Healing will come only if we know the whole truth and nothing but the truth

Jun 04, 2022 Letters

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Dear Editor,

I read a letter published in Kaieteur News yesterday May 31, 2022 titled “ 56 years later Guyanese still wallow in the lies of our history,” written by Desmond Alli (General Secretary GUA).
In his reference to the Independence date, he somehow makes a connection between what has been termed the Wismar Massacre of May 1964 and our date of Independence. This is pathetic, painful and puerile, if not wicked, in which he portrays Indo-Guyanese as being the victims of violence.
Briefly, let me state the following and challenge Alli, Bisram and others to dispute the accuracy of my words. First, the majority of residents living at Wismar, McKenzie and Christianburg hailed from West Coast Berbice, Mahaicony and Mahaica. In his letter, he talked about Indians being beaten in the mining town of Wismar.
I can supply details if necessary, but almost on a daily basis people who lived in that upper Demerara community were in receipt of horror stories, atrocities and murders committed mainly against Afro-Guyanese family members in the West Coast Berbice, Mahaica, and Mahaicony areas. And what may have been the spark that ignited the anger was an incident where an Afro-Guyanese was found bludgeoned and whose mutilated body was wrapped in barb-wire floating in the Mahaicony Creek. Obviously, the victim of torture by certain people.
No one should justify violence, but as is seen everywhere in the East, West, North and South, human beings react when their kith and kin are assaulted and mistreated by other people. Is Ali aware, for example, of who were the perpetrators of the Abraham fire in Hadfield Street, Georgetown, which took the lives of Arthur Abraham and seven of his children? Arthur Abraham was of European-Portuguese extraction and was ‘promoted’ from the position as Permanent Secretary in the Premier Dr. Jagan’s Office to another Ministry.
Can Alli tell us who was responsible for the bombing of the Sun Chapman at Hurudaia in the Demerara River? The Sun Chapman launch that plied the Georgetown-Wismar route was owned by Norman Yacoob Chapman, a known PNC supporter. The explosion claimed the lives of 48 persons, all Afro-Guyanese. Is Alli aware of the rape, murder and arson committed against the Ishmael family at Tain on the Corentyne, Berbice? The Ishmaels were all Afro-Guyanese.
Dear Editor, I was the General Secretary of the PNC Party at that time and it is painful to recall those incidents, but so long as people like Alli and Bisram, who seem to be revisionist seek to rewrite our history, I will speak up because I believe that the time has come for the whole truth related to our march to Independence need to be told if we are to heal and not rip apart the already slender fabric of our beloved country. The propagandist must seek slumber after years of active service. I recall after PPP won the Elections in 1992, they sought to downplay our Republic Day celebrations (February 23). Many of us including Bishop Juan Edghill led demonstrations against this attempt by the new Government.
Later speaking to top PPP Officials including Rev. Dale Bisnauth, a Minister, said that the PPP were unhappy to celebrate a date that coincided with Burnham’s birth date (his exact words). I pointed out to him that Burnham’s birth date was February 20, 1923 and our Republic date celebrated the successful uprising by the slaves at Magdalenaburg, Berbice on February 23, 1763 and that there was absolutely no relationship between Republic Day and Burnham’s birthday. But such is the power of repeating a falsehood. Healing will come only if we know the whole truth and nothing but the truth and as an independent people, seek to avoid the mistakes and errors of the past and with that knowledge, work tirelessly to make a reality of our National Motto of One People, One Nation, One Destiny.
Let us stop the nonsense that one side you had Sinners and on the other side you had Saints.
Guyana was at war.
See my book “Pain to Peace. 1953-1964. Alli can call (620-2900) and collect a copy at any time, free of cost and I am prepared to meet with him and a group of artists and to paint a clearer and truer picture of a road to Independence. Incidentally, I am the only person alive in Guyana today who was a delegate at that final Independence Conference held at Lancaster House, London in November 1965 and was privy to discussions that led to our Independence date being made May 26, 1966 and was also present at the Queen Elizabeth Park (National Park), when Lieutenant James (Jim) John Klass, from a British Battalion lowered the Union Jack and Lieutenant Desmond Roberts from the Guyana Defence Force hoisted at midnight our new flag, The Golden Arrowhead and when our two Titans, Dr. Cheddi Jagan and Forbes Burnham hugged each other to the joy and massive claim of all who stood at the National Park that historic moment.
Regards
Hamilton Green
Elder

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