Commemorating Walter Rodney’s death anniversary

Jul 12, 2010 Letters

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Dear Editor,

Over the years I have attended many events commemorating the death anniversary of one of Guyana’s, the West Indian and the world celebrated historian/intellectual Walter Rodney.

June 13th last were yet another such event, the main difference and something new being the dedication of a monument to his memory, held at the memorial site on Hadfield Street which was designed by engineer Bert Carter.

As usual over the years I’ve been playing a small part at these commemorations, the just concluded one was no different. In the course of figuring out my piece(s) for presentation, my mind suddenly flipped back to a spicy poem ironically entitled “Progress” written by Kwame Apata during the hectic Burnham/PNC rule; a period that produced brave men and women; young radical political activist; teasing and provoking poetry; belly aching satire and forceful intellectual who had backbone.

As I reflected on the past of over 30 years and compare it with the present, I thought that by making a few changes “Progress” would be an appropriate and lively reading. Why? In spite of the rapid increase of vehicles – some of the most expensive – large beautiful building, paved roads and hospitals along with other physical development; the fabric of our Society remains shattered, as if we had come a long way all wrong.

Racism and the widening of the race divide; the rapid continuous spreading of crime, the violence, so brutally hideous and petrifying that stalk the land; Linde Creek, Annandale/Bartica Massacre, Roger Khan, Sash Shaw, unimaginable fraud, the rise in unemployment and poverty and worst of all the growing and deep seated fear to stand up and speak out – this is something real that is consuming the minds of many, I never thought that it could have been so palpable in Linden, Never!

Of people afraid of losing their job, of being on the bread line, so many things and more to make you not forget 30 years ago. I couldn’t help thinking how correct Che Guevara was when he said the true test of a Government’s performance lies not in material development, but rather, in whether it keeps and enjoys the support and confidence of the people.

Attendance at these Rodney commemorations, as I have come to expect over the years is not likely to be a large gathering, and only comprising a handful from the ranks of the working class, though the attendance this time was reasonable. But for some reason, because I was not getting the full “vibes” I abandoned “Progress” and instead did a single poem “Politician Recipe”, a knock at political imposters. As expected, glorious things were said about the renowned historian and revolutionary – we do have brilliant and articulate speakers, more so Rodney’s contemporaries, and may I make haste to say that having the young and very young read from Rodney’s work was simply a beautiful inclusion. But what to me was critically which I did not hear, and should have been emphasised, reinforced and attack along with those in government was the highlighting of some of the “fundamental ills that continue to poison and deform the Society” as stated by Desmond Trotman in Monday June 7th Kaieteur News, except for that brief piece of criticism by Freddie Kissoon leveled at the organisers of the Anniversary for allowing Prime Minister Sam Hinds to speak, and using strong accusing words like ‘fascism’ to describe the Government, there was no strong charge by any speaker condemning the present day happenings.

This Walter Rodney commemoration as it used to be in the past, and which many have been “groomed” to expect in the true spirit of the man, should be an occasion for accommodating dissenting voices, forceful expression; scathing and piercing writings and poetry with “words to scorch the pages of all written unjust laws;” songs of revolution and drama.

We have to be careful that this Anniversary does not level down to a passive friendly in the face of obvious ‘fundamental ills’ where everyone oppressed and down pressor; the filthy rich and the abysmally poor all sharing lovely songs, messages and poetry, holding hands and singing while a depressing and cancerous state of affairs continue ad nauseam as the charade continues until next anniversary.

This no doubt was what I think – not just Sam Hinds who was invited to speak – that piqued the ire of Freddie Kissoon when he addressed the open mike, as would any sincere person/Rodneyite who feel in their bone a sense of deception, fakes, charlatans, traitors and classic self seekers, who like mercenaries care not a hoot once the price is right; so whatever Rodney fought against, whatever moral decadence, Govt./State gangsterism or the corrupt and murderous proclivity which now seem to be the hallmark of the state police; whether things have gotten worse with “fundament ills that poison and deform the society;” these people are not prepared to stand tall and speak out. I do agree that this particular event indeed must be for the coming together of our people, all people, of breaking down barriers but also seriously addressing social ills and injustices and especially the plight of the working class, and not the least giving the impression of a free for all, a grand love affair, or else people will feel a fraud and betrayed.

If we old warriors who along with Walter Rodney battle to help bring about change and who truly still believe in what he was executed for and the legacy he left us, then there is only one line of action open to us: wherever there is injustice, racism, discrimination, trade union intimidation/busting; police brutality; poverty, judicial bastardisation, and moral degeneracy among other “fundamental ills that continue to poison and deform the society”, then we need to take courage, be bold and let our decency force us to speak out loud, and if needs be organise to stamp them out We must be prepared at some point in time to move beyond lip service – mere words cannot topple a dictatorship it never has. It is by this practical action that we will be paying full tribute to the spirit of our fallen hero and fighter for people’s power no dictator, and in memory to his ideas, political practice and his writings.

“Come next 13th June, if there is not an obvious and substantial change for the betterment of the working people in particular, and more importantly for the well being of the society as a whole, then I expect that the organisers of the Walter Rodney Anniversary will have no other option than to shift gear and structure their programme/activities in accordance with existing condition within the land.

Frank Fyffe

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