PNC’s ORGINAL SIN DESTROYED GUYANA

Jan 18, 2012 Letters

---

 

 

Dear Editor,
Freddie Kissoon never ceases to amaze us, mixing Mahatma Gandhi with his new found heroes, Forbes Burnham  and Desmond Hoyte.
Writing in the KN of 1/13/12 titled “A jumbie is threatening people outside the Gafoor villa” he says “ I believed that the PNC Government under Hoyte had to democratize Guyana and that free and transparent national elections had to be unconditionally held. A human being cannot be neutral in the face of wrongdoings that cannot be justified even philosophically explained.
It was the great Mohandas Gandhi who said that “Non-cooperation with evil is a sacred duty.” Obviously Kissoon absolves  Hoyte during Burnham’s destruction of Guyana’s democracy.
Now Kissson has to be crazy if he expects us to accept that “from 1992 even under Cheddi Jagan, the PPP’s style and philosophy began to undermine the strength of this land.  Under Mr. Jagdeo, the PPP performed worse than the PNC under Mr. Burnham. I mean this from the bottom of my heart.
“Mr. Jagdeo is not in the same league with Mr. Burnham. The former PNC leader cared about poor people and cherished the resources of his country.”
So can Kissoon explain why Hoyte had to restore a democracy which Burnham’s destroyed? Was the PPP/C struggle to restore democracy repugnant? How is Burnham’s destruction of democracy an enhancement of his love for poor people to make him better?
Nevertheless it is accurate when Kissoon writes that “I will not and cannot say the same for Mr. Jagdeo” I agree with him completely. Indeed Mr Kissoon is correct in pointing out that Guyana “ has been wracked with drug trafficking, incredible levels of corruption, rape of state resources, morbid levels of racial discriminations, (Indians) among others”.
To this must be added increasing crime, racial massacres, violence during elections and the threats to workers rights.
However one cannot have any problems when Kissoon criticises the PPP/C or refuses to shake hands with anyone he deems as evil in a democracy. That is his business just as it is his private business whom he votes for or whom he votes against. Guyana’s democracy allows freedom of choice.
Apparently Dr Martin Luther King Jnr’s observation that “men often hate each other because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t  know each other because they cannot communicate; they cannot communicate because they are separated” is still to acknowledged.  Even by Kissoon who proudly concedes that he is an Africanised Indian.
However the original sin of destroying democracy, rigging elections, bankrupting the economy, causing an exodus of its best brains, killing its opponents (eg Dr Rodney) starving Guyanese, rampant crime, stinking up Georgetown (it still continues) and destroying its agricultural base absolutely contradicts an image of Burnham riding on his horse to adore the poor.
Kissoon’s complete disconnect with Indo Guyanese absolutely cheats him of any grounded awareness how they suffered. Their shipping of foodstuff barrels and reliance on the land contradict his assertation of Burnham’s love for poor people. Which poor are we talking about here?
Absolutely all food outlets distributing foodstuffs were situated by Burnham in PNC towns and their supporters aggressively cut into the long lines ahead of those who were waiting.
Kissoon is of course free to write whatever. Guyana is now a democracy and press freedom permits this. But it was Burnham’s original sin which condemned  his PNC for rigging elections, bankrupting Guyana and destroying its democracy.
At best Jagan’s stupidity caused him to sign power over to the British to impose PR. No cure has so far been found for Jagan’s admirers.
Should Kissoon continue to swear on his families lives ( I do not expect him to do so now)  despite the evidence (that the PNC destroyed Guyana) then he would qualify for further examination.
In the meantime Kissoon can continue to criticize Dr Bharat Jagdeo for all I care. He is not the PPPC government anymore. Kissoon can only continue hurting his credibility in persisting to assert that Burhnam’s Guyana was better than what currently prevails.
Even as we are reminded by the everyday evidence of a stinking Georgetown run by his old time PNC holdover Mayor friend,  Kissoon cannot be expected to explain voting for the PNC  whom he admires so much. Ironic isn’t it?
It cannot escape anyone mind that all our Kissoons, Thakurs, Roopnaraines, Harripauls, Ramsaroops etc speak in the name of Indians. Democracy allows this.  The US Democratic party has a black caucus. Does the elected majority (in Guyana’s parliament as well) have any such vehicle for Indians? It would be an excellent development if they were all to suggest ideas and solutions to our problems.
So far all we get is loud criticisms with no alternatives suggestions. What explains for example, Guyanese farmers flocking to Trinidad for agricultural pursuits and how can they be wooed back? Can a homesteading policy similar to Americas provide relief for both black and Indian dependency  on government paychecks?
Vassan Ramracha

---

---