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A response to Vassan Ramracha

Sep 30, 2011 Letters

 

 

Dear Editor,
I write this letter in response to Vassan Ramracha’s own, “Vassan to PNC/APNU: can you hear me now? Win me over!” (KN 09-28-11). Vassan should know that the PPP has been in power for 19 years and that the “racism, race riots, drug escalation, corruption, upsurge in crime, and continued exodus from Guyana” that he alluded to, were the sole responsibility of the PPP, and no one else.
Vassan must know also that the economic boom in construction is largely due to money laundering. How else can there be a boom without new industries and job creation?
Vassan wanted me to explain my “new advocacy.” Well I am sure he has read all my letters in support of David Granger and I am surprised he has not got my message as yet. As Vassan pointed out, I was PPP and later ROAR. In other words I always stood with an Indian party. That I now support an African leader is quite puzzling to Vassan. What was easy for me to comprehend is proving rather surprisingly difficult for Vassan.
Like Vassan, I also had strong religious upbringing, albeit a Christian one. Vassan was raised Hindu and today he is still a strong Hindu devotee. Of all the religions in the world, the Vedic religions of India have the most complete and comprehensive body of literature on the qualifications of a leader. The main criteria are Religious Values, Morality, Ethics, and Truth.
I know David Granger to possess all those prerequisites of a leader and so I had no hesitation in supporting him for the Presidency of Guyana. If Vassan believes in his religious teachings he should have no problem supporting Granger too.
I recently did a presentation at the North America launch of APNU and I sent the paper to Vassan.
The paper dealt at length with the racial fear mongering of the PPP. A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) offers us an opportunity to defeat political racism.
There was a time in the 1970’s when large numbers of Indo-Guyanese ceased to support the PPP and we supported the Working People’s Alliance which was led by Dr. Walter Rodney and Dr. Roopert Roopnaraine.
We were attracted by the scholarship, intellect, and oration of Walter Rodney who confronted the Burnham dictatorship while the PPP was lying in bed with the PNC. Dr Jagan told Rodney not to campaign in Indian communities. The PPP directed its members and supporters to stay away from WPA meetings. We were told that Rodney and the WPA were “adventurers” and not “real socialists.”
After Rodney was killed the PPP mocked him at meetings asking, “Where is Rodney now?”
We Indo Guyanese supported Dr Walter Rodney who fought to topple an African dominated government, at a time when Dr Jagan was supporting the PNC.  And if Dr Jagan supported the PNC, if most of the top PPP leaders joined the PNC, if Dr Jagan proposed a National Front Government with the PNC, if Dr Jagan held power sharing talks with the PNC, if Jagan and Burnham were friends, well then the PNC was not the demonic party they said it was.
Therefore, why can’t we Indo Guyanese now support APNU, especially since Walter Rodney’s WPA is also a major partner in APNU?
That the WPA and the PNC are willing to work together in 2011 signals that Guyanese are fed up with one party rule, that we are sick and tired of racial strife, that we are ready for reconciliation and healing, and that we want to live in peace and harmony with each other. Our aspirations can only be achieved with a government of national unity.
 Malcolm Harripaul

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