In Guyana, democracy means demons gone crazy

Dear Editor,

We have just celebrated World Press Freedom Day 2023 and last week opened the worker’s  Labour Day event and Friday we will observe Indian Arrival Day, the date when our Indian brothers came in two ships to fill the vacuum created by the Manumitted Africans, whose memories of the harshness and brutality of their free labour on the plantations caused them to shy away as free men from that type of work.

In essence, when the Indian and other Immigrants arrived it was similar to what the Labour Movement refers to albeit in very different circumstances as labour replacement.

In spite of that, the freed Africans welcomed the Immigrants. The Descendants of Africans who latched on to the British educational system became the earliest professionals and educators and they passed these skills lovingly to the Immigrants –  doctors, teachers, midwives, policemen, soldiers, etc.

The children of the Immigrants rose to great heights to achieve levels of education and socialisation, and as David Granger observed at the Palmyra event in Berbice, they deserve our praise, admiration and respect.

On a sad note, why this ogre consequent to Apan Jaat, suspicion and distress still hangs over our collective heads like the proverbial sword of Damocles is a matter we must face and deal with structurally, historically and scientifically.

Unhappily the present administration continues to believe that the cosmetic solution that they have specially implemented for years will work. It did not and will not work and I will highlight some of these non-starters.

I paraphrase the sentiment of quest in the opening sentences, an interesting expose by Barbara Touchman titled March of Folly, when she expressed “A phenomenal noticeable throughout history regardless of place or period is the pursuit by governments of policies contrary to their own interest.”

A summary of just a few recent events allows me to restate that we can begin to rewrite our lexicon in Guyana, democracy equals demons gone crazy.

One, in a democracy, the ruling party operatives seem unable to understand that the media for good reasons, deemed the fourth estate must not be throttled, intimidated nor as we see in State-controlled media the voices not saying the same thing as coming from the hierarchy being shut out. Democracy in Guyana means Demons gone crazy.

Second, in this important oil sector, had it not been for the Editorial columns in Stabroek News, Channel 9, and the courageous crusade of Glenn Lall on Kaieteur Radio among others we would not have learnt of the shenanigans going on by our government in relation to the billions being harvested from oil and gas, gold, and other non-renewable natural resources and others.

Democracy cannot sustain secrecy and therefore we see demons gone crazy.

Three, pressure on ordinary in particular Amerindians, Afro and Indo Guyanese is clear as crystal. Cost of living is going up every day and our government seems convinced, as in the hay-day of colonialism and imperial domination, that handing out a few bits of money here and there, will keep the masses quiet even as the gap  between the rich and poor widens.

This is all the more worrisome when recent reports show that we are the fastest growing economy in the hemisphere, if not in the world.

The World Bank report puts Guyana way ahead to all other territories. Guyana’s growth is now pegged at 25.2 percent, and the next nearest countries are St. Vincent and the Grenadines (6.0%) and Paraguay at 5.2%, almost 4 and 5 times lower respectively. It is nearly the same trend presented in the ECLAC 2023 report with a projected economic growth of 37.2 % for Guyana. Panama and Paraguay are almost 9 times behind Guyana and Venezuela’s growth to be comparatively better at 5% and Antigua and Barbuda at 9.5%.

Beyond this our per capita income with recent oil fines is now the highest in the world. For emphasis, our per capita income is now the highest in the world.

In spite of the above remarkable progress, this week my area suffered six power outages and I know of children in the community who opened the week surviving on one meal per day. Something is wrong. It is democracy meaning demons gone crazy.

Fourthly, the Police Service Commission was established to guide this important aspect of national life, the Police Force. The Courts determined that the Chairman and Members have not been properly appointed, according to law but the PPP legal luminary, the Attorney General, notwithstanding the pronouncement of the High Court asserted that the President acted properly. So, he threw out of the window the cherished principle of democracy of the judiciary, the executive and the Parliament, so this means it doesn’t matter what the judiciary pronounces on, whatever His Excellency the President does, right or wrong, as far as this Government is concerned, he will always be correct. Democracy equals Demons gone crazy.

Fifth, so we are building roads, promoting private hospitals and recently announced the building of a $6.6B hospital at Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice and over 30,000 persons in region 5 are expected to benefit from the improved health care services when completed.

No reason was given, why the existing medical facility at Fort Wellington that has served the community for several generations could not be rebuilt or upgraded and no word as to where the additional medical personnel would come from or is this part of a long range plan to change demographics of Guyana or it is the same thinking that in spite of more favourable conditions, Berbice Bridge was not built from Stanleytown on the East to Ithaca on the West, but was built further north at double the cost  or this is simply a case in Guyana, democracy equals demon gone crazy

Finally, on May Day, I heard giving unconvincing reasons that the subsidy to Critchlow Labour College was withdrawn and also the subsidy for IDPADA-G  ( International Decade for People of African Descent Assembly – Guyana) and no valid reasons have been given for this deliberate attempt to suffocate organisations that the government perceives that are neither peons nor sycophants.

All hail demons gone crazy. Three cheers for inclusiveness and One Guyana.

Happy Arrival Day! And to recite the wisdom of the late Dr. Yesu Persaud, when on a similar occasion, some years ago, he reminded us that we came in different ships but today we are now in the same boat.

Let us accept this truth and as a people paddle together to navigate the treacherous waters of corruption, bigotry, greed and  to arrest the actions of those and put the brakes on those who have learnt the strategy and tactics of Massa and are attempting to take us back, all of the ordinary people to forms of slavery and dependence on their mercy and relive the words

Finally, we ended last week with the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III in London.

I confess I have always and still enjoy the pomp and precision displayed by the British for this royal occasion, the best in the world and if I could vote in the present argument, I would vote to retain the British Monarchy and will sing along on Saturday when Edward Elgar’s  music is played. “Land of Hope and Glory.”

Yours truly,

Hamilton Green

Elder