Georgetown Mayor Pt. Ubraj Narine has issued a call for all leaders of Guyana to band together, put aside partisan politics and put the people of Guyana first. His call comes in the wake of derogatory statements at a public meeting that referenced the status of early East Indians who came to Guyana as indentured labourers.
His statement follows:
Our country Guyana has a rich history of people working together through struggle to overcome adversity. The settlement and hard work of our people has brought us all together to this point in our history.
While we must recognise that there continues to be concerns expressed about the equitable distribution of our national patrimony, we must all be guardians to ensure that these concerns do not foment into actions which will be a disservice to us all.
Our African Guyanese citizens in the main, representing a significant percentage of our population, along with other Guyanese, continue to be disenfranchised and are underrepresented participants in the economic advancement of our country.
I listened to a public meeting broadcasted via social media organised by the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) at the Buxton Line Top on March 9, 2023 which was painful and troubling. The statements made by one of the speakers identified Guyanese of East Indian descent in a manner which was derogatory.
It is concerning that no subsequent leader that participated at that meeting corrected the statements which were distasteful. I wish to remind us all that we have a collective responsibility to ensure that we provide the best leadership to our citizens.
Our Guyana must be free from prejudice, and we must all work to ensure that as heirs to a rich legacy we are stewards to ensure prosperity for all. I call on the leaders in our country to band together, put aside partisan politics and put Guyana and all its people first.
