Priya Manichchand, Simona Broomes and what else?

Jul 24, 2018 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

In 2014, Education Minister, Priya Manickchand, created a national scandal when she acted in what was perceived by the nation as an egregious violation of diplomatic protocol. The place was the home of the American Ambassador and the occasion was America’s Independence anniversary. Ms. Manickchand’s words were directly addressed to the US envoy and her action was deemed abusive.
Reports of her behaviour not only reached the Caribbean but also the wider world. An exacerbation of the scandal took place when the Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Roger Luncheon, justified Manickchand’s behaviour by referring to her emanation as a feral blast. For many political observers, that had sealed the fate of the PPP Government because the world’s most powerful government would not tolerate to be treated like that.
Many have also said to me that with that outrageous scene, Manickchand would never make leader of the PPP. I think they are right.
This month Manickchand was the featured speaker at the 2018 graduation of Mae’s School. She also addressed the Grade Six Assessment graduates at the Westfield Prep School that produced the top scorer. Manickchand told the young students that they must reject prejudice that has become part of Guyana’s culture.
The former education minister seems to skip from one unpleasant situation to another. Earlier this year, in tears, she accused a policeman of assaulting her in Parliament.
The circumstances were shaped by the refusal of Juan Edghill (will he address a school graduation too?) to leave the House after the Speaker deemed his conduct as unacceptable. When the police ranks came, Edghill’s parliamentary colleagues from his party canopied him so the police could not get to him.
It was in that confusion that Manickchand made claims that she was forcefully struck by a policeman. She spoke in tears to the media.
Let me digress briefly. During the World Cup tournament, one of the announcers said he cannot understand why footballers in this day and age would subtly try to hurt other players on the field with so many cameras capturing every action of play.
Manickchand was unable to produce any footage despite dozens of smart phones that captured everything that happened in that fracas and scores of television cameras. I come now to my right to express my opinions.
Manickchand should not have been the person invited to those two schools to address very young children at an impressionable age. My question to the schools is that of all the great women talent that we have here, why Manickchand, given the two incidents I mentioned, incidents that I view as very serious misconduct. So why did the two schools choose her? Because this is Guyana.
This is a country that has lost its moral compass decades ago. President Desmond Hoyte tried in his own little way to resuscitate the moral fibre of this nation but he failed.
From Priya to Simona. Parliament seems to be a favourite hunting ground for both Priya and Simona. Remember it was inside the respected and venerated Chambers of the House that Priya accused a policeman of cuffing her.
Simona once filmed a video earlier this year in Parliament (the House was not in session at the time but still it was done in the parliamentary chambers) titled “Boom out Jagdeo.” It was distasteful deportment of a Minister. And to think that she filmed it in Parliament.
Simona went to New Thriving to eat some Chinese food, which in my opinion should be done once in a blue moon because such food is unhealthy because of its heavy oil base. After what she did, Simona joined Priya in ignoring what the World Cup announcer warned footballers about.
In Priya’s situation, the cameras were rolling when Priya and her friends in the PPP tried to stop the officers from ejecting Edghill (does he still carry the title, ‘Bishop’?). The cameras did not pick up anyone cuffing Priya.
Simona threw down the no parking sign and accused the private security ranks of pointing guns at her. The cameras did not capture such action from the two guards. Someone has to tell Simona and Priya that as parliamentarian, they cannot claim physical movement of a certain kind if no such movement occurred when surveillance cameras and television cameras are filming the environment.
Priya remains a parliamentarian and was recognized by two schools as being fit and proper to lecture to their students. If Simona should officially speak to young students, what would she tell them? I can’t wait to hear her words but I know it would not be, “Boom out baby.”

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