Dear Editor,
There can be no place in Guyana for race-baiting. Anyone who seeks to exploit race as a means of achieving political ends is doing a great disservice to the people of Guyana. I have always maintained the view that Guyana is evolving to higher levels of multiculturalism and ethnic tolerance. We only have to look at the recent Mashramani and Phagwah festivals to get a sense of how much we have embraced each other as a people, regardless of our ethnicity or politics.
These manifestations of cultural assimilation must be encouraged. As Dr. Martin Luther King said, an individual must be judged not by the colour of his skin but by the strength of his character. This is indeed a powerful statement which should be embraced by all Guyanese. Guyana is an ethnically diverse society. Our strength lies in our diversity. Any individual or group that seeks to divide us on the grounds of our diversity must be called out. It diminishes us as a people and as a society.
Sincerely,
Hydar Ally
