A newfound love for Buxtonians

Sep 19, 2010 AFC Column, Features / Columnists

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By Khemraj Ramjattan

Introductory note
I am being pounded by bloggers and political commentators of the Afro-centric and pro-PNC type for being silent over the years on issues concerning Afro-Guyanese, and generally one who is quick to respond to Indo-Guyanese causes. These critics are obviously unaware from where I came. Though being inside the PPP as one of its Parliamentarians and leaders since 1992, I constantly ran afoul of that Party’s leadership through my columns/articles in the Stabroek News, and in my remarks inside and outside of the Party.
I never at anytime can be said to have condoned the wrongdoing of the PPP Government by a silence on my part. As early as 1994, I wrote a biting commentary against the then Commissioner of Police, Mr. Laurie Lewis, and then Minister of Home Affairs, Mr Feroze Mohamed. I suffered disciplinary proceedings for pointing out the inept leadership both were providing in the security sector.
Later that year, I led the lobby within the PYO, youth arm of the PPP, to delete “Marxism, Leninism and Communism” from the PYO’s Constitution, and to replace these with “a nationalist democratic tradition”. This succeeded, even beyond my expectations. And then myself and a number of comrades suffered the wrath of the Party’s leadership. My independent approach, however, never ceased. Never! So much so that it led to my expulsion.
For the Phillipses and Modibos, (they are all the same) and other critics, the below will evidence what I am talking about. President Jagdeo today has a newfound love for Buxtonians, the same people he called “ransom demanders” in 2004/5. This was how I had called him out some five years ago.

Cut the crap, Mr. President – It would be money well spent!
(A reprint of an article in Stabroek News – 16th June 2005)

This outlandish, outrageous politics of hate, this total absence of accommodation or magnanimity, coming as it does from the President is very deliberate and clever. The President’s pronouncement that a proposed plan to expend approximately $1M (U.S.) in war-torn violence-strewn Buxton is a ransom demand, could be nothing else but deliberate and clever!
To further argue in his characteristically bumbling and unconvincing style that to have expended this sum on Buxton would have resulted in one hundred more Buxtons, simply blows the mind. In one grand sweep, President Jagdeo has criminalised all Buxtonians.
What makes the President think that a hurting community like Buxton does not deserve development assistance of some $200m (Guy)? What is so hopelessly wrong, Mr. President, about an Opposition suggestion that monies of this amount be spent in such a community?
It is my view that such a broadside as the President delivered comes not from a crass political adversarialism, but from an inner prejudice which has infected a whole lot of us – leaders and ordinary citizens – in this country.
Through some process akin to an insidious osmosis, our minds, our entire beings, get enveloped in this prejudice, especially when an Election is not too far off.
What was said on this occasion was intended purely to provoke within East Indian minds that the President is strong, that he can tell Blacks in Buxton – “you will not be rewarded for your criminality”. It was motivated by a desire to procure applause and plaudits from the Indo-Guyanese community for so holding out against the “rascals” in Buxton. This is so devious, and deliberately corrupting!
This is the simple and well known mechanism of creating and exploiting fear. To the frightened East Indian’s ear it is so good to hear what the President has proclaimed. It gives a feeling of strength, and a satisfaction that Buxtonians can be countered.
We all know that the Police Force as yet cannot identify the handful of culprits in Buxton creating the mayhem, a rather disgraceful performance to date. But from this fear and anxiety of the unknown, there is created through the mutterings of a political leader who knows and wants to exploit it, a known enemy – all Buxtonians. And, of course, this means Afro-Guyanese!
Yet we who are so prejudiced and will praise the ransom retaliation will never question the President about his weakness in not appointing as yet a substantive and competent Minister of Home Affairs. This will be avoided.
You see, the President could easily have extended a conciliatory tone and counter-proposed one of a number of packages, rather than simply handover the “Ransom” package.
Why could he not have said: “$200M is too high a sum. How about $100M or less?” or “How about $100M for Buxton and $100M for the surrounding villages, say Annandale and others!”
But no! This kind of responsible leadership will not bring rancour and abuse and division. And it is about that time and season for rancour, and hostility, and the stoking of the flames, and probably….. even worse.
On a previous occasion I had cause to chastise a similar vulgar demonstration forthcoming from another PPP/C President, Ms. Janet Jagan. This was in the context of her untimely, tactless remarks about a dead man, Mr. Hoyte, on the occasion of his funeral. Some nasty things she said about him, including how he was the worst rigger of elections. I wish to quote what I said then:
“Though truthful, but most indiscreet, a remark of this nature in this context by such a senior political personage can be more damaging to national consensus, more pregnant with rancourous possibilities than the maddening mass of PNC supporters in front of the National Assembly.”
This “ransom package” remark by our present President technically is even worse that Cde Janet Jagan’s vulgarity. It is not only a pregnancy with rancourous possibilities; it is a delivery of rancour which indirectly and proximately can cost us tenfold $200M.
I wish then that we all do step back and take stock. Just like when there was righteous condemnation when a Phantom Force was being justified on grounds of necessity, so too must Presidential pronouncements which deliberately and subtly cause divisions for partisan projects, be condemned.
Who in their right senses would deny that what is needed to resolve the Buxton crisis is a combination of really tough crime-fighting measures, and
developmental works at Buxton’s backdam. Apart from creating useful employment, this will expose the criminal sanctuaries and havens aback of there. And if this costs $ 200M (Guy), it would be money well spent! Just in case there is need for confirmation of this, ask the relatives of the kidnapped.
And so we must not all sit and say nothing. We must stand up and say something. And offer alternatives.

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