A hero is born!

May 05, 2023 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

Kaieteur News – Yesterday I saw something that caused me to stop and think. I had to admire what was taking place. I had to tip my hat to a gentlemen of great convictions and remarkable courage but more so a man of extraordinary physical endurance.

There were no dramatic scenes. No world records were being broken. No great fortune was being made. This was not anything spectacular. It was simple ordinary act that most of us perform each day but do not realize how it can be turned into a powerful statement.

You do not normally associate walking with struggle. But walking can be a powerful moral antidote against advantage and wrongdoing. Yesterday, I saw a man named, Ray Daggers, beginning a Long Walk from Corriverton to Charity. The walk was launched to protest over the lopsided Production Sharing Agreement signed between the government and the oil companies.

He began on the eastern end of Guyana’s coastland and in the coming days his journey will continue until he reaches the Essequibo Coast. It is a walk with a difference. What caught me off guard was the pace at which the man set out. Daggers set a brisk pace early in his walk. When I tuned in again at various times during the day, the man was sustaining his speed walking. He was not slowing down and the more he walked, it seemed the more energized he became.

To do this is a remarkable feat. It requires tremendous physical stamina and strength. Ray Daggers showed that he has that strength. But the strength that he was displaying was not only physical but also moral. Here was a man prepared to publicly identify with a cause which many others, who share his opinion are not prepared to do. Along the way, he was joined by others. They put in their steps to show support and solidarity with this brave man who wants nothing more than to call attention to a flawed oil contract and ask for it to be renegotiated.

This is not first time that someone has opted to go on a Long Walk to bring attention to the need for change. In 1985, Rupert Roopnaraine set out on a Freedom Walk from Crabwood Creek to Charity. Roopnaraine walked 260 miles in 17 days. That was an average of 15 miles per day, quite a grueling schedule considering that along the way, there were whistle-stop meetings.

The long walk is set in the Gandhian tradition. It makes a powerful moral statement about what the walker stands for. It is also a peaceful but poignant form of protest against injustices such as that which Daggers is railing against. From Roopnaraine, the torch has been passed down to Daggers. Here is a gentleman who is not only talking the talk but he is literally walking the walk. He is sending a powerful signal to Guyanese that you must be prepared to make sacrifices for what you believe in. He is putting his own 65-year-old body through a punisher regime in order to make a moral statement.

He has not asked anyone to do anything which he would not do. He is leading by example. Daggers is setting a fine example. He is leading from the front and by showing moral integrity. Along the way, moral support was provided by persons. Some of them joined the walk along the way. Others gave their moral support, including through by expressing appreciation and cheering him own. It was all done without much fanfare. Daggers acknowledged them, at times by waving and other time by giving them the sign of a clenched fist. He must have been emboldened by the kind comments he received. The walk will continue in the coming days and it is hoped that more Guyanese will show their solidarity with what this courageous man is doing. He is not doing this for himself. He is doing this for his country which he believes has been shortchanged. He wants a better deal. That is all he is asking for. The walk by Daggers will go down in history. It will be talked about for years and people will remember this 65-year-old man who set out to walk in protest against the oil contract. People are already taking note. People are witnessing the extent to which one man is making a sacrifice for betterment and people normally appreciate such things. A hero has emerged. His name is Ray Daggers. Let us encourage him on right through to Charity. A big shout-out to Ray Daggers, Guyana’s hero!

Daggers, dvantage and wrongdoing, Essequibo Coast, From Roopnaraine, poignant

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