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The statement by Gail Teixeira, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, that she wrote members of the United States (U.S) Congress, other international partners, and members of the local diplomatic corps about “misinformation and race-baiting” must not be taken lightly or dismissed. The truism of not wanting to dignify people with a response belongs to yesteryear not in the Information Age.
Gail’s allegation that the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) for the “last 29 years has a history of destruction, obstruction, anti-nationalism, and division” should be challenged and corrected because it affects the true report card of Guyana’s history and the contributions of the PNCR to forging One People One Nation One Destiny. The sustained efforts of some to rewrite Guyana’s history even to the extent of denying Jack his jacket is appalling. Some are so bent on doing this it matters not the idiocy or illogic of their arguments
It has been read in another media, a person who is seen as an opinion shaper of significance, distorting Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham’s efforts at forging racial respect and inclusion to support his argument that that government excluded Indo-Guyanese. The writer attempted to debunk Burnham multicultural approach in moulding Guyana “because he introduced two Muslim and two Hindu festivals as national holidays” Pray tell, what else could Burnham’s effort have be when prior there was none?
Burnham introduction of public education, which had the parliamentary support of Minority Leader Dr. Cheddie Jagan and his People’s Progressive Party, has not spared the accusation he wanted to deny Hindu and Muslim religious led schools. Public education made it accessible to learn regardless of location and financial status, which helped the intellectual development of Guyanese, and nation building. It is wondered were all not educated, particularly during those Burnham years, how susceptible they would have been to arguments devoid of logic and basic reasoning.
Undoubtedly the Burnham government cultivated the environment for racial/ethnic respect through knowledge sharing, de-stigmatisation of the historical cultures of the races and ethnic others, including legitimising such marriages. It is difficult to attack the efforts of Burnham and the PNC in striving to mould one nation out of diverse historical experiences. But often in effort not to acknowledge such strides the restriction of flour, split peas and Irish potatoes become evidence of ‘discrimination’ against another race/ethnicity when these have been staples in the diet of all Guyanese.
The PNC must respond to the PPP, in detailed manner, and send copies to all those who received Gail’s report. Leader of the PNC David Granger is a historian by education. His data gathering approach to history must be utilised, in this instance, to accurately record successive PNC government’s racial and ethnic management of the country, in partnership or alone. The racial/ethnic records of the PPP and PNC government from 1953 to now must be compared and contrasted Not everyone who received Gail’s report would accept the information as gospel or throw the report in the bin. Those who won’t could help bring some sobriety to the deceitful and unreasonable politics of Guyana. They nor Guyana should be denied the opportunity.
