As a devoted Pan-Africanist, I would not stand by and let a small group of Afro-Guyanese misrepresent the difficulties and realities that most Afro-Guyanese confront. Those who disagree with Mr. Vincent Alexander’s recent presentation at the United Nations Forum on the International Decade of People of African Descent are hard to dismantle. Mr. Nigel Hughes would have presented unquestionable proof of distributing the most profitable contracts, licenses, and permits to companies and individuals by the Ali Government. This data does not identify Afro-Guyanese.
Like ostriches burying their heads in the sand, some Afro-Guyanese individuals brazenly deny the PPP/C’s discriminatory practices against their kith and kin—a baffling phenomenon that demands scrutiny. How can Afro-Guyanese forget the atrocities of the early 21st century, when the state’s complicity in extrajudicial killings disproportionately targeted their community? Substantiating this grim reality, evidence confirms that scores of predominantly Afro-Guyanese lives were unlawfully taken under the government’s watch. Notably, the PPP/C has yet to atone for those killings. Further, the allocation of developmental benefits and HR practices within state agencies among other operations reveals discriminatory trends and practices negatively affecting Afro-Guyanese disproportionately.
Beyond violence, systemic efforts to strip Afro-Guyanese of their rightful inheritance persist. The case of the McPherson Clan in Kingelly, West Coast Berbice, exemplifies this injustice, where ancestral land rights were allegedly undermined by Mr Anil Nandlall, a senior PPP/C official and current Attorney General. Such actions underscore a troubling pattern of dispossession and marginalization that cannot be ignored.
Despite their community’s acknowledged disadvantage, the loyalty of a few outspoken Afro-Guyanese PPP/C supporters is a very concerning phenomenon that requires immediate sociological examination. The psychiatric condition known as Stockholm syndrome, in which victims of abuse develop irrational attachments to their oppressors as a means of survival, is mirrored in this paradoxical loyalty. According to academics, this kind of behaviour might be a coping strategy brought on by trauma that allows people to put up with systematic abuse or eviction. But for others, it represents internalised subordination and a submission to helplessness. In any case, the psychological effects of systematic oppression and the processes that support it are seriously called into question by this dynamic.
The struggles faced by the masses, particularly the Afro-Guyanese community, should not be overlooked. Over the years, we have seen how the judicial system has been manipulated to frustrate citizens through unnecessary prosecutions and appeals. A recent example is the wrongful death case of Quindon Bacchus, which was appealed by the Attorney General. Fortunately, President Ali intervened and halted the appeal process. However, there are other cases that both the President and Attorney General are aware of as well.
The time has arrived for the government to conduct a Racial and Ethnic Disparity Survey. The information obtained from this survey will help the nation and policymakers understand the various outcomes and experiences of different racial and ethnic groups. Additionally, it will provide valuable insights into disparities in health, housing, education, and employment. Only with this information can the government effectively implement targeted interventions. Finally, I want to emphasize that the use of propaganda will not change the views of the marginalised and underserved; instead, it will deepen divisions and foster hatred.
