There’s a side to Mashramani that is inappropriate for children

Feb 23, 2017 Letters

Dear Editor,
We join the people of Guyana in celebrating our 47th anniversary as a Cooperative Republic on 23rd February 2017. We hope that this year’s anniversary will be celebrated in a spirit of national pride and dignity. However we are deeply concerned that previous Mashramani Festivals have resulted in public behaviour that is damaging to the mental and physical well-being of the child. Children should not be brought up in an atmosphere which suggests that being drunk is either desirable or normal behaviour, yet public drunkenness has become a feature of Mashramani.
Children should be taught decency, self-respect and self-control. Instead they have been encouraged to ‘wine-up’ or to watch adults gyrating in sexually suggestive ways. We are also deeply concerned that during Mashramani children are subjected to lyrics promoting violence and sexual licence. How is a child to value his or herself when national celebrations are teaching that child that degrading behaviour is desirable?
In addition to the moral and spiritual harm to the child, there is the risk of physical injury. We wish to remind those engaged in the music industry that noise induced hearing loss begins at 85 decibels, a level of noise which is exceeded significantly by large speakers located on floats or the roadside. This noise has a disproportionate impact on children whose bodies are still growing and developing.
The Rights of the Child Convention, which is incorporated into our Constitution, reminds us that “the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection…..” It is incumbent on us individually and nationally to protect our children from harm. We therefore call on the Guyana Police Force to ensure that all music is kept below 85 decibels. We ask DJs and musicians not to play music which promotes violence and sexual licence. And we ask all parents to ensure that their children do not suffer the embarrassment of an intoxicated mother or father.
Omattie Madray for
CHILD RIGHTS ALLIANCE

Melinda Janki for
JUSTICE INSTITUTE GUYANA

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