Mark Benschop and I go on trial today: What for?

Feb 09, 2011 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

Some people may read this newspaper after 9 a.m. by which time Mark Benschop and I would have already appeared in court to face two charges of obstructing traffic. Guilty verdicts only carry a small fine.
We should be acquitted today because we spent two days and two nights in the Brickdam lock ups.
In other words, we were jailed for an offence that does not carry imprisonment.
As readers would know, these charges stem from the horrible conditions of the Le Repentir dumpsite.
To think that the leadership of the Guyana Police Force can be irresponsible and heartless enough to charge two protesters over a national tragedy like that dumpsite. And then added a fascist dimension to their nastiness by refusing us bail and incarcerated us in uncivilized conditions in the Brickdam lock-up.
To date, I have not written a column on the conditions in that police station. I heard it is even worse for females at the La Penitence police station
Where are our so-called women’s rights activists? In this country when you criticize certain people with status, they think they are beyond reproach and they literally hate you for chastising them.
When Mark Benschop and I picketed a women’s rights rally held at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) sponsored by three well-known gender rights activists – Varshnie Singh (former First Lady), Ms. Madray and Stella Ramsaroop of this newspaper – Ms. Singh was annoyed. She confronted us and was angry.
She directed some harsh words to me about why I didn’t go and picket when the government held a similar rally. Although we were not picketing against her she was still annoyed. I can only surmise that she didn’t like the direction we went. Our pickets called for action against those highly placed politicians who abused their spouses.
I still cannot make out the visibility of Ms. Singh. She has been noted for two episodes – her press conference about the legal status of her marriage to President Jagdeo and the GCC rally.
She has a chance now to do something about the women’s centre at the La Penitence station
Ms. Singh felt that we were citing the organizers for hypocrisy. That is in fact what we were doing. There wasn’t one word on the spouses of ruling politicians who were abused.
As you entered the pavilion of the GCC, there were long stories with photographs of women who were mistreated in the Guyanese society, but not one word on those eminent wives who were abused, including Ms. Singh herself.
In fact, the organizers were so barefaced that they put up the image of the battered face of pop star, Rihanna. In fairness to Stella Ramsaroop, she wrote a column denouncing some of the power-wielders who have physically damaged their partners.
Benschop’s placard called for an investigation of three suicides of women who were involved in partnership with some powerful PPP monarchs.
To date, his words have fallen on deaf ears of those who arranged the GCC rally. I am going to be further vilified because of this commentary here, as if I could be bothered. I have been scandalized, abused, assaulted and demonized because of the directness of my commentary that goes back more than 30 hears. I have survived.
I have heard some terrible tales about the conditions under which women are remanded at that police station. I can understand how these human beings feel. Conditions in Brickdam are not different. In a forthcoming column, I will describe the hell-hole that is the Brickdam lock-up.
I hope soon from now, history unfolds in a poetic way and those who enjoy power now, lose it and have a taste of what accused men and remanded women have to put up with in the Brickdam lock-up and La Penitence police station respectively
Donald Ramotar, one of the PPP’s presidential candidates once directed a question to me in the letter pages of this newspaper based on a concept I mentioned in one of my columns.
I referred to the “poetic essence of history.” I didn’t bother to answer Mr. Ramotar. In my reply, I urged that he answer a few questions from me and I would tell him what the poetic essence of history is. I have subtly referred to it in this essay. I hope Donald catches the subtlety.
If you are reading this essay before court starts, then wish me and Mark Benschop luck. No one wants to be in jail but in the fight for human rights, a jail cell is always waiting for you. That is the choice I have made. I guess Benschop too.

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