Dear Editor
As I reflect on Guyana’s 55th year of Republican status, I cannot but marvel on the extent to which we have progressed as a nation.
It was by no means an easy journey, but we have not only prevailed but triumphed. Guyana is today a far cry from the difficult years when the country was caught in the crossfire of political and ideological turbulence. The granting of political independence on May 1966 and the eventual conferral of Republican status on February 23, 1970 was in significant ways a manifestation of those intriguing times.
Thankfully, we have gone past those momentous years. Guyana is today a respected member of the international community with one of the fastest growing economy in the world. We are no longer a poor and underdeveloped economy with a high and unsustainable debt burden. Guyana has now taken its place as the breadbasket of the Caribbean and a leader on a number of strategic regional developmental initiatives such as food and energy security and climate change.
But even more, democracy is now much more institutionalized and we are a law-governed society where the constitution of Guyana holds supreme.
Despite our enormous successes, there are still challenges which must be confronted including the search for greater inclusivity in the governance processes. Our greatest challenge is to continue the search to transform our diversity to one of strength and in so doing make it difficult for those who may seek to exploit our diversity for narrow partisan gains.
To be fair, we have made some progress in this regard. There is a much higher level of tolerance in our society at the cultural level. This is manifested in the multi-racial participation in religious and national festivities. This Mashramani celebrations is one such manifestation, bringing in the streets thousands of Guyanese from all ethnic and political orientations.
My sense is that the country is evolving to a much higher level of multiculturalism and tolerance along the lines of the One Guyana concept as envisioned by President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali.
I take this opportunity to wish all Guyanese a happy Mashramani!
Sincerely,
Hydar Ally
