BETRAYING THE IDEALS OF INDEPENDENCE

May 30, 2016 Editorial

On the attainment of Guyana’s political independence on May 26, 1966, there was loud political rhetoric about the need to remove the shackles of dependency and of the people becoming self-sufficient.
The Union Jack was lowered and the Golden Arrow Head was raised with much pomp and sartorial splendor. It was 50 years ago when Guyana’s first Prime Minister the late Forbes Burnham profoundly beckoned the nation to become self-sufficient, productive, disciplined and tolerant.
Independence was boastfully promoted by the government of the day as the strategic lever for diversifying and developing the economy, exploit the country’s natural resources and promote social and economic progress. The goal was to improve the lives of the poor and the lower working class and provide a better life for all.
Today, although the country is shackled by persistent poverty and by the plantation economy which have resulted in its underdevelopment and social inequalities, with the rich getting richer and the poor becoming poorer, yet there have been some achievements.
The attainment of independence was a landmark achievement for the country and its people, However, it was the pre-independence period that laid the foundation for the progress made early in the post-independence era.
The building of several housing schemes, the Demerara and the Canje bridges, the Soesdyke-Linden and the Corentyne Highways, creation of four new Municipalities, the President’s College and free University education are among some of the major achievements in the early post-independence period. The Berbice Bridge was recently built.
Today, the country is nearly as dependent as it was 50 years ago on income from sugar, rice and bauxite, its gold reserves and the large spread of undeveloped land and its many water ways. Not to mention hundreds of billions in remittances from Guyanese in the diaspora. So it is not just a matter of celebrating the 50th Independence Anniversary but also to use the best human skills available to develop the country.
This will require changes in the attitudes and manners of the politicians, the people and their spirit of enterprise, risk taking and innovation. However, the government has to define what is meant by independence. It must communicate clearly the role of the people in making Guyana a truly independent nation. And it should not only be about food independence, but independence without limits to the extent of self-reliance and responsibility.
The country’s dirty rivers, streams and canals, its clogged drains, pot-holed roads, rampant corruption, careless and drunk driving, high crime rate and the poor health and education systems must be rectified.
For the last fifteen years, the focus has been more on the accumulation of personal wealth and less on the development of the country. Today, the lack of communications is likely to produce the same results. Independence was inspired by a deep desire of patriotism, selflessness, visionary and transformative leadership and with moral authority—all of which are lacking today.
However, in times like these when the economy is struggling, jobs are scarce, crime is high and the infrastructure is collapsing, it will take good, old-fashioned and visionary leadership to correct the deficiencies even if it means tight-belting and the cutting back on government expenditures. Actions and not words are needed.
While it is also true that Guyana has made some progress since Independence, it is equally true that there have been some structural, financial and economic setbacks in recent times. These setbacks are fundamental to the economic growth and human development of the country and they can be blamed on the lack of vision and transformative leadership.
It was this lack of vision and transformative leadership that had betrayed the ideals and principles upon which the country embarked on its independence.
While it is important for all patriotic souls to take part in the jubilee celebrations, likewise, it is also important for all Guyanese, both at home and in the diaspora to take a deep breath and understand that the seed planted 50 years ago on the attainment of political independence has not fully blossomed.

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