Ramphal’s positive message is for ALL Guyanese

Jan 10, 2020 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,

The reported Facebook attacks, mounted by the anti-national forces on 2018 Chutney Soca champion, Stephen Ramphal, should not come as a surprise. In fact, I recall telling a very close friend, when he won that crown at the 2019 contest that it was good for Indo-Guyanese to want to contest such traditionally perceived Afro-Guyanese cultural contests, because it signals that there were segments of our deeply polarized society that were prepared to be culturally adventurous, by thinking outside of the proverbial cultural box.
In 2015 an Afro-Guyanese, Young Bill Rogers, won the Chutney competition, seen as an Indo-cultural competition at Blairmont. So, what was wrong if an Indo-Guyanese, competed in a cultural segment that is Afro Guyanese type? This should not cause him to be an outcast, or a sellout, because he has participated across the cultural lines. It reminds one of the great late Mohamed Rafi who sang the immortal piece, to the tune of Suhani RaatDhal, “The world is one”. Those who have continued to spew the incendiary of racism, separatism and division should be reminded of this song and its message.
Without any apologies, this is what should be happening more often in Guyana. It will certainly contribute to begin to chip away at the race wall which the dark forces have been building. However, one suspects that the fact that Ramphal was not attacked in the aftermath of his victory in February 2019 had been because it was a national event.
The attacks expose a tragic weakness of PPP/C political culture that has filtered down to its general constituency. And again, I will say it without any apology, simply because it is not political rabble rousing or pandering to racism, or even racial incitement – that the PPP/C has continued to foster the idea that any prominent East Indian who leaves its political fold for the Afro-side of politics, betrays the party and his/her race: They are “sellouts’’, the descriptive label given Prime Minister Moses Nagamotoo, Vice President Khemraj Ramjattan and now to Stephen Ramphal. Therefore, as far as those Facebook, anti-cohesion forces are concerned, Ramphal has ratted on his kind, and they are bold enough to vent their shameless and vile anger, using the means of social media, which positive and constructive uses they have continued to degrade by such vile actions.
Ramphal sang in a professional capacity since he and other artistes were paid for their performances. But his song is timely, for it is about Guyana and its six peoples, inclusive primarily of the two races, and how they must live with each other, for the betterment of country and ALL.
This is what the Coalition, A Party for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Government supports, and have promoted and upheld since its governance began in May 2015. The fact that Ramphal decided to appear at the coalition launching rally last Friday, signals that he is about LOVE, PEACE AND UNITY, AND NOT ABOUT DIVISION as he has boldly declared.

Regards,
Carla Mendonca

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