One of the most evil political decisions in Guyana’s history

Aug 23, 2017 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

This week marks another anniversary of the Demerara slave uprising of 1823; 194 years since the revolt. Let me digress at length before I return to the major thesis of my argument; the only book on the event, “Crowns of Glory, Tears of Blood,” (Oxford University Press, 1994) was written not by a Guyanese, but a Brazilian historian, Emilia Viotti da Costa. This makes two of the greatest books ever written on our history authored by foreign scholars. The other is “Sugar without Slaves,” (Yale University Press, 1972) by American scholar, Alan Adamson.
I was on a panel on channel 9 and I made the point that “Sugar Without Slaves”, to date, is the best book written on the history of this country. An African rights activist on the programme then tried to “correct” me, by saying no one can write your history for you. In other words, he meant that “Sugar Without Slaves” is not our definitive history, because it was written by an outsider. I have an enormous problem with that perspective.
If the outsider cannot portray the correct history of a people, then is history served truly when it is written by one of your own? Can he/she give an accurate account without bias and without obfuscating the sordid dimensions of his/her own country. Can an American scholar write a true history of Russia? If the answer is no, then can a Russian version be more accurate? What if the Russian historian is emotional and biased?
Let’s look at Guyana. This country has forever been riveted by poisonous ethnic relations between Indians and Africans. If we accept the perspective of the African rights guy on that panel, then who is to write the accurate account of Guyanese history? Would a Guyanese Indian do justice to the roles of Africans? Would Indians accept a history of Guyana written by a Black Guyanese? So what is the answer? It is in fact simple. An honest, well-learned human being can write an authoritative account of another community. For me, “Sugar Without Slaves” remains the definitive work on Guyanese history.
After that long digression, let’s return to the caption of this column. What the PPP Government did with the location of the 1823 slave rebellion monument in my opinion constitutes an act of ethnic evil that one has to look hard to find a similar situation.
Not one, I repeat, not one Indian rights group or individual uttered a disagreement as to the choice of Independence Park (or Parade Ground) for the location of the structure. Indian people showed no interest at all in the issue. No Amerindian organization had an opinion on the subject. The reason for the attitude of both Indians and Amerindians was because they didn’t see it as a matter of importance for their respective communities. One can well imagine what they thought – that is a thing that concerns Black people.
Not one, not even one African Guyanese political party or cultural organization or African rights groups supported the erection of the monument on the old seawall road. The consensus among all of them was that the Parade Ground contains the memories of the events. That was where valiant freedom fighters were tortured and executed for fighting against slavery.
It had to be an act of evil intention that the PPP Government, led by a predominantly Indian party, would want to make that decision for the population of African Guyanese. It was a psychotic decision that has no parallel in this country’s history. Why should the PPP want to locate a statue about the struggle of African heroes where the PPP wants it? Let that be a decision for the descendants of those heroes. Likewise, why would the PNC want to dictate where in Guyana an Indian hero, who served the Indian race of Guyana, should have a monument in his name?
I didn’t agree in 2016 when President Granger went to the seawall for the anniversary, and I don’t agree with the commemoration this year at that site again. The commemoration in both 2016 and 2017 should have been at Parade Ground. I think Mr. Granger missed an opportunity to show Guyanese the power and importance of symbolism in the life of a country. I mean no insult, but I think he is still to understand that.
If there is anything that should be built to remind us of how nasty politics can destroy a country, it is the 1823 monument on Parade Ground. When the next generation visits it, they can recall the evil intention that led to the monument being built elsewhere.

1 thoughts on “One of the most evil political decisions in Guyana’s history”

Kassem_B August 30, 2017 at 12:33 pm

‘When the next generation visits it, they can recall the evil intention that led to the monument being built elsewhere.’
Blame the Guyanese of Indian extraction
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‘ Let me digress at length before I return to the major thesis of my argument;’
You do it all the time and readers just switch off, should be a lesson for you to learn by now.