All Guyanese have an equal role to play in this exciting task of nation building

Aug 01, 2022 Letters

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Dear Editor,
August 1, 2022 marks 184 years since emancipation from slavery. Although there is no official records as to the exact date in which the first batch of slaves arrived in the then colony of Dutch Guiana, slavery is believed to have lasted for nearly two hundred years before it was finally abolished on August 5, 1838.
The abolition of slavery resulted in the arrival of a wave of immigrants mainly from India but also from Madeira, China and the Caribbean. One immediate consequence of the arrival of indentured immigrants to the colony was that it altered the demographic structure of the colony which hitherto had a predominant black population co-existing with the indigenous Amerindians who, according to some historians inhabited the geographical space of Guyana over 35,000 years ago. It was with the arrival of large scale Indian indentured labourers which ended in 1917 that fundamentally altered the demographic configuration to what currently obtained.
For the most part, the evolving population structure which began since the early days of European colonisation was not of our making although it did result subsequently in the forging of a multi-ethnic society which has now evolved into high levels of ethnic tolerance, multiculturalism and resilience.
It is indeed noteworthy that attempts by the planters to pit one ethnic group against the other failed. The first such attempt was to use the Amerindians to capture run-away slaves but that was by and large unsuccessful. The same was true of trying to create strife between Indians and Blacks but all those attempts failed due to the rising class consciousness of the subject populations.
In a real sense the arrival of the planter class along with African slaves and later on the indentured labourers set the stage for intense class struggles between what was perceived to be the ‘oppressors’ and the ‘oppressed class’ which resulted in some epic rebellions the most significant of which was the Berbice Slave Rebellion of 1763 led by the indomitable Cuffy in whose honour a national monument was erected. Similar rebellions took place in the sugar plantations and there were instances where both Africans and Indians join ranks in the struggle against what they perceived to be their common enemy. It was the shooting to death of five sugar workers at Enmore that catalysed the formation of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) which changed the tide of the politics of the time and blazed the trail for representative and accountable forms of governance and ultimately to independence status.
The point in the above is that class considerations had always been a factor in the struggle against exploitation and injustice which dated back ever since the arrival of slaves in the colony and which gained momentum with the arrival of indentured labourers. The basis for inter-ethnic solidarity was laid by the very nature of the colonial construct which sociologists described as an ‘implanted society’ whose only raison d’etre was to create wealth for the expatriate class by way of free or, as in the case of indentured labourers, cheap labour.
Today, some one-and-half century later we are a free society. The society is no longer dichotomous as in the past with an oppressive class presiding over the oppressed. For the most part, we are now masters of our own destiny and there is today a fair degree of cordiality and tolerance among the various ethnic groups in the country.
There are some in the political opposition who still continue to peddle the nonsense of race in Guyana even as the current PPP/C administration is doing everything possible to ensure that the economic and social gains of the country are distributed in a fair and equitable manner. President Irfaan Ali’s One Guyana vision holds great promise for the realisation of a society which accords with the dreams and aspirations of our foreparents who heroically stood up against the injustices of the past in order to create the foundations of a prosperous and harmonious society.
It is interesting that while the political opposition in Guyana is accusing the PPP/C of discriminatory practices, there are others who represent strong African constituencies both in Guyana and abroad and are high in praise of President Ali and his administration of being fair and even-handed in the manner in which he treats with the Guyanese people. During his recent visit to the United States of America, President Ali received accolades from several Black Congressional leaders for what they regarded as his inclusive governance style and for his role in advancing the cause of all Guyanese right across the political and ethnic spectrum. These are persons who are not known to be sympathetic to President Ali or the PPP/C but who are influenced by unbiased and objective thinking about how things are unfolding in Guyana under the current PPP/C administration.
As we celebrate yet another Emancipation Day, we need to give praise to those who are seeking promote and strengthen our oneness. President Ali has established a mechanism for an integrated society in which there is no privileged culture or group and where all Guyanese regardless of race, religion and culture have an equal role to play in this exciting task of nation building. His One Guyana Vision has now provided that overarching framework to bring the Guyanese people together under a single roof. Our Guyana is today much richer for our diversity. Emancipation Day provides us all with an opportunity to renew that call to come on board as we seek to build a new Guyana in which there are opportunities for all to grow and develop to the full limit of their potential.
A Happy Emancipation Day to all Guyanese!

Hydar Ally

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