The band plays on. It just does

May 19, 2011 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

The phrase, “and the band plays on” has become part of our cultural vocabulary. No other event in the past twenty years has made this saying a permanent fixture in modern writing than the publication of a book with that title then made into a movie.
It chronicled the development of the AIDS virus. It was responsible for global awareness of the AIDS virus. But what exactly is the meaning of “and the band plays on?”
In the book, the author’s essential point is that while the virus was ravishing its victims, political and medical and religious officials just carried on as if there should have been no cause for concern. We can take the phrase to mean then that people who ought to know better go on with their daily routine in the face of impending disaster.
Long ago, I used this title in one of my columns to describe what I am about to analyze here. So this is my second attempt. The present caption varies slightly from the previous one.
I refer to the concatenation of horrible perversities that are manifested in this land in the corridors of power. Meanwhile, the band of Guyanese citizens carry on as if nothing has happened.
The latest in this diabolical tale is the discovery of $700M cocaine in timber. No one has been arrested. The episode evaporated in the morning sun. Perhaps the Monica Reece homicide was the beginning of this sad refrain that the band continues to play.
For those not familiar with the death of Monica Reece, here is a brief note. One evening, in April 1993 outside of the Hotel Tower on Main Street, the body of Monica Reece either fell out of a pick-up or was thrown by hand from the vehicle. What followed after should have resulted in the resignation of the then Commissioner of Police Mr. Laurie Lewis, and a demand by the population than the government should resign. It didn’t happen. The Reece mystery became a tiny footnote as 1993 wore on.
It is no longer a footnote. It doesn’t exist. Experienced journalists have a fairly good idea who the killer is. No need to mention that at the time he came from a family with formidable connections.
One day I asked one of the past Commissioners of Police in the compound of St. Joseph Mercy Hospital why he didn’t bring charges against the young man. With his characteristic smile, he said that the evidence couldn’t stand up in court. As he walked away with his characteristic gait, I looked at him as he went up the stairs of the hospital. I knew nothing but tragedy would happen to this nation.
From 1993 onwards, an unstoppable train of cruelties, perversities and horrible acts of political crimes is on the move in the entire territory of Guyana, and the band just plays on. Any Guyanese journalist can publish a book of semi-civilized political conspiracies involving unspeakable violence and horrendous immoralities from the time of the Monica Reece murder to the discovery of that cocaine. The reason is because they are so many. Maybe a more descriptive term can be oceanic or mountainous.
It is outside of this brief column to trace the creeping fascism of the regime from Monica Reece’s death to the cocaine in timber scandal. Space is just not there. But some evil manifestations must be mentioned.
I am unhappy that there has been no coroner’s inquest into the suicide of the wife of an infamous politician from the corridors of power. Shall I put the word suicide in inverted commas?
A man by the name of Paul Thomas, on remand for murder involving a conspiracy of extra-judicial forces and state security, was poisoned on his hospital bed while under police guard. Forensic samples were sent abroad at the time (2004). That is the end of the matter.
In identical fashion in identical background circumstances, accused David Leander died. The forensic results never came back.
In 2008, eight miners were savagely murdered at Lindo Creek. Suspicion revolved around the security forces operating in the area at the time in pursuit of the Fineman gang.
Like Reece, Thomas and Leander, the massacre became a footnote then went out of existence. Post-mortem examination revealed that a senior police officer could not have committed suicide in a station in Berbice. The story came to an abrupt end.
Shall we include here the accusation against Minister Rohee that the Canadian Refugee Board accepted? Shall we include the allegations of Varshie Singh? The band just plays on.

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