End victimization and discrimination, be comfortable with dissent, work for genuine unity

Mar 09, 2023 Letters

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Dear Editor,

I am saying from the outset that the contents proffered in this missive are not meant to offend anyone, whether in government or in opposition or any organization or individual. Rather, it is intended for all to have a mature discussion on the problems facing the country and its present and future direction. Facts, truth, and our conscience, and not falsehoods or parochialism should be our guide in a frank and serious discussion.

As Guyanese, we have been blessed by the creator with an abundance of natural resources more than all the countries of the Caribbean combined. Along with gold, bauxite, timber, rice, sugar, and pristine rainforests, Guyana is sanctified with the recent discovery of huge reserves of oil which has dominated the economy and has increased its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to a level never seen before in the country or in the Caribbean. With oil revenues averaging over US$1 billion annually, metaphorically speaking, the country seems to be operating on all its cylinders. Lest we forget, Guyana is also a land of many waters, six races and boasts the Kaieteur Falls, the single highest waterfall in the world. That said, in under three years, President Ali’s government has provided more than 20,000 house lots to the residents, built more than 1000 houses to first time homeowners, and it seems that the 50,000 jobs promised by President Ali during the campaign will be achieved on or before 2025.

Additionally, the government has succeeded in attracting foreign and local investments and is in the process of modernizing the age-old infrastructure, building new roads, improving education and health care, and has furnished rice farmers with free manure and more acreage of land to increase their yield and reap a bountiful harvest. But more importantly, as announced by the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Zulphicar Mustapha, the Rose Hall Sugar Factory which was shuttered by the Granger administration is scheduled to reopen in October 2023. With these countless achievements, coupled with the huge discoveries of oil, there is no doubt that President Dr. Ali, Prime Minister Brigadier Mark Phillips, and the cabinet have placed Guyana in a unique position globally and have made it the envy of the Caribbean and its Latin American neighbors.

While many have applauded the government for all its accomplishments, yet some have sensed that something is amiss in the country, especially since there has been a massive exodus of qualified youths to greener pastures in the Caribbean and North America. Statistics have shown that some 12,000 persons, including 85 percent of youths with degrees from the University of Guyana are leaving or have left the shores of Guyana annually.

Many have cited the low wages/salaries paid to workers as one of the reasons for the brain drain never seen before in Guyana, not even during the reign of the PNC when there was a ban on toiletries and key food items to sustain life. Another reason cited by the youths is the nascent and unfashionable victimization and discrimination based on race or ethnicity.

It should be clear to all and sundry that our youths are not prepared to accept the discrimination and victimization meted out to their parents and grandparents decades ago because of their race or political affiliation. It is my conviction that these issues must be addressed to allay the fears of our youths who are 66 percent of the population. We are in the 21^st century and there should be no place in society for victimization, discrimination, and petty politics. These decades-old issues cannot be ignored or swept under the rug.  They must be addressed to ensure peace and tranquility prevail in the country. This is the gut-wrenching reality all of us must face to help promote unity and President Dr. Ali’s ‘One Guyana’ initiative. As Guyanese, we must be true to ourselves and not apportion blame on any organization, group, or person, but endeavor to end victimization and discrimination and strive for unity.

It is said that no country can be developed without its most precious youths who are the future of the country. While the time has come to reconcile what is happening, many of our youths felt restricted and left out of the political and policy decision-making process. Others are of the opinion that political power has changed the civil dynamics in the country and that they are being dictated to, frowned upon, talked down to, and ostracized by some in authority. In a democracy, people, regardless of race, ethnicity or party affiliation should be free to express their views and vote for the party of their choice without fear of reprisals or victimization. The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted in 1948 pronounced in Article 21 that everyone has the right to vote for a party of his or her choice without fear of reprisals or victimization.

We must acknowledge that we are first and foremost Guyanese and as such, we are our brothers and sisters’ keepers. But most importantly, we are all God’s children created in his own image and likeness, so as part of the human family lodged in Guyana, I am appealing to all to please stop the victimization and discrimination and unite, love, and respect one another as one people, one nation with one destiny.

Sincerely,

Dr. Asquith Rose

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• comfortable, discrimination, Dr. Asquith Rose., Government, victimization

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