‘Enemies of the State’ yet again!

Feb 26, 2010 Letters

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Dear Editor,
History is said to return again and again with the same basic script and a change in the cast of characters. Unfortunately, it appears that evil rather than good works are repeated again and again. These states of affairs are due to stronger holds which ‘evil’ has on flawed men who gain power and positions of absolute authority. Children copy the actions of their parents, slaves, their masters, and oppressed their oppressors. This seems to be the story of colonial British Guiana as she evolved to independent Guyana.
When we were kids, my older brother and his friends from our village used to go swimming at a particular spot in the Providence Sugar Estate canals. I was not allowed to join in the fun, being about six or seven years old, my job was to look both ways and warn the swimmers when an approaching horseman, meaning a dreaded ‘Whiteman,’ was coming on the dam alongside the canal. On my shouts, all brown and black naked bodies flew out of the water, grab their clothes, and ran to predetermined destinations. All eyes peered from behind the bushes, as we eagerly await the passage of this ancestral nightmare. Should that rider have turned in our directions we would have experienced unimaginable horrors. We never moved until that ‘evil’ apparition was safely out of sight. What power these men once wielded that even children shiver at their sight, long after such ultimate power ended.
Later, whenever I saw our own Comrade Leader riding his horse, whip in hand, my mind flashed back to our childhood fears and responses. I wondered how such an educated man was not aware of our ancestral fears, lying just below the surface and easily aroused. In retrospect, it seemed this descendant of ex-slaves was just mimicking the power position of the ‘Lords of the Plantations.’ This was one of many images implanted in our collective memories. The oppressed copied the ways of the oppressors, perhaps with/without even knowing.
Regrettably, a few children of the oppressed went further. On attaining political power, the PNC Ruling elite no longer tolerated any voices of dissent, legal and illegal. These hatchet men even copied words and executed actions of the worse terrifying schemes which humanity had seen in the last century. Such strategies are documented in easily read works such as William Shirer’s “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich.”
Critics of the PNC Ruling elite were labelled as “enemies of the state” and the acid test of loyalty was: “Is he with us or against us?” The harshest treatments were meted out to those of African heritage, such as Mr. Eusi Kwayana, Dr. Walter Rodney and members of the WPA. Women and children were not spared. There were thousands of other Afro-Guyanese from all walks of life including Academics, Scientists, Engineers, Educators, Healthcare workers, highly trained professionals and workers who earned the distrust and wrath of this PNC regime. These dissenters were viewed as ‘traitors’ since they had the nerve to question, and failed to bow before this powerful new Master. The full power of the state’s intimidation personnel and tactics were unleashed on Afro-Guyanese and other brave men and women. But the PNC Ruler and Ruling elite wanted absolute power and like their ancestral  masters had no qualms to release the ‘blood hounds’ alias the ‘House of Israel’ to intimidate and hurt these modern runaways. These sanctioned enforcers were above the law. The Mirror also documented these days of tyranny.
But despite wielding ultimate power of life and death on any who questioned these Semi-gods, their regimes like so many countless others before fell into the dust. The lessons of the shortness and frailties of life and all human regimes were not learned. Now even their names are mentioned with scorn and cursed for centuries. Our ancestral spirits continue to weep as their descendants were forced to flee to distant lands hoping to find freedom from the unbelievable hurt inflicted by their own brothers.
The replacement of the old cast of PNC characters was completed. The stage is set for a new play when the PPP took power.
When I saw the PPP’s personnel in power, I feared the worst knowing that these officials were unprepared for the mammoth tasks ahead of rebuilding this country. I hoped they would surround themselves with the best from all who care about this country. Regrettably, they made poor choices or non-choices of the right ways and personnel to run the ship of state. It proved predictable, but costly since these were even untrained men, ill-prepared for the tasks ahead. The recent lessons of history were not learned.
Now as before, we even see this PPP Government and its Ruling Elite question the loyalty and integrity of citizens who stand up for this country. These men drunk with power are just as or sometimes even more vicious than those even in the heyday of the PNC’s physical brutality; the integrity and loyalty of citizens are publicly attacked in attempts of character assassinations so as to silence these voices of dissent.
Now those of Indian heritage, who refuse to acquiesce or bow down before this Master of the PPP Government with its Ruling Elite are particularly attacked as ‘traitorous dogs.’ ‘Indians’ still continue to seek refugee status in Canada fleeing unsafe and/or economic conditions. In addition to the intimidating elements at the grassroots level, are a group of PPP writers and ghost-writers whose roles include peddling untruths and misinformation, and doing a hatchet job on the characters of those of Indian heritage. In addition, ‘Indian’ dissenters have their businesses or means of livelihood threatened. These unprincipled actions are meant to discourage any Indo-Guyanese who dare to question the actions of this PPP Government and its Ruling elite personnel. Guyanese People are learning never to stand in way of profit of the powerful.
I shall illustrate my case with just one recently publicised example. Dr. Janette Bulkan’s knowledge was crucial to bringing both local and international awareness to the major issues involved in the Forestry industry and their impacts on Guyana and the Guyanese people. The PPP Government was blissfully asleep or totally unaware or bought off while the resources of this country were being plundered. Instead of this PPP Government acknowledging her work on behalf of all of us, the Government has questioned her loyalty as a citizen, that is, she has become one of the “enemies of the state.” This PPP Government has requested her removal from a World Bank panel of technical experts! The message of this Government is just as clear: “Is she with us or against us?”
Dr. Maya Trotz has ably explained this situation and started an on-line petition called: Janette Bulkan, World Bank Transparency. Signatures are being collected at:
http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?fcpf1
This is the first time that I have seen any democratic country in the British Commonwealth or in this hemisphere asking that one of their citizens be removed from a panel of consultants on an international body. Of course, we have seen such disdainful actions being done by dictatorial governments. This PPP Government by their actions has publicly told the world that they do not tolerate dissenting citizens and that they are in effect a dictatorship. It is now clear for the whole international community to see. Now others will believe the injustices inflicted on others of Indian heritage who had the nerve to dissent with this Indo-based PPP.
President Bharrat Jagdeo and his Ruling elite have further damaged local and international credibility, since other democratic Governments would see his Government’s actions as vindictive and mean spiritedness. The question is that if they can treat someone with an international profile with such disdain, then consider what would they be doing to ordinary local dissenters. (The Government recent tours to dictatorial Governments fit its own dictatorial patterns.)
Unfortunately, yet again, this cast of PPP characters has likewise been copying the ways of their previous despised PNC masters. Children copy the ways of their parents; and the oppressed copied the ways of the oppressors. The same unending story continues and continues…
It is with great irony as seen in the example above that Dr. Janette Bulkan who has served Guyana so well is being penalized; whereas, right now this Government is asking for the names of Guyanese who have served Canada well and who shows moral courage and/or character to be honoured. It has been doing so for the past few years. Nothing is wrong with honouring our outstanding Guyanese Diaspora in Canada. But why not honour those who have served Guyana more than well? This PPP Government ruthlessly attacks anyone whose first loyalty is to Guyana and Guyanese. This PPP Government, like the PNC Government, sees dissenters as enemies to be destroyed by any means possible. If we look into the Mirror of yesteryear, we would see the same reflections.
It seems that my role from those early childhood days has not changed. A few years ago, I and several others have been shouting: “Horseman coming,” meaning ‘Lord and Master coming.” We listened, but were confused. This PPP Government played on our worst fears and insecurities. In the interest of our own self-survival, we gave this Government another chance. We were betrayed yet again and again, being hammered further into submission. It looks like the return of the evils of indentureship all over again. We are struggling for survival; many of us are forced to flee to other places, since we do not see things getting better. Once we escape, many of us will not return, unlike what happened at the termination of our ancestral indentureship contracts. We know from experience that these nightmares too will soon pass.
Earlier, we were able to distinguish that the PNC Dictatorship and Ruling Elite did not represent the great majority of Afro-Guyanese. The Afro-Guyanese intelligentsia who fled did not return and lend credence and support to the PNC Government. We hope that our Afro-Guyanese brothers and sisters do not see this PPP Government and its Ruling Elite as representative of the great majority of Indo-Guyanese. The Governments, both PPP and PNC and their Ruling elites, we have had only represented their own personal interests while ignoring our needs and aspirations.
Science tells us that the greatest event our primitive ancestors did was to stand upright. From this position we were able to see further afield, look over ledges, and take preventative actions and chart new directions.
Seelochan Beharry

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