Is there merit in Jagdeo’s machinations?

Apr 20, 2013 Letters

Dear Editor:
When a columnist makes charges of racism if you do not particularly like his writings or his political credos one can simply dismiss his postulations as vacuous ramblings, but when the immediate past president of a nation makes those charges the entire nation should take note and ask some hard questions.
It is odd that Bharat Jagdeo chose the funeral service of a “religious leader” to display such crass levels of insensitivity to the bereaved by his (now) infamous malevolent outpourings.
Jagdeo has to explain to the nation what the source of this resurgence of anti-Indian sentiments is, surely with two dominant racial groups, negative sentiments towards Indians must (by logical deduction) be coming from Africans. One can deduce also that there was a previous period of anti-Indianism in Guyana and that this had waned (or was suppressed) and there is an existing period of resurgence. Jagdeo needs to tell the nation when was the previous period of anti-Indian sentiments, when did it wane and when did he notice this grand resurgence.
What section of the Guyanese population has called for Indians to stay out of schools and not participate in the public service? Who has been calling for qualified Indo-Guyanese to be denied good jobs in the civil service?
Is there merit in Jagdeo’s machinations or is he reaffirming the PPP’s trademark of nasty appeal to racial sentiments? Is this his usual clarion call for Indo-Guyanese to close ranks and rally around the PPP, the so-called protector of Indians, because of the possibility of fresh elections?
Was he making good use of the standard operating procedure of the PPP, and read the same scare tactic script; if Indians are made to feel that there are legions of anti-Indians out to get them, their best resort is to run into the saving arms of the PPP, despite its failings it will protect Indians from the people who are trying to deny them good education, good jobs in the public service and dominance in commerce.
What is Jagdeo’s interpretation of anti-Indianism? As evidenced in the ongoing libel case to which he made reference, is it that qualified Afro-Guyanese with decades of experience in the Foreign Service have been bypassed in favour of (the chosen) Indians who are overwhelmingly comparatively unqualified?
Is it the witch hunting of Afro-Guyanese in the public service, where they are hounded out of senior positions and replaced with Indians of lesser qualification and experience, is it the withholding of hard earned pension and gratuity after retirement or is it the habit of writing to the employing agency of hard working Afro-Guyanese seeking their termination?
The funeral utterance of Jagdeo is probably an explanation of why things turned out the way they did, in that, his policies were intentionally skewed? Or is it that Jagdeo is not man enough to stand in court and defend his record on race relations and that this latest flare-up represents escapist antics of a coward?
Jagdeo’s flavour of growing anti-Indianism is phenomenally oxymoronic, perhaps Guyana needs a strong dose of, the completely nonexistent, anti-African sentiments; then government contracts, public land distribution, funding in their economically functional zones, public infrastructure, scholarships, foreign service postings and senior public service jobs will go their way.
In parting, a few words to Jagdeo; Sir, you instituted legal proceedings to clear your name and prove to the nation that you are not a racist and that you have not pursued racist policies during your term of office, instead of jumping around the country ejecting vile sputum, please collect your evidence and take them to court with you. You have ample opportunity to defend your record in court, shedding crocodile tears over a dead pandit will not help.
Lenno Craig

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