Latest update November 24th, 2024 1:00 AM

Guyana's largest selling daily and New York's most popular weekly

Latest News

Indian lives matter: Cotton Tree 2020, Mon Repos 2022

Jun 30, 2022 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

Kaieteur News – My column was already in when the protestors physically attacked Indian vendors and robbed them at Mon Repos. I could have submitted a replacement article but I wanted to see what the usual suspects would have written in the newspaper the next day on the attack on Indian vendors at Lusignan and Mon Repos by the protestors from Golden Grove
Sadly, unfortunately those who contribute to the deluge of comments on Exxon, Natural Resource Fund, GECOM, constitutional reform, governance of the ruling party, dildo comment by a minister of government, among other topics were totally absent from the mainstream media with one exception, the AFC.
The withdrawal of my admiration for Eusi Kwayana began in April 2020 over the election rigging for just one output Kwayana made in response to my call that he condemn the rigging. Mr. Kwayana said because he was far away in another country, he couldn’t comment because he was not in possession of the facts.
I was enraged at that attitude because breathtaking technology the past 20 years has erased borders between countries. A smart phone in the hand of a school child can bring live action of people in motion in Guyana to viewers in Alaska. Viewers in Alaska will see live what is taking place in Guyana.
So in yesterday’s newspaper, only the AFC’s condemnation on what took place in Mon Repos was in the mainstream press. Technology was on full display at Mon Repos on Tuesday so the usual suspects and their acolytes that have been writing long letters in the newspaper on all kinds of governmental directions could have seen what was taking place right there and then.
It would have taken a few minutes based on viewing those videos to compose a condemnation and submit it to the four dailies. This was not to be. I will wait to see if the “In The Diaspora” column will carry voices of condemnation at the senseless brutalisation of poor vendors whose only reason for being in the Mon Repos market on Tuesday morning was to earn a living to support of their families.
I will wait to see if Moray House whose habit is to sponsor anti-government symposia will devote a session to yet another expression of senseless, psychotic anti-Indian violence. I will wait to see if those women groups so energetic in their letter-writing in the newspapers will offer sympathy to the scores of women, some of whom are single mothers who were robbed and beaten. Some of the woes expressed by those women were depressing to listen to.
What can one say about what happened on Tuesday in Mon Repos. Here is a theory of mine as to why protestors angry at a police killing took to the streets passed several villages from Golden Grove going west on the East Coast highway but only attacked Indian people.
Important to note, it was not an Indian policeman that shot the Golden Grove man that sparked the protest. Important to note is that no PPP official or government minister spoke on the police killing. Why then the protest turned anti-Indian?
I will advance a theory that is connected to the anti-Indian violence of September 2020 at Cotton Tree when two African youths were murdered in sociological circumstances. Once that mayhem was encouraged by opposition politicians (with Volda Lawrence being the exception in condemning it), once the lunatic fringe, usual suspects, Creole middle class and the political nouveau lumpen stayed silent and once the police refused to confront the violent perpetrators, the instinct of immunity has crept into the psyche of African anti-PPP protestors that they can rob and beat Indian people.
Cotton Tree of 2020 and Mon Repos of 2022 will happen again. I don’t want to hide my head in the sand, and I won’t. That is not the role of an academic. I am writing this commentary here as a political analyst and my task is to provide analysis not write words of optimism to comfort people. Academics do not do that. That role belongs to the church officials and politicians.
I would not like to see a repeat on Cotton Tree 2020 and Mon Repos 2022. I hope they never reoccur as Guyana continues to make economic progress. But I am afraid we will see Cotton Tree 2020 and Mon Repos again until Indian people internalise the lessons of previous anti-Indian mayhems and come up with a repertoire of strategies to confront the psychic infusion that Cotton Tree 2020 and Mon Repos 2022 have brought about in African protestors.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | November, 20th, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

West Indies ride on Greaves’ 115 to exert dominance over Bangladesh

West Indies ride on Greaves’ 115 to exert dominance over...

Nov 24, 2024

ESPNcricinfo – A maiden Test century for Justin Greaves headlined a dominant day for West Indies against Bangladesh on day two of the Antigua Test. After his 115 helped West Indies post 450 for...
Read More
Marian, Potaro, Waramuri and St John the Baptist advance into the semis

Marian, Potaro, Waramuri and St John the Baptist...

Nov 24, 2024

Adams, Ghani smash hundreds in runs-filled ERC T10 Tapeball 

Adams, Ghani smash hundreds in runs-filled ERC...

Nov 24, 2024

RHTYSC honours top LCSS Student with Claudette Foster Memorial Award

RHTYSC honours top LCSS Student with Claudette...

Nov 24, 2024

IBA President congratulates Steve Ninvalle on his re-election as GBA head

IBA President congratulates Steve Ninvalle on his...

Nov 24, 2024

Fireworks expected in Mayoral Cycle Road Race in New Amsterdam today as Mayor expected to lead ride off

Fireworks expected in Mayoral Cycle Road Race in...

Nov 24, 2024

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.

Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]