How sound is Dr. Leslie Ramsammy’s criticism of Ministers Henry and Sharma?

Jan 30, 2020 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,

When Dr. Leslie Ramsammy criticized Minister Jaipaul Sharma’s comment advocating bringing back hanging because fighting in schools was out-of-control as ludicrous, I also thought that Sharma must have smoked some bad weed. But, should Dr. Ramsammy judge others? How sound is his criticism of Ministers Henry and Sharma?
I hold no brief for Sharma; too often some of our Ministers respond to interviews without thinking about the implications of their words and statements. What is more shocking is Dr. Ramsammy’s failure to offer any solutions to the escalating school violence. Maybe, he could not. The schoolgirls involved in the Linden stabbing are 13 to 15 years of age. They were born in the time period when Dr. Ramsammy was Minister of Health (2001-2011) and President Jagdeo and the PPP governed (1999-2011) followed by President Donald Ramotar (2011-2015). Are these leaders in any way responsible for attitudes cultivated, good or bad, under their government?
Lest we forget, those were dark lean days for communities such as Linden which the PPP regarded as one of the opposition’s stronghold. Linden did not only suffer from the neglect of economic opportunities and job creation, but a system of interim management by the central government was imposed on the town. Under the PPP watch, the youths of Linden grew up at a time when standards in Education, Health, Safety and Security fell apart. When Lindeners protested, they paid with their lives. Also, the killing and disappearance of young men in many opposition communities was a chronic problem.
As a medical doctor, Dr. Ramsammy is most qualified to speak about the trauma of fear and anxiety experienced by pregnant mothers and infants and the impact as children grow. So, while I would tend to agree with his point that the phenomenon of school violence is a global one, he can tell the Guyanese people about the education policies and practices the PPP had introduced to stem the tide of Bullying, Gang Violence, Fighting, and Gender-Based Violence that escalated while the PPP was in government.
Further, Dr. Ramsammy castigates Ministers Henry and Sharma as being clueless, unprepared, and unready to take control of the situation. This reminds me of the old folk saying, “Pot tell skillet ‘e bottom black.” Guyanese who live through the time of the Phantom Squad, following the 2002 prison break, the spy equipment scandal, the Ministry of Health fire, and US Charge d’ Affaires Karen Williams cable to Washington linking Roger Khan with Leslie Ramsammy would conclude that the situation had indeed “morphed into an out-of-control monster.” Ironically, he urges action to avoid such a monster.
Finally, Dr. Ramsammy can rest assured that the coalition leadership has demonstrated its belief in a quality education for every Guyanese through its 5 B’S initiative. It is equally committed to the safety of our students and schools through a series of intervention strategies by way of curriculum, teacher and staff support, and improved school culture, to name a few. Our youths are our most precious resource whom we will prepare to benefit from Guyana’s wealth.

Sincerely,
Max Wallerson

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