Dear Editor,
Guyana has been independent for nigh on 58 years and, for the first 28 of those it was administered by the Afro-leaning PNC, so what opportunity for the advancement of people of African descent was missed? Further, our first five years of the ‘oil’ era were administered by the APNU+AFC (PNC by another name) what policy or law change was required for Afro-Guyanese to advance? The short answer to both these questions is that Guyana’s Constitution and Laws are written to ensure equality and fairness as we build our nation; it does not, however, cater to the whims of those who see everything as an issue of ‘race’.
Vincent Alexander writes that his organization (it was created by David Granger with Alexander named as head, there was no election) IDPAD-G is being starved of funding, ergo, Afro-Guyanese are being deprived of equal funding as other races. To prove his point Alexander says “This acclaimed $100,000,000 per year and $500,000,000 all told, to date, is a pittance and disrespectful given 9 billion dollars annually for the Amerindians, 7 billion dollars for activities in agriculture and the promotion of manufacturing all of which are populated essentially by Indo-Guyanese”. This attempt at equivocation deserves to be called out for what it is: Racism at its worst, so let us analyze it.
IDPAD-G is a private organization, it exists only because President David Granger wanted it to, no other Caribbean nation saw fit to set up a local cash cow outside of the government structure to assist People of African Descent to advance; it does not and cannot be equated with the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, which is an integral part of our nation’s governance structure that delivers government services to hundreds of indigenous villages in our hinterland. The same applies to the Ministry of Agriculture, is Vincent Alexander suggesting his organization should be treated as a Ministry and him as a Minister with no accountability? One can ask by what mechanism did IDPAD-G rent the premises from Mr. Charles Corbin to use as its headquarters? Was there a transparent tender process? What sum was paid for the building monthly? (IDPAD-G moved to Desmond Hoyte’s house and this premises now houses the Office of the Leader of the Opposition). I am sure we will be ignored, the same as when the organization that was supposed to comprise IDPAD-G met in 2018 and voted by a clear majority to remove Vincent Alexander from the organization, he never acknowledged their meeting or legitimacy.
To claim that agriculture and manufacturing activities are “populated essentially by Indo-Guyanese” is uninformed and ignorant; there are thousands of Afro-Guyanese engaged in both activities, and it is akin to saying the Public Service is ‘Afro-Guyanese’ because they enjoy a majority in government employment, or the Police or the Army; Guyanese choose where they want to work and what profession to pursue. Some swing in office chairs and fiddle with air-conditioning remotes while others toil in the fields, but both do it by choice, both have pros and cons, yet no Indo-Guyanese has ever said that the money spent on the 54,000 public servants is to benefit Afro-Guyanese only and, if they did, we would call out that false statement as blatant racism without fail.
Alexander’s letter, however, did shine some light on why there was no hesitation by the APNU+AFC to miniaturise the Sugar Industry and fire 7000 workers and why the Community Service Officer (CSO) programme was terminated and 2000 CSOs fired; one perceived as ‘Indo” the other as ‘Indigenous’. These two decisions were driven by a racist agenda by a racist administration; this is what real discrimination looks like; a shame and a stain on APNU+AFC.
Editor, one does not need an organization and millions or billions to advance the cause of any group of people in Guyana, one only needs honesty of purpose and facts; nothing prevents anyone from filing complaints to the Ethnic Relations Committee or any other government agency. To demonstrate how this can be done, I have set up a Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/DevelopGuyanaFirst) and invite any Guyanese, of any ethnicity, who feels they have been discriminated against to message me and help will be forthcoming at no charge or cost; genuine activism is motivated by care not money.
Sincerely,
Robin Singh
