Is this deliberate hypocrisy, or is it that our leaders genuinely don’t understand?

Jan 29, 2013 Letters

DEAR EDITOR
Congratulations for your editorial article “Culture Karma” on the 18th January 2013. You have touched many important points of which our leaders ought to take note. But will they?
The history of the 1823 slave rebellion should be accurately recorded both academically (books) and physically (monuments). The monument ought to be sited where the incident actually took place. It’s a history future generations of that community can be proud of, and benefit economically from the spin-offs generated guided tours etc.
Tourism in Guyana should not be exclusively about our rainforest. “The cultural GENESIS of the country must have its REVELATION through the written words (Books); the natural flora/fauna; the mountains and waterfalls our Victorian city architecture; and our man-made inscribed monuments/sights”.
Every aspect of our country must be showcased in ways that help to fuel the economy if we are really serious about tourism.
For example;There are three canals in Guyana worthy of “world heritage” recognition, and as such need protection from destruction. They are the no.1 and no.2 canals on the West Bank of the Demerara River, and the no.3 (better known as Mocha Canal) on the East Bank. These canals were hand-dug by slaves. Presently, the Mocha Canal is seriously threatened with soil erosion due to the house-building activities taking place along its bank.
Our Culture Minister was duly informed by recorded letter almost two years ago (sent by the Mocha-Arcadia Community Association) of the imminent danger of destruction of this historic heritage site that should be protected.
To date we are still awaiting a reply. That letter was carbon-copied to those toothless organizations, the “Guyana Heritage Society” and the “Guyana National Trust”.
It is ironic that on one hand we are building a monument to commemorate the struggle of the slaves, and on the other hand we are allowing the destruction of an historic legacy left by those very slaves.
Is this deliberate hypocrisy, or is it that our leaders genuinely do not understand what cultural historical gem of a legacy this country has inherited and it should not only be jealously protected but should be economically exploited?
Just take a look at the British with their Tower of London, Israel with its concentration camps, Egypt with its Pyramids/Pharaoh Tombs; Ghana with its Cape Coast slave castles.
Those historical sites are now “cash cows” to those countries’ economies. It’s time Guyana wakes up and not only protects and preserves its historic past, but takes advantage of the economic boost these legacies present.
Trenton Daniels

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