Dear Editor,
NCN radio has advertisements for a ‘One Guyana Diwali Jalsa’ to be held in Corriverton. The PPP has been branding the ‘One Guyana’ logo on many events, many of which include alcohol and other items which many Hindus are trying hard to remove from Diwali and other Hindu festivals. The One Guyana Stink X Dutty events and so are part of the cultural landscape and the imagination of One Guyana seems to be anything goes.
While many Hindus believe Diwali should be sacred and contemplative, other Hindus will use bombs and squibs to create noise and disrupt the peace. Many Hindus will support the PPP One Guyana events which include alcohol, other Hindus will not support and not say anything. Such is the diversity of Hinduism and Guyana.
The ‘One Guyana’ branding unfortunately is also divisive in ways as many feel excluded from One Guyana and hope better will come. Hindu organisations and individuals use Diwali for seva (service to others), to think about starting over anew, to build community and to find ways of contributing to light and colour in their communities, in ways which are not destructive.
Surely then the resources of One Guyana in the Berbice region could be to improve the health care delivery. Or One Guyana schools where teachers are well paid and working in healthy conditions to nurture literate students. A One Guyana where Skeldon Hospital and New Amsterdam Hospital are operating at the standards where Hindus and non Hindus alike could enjoy quality access to free health care as the Constitution demands? Why is it necessary for the beneficiaries and stakeholders of One Guyana to co-opt Diwali in Berbice in 2023? When there are so many other national problems which One Guyana should be fixing?
Yours sincerely,
Vidyaratha Kissoon
