Dear Editor,
Beginning in 2016, I spent the months of December to March, in Guyana. While there, I visited several Amerindian villages and inquired of ways I may be of assistance to the villages, in general, and the schools in particular. My donations to several villages included the following: an electric sewing machine, an electronic blood pressure monitor, a silk-screen printing kit, and to one school, several items required in a science laboratory, including a microscope with metal frame and glass lens (not an inexpensive item). Eventually, I abandoned such attempts. I will comment in future writings.
In December, 2019, during the first week of December, I arrived in Guyana. Two weeks prior to my scheduled departure, the pandemic resulted in the closure of the airports, hence I was stranded in Guyana for an additional 5 months. I was in Guyana for a total of exactly 36 weeks. On 11th August, 2020, I departed and have not returned since.
While in Guyana, I attempted to research two publications, dating to the 1980’s and prior. The publications were, the Catholic Standard and the Dayclean. The Dayclean was the/an organ of The Working People’s Alliance (WPA.) At the Public Library, Georgetown, only a few copies of Dayclean were in the archive but there were several copies of the Catholic Standard. I then visited the Walter Rodney (National) Archive. The name of that archive suggested (to me) that it was an archive of Dr. Rodney’s writings. Dr. Rodney deserves to be honoured for his courageous and tremendous contributions to Guyana, possibly by construction of a monument; however, the archive should be named, “The National Archive of Guyana.”
At the archive, I enquired about the Dayclean newspaper. Of the three persons with whom I met and spoke, no one had heard of the Dayclean. A search of the catalogue, with the assistance of a staff member, revealed no listing for Dayclean. I found it rather interesting that the archive, named for Dr. Rodney, does not have the newspaper of his party, the WPA. Are the WPA members, who were clamouring for the archive to be named after Dr. Rodney, aware of this fact? David Hinds, in one of his replies to Freddie Kissoon, stated that he (David), has most of the writings of Eusi Kwayana; does he also have all/most of the issues of Dayclean?
Did the PNC make a conscious decision to exclude the Dayclean from The National Archive? The WPA ought to have an archive of the Dayclean.
It should be recalled that the PNC Party of Forbes Burnham and Hamilton Green regularly seized the newsprint of the Dayclean (WPA), and possibly the Mirror (PPP) newspaper. The PNC also denied entry, into Guyana, of newsprint, donated to the Mirror. Trade was restricted by the External Trade Bureau (ETB), hence the importation of newsprint was severely restricted.
The issue(s) surrounding the Caribbean Contact is/are deserving of reflection.
The Catholic Standard deserves special recognition for its contributions during the “Dark Days” of the illegal PNC government. A monument (a statue) to Father Bernard Darke would be appropriate.
While I was a student of UG, I applied to the ETB and was granted permission to import the textbooks for the Biochemistry and Ecology courses. The shelves of the local bookstores (including UG’s) were bare. While on this topic, I recall a US publication (Ebony magazine?), published an article (1972 or 1973 – late in the year), claiming that Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham was the third richest person, of African Descent, in the world. Mr. Burnham claimed that this was not true and stated that he would not ban the publication. Two months later, The Ebony magazine was not available, in Guyana. Only the Government bookstore(s) had stocked this magazine. A government bookstore was located at the current location of the Citizens Bank (the eastern corner of South Road and Camp Street). Eventually, Ebony magazine retracted its claim and, as I recall, issued an apology. How did Ebony magazine “obtain” this information or mis-information?
I visited the building on South Road and Wellington Street (western corner). The Catholic Standard is archived in that building. I spoke with a gentleman, who was quite accommodating. He told me that the archive has more than one hundred years of Catholic Standard publications. I enquired about digitizing them and he told me there is such a plan, but funding is currently not available.
Unfortunately, I was unable to make enquiries about the Mirror. About March 10th, the pandemic closed many offices and I avoided closed spaces.
On my return visit to Guyana, I expect to travel with a book-scanner and to digitize as many issues of The Catholic Standard and The Mirror, as possible. Of course. I will leave copies of the files with the archives.
Readers, I would like the younger generations to be able to access the past seven decades of the political history of Guyana; while much has already been written, it is not available online.
Mr. Hamilton Green would like the older generation(s) to educate the younger ones. I absolutely agree that the younger generations should be so informed, especially the years of 1961 to the current time. Mr. Green may begin by informing the younger generation of how and why he became Bilal and why he is no longer Bilal. Mr. Green is currently Elder, messenger and I am waiting for when he becomes Be-all.
Mr. Green is presenting some very distorted and biased “information”, in the media. In 2020, on a very early morning show, Mr. Green claimed that the PNC won the overseas vote, and he stated why this was so. The question asked, at that time (1970’s), was why would 98% of the overseas votes be awarded to the PNC when those people fled The Burnham regime?
It appears that events as recent as three decades ago are forgotten. Three decades ago, the PPP returned as head of the government.
Editor, I expect to made submissions on past issues. I am writing this letter to inform the public that past events may be researched but some articles/publications may not have been archived by the PNC, and hence, at this time, my writings will be from memory.
Yours faithfully,
Zamir
