Guyanese as nomads
Frankly Speaking...
Reading the Stabroek News editorial of last week Thursday I, like the editorial writer, was suitably outraged by the sick, attempted humour of the Leader of the Little Rock that is Anguilla. For those who read this column, at home and overseas, but who might miss the editorials, it is important to share the arrogance and conceit articulated by the Small Island Chief Minister and captured in the SN piece. Here is just an excerpt: "He said the small islands had proven that they could teach a lot to the rest of the world by their unity (by virtue of its structure the central bank is in fact virtually free from political interference) and they could be "the economic Gibraltar of the Caribbean". "We can go into Guyana with the strength of our money and the resources of Guyana and we can create a better standard of living for the people of Guyana and stop them from being nomads in the Caribbean" Mr Hughes is quoted as saying. "He may well laugh. Since the Burnham days when our economy lay in tatters and traders were roaming the region looking for goods ranging from foodstuff to soap, toilet rolls and car tyres there has been a patronising attitude to us as people who seem unable to look after their affairs and are forever in need of help of one kind or another. The diaspora, of course, started in the fifties and predates the Burnham era but by the late seventies our plight was plain for all to see. But the attitudes, reflected unfortunately in the hostile treatment still experienced by Guyanese at Caricom airports and in the somewhat hubristic humour of Mr Hughes (from Anguilla, if you please) remain." Frankly speaking, we became the laughing stock of the Caribbean since the Burnham days. I agree that for too many in those islands the image has not really changed. The pompous Antiguan or Barbadian will still choose to ignore our sterling contributions to their education system, their media or judiciary but will highlight the fact that some, a few, are indeed hustlers, prostitutes or traders, (as if "trading", for example, doesn't benefit all.) With apologies to my Headmaster/Politician friend Comrade Peters, now PNC "Political Affairs Officer", it has to be recorded that it was in those bygone years that Sir Alister McIntyre rated us barely above Haiti in terms of poverty; it was then that we started to become a disadvantaged country and a highly indebted poor country. Whatever the level of accuracy of those unfortunate designations, don't tell me to ignore their origins. My concern now, however, is whether it was fair to expect the PPP/Civic to correct this status between `93 and now, or whether the PPP/Civic has the competence and abilities to do so. After all, they get precious little help from you-know-who. But let me tell the Anguillan Small-Island Leaders this: Guyanese are not nomads; they become immigrants - a world-wide phenomenon - and then they become settlers and citizens of other places. Just like Jamaicans and Grenadians. I agree with the editorial however, that too many Guyanese have perhaps over the past two decades of despair nurtured a poor image of themselves, low self-esteem which is exploited by those actually or seemingly better off. I mean, have you ever heard an American or Bajan trying to sound Guyanese? Of course not! But as the Trade Winds reminds us, Guyanese after two weeks in London or Long Island change their accents - impressively. Then again, as I love to emphasise, thousands of my people occupy space in St Lucia, Antigua, Trinidad, Venezuela and Suriname. Do we have one hundred Trinidadians or Surinamese living here. How vulnerable we have made ourselves? From our Corentyne fishermen to our females, we are harassed and abused. Funny how promising Barbadian Prime Minister Arthur sounded at the Le Meridien on Indian Immigration Day last May. Said he: "In 1987 in his last and most graphic speech to the Caribbean Society, our National Hero, the Rt. Excellent Errol Barrow, observed that the people of the Caribbean had already made the free movement of people a Caribbean reality despite the opposition of their governments. "The creation of a Single Caribbean Economy cannot succeed unless the people of the Caribbean can move freely in their region to develop the Caribbean society, each in accordance with his or her own ability. "My government is determined to honour our obligations to enable Caribbean citizens to work and settle in Barbados. "We have seen and have benefited from the fact that since 1997 almost 500 Caribbean citizens have moved to Barbados under the new arrangement and have helped to propel the development of the Barbadian society. "As it has been with Barbados, so let it be with the rest of the Caribbean". With maximum respect intact for Mr Arthur, I have to remain cynical at his vision. At least where Guyanese nationals are concerned. Too many West Indians who don't respect us, fear us.
Campaign TV C.N. Sharma, of course, has declared that he is not going to face any campaign meeting and possible bricks. (You can pelt your TV!) But C.N. is "revolutionising" television and its concepts, single-handedly. Ravi Dev is a past-master at Campaign TV He's quite informed and persuasive, it must be admitted. But tell me if ROAR ever gets a few parliamentary seats which bigger party would it coalesce with? And did you catch the Preacher in the media recently? Including TV? Well Bishop Philbert London is on public record as declaring that God has "a plan for Guyana to be prosperous". Well Bishop, please tell God to hurry up! The opposition to both BEAL and CGX, the good Bishop implied, is the work of the DEVIL! Now this is not A.A. Fenty, but a full-fledged honest-to-goodness Bishop of the Lord. Stand by, therefore, for the PNC to put GOD in his place! How dare God plan investments under the CIVIC?! As for you Bishop - get ready for a bashing!
Until... 2) Wonder what's the feeling of the Elections Commission? And its Chairman? 3) I, and thousands upon thousands, wanted the old GEC to give way to a new entity after its decades of darkness in our lives. And I was prepared to give the GPL a year to clean up that mess. But Lord! GPL must find the financing by October - or leave! 4) I had called for government to respond to Mr Sherwood Lowe and Mr Hamley Case. Sash Sawh (and UNAMCO) did. Now it would be interesting for Minister Rohee to issue a reasoned response to the charges made by a Mr Oudit Narine Rai, B.A., M.A., LLB, Barrister, Solicitor and Notary Public of Courtice, Ontario. 5) Doesn't Hammie's GGG have its own Elections Petition too? Is GGG coming again, next elections? 6) Happy Emancipation on Tuesday. How far have you come, my Brothers? 7) This week-end marks two years of the Guyana cook-up show! 'TIL NEXT WEEK!
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