The Ethnic Relations Commission comes up short

Feb 19, 2021 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,

A release from the ERC stated, “The ERC is again urging citizens to promote tolerance and understanding, especially towards those of different ethnicities for a better country.” The Ethnic Relations Commission has commenced legal proceedings in the court against eight perpetrators accused of exciting hostility or ill will on the grounds of race, under the Racial Hostility Act and for causing racial or ethnic violence under the Representation of the People Act. This is commendable of an organisation whose objective should be to prosecute defaulters who are callous and careless in the abuse of communication with the malicious intent of hurting any group of people, physically, verbally, sociologically or psychologically. The ERC’s claim of wanting to work vigorously to stop the spread of racial incitement among Guyanese, especially on social media is again applaudable. This should be in keeping with the aims of the statutory body whose job is to promote peace and avoid violence for ethnic stability in society.
Guyanese cannot help but to be wary of the ERC functionality whose activities seem to fit a reason for a season. The ERC wakes up when it wants to; the ERC goes to work at its whims and fancy; the ERC raises issues only at its convenience; the ERC waits for a chosen season; the ERC then goes cherry picking; the ERC operates with an aggrieved reason; the ERC is leashed led; the ERC is a divided entity; the ERC makes indecisive decisions; the ERC is a fragmented conclusion; the ERC is not autonomous; the ERC is dictated to by outside influence; the ERC is obviously controlled by political affluence. The ERC is transparently money hungry and parasitically imbibes at the expense of the poor Guyanese taxpayers.
The ERC is not a true representative of equality, justice or fraternity. It needs to be liberated from the fangs of prejudice. It is incapable of calling a spade a spade. Rather, it reaches out to a spade as a diamond and it forfeits a heart for a clubs. Its paper trail has established a journey of misconduct, blindness and favouritism with its blemished insularity. The ERC’s silence on the last Election fiasco raises eyebrows and opens the door for questions, queries and a “pussyfooting” quagmire. Cooperation, coordination, consolation and consolidation are not the pillars of a solid foundation for the ERC. Issuing statements which do not concur with a unified voice is dangerous, irresponsible and reprehensible. The ERC has failed the Guyanese public, is misusing and misspending the funds of the government and is a component of farcical absurdity because it refuses to comply with the true sense of its constitutional laws and regulations. Its ultimate meaningfulness has dissipated and its significance has subsided. Refusing to investigate, traverse and peruse the audacious, reckless, irresponsible and damaging behaviour and speeches by Mr. Granger and Mr. Harmon last year during the turmoil in Berbice, confirms curry favoured biasness and challenges the reasonableness and fairness of this body.
Like the statutory bodies comprising GECOM and GRHC, the government needs to revisit the usefulness, sincerity, devotion and commitment of the components of the ERC. It is time for action in action.

Respectfully,
Jai Lall

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