We have no concern for the preservation of our heritage

Oct 07, 2009 Letters

Dear Editor,
The anniversary of the Cubana Air Disaster is upon us.
The State media over the weekend reported on ceremonies held in Barbados and remarks made by the Guyana representatives in that State.
For us, it is a painful reminder of our steady drift to hegemony, bullyism and plain dictatorship supported by a well oiled and funded propaganda machine geared to keep the people in a state of stupor and unreality.
In 2007 after securing funding and the cooperation of the private sector, a site was identified for a monument.
That same year, October, a ceremony attended by the acting Head of State, Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, the General Secretary of the PPP/C among others met at the site, at Lamaha and Camp Streets and publicly endorsed the idea and arrangements.
The design was there and then made public, The Police Traffic Department, and our engineer had no problem, it would not constitute a traffic hazard, and would gain the attention of the thousands of adults and children who pass that area daily.
Suddenly, after the foundation was completed and works to erect an impressive monument started, worse than the old imperial master – our very honourable Minister, with heavy equipment terminated all progress.
No notice – no consultation – no valid reason, may I add, no decency.
An appeal to the Head of State bore no fruit. But this is the pattern today, a cadre of sacred political cows who can be merciless to those who they considered powerless.
Later a statement from the Office of the President stated that the Government will build a new monument, in other words, the real Mc Koy for the benefit of our children.
The new big ones can gun-butt young men in public, harass their neighbourhood, be involved in crime and murder, trample on the rights of our purported wives or partners, and the latest, soliciting sexual favours from a minor, all being swept under the carpet and a rather silent religious and civil society – all afraid to speak up.
Take away a car park, ignore a court order and bully break down a privately run facility on the Railway Embankment, which has great significance for our history.
I completed a letter with reference to the above brutality.
Not wanting to appear as being overly critical, I would have concluded my letter at much earlier, but after attending the official opening of Heritage Week at the National Museum, I need to add the pain and sorrow expressed by Professor James Rose, as he held up a newspaper relating to the bullyism of our most Honourable Minister who descended on KP Thomas’ place on the Railway Embankment.
That was the last remaining evidence of our Railway – a Heritage Site.
No thought seem to be given to the importance of this treasured heritage site and Professor Rose eloquently and poignantly made the point that preservation of our heritage is everybody’s business, and describes the incident at the old railway embankment as a ‘tragedy’. His words – not mine.
I regret that the President and his entire Cabinet were not present to listen to the wisdom and concerns expressed that morning.
Some of our illustrious and prominent Guyanese, Sister Menzes and Mr. Phillip Allsop were present and I feel confident as patriots they with others endorsed the concerns expressed by Professor Rose.
It is, we have descended so low at the ministerial level, that we have no concern for the preservation of our heritage, so important to our National Pride and Development? We make a show when we rum all over the globe talking about preserving our environment, and a minister without a thought can supervise the destruction of a heritage.
The impression one gets is that, we have people who latch on to any scheme that would bring money into their coffers, but who in a real sense remain cultural barbarians.
Perhaps someone can explain why no minister or senior government official was present at this significant event.
The programme had Minister Dr. Frank Anthony to deliver the address. Like the Romans did, we fund and support vulgar gyrations, to, as the old folks would say, “addle the brains of our young people.”
Come on Church, come on Temple, come on Masjid, come on people, your silence may soon be assumed to give consent to this decline.
Hamilton Green, J. P.

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