Large sections of the Guyanese population are not included in Mash or Republic Day celebrations

Jan 14, 2013 Letters

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Dear Editor,
Is there an amazingly sudden, spontaneous and natural interest from Brazil, Suriname and Trinidad in our world-famous Mashramani celebrations? Or is the Government actively seeking out the participation of what ‘they’ perceive to be adequate for Mashramani celebrations? The fact that the government is seeking to attract, among others, the participation of a 30-member Brazilian Samba Band and ‘followers’ suggests the latter.
The question arises again about the nature of Mashramani celebrations and their alignment with Republic Day observances. I imagine that the incredible spectacle and sound of Samba Dancers in Georgetown’s Street Parades will bring personal delight to the dear Minister. This might reflect his and his government’s idea of creativity. This is not creativity, however. Addressing and accommodating the special needs of others is called inclusion. This special effort at the inclusion of outsiders is an insult to locals who are excluded permanently from national Republic Day activities. While the Ministry of Tourism seeks to address the needs of potential visitors to Guyana, who is addressing the needs of all sections of Guyanese society in relation to Mashramani celebrations?
It is clear that the government feels comfortable with Mashramani celebrations as they currently are and is committed to supporting the format, content and nature of the celebrations. They also have their typical culturally impoverished, morally and spiritually bankrupt ideas of what Mashramani celebrations ought to be (as is usual – pour rum, nudity, vulgarity and political neutrality on it) and they are pursuing their objectives and imposing them on the Guyanese people.
The Government is clearly confused about its role in cultural activities. Culture does not arise out of Government. At least in democratic societies it does not. This is an abject failing of both the present administration and the PNC dictatorship who pushed Mashramani – a pathetic imitation of Trinidad and Tobago’s carnival – on top of Republic Day. The only role that a democratic Government has in culture is a role of support.
I recall citizens requests for a complete reform of Mashramani celebrations for more inclusiveness of all sections of Guyanese society and for more alignment with Republic Day. Government is not interested in supporting this. Such calls offer no promise of more rum, more prostitution, more hotels and gambling and more ‘dumbing-down’ of the Guyanese population. Government disregard for the opinions and wishes of its own people is merely a symptom of a greater problem that exists in Guyana: does the Government answer to the people or do the people answer to the Government? Is the tail wagging the dog?
I reiterate that there are large sections of the Guyanese population who are not included in Mashramani or Republic Day celebrations (I certainly consider myself significant.) There are large sections of the Guyanese population unsure of how Mashramani relates to Republic Day Celebrations and there is clearly ambiguity and confusion as to what exactly is being celebrated on Mashramani Day itself and whether the manner of celebration is appropriate and inclusive and whether it undermines and overshadows the Republic Day awareness.
While regional influence is understandable, the commitment of the PPP Government to wholesale imitation of the format and content of the carnivals and cultures of other nations stifles and cripples the creativity and development of local culture, again a continuation of PNC dictatorship’s policy of stifling and inhibition of culture during its reign. The PPP Government is actively committed to stifling genuine expressions of culture (evidence: the GIHA experience with Indian Arrival Celebrations) and to restraining those that it does not deem necessary to obliterate to within boundaries that it deems appropriate. The actions of the Government re: GIHA Indian Arrival Celebrations show it to be far from passive or indifferent in matters of culture. While culturally bankrupt itself, the PPP Government is actively interfering, hindering, distorting and reconfiguring as it deems appropriate. The PPP Government also appears committed to continuation of immoral colonial policies of encouraging the wanton consumption of alcohol or as we say locally, the promotion of ‘Rum-til-I-die’ culture. (As we know also, the PPP Government utilised colonial style abuse of state authority last year to shoot down Lindeners.) It is clear that if Governments, past and present and foreign, get out of the way, the oppressed people of this country will find greater freedoms to express their creativity and improve the quality of their life, more opportunity for social harmony and be able to once again blend cultural authenticity with ingenuity to be able to offer something authentic and of Guyanese origin to the world. Too much Government is never helpful and always imply only one thing: interference and domination by the unscrupulous.
We in Guyana like to talk about Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival as the inspiration for Mashramani. Here is a little known fact – Carnival Monday and Tuesday are not public holidays declared by law by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago. These are people’s holidays. Also, the people of Trinidad and Tobago support Carnival. It is a people inspired event, not government imposed, hence its success and sustainability. Locally, there can only be freedom on Republic Day if the activities of celebration are emanations of the people. We already know that this Government, like the PNC of past years, is not committed to freedom of expression in matters of culture. Anyone who has visited neighbouring Suriname can contrast the cultural consequences of Dutch colonial practices with those of British colonialism. Guyanese Government interference in culture is yet another continuation of British Colonial Politics. With so much colonial practice still present in the politics of the nation, how much of a Republic do we therefore have? It is no surprise that a majority of Guyanese people have no idea of what they are celebrating on the 23rd February.
Republic Day 2013 offers an opportunity, once again, for intelligent discussion on the meaning of Republic Day and its significance past and present. However, intelligent discussion in Guyana is severely threatened. Intelligent discussion is precisely what Governments do not encourage. Hence, the media control plus the dumbing-down promotion of culture that stifles creativity and individual resourcefulness and destroys the mind. This overwhelming and deliberate Government presence and political presence in every aspect of life in Guyana is a serious problem for it threatens and opposes the very essence of human existence: it aims to control the human mind of its citizens, directly opposes freedom of thought, allegiance to conscience and self determination. It is particularly threatening when the Government promotes ‘national’ activities that exclude opportunities for expressions of decency, propriety and hinders the creation of an environment supporting human self improvement.
A young Sri Lankan friend of mine flat out refused to attend Notting Hill 2012 Carnival with me. She said, listen, I understand the whole freedom thing and the spirit of it, but why do they need to take off their clothes? Clearly, wearing clothing is a cultural issue as there are tribes in the Amazon who find no need to wear clothing at all and there are some cultures which perceive that stripping down represents a show of confidence and healthy ‘body image’. But in Guyana, for Republic Day, we do need to accommodate other people whose culture includes wearing beautiful costumes and whose spiritual depth transcends physicality and where music, drumming and dance are of the highest forms of worship and devotion to God.
In Notting Hill Carnivals, I observed that Nigerian and Ghanaian contingents are usually fully and beautifully dressed: expressions of culture are not synonymous with expressions of sexuality. Neither ought expressions of solidarity with state to be necessarily conjoined with expressions of frivolity and drunkenness. I have had golden opportunities to prance around the streets of London with Hare Krishna friends in Harinam Sankirtan. I had a similar opportunity to be on a big truck in Port-of-Spain as part of the Hindu Prachar Kendra’s Carifesta contingent. These street participation activities were fun as well as spiritually and culturally uplifting while conferring that coveted sense of participation, belonging and identity. I have also observed Caribana in Toronto, Crop Over festivities in Bridgetown and Carnival activities in Port-of-Spain. There is definitely a vitality, a Caribbean energy, flavour and authenticity to these festivities and there is certainly a place for it in Guyana since many Guyanese enjoy it.
Calls for reform of Mashramani celebrations pertain to their alignment with Republic Day celebrations, the imposition by Governments and the deliberate exclusion of equal participation of other groups in society and to the elevation of copied Caribbean culture (form and content) over other authentic expressions of Guyanese culture. This is a direct form of Government supported oppression – PNC and PPP – and for it to be happening on Republic Day is a great insult to the people who care about this nation.
It is absolutely critical, beyond the five-year, short term, self interested goals of local politicians, in the interest of the future of the nation, that all people of this country be accommodated and given visibility in Republic Day celebrations and that we develop a greater understanding of what it actually means.
Sandra Khan

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