That “economic genocide” notion

Apr 18, 2019 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,

During the PPP administration, the word marginalization was glibly used by some apologist of the PNC including one Trade Unionist who went further by using the term “economic genocide” against Africans, despite the fact that then, all government services were predominantly staffed by Africans including the N.I.S. As far as I am aware, there were no comprehensive analysis including facts to justify this claim as compared to what is currently happening against East Indians by the APNU administration.
At the very beginning and in almost every sphere of public service, including GECOM “economic genocide” against East Indians, commenced through dismissals, victimization and prosecution. It started in the Police Force, where Ramnarine was demoted, at GECOM through the unilateral appointment of an African chairman and in the Public Service where 99% of Permanent Secretaries are Africans, and I am sure a closer examination of other top positions in the Public Service would reveal a similar trend.
Apart from data, one only have to look at the many photos of government activities in the newspaper to visually conclude that only one segment of the Guyanese public are benefitting from this APNU genocide against East Indians, including the most recent one of 99% Africans being employed in the Immigration Department.
But, the employment policy within the Public Sector is only the tip of the iceberg when one considers the “economic genocide” against East Indians in the sugar industry where countless households are left jobless and in the rice industry where deliberate financial burdens are imposed through increased taxation and neglect by the Ministry of Agriculture in containing a paddy bug infestation.
And, it has not escaped my attention that while sugar workers have to pay a fee to access the backdam in order to survive, the government has allocated 2 billion dollars to assist their African communities, Mocha, Itaka, Buxton, B.V. and Cove and John, while continuing with their subsidized electricity to Linden.
So, what is the position of the Trade Unionist and other apologists including our two judases where there is an abundance of evidence of “economic genocide” against East Indians. One cannot help but observe the boisterous, belligerent and bullying attitude of this Trade Unionist and his government lackeys when African jobs were threatened at RUSAL but, his silence on the employment policy against East Indians in the Public Service and at GECOM is deafening.
And, with the disintegration of the sugar industry where thousands of workers are unsure of their N.I.S. pension at age 60, can this Trade Unionist say what opportunities of employment do Indians have outside of the Public Service where kit and kin are guaranteed a pension at age 55, N.I.S. pension at age 60, and an old age pension at 65? And, to add insult to injury most of these geriatrics are employed as consultants and legal advisors in most government departments and ministries.
Is this not a deliberate attempt of “economic genocide” against East Indians by an unscrupulous regime?

Yours sincerely
D. Singh

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