Crimes given a political twist and flavour

Sep 09, 2020 Letters

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DEAR EDITOR,

In April 2019, the former Minister of Public Security met with residents and was adamant that the high rate of murder is as a result of ‘interpersonal rate of violence, alcohol abuse, dysfunctional families and to reduce or eradicate this we must read ‘the classics, the Quran, the Bible and the Mahabharrat’. I agreed with him to some extent then since it is impossible for the police to anticipate and prevent murders and interpersonal violence, which can be a spur of the moment act, sometimes induced by drugs and alcohol. However, he failed to mention that by providing employment and adequate wages and salaries many of our social ills can be reduced. For instance, stealing and domestic violence due to lack of financial resources.
It must be recalled that when the Coalition were in the opposition, they blamed the then PPP/C government for every social ill under the sun. Ramjattan’s statement at a meeting on the Upper Corentyne highlighted the two faced nature of the Coalition. When the Coalition was in government, crimes were not given a political twist and flavour but now they are. Today, the APNU+AFC is once again in the opposition and the statement by Granger and Harmon under the pretext of mourning the brutal murder of the Isaiah and Joel Henry must be condemned. This barbaric and senseless act must be condemned by all but it is a gross disappointment to listen to the barefaced politicking by these two PNC leaders. On one hand, Granger promoted ‘vigilante’ styled justice which he called the creation of ‘self-defense society’. He made it plain that if residents do not protect themselves then no one will protect them. Has the Coalition failed the Security during its just concluded 5-year term? He added that the violent protest is the correct response to such crimes. Was it the correct response when his Coalition was in government? He then went on a full blown political speech of the current government’s ability to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and to continue to ‘pressure the government’. He inadvertently admitted that the aim of such protest is to ‘pressure the government’.
On the other hand, Harmon clearly tried to link the murders to the government calling for a ‘forensic’ investigation by an independent since the investigative arm of the police has been ‘infiltrated’ but yet called on the police to ‘do their work’. In other words, Harmon is implying that the murders have a political link. This is such a barefaced attempt at distortion aimed at poisoning the minds of the PNC supporters. This kind of speech must be condemned. He also lauded the violent protests as ‘the correct response’. He also echoed Granger’s statement calling for the community to be ‘vigilant’ to keep it safe. Harmon seemed to forget the PNC backed ‘freedom fighters’ which wreaked havoc on this nation. Does he want another such gang? Harmon then said that he will ‘take this opportunity to take care of the burial expenses’ whilst exhorting the residents not to accept any assistance from anyone else, implying the government. Imagine the PNC saw the murders as an ‘opportunity’, there is no doubt that the deaths now present an ‘opportunity’ to push its political agenda to destabilize the duly elected government. Harmon has exposed the true agenda of the PNC.
Granger and Harmon’s statements have escalated the level and spread of violent protests in other areas as well which resulted in robberies, threats to life and property and extortion of monies. Temporary ‘toll gates’ as were installed a few days ago at Belladrum forcefully extracted monies from vehicle owners to pass and now that has spread to the other villages. Sometimes, an area, with three blockades has three such ‘tollgates’ with vehicle owners paying from $1,000 to $2,000 per blockade. Instead of condemning such violent protests, these two failed riggers of the 2020 Elections have deemed these to be the ‘correct response’. What a shame! Are we to believe that these people would want to be the next government? However, the pronouncements of this duo should not surprise us a bit, if we just recall what transpired since March 2 and the five months, which followed. Violent protests like these must be condemned and it is totally abhorrent for political leaders to fan the flames of racial violence just for political mileage.
In conclusion, this is not the first time where murder of persons of one race or another has occurred but it is sad that just after several devious attempts to rig the Elections, the Coalition has once again embarked on a racially divisive tactic to cause this nation to bleed once again. What would have been the response of the Coalition to this cruel murder if they were still in government? Would they have encouraged such protests? Would they have blamed themselves? Would they have taken responsibility? The GPF must be allowed to do its job to bring the perpetrators to justice and our legal institutions must be allowed to function. There will be no victor in this type of racist politics being practised by the Coalition, the collateral damage will be too costly.

Yours sincerely,
Haseef Yusuf

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