There are reasons for Guyanese to be angry when they look around and see a rapacious and wicked regime determined to empower a few as the majority, in the world’s fastest growing economy, remain deprived. There is growing disconnect and rising anger in society over the mismanagement of the economy and the regime open contempt for the opposition, independent trade and civil society even though the Constitution of Guyana (Article 13) stipulates the involvement of individuals and organisations in the management and decision-making processes of the state on matters that impact their well-being.
The Jagdeo/Ali regime is operating as though the aforesaid universal tenets mean nothing, and Guyana has been reduced to a plantation where they are the new ‘massas’ and will determine for us who will be our representative, and who could benefit from the nation’s resources based on said association. They don’t care a damn that their politics is backwards and divisive, and creates ethnic tensions and division that could lead to social upheaval. In fact, they are stoking the upheaval, but we must respond to their provocation and violence by emulating the struggles of our forebears.
Anger is not necessarily bad and can be functional. The slaves’ anger toward the indignity and inequity meted out to them by the enslavers resulted in fights which realised emancipation. It was anger with the marginalisation and denial of fundamental rights that caused the indentured and colonised to fight the colonisers, bringing an end to indentured-ship and securing political independence.
It was anger over the cruelty of man towards man that led to the formation of the International Labour Organisation in 1919 after World War I; and the United Nations in 1948 after World War II. It was anger that led to African American struggles for racial equality that achieved Civil Rights, Voting Rights, and Fair Housing Laws; and desegregation in the public sphere.
The trade union community, from Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow to now, in its quest for the creation of a just society, would advise anger over/about the disrespect for fundamental rights and the exploitations of labour in the workplace, coupled with the deprivations of workers in the wider society led to the struggles which secured eight-hour work day, national minimum wage, increased earnings and improved working conditions, universal adult suffrage, just laws, political independence, NIS, universal education, Landlord Tenant Act, etc.
Similar anger led to the 1948 sugar workers strike, 1999 public servants strike and 2009 bauxite workers strike, etc. Committed trade unionists continue the fight to ensure, protect and widen these gains, along with advancing contemporary socio-economic and political wellbeing.
This is called Constructive Anger- we must identify and emulate!
Those who today seek to deny us are beneficiaries of this anger and continue to benefit from these periods of anger that made the world a better place for them, loved ones and friends. The present and future generations across the diverse spectrum are equally entitled! And as we look around the society today given the continued injustices executed by this regime, the anger with these is justified.
The refusal of the Ali/Jagdeo regime to uphold the tenets that would bring an end to injustices must propel each and everyone of us to stand up and be counted. We owe it to ourselves, our forebears and our descendants. Any effort to deny this moral/righteous indignation must be resisted!
Eliminating the anger that festers in this society requires respecting international conventions and laws, universal declarations and the Guyana Constitution that enshrined the principle that, “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”
Discourses on rights, the rule of law and governance must be frank and open about the problems facing the society and recognising the prerequisite for addressing same and ensuring resolutions requires adherence to universal tenets. On my part, constructive anger remains present and shall only subside when there is justice for all!
