Dear Editor,
Mr. Ray Chickrie’s letter published in the Stabroek News, December 24th 2021 edition, captioned: `PNC supporters want to see Norton take their party to new heights’ is obviously not intended as advice to the new PNC leader Mr. Aubrey Norton. Its main objective is to throw old and new machinations of the PNC in the face of its new leader. This approach, taken by Mr. Chickrie even if it is well-intended, will be dismissed by Norton and his party as PPP propaganda disseminated through Mr Chickrie.
This letter writer has joined the never-ending list of non-Africans who are fooling themselves into believing that they can speak for Africans. It is a new form of racial insensitivity that has become prevalent in this society. It is as if Africans don’t know what they want and can’t speak for themselves. In the case of Norton’s ascendency to the leadership of his party, members spoke loud and clear. During the campaign and from the ballot box vote, Norton is well aware of what members want/expect. There is no need for Chickrie to advise that PNC members want “new heights” for the party.
Reading his missive there is obvious evidence of the pattern of thinking on political, social and economic issues that reflects the general views of the PPP/C and Indian rights activists. For example, Chickrie wrote, “Today, Afro-Guyanese are still the majority in the armed forces, the police, the public sector, and most heads of departments.” He appears to feel that Africans should be satisfied with their “majority” status in these areas. I don’t know Ray Chickrie, I am assuming that he is not African and is not sufficiently aware of Africans’ concerns and insecurity. An examination of the areas cited as African dominance will reveal a “reducing” majority historically. The public sector is not what it was in the 60s and 70s it now has 40 or more percentage non Africans and this number is likely to increase not decrease over time. The army and police have become minuscule in relation to what they were in the 1970s. Here again still a majority – but a declining one. When you examine areas that Indians have been the majority/dominant historically, the situation is different. To cite a few areas, agriculture, commerce, manufacturing, fishing and cattle rearing, Indians have not only maintained their dominance but extended it. None of these or other areas are at any threat of African takeover.
Mr. Chickrie’s comment on the “use of the race card” is also instructive. It assumes, in one sweeping statement that throughout Guyana’s political history the PNC is the only political party in Guyana that has used “the race card”. This is exactly my point about the purpose of Chickrie’s intent. I would ask Mr Chickrie directly, based on his logic, whether the PPP has ever employed what he calls the “race card”?
What provoked Ray Chickrie’s missive is Mr. Norton’s speech at former president Desmond Hoyte death anniversary. He wrote, “…Mr. Norton said that his party’s recent elections are an indication that the party’s constituency wants a `vigorous response’ to any corrupt intentions of the PPP government to squander the country’s patrimony through reckless spending and bloated…” He went on to reveal fifth-columnist tactics when he stated that PNCR supporters, “… are not looking for confrontation. They want to see Norton take over immediately from Lil Joe; recall and appoint new PNC Parliamentarians….” Mr. Ray Chickrie knows that Norton is in no position to act as he suggested. His advice is intended to increase antagonism in the PNCR. The matters he wants Norton to quickly resolve are delicate political matters and require time and negotiations.
I conclude, unlike Ray Chickrie, to offer Mr Aubrey Norton genuine advice: while it is useful to cite international agencies’ support for past policies of the PNCR/Hoyte it can be counterproductive to do so without giving due recognition to the views of the party supporters on those policies, and its effects on their life.
Yours faithfully,
Tacuma Ogunseye
