The missing link in the Golden Jubilee celebration

May 29, 2016 Letters

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Dear Editor,

I had reason to disagree with my friend Freddie Kissoon because of what he said in one of his daily articles on May 27, 2016, titled The Morning After. He was partially biased. He said, “So we enjoyed our bacchanalian festivities on May 26, but in the morning after there are still people waiting for over six or eight hours to see a doctor at A&E at the Georgetown Hospital.” Freddie missed what I made sure I did not miss. He gave the impression that “we” the Guyanese people were all a part of the bacchanal. He wrote with a narrow view of the Guyanese populace and what transpired over the Jubilee celebrations.
Brother Kissoon, “we” did not all enjoy the bacchanal. In fact, I was saddened by the attendance at the two major events of the anniversary celebrations – the flag raising and the float parade. Where were our Indian brothers and sisters? I walked the route of the parade on Thursday. Additionally, some of the floats passed by my front gate. The night before, I traversed the Jubilee Stadium, way into the wee hours of the morning, looking for any collection or any gathering of my Indian brothers and sisters. I looked to see if maybe they were under the stands eating and drinking. I strolled desperately all around the nicely built stands and well paved asphalt, looking for some semblance of a cohesive reflection of our six races. I was disappointed.
Guyana looked like the festivities were being held in Barbados, or Dominica, or St, Vincent. It looked like Guyana is made up of 90% Blacks. I saw many of my church members and overseas friends. They are all Black. I saw many Muslim women with their Hijabs. But they were all Black. I saw some of my Muslim friends, who were also Black. I was haunted. I could not believe for the life of me, that we were celebrating 50 years of collective independence and with 40% of our country being Indians, I couldn’t count 100 among the crowds. I was pained to the stomach. What did we do wrong? Why could we not attract some acceptable semblance of our Indian community to come celebrate with us?
I saw our Prime Minister there. He is Indian. Could he not have persuaded some from his hometown to come on down? How about those thousands of Indians who voted for the Coalition? Have they abandoned the government? I was troubled. I asked myself, did the organizers do enough to make sure the ethnic balance of the country was reflected in the planning and execution of the events? Or was it that the Indians promised to come, knowing full well that they would never show up? Where is the Social Cohesion Ministry in all this? Could Minister Ali not have secured a fair representation of Indians to come and enjoy the planned events?
The Opposition members were there. Their supporters could not have known that there would be a seating problem and that Mr. Jagdeo would have walked out with his delegation. Where were the opposition, Indian, supporters? Is it that none of them cared that their leaders did agree to attend the celebration? Did the Indians boycott the Opposition too? Pastor Edghil was there.  I am sure there were folks from his church. But they too are Black.
Maybe I am making a mountain out of a mole hill. If so you must forgive me. However, I have lived in Trinidad and their national functions are satisfactorily represented by a cross section of their ethnicity. I frequently visit Suriname and the same is true there. Even in the US, national events bring out all the mixtures of the races. Why are we so divided here in Guyana?
I would like to think that careful study needs to be given to this blatant lack of national participation in symbolic events. The Coalition has a sufficient ethnic representation within their ranks to bring some kind of informative balance to the planning of these national occasions. Our Motto is One People. One Nation, One Destiny.
No longer should we look so ethnically top-heavy as the world gazes at us. Maybe there was some legitimate reason for the visible absence of our Indian brothers and sisters. Maybe there is nothing to it. If so, I apologize. However, if it is that their absence is because they feel alienated or slighted; if perchance they do not come to our national events because they think that scant regard is paid to their customs and traditions, then those realities need to be addressed. So that the next time my friend Freddie says “we”, he will actually be speaking about all Guyanese.
Editor, please also allow me to thank Minister Nicolette Henry on her unequivocal apologies to the members of the Opposition for the seating debacle. In this politically offensive atmosphere, the Minister needs to be commended for breaking away from the pact.
Pastor W. P. Jeffrey
Practical Christianity Ministries

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