Women groups are politicising and using race in exposing sexual harassment

Jun 04, 2021 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

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Kaieteur News – Anyone who is a consistent reader of this page would know I have no respect whatsoever for Guyana’s women groups. Their opportunism is extremely distasteful and repugnant. Before discussing a letter by the “usual suspects” in the Stabroek News of June 2 commenting on alleged sexual harassment by a senior police officer, I would like to quote from my letter in the Stabroek News of the same date about the nature of some civil society actors.
Here is what I told Mr. Alfred Bhulai after showing my respect for him as a civil society activist, “I wish Mr. Bhulai the very best in his efforts to help bring justice and civilisation to the country we both call home and love. I hereby extend an invitation to assist him in any way I can with one caveat. I wouldn’t associate with the company he keeps. I beat my own drum and say that I have a sincere feeling in helping right wrongs and refuse to be part of an environment of activists who do so for opportunistic reasons.”
A columnist in the New York Times wrote three weeks ago these words, “As columnists, we often test the boundaries. We want to write in provocative ways that inspire readers to think and discuss.” In my own little way, I have used these columns the past 32 years to ask Guyanese wherever they are to reflect on the people and things of Guyana and not to accept anyone who comes on stage with songs of redemption when they themselves need to redeem themselves.
At the moment I am engaged in an exchange with the Electoral Reform Group in the newspapers whom I have accused of having electoral reform as their raison d’être yet frenetically evades discussion on the attempted rigging of the March 2020 national poll.
By the “usual suspects” I mean these women groups and individuals attached to them. These groups and individuals along with the Guyana Human Rights Association have a modus operandi that could be described predatory. They eschew denunciation of certain societal abominations but like predators jump on stories that can bring them publicity. In the entire world of women activism, I think Guyana has the most conspicuous publicity-seekers. This aberration is deeply offensive.
The latest opportunistic journey of Guyana’s women groups and the other usual suspects is the issue of alleged sexual harassment made against head of SOCU, Senior Superintendent, Fazil Karimbaksh. But the same allegations were made against Paul Slowe and the women groups didn’t write the newspaper asking for an investigation
Let me be pellucid about my position here. I don’t know Mr. Karimbaksh, never seen him, never met him. I don’t know anything about the accusations made against Karimbaksh and Slowe and I have no intention of commenting on both matters without knowledge of the facts and surrounding allegations.
My intention here is to do what all columnists do – look for intentions to see if such attitudes have hidden motives. In the case of the usual suspects there are worrying signs. Slowe is African Guyanese and is at the moment in a torrid confrontation with the government.
Karimbaksh is Indian and the head of SOCU which has charged many of the people who would be associates and friends of the usual suspects. Many of these women groups are hostile to the PPP government, some of which hate the PPP. Many of the usual suspects have close relations with figures from the PNC and WPA. For example, I was at the day of appreciation when Andaiye died.
At the event held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Red Thread lavished extravagant praise on PNC parliamentarian, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley. Joycelyn Dow, common-law wife of WPA leader, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine, is one of the founders of Red Thread so is common-law wife of Ronald Waddell, Bonita Bone-Harris
I will not come to conclusions and make any judgment. My point is that it looks suspicious that these groups that are associated with the PNC and WPA are silent on Slowe but have openly published a demand for an investigation of Karimbaksh. Surely, something looks questionable here.
If the usual suspects have injected politics and race in fighting sexual harassment then it debases the struggle against sexual and physical abuse of women by men. Surely, this is an extremely ugly direction to go in when sexual harassment and domestic abuse are sad and frequent occurrences in Guyana.
More importantly, if the usual suspects are using sexual harassment as part of their dislike for the PPP government, then obviously, you are alienating the government whose legislative power you need. You cannot use victims so opportunistically.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

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