Burnham cannot be both brilliant and a failure. Was he a brilliant failure?

May 13, 2014 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
Revisionists are fond of touting Norman Girvan and PNC founder leader Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham as brilliant. But both respectively bankrupted Jamaica’s and Guyana’s economies. Burnham terrorized his opponents, subverted democracy, rigged elections, caused starvation and forced Guyana’s best brains to run away! Can anyone be both brilliant and a failure at the same time?
Writing a book, acquiring a PhD, or being a political leader with followers cannot automatically earn anyone the “brilliant” title. If so, it would certainly elevate Nigeria’s Boko Haram as better than Uganda’s President General Idi Amin and Libya’s Colonel Muammar Gadaffi. Kidnapping nearly 300 innocent girl children and reportedly selling them for US$12 as sex slaves is an abomination which only sullies Africa’s image.
Claims that Burnham was brilliant, but only made minor mistakes which kept the PPP alive are most laughable. Vile assaults on Indo Guyanese women at compulsory National Service, banning foodstuff used daily by Indo Guyanese, rigging elections and ignoring kick-down-the-door banditry cannot be the paragon of virtues of any noteworthy leader to emulate. Yet some still go down that road whilst they are still silent on Boko Haram’s insanity.
Interesting was Trinidad’s Dr. Eric Williams. Williams knew how far he could go to limit his racisms. As Prime Minister he understood the critical importance of Indo Trinidadians in sustaining the country’s economy. He did not embark on a policy of sweeping destruction of Indians. In flirting with the worldwide socialist wave at that time he nationalized companies and regulated the prices of goods without favouring any race group. Not so with Burnham’s PNC. Williams understood the importance of the opposition DLP/UNC which was supported by most, not all, Indo Trinidadians and did not forcefully seek their extinction. In fact Williams swiftly changed course when things were not working out. Eventually he went capitalist all the way.
For Girvan to be considered brilliant is whitewashing the fact that his economic policies bankrupted Jamaica’s economy when adopted by Prime Minister Norman Manley. Can national bankruptcy be the new PNC definition of “brilliant”?
The PNC/AFC/WPA cabal can learn from both Belize’s and Trinidad’s opposition parties if they can be so “brilliant “ and patriotic. Belize’s opposition put aside their party’s interest and voted for the national good by supporting their country’s Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Bill. Trinidad’s opposition leader Dr Keith Rowley paid his own expenses and visited India to make a point. He also condemned his PNM predecessor Prime Minister Patrick Manning and the PNM’s old guard for all its past wrongs. Rowley has even publicly condemned the crime wave in Trinidad and demanded that the armed forces crackdown on the criminals. Compare Brigadier General David Granger’s PNC which criticizes the police for being proactive on crime.
Before all hands can be washed clean, Granger and his PNC have to break from the PNC’s shameful past, admit to the party’s involvement in Dr Walter Rodney’s murder, and clean up its nasty image. Their party’s future depends on it.
Brilliant is not only reacting to history but shaping it. Any child without having a PhD can connect all the dots to move Guyana forward. Either Granger walks away in a pact with faded glory Carl Greenidge and ensures the PNC gets a newcomer like the PPP sprung with President Bharat Jagdeo, or it sell its soul again to outsiders and forever remain in the opposition.
Their hope that the WPA will earn them dividends is a fantasy. Failure to approve the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Bill will eviscerate the AFC at the next elections.
Brilliant Burnham! Really! Give me a break.
Vassan Ramracha

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