Dear Editor,
Sherwood Lowe in his letter, ‘Shifting the conversation on racial discrimination regardless of where one stands on the existence and extent of the problem’ self-debunks.
The very things that are working are the ones he denies where combatting racism is concerned. It is one thing to have perceptions, but quite another to test these, and see how they measure alongside reality, and this is what I intend to do, in my response to his wild assumptions.
First, I ask that Mr. Lowe do some fieldwork and ask Afro Guyanese in Afro dominated communities how they feel about the “25 bridge repair contracts in Buxton” the ‘Because We Care’ cash grants.
I will add to these two and ask that checks be made with residents of Mocha Arcadia, Golden Grove and Linden, and by way of extending the list, visit all the places that are traditional strongholds of the Opposition (irrespective if they are called PNC or APNU/AFC). Another thing that Sherwood can do is to compare the input of these places during the pre-1992 and 2015-2020 eras with what took place during 1992-2015 and since 2020 to the present.
My take again is that since the People’s Progressive Party/Civic has out done and is still doing more than the People’s National Congress and A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change, then it is silly to even suggest that there is some kind of racism being practised against Afro Guyanese. So, indeed the PM is right in saying that accusers of the PPP/C are “creating mischief and drumming up racial strife within our communities.”
Now for a word on Lowe’s false idea that “Discrimination (against Afro Guyanese) deniers try to produce evidence of its absence, but end up committing the “fallacy of the lonely fact.”
My position is that the Government, the duly elected one at that, cannot practise ‘pocket policies.’ If there are emergencies, the requisite response will be made (as with the Covid-19 pandemic and the few big floods). Other than that, the PPP/C has been rolling out its long-term national plans.
Take the case of housing and peruse the following headlines: 250 persons allocated house lots at Hope, East Coast Demerara-https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com; Allocation of 5000 house lots on East-//guyanachronicle.com; Approximately 5000 house lots allocated during Building Expo-https://guyanachronicle.com; 10 families allocated house lots in Region Three-https://dpi.gov.gy; 170 low-income houses to be built in Great Diamond https://www.inewsguyana.com.
It is the same with road work, investment in young people, entrepreneurship and just about every possible area. The Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) is the same too. I mean all the areas cater for every Guyanese, irrespective of race, religion and region. So, I am awaiting Lowe’s evidence that the PPP/C Government has a ‘pathological obsession’ to “ … totally control the distribution of state resources and opportunities, in the areas of land, contracts, jobs, cash grants, permits, etc.”
Yours truly,
H. Singh.