Debunking the evil of ‘Cuffy 250’

Aug 20, 2022 Letters

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Dear Editor,

Appalling it is to read, `Resisting the emerging apartheid state.’ So, I am elated that Floyd Haynes has distanced himself from the ‘Cuffy 250’ forum, that has chosen such a topic, ludicrous and vexatious at its best.  Haynes was candid and firm, declaring that he wrote the Chairman of the Committee, Norman Ng-A-Qui, “… protesting his inclusion in the line-up of speakers at the forum scheduled for August 21, and calling for the immediate removal of his name.” He also noted that he had not been asked, formally or informally, to be a part of the programme. In fact, so upset and uncompromising the man is that he “… expressed consternation that his name was included on a list of speakers at this “Resisting the emerging apartheid state” forum, organised by the ‘Cuffy 250’ committee.

Now outside of lending my support to Haynes for his bold stand, I feel compelled to hit at this ‘Cuffy 250’ group. They are a mere agent provocateur, and the actual topic is not just a blatant denial of reality, it is very inciting and can only be for the purpose of resurrecting fading angst, that was in the first place unjustified. First, let me inform the perpetrators of this fallacy, that Apartheid, as we know it, was rampant during 1948 to the early 1990s and only in South Africa. Guyana, at no time supported this kind of evil, and for sure, never came close to practising it. As regard the ‘now’ and what this quack forum is seeking to do, it will not succeed, as it is clear that the PPP/C is most non-discriminatory.

For example, in the Apartheid system, Black South Africans could not own property. I ask now, “What is Guyana’s current drive? Is anyone being left out? I remind all that very soon, residents of Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara, will have legal right to lands they occupy in the backlands. This commitment came from Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall, SC, and Commissioner of the Lands and Survey Commission, Enrique Monize, just recently.

In fact, it has already been agreed that residents will work along with the Government to get leases for the lands they occupy, a process that the Government enacted sometime ago, but which was not continued by the APNU/AFC leaders during 2015-2017. As a matter of fact, pre-1992 PNC Governments never even gave something like this a modicum of consideration. So, what will happen now is that since the process had already begun, all that needs to happen is an updating of the claims’ list, and I guess it is just a matter of time when the residents will be fully empowered.

How about Melanie Damishana? It is the same. The AG, on behalf of the Government, made a promise to start the regularisation process for persons who are occupying untitled lands on the East Coast. Some even asked about what will happen when the process is completed and there are vacant lands. In response, the Minister said that “… once the process is completed and lands are available, persons from the area can apply for the vacant lands.”

I hope someone stuff this down the throat of those making the claim that Guyana is an emerging Apartheid state, in effort to cast aspersions on the PPP/C Government. Now, another example and I hope this will settle the issue. I visit the Education Sector, where this was segregated in South Africa. Not so in Guyana. I recall when the PPP/C took office in August 2020, that there was the resounding policy of ‘No Discrimination’ in the distribution of the ‘Because We Care’ cash grant.

This sentiment was expressed by Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, as she vowed that each child in the public school system will benefit from this yearly and ever-increasing rollout. I raise up to the ‘Cuffy 250’ people that Priya emphasized that “Whether you’re African, Chinese, Indo-Guyanese, Amerindian, Portuguese, mixed, you will leave here with your cash grant because we’re not asking about your ethnicity. This morning, whether you are Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Rastafarian, nothing or Baháʼí, once your children are in school, you will leave here with the cash grant.” She went on to state that, “We are here to give every single nursery, primary, secondary age child who’s in a public school, or applied to come to a public school, this grant.”

I contrast, let us recall what took place in November 2018. That was when erstwhile Minister of Public Health and Chairwoman of the People’s National Congress (PNC), Volda Lawrence, sounded the warning that, “The only friends I got is PNC so the only people I gon give wuk to is PNC… And right now, I looking for a doctor who can talk Spanish or Portuguese and ah want one that is PNC.” Lawrence later apologized, but that apology did not erase her and her party’s duplicity and discrimination, reflective of their hidden Apartheid.

I think my point is well made, although I can pull more examples of PPP/C’s ‘One Guyana – No Discrimination’ policy and drive. So, in closing, I affirm the fact that Haynes detailed that he “… completely reject (s) the phrase, ‘resisting the emerging apartheid state’ to describe conditions in Guyana.” He stated that, “In my view, this statement is a disservice to all Guyanese. As such, I wish to categorically disassociate myself from it. More importantly, I am a firm supporter of His Excellency, the President of Guyana and I am absolutely convinced that it is not part of the President’s agenda to create any disparity based on race.”

Yours truly,

Henry Singh

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