are greater and there is no guarantee of continued success. The question should therefore be, ‘Are certain ethnic groups prevented from being self-employed?’ The author holds a prestigious position as a columnist for Stabroek News, where her views are read and can influence thousands of Guyanese on a daily basis, yet makes sweeping generalisations that are not sound. Does the success of a few rich Indo-Guyanese business persons reflect the reality of thousands of Indo-Guya-nese? Are people automatically economically privileged because they are Indo-Guyanese? Thousands are dirt poor right here and the Indo-Guyanese community is affected by many social ills such as high suicide rates, domestic violence and alcoholism. These things don’t sound like privileges to me. The columnist even wrote about Indo-Guyanese ‘ethnic privilege and advantage’ without showing how this happens. I wonder if the author even knows what she means. In Guyana, as everyone knows, politics is race based and the PPP/C is supported by mainly Indo-Guyanese while most supporters of the PNC/APNU are Afro-Guyanese. For decades the PNC/APNU were in government, what happened then? Were they, the PNC/APNU, oppressing and discriminating against Afro-Guyanese economically and on the basis of race. During the 1970s and 80s, when many emigrated from Guyana with little in their pockets, who was then the dominant ethnic group? If Indo-Guyanese were so privileged here, would they have left their material possessions behind and flee to foreign lands for an unknown future?
The columnist also mentioned discriminatory banking practices, inadequate community development and higher imprisonment rates for Afro-Guyanese without showing how Afro-Guyanese are singled out. Poor customer service, high interest rates and difficulty in accessing certain services offered by banks affect countless Guyanese of all ethnicities. And unless you live in a posh area or a gated community then inadequate community development is the norm, and pages can be written on this. What about higher imprisonment rates for Afro-Guyanese? If someone commits a crime and is found guilty, then regardless of ethnicity, there are consequences. Are innocent people being jailed, or are Afro-Guyanese targeted unfairly, or receiving harsher sentences? And what is the ethnic composition of those in the legal system (police officers, lawyers, judges etc.)? The columnist needs to prove their point, in fact, the entire column was just about making assumptions which was posed as facts without any evidence at all; not even referencing the author’s personal experiences neither their acquaintances. Editor, media personnel are expected to be objective, informed and ‘educated’ at least. When dealing with charged topics in a polarised society, at most, one should present sound arguments and not half-baked statements pulled out of the air.
Sincerely,
Narissa Deokarran
