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Above all, let us love our beloved Guyana

Feb 24, 2013 AFC Column, Features / Columnists

 

 

On 23rd February, 1970, after a resolution of the National Assembly, Guyana’s constitutional status was that of a Republic. This was an advance from our Independent status since 1966, as we became a sovereign democratic state. We were revered as the first-ever “Cooperative Republic” in the world.
Some opportunistically associated our republican status with the birthday of former President, L.F.S. Burnham, and most as a culmination of a history of struggle of all races, starting with those of our Amerindian ancestors, African, Chinese and Indian forebears, from slavery through indenture and the anti-colonial efforts.
All our people justly deserve to be recognized, for bringing our Guyanese civilization this far.
But, as we celebrate the 43rd anniversary of the Republic of Guyana and lavish in pomp, parade and ceremony, we must remind ourselves of the heroic efforts of Cuffy (Kofi), Akara, Atta and Accabre. They made the primary blast, the initial heroic efforts, to end slavery and its associated wretched and degrading living conditions, and engraved on our soil the notion of freedom.
The Berbice Slave Revolt not only brought changes to slavery in the Dutch Colony, but it also sent a powerful signal to the Dutch colonial authority that the slaves at that time were willing to fight and die for their human rights. A group of men of courage led by Cuffy, Akara, Atta and Accabre were indeed leaders among leaders.
Cuffy himself demonstrated that he had no fear of death if that was the price he had to pay in pursuit of his dreams of freedom and a life of dignity.
That spirit of fearlessness and resistance to slavery brought matters to a boiling point on February 23, 1763, resulting in an organized revolution starting at Plantation Magdalenenburg. Cuffy and his comrades in arms have bequeathed a legacy of struggle to our sugar workers on the plantocracy, who carried forward the torch, that resulted in political independence 200 years later and the subsequent establishment of Guyana as the first Cooperative Republic of the Commonwealth, which we humbly acknowledge and ought to be proud of as Guyanese.
At this historic moment, it is not for the AFC to be repetitious to note how much the Berbice Slave Revolt means to all Guyanese. It is not for the AFC to report what every adult and child in Guyana knows: that slavery was brutal in the extreme and one of the worst barbaric acts that man could impose on their fellow man. But it is for all of us to remember, observe and celebrate the contributions of our forebears. Therefore it is only fitting for us to honour them in our celebrations.
In their memory and honour, we hope that all Guyanese will join and work towards the ideals for which they struggled and sacrificed and to never allow the new oligarchy to erode them through corruption, squandermania, inequality and a host of injustices, including denial of work to Guyanese.
Our Republic celebrations must remind us, above all, that we have love of our beloved Guyana, and we must come together to end racism, corruption, crime and oligarchic minority rule.  AFC encourages all Guyanese to rededicate themselves to the struggle for true freedom in our land.
In the words of Nelson Mandela “Let freedom reign [let justice prevail]. The sun never set so glorious a human achievement”.

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