Latest update November 28th, 2024 3:00 AM

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

Latest News

Hindu letter writers more focused on defending the PPP than about Hindu issues

Jul 22, 2023 Letters

Dear Editor,

The Guyanese Hindu community is increasingly being marginalized.  The community has faced a deepening crisis since the change in political administration in August 2020. Almost all the Hindus voted for the PPP. Yet the community has no one championing or advocating for their interests. The regular respected and well-known Hindu letter writers (they know who they are) are not writing about the predicament of the Hindus. They defend the government’s track record and go to great lengths to critique those who chastise the government, but they write nothing on the challenges, like social issues and rising poverty, facing the community.

Hindus are in a most vulnerable state not dissimilar from their pioneering ancestors during the period of indentureship and British colonial rule.  In some respects, they are worse off today than under colonial rule and the 33-year tenures of the PNC. The PPP’s tenures have not significantly improved their overall lifestyle.  Some scholars I interacted with say Hindus are worse off under the PPP than under the PNC. Under the PPP, Hindus, females in particular, have been directed to embrace creolization.

Over the last three years, Hindus have faced enormous difficulties in accessing resources for members of the community and for infrastructure work surrounding mandirs. Members of other religious groups have been given preferences. There has been selected distribution of wealth based on religious following. Hindu contractors increasingly complain they are sidelined from state contracts. Some Hindu contractors are toying with the idea of changing their names reflecting those of another faith to improve their chances of getting government contracts; this was not needed during the 33-year PNC tenures when contracts were given based on merit and competence. Many females are forced to compromise themselves in order to acquire funds to get by, and not different from or even worse when sugar estates were shuttered during the tenure of the coalition.

The leadership of the Hindu community has let them down. No Hindu in the cabinet or parliament champions their causes or addresses their predicament. Some atheist Indian members of the cabinet visit mandir dressed in traditional Hindu attire when in fact a Hindu lifestyle is far from their thought process; they do not embrace anything Hindu and are publicly known consumers of beef, a practice anathema to Hinduism. These atheists and fraudsters with Hindu names are deceiving the public only for votes.

Who has the courage to address the problems faced by Hindus? Will the letter writers speak up? Who within the administration will champion causes for the Hindu community?

Yours truly,

Hemwatie Churaman

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | November, 20th, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

 

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Bakewell supports Kashif and Shanghai Futsal tourney

Bakewell supports Kashif and Shanghai Futsal tourney

Nov 28, 2024

Kaieteur Sports- Long time sponsor, Bakewell with over 20 years backing the Kashif and Shanghai Organisation, has readily come to the fore to support their new yearend ‘One Guyana’ branded Futsal...
Read More
Captains Face Off ahead of Petra-Republic Bank U18 Football League Final

Captains Face Off ahead of Petra-Republic Bank...

Nov 28, 2024

CWI announces women’s squad for multi-format series in India

CWI announces women’s squad for...

Nov 28, 2024

The Mangra Family: Building a Dynasty of Strength and Dedication

The Mangra Family: Building a Dynasty of Strength...

Nov 28, 2024

Windies break home Test drought with 201-run win over Bangladesh

Windies break home Test drought with 201-run win...

Nov 27, 2024

President Ali sees sports as ‘centrepiece’ of Guyana’s transformation

President Ali sees sports as ‘centrepiece’ of...

Nov 27, 2024

Features/Columnists

  • The illusion of compliance

    …Peeping Tom  Kaieteur News- A company can meet the letter of the law. It can tick every box, hit every target. Yet,... more

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 […]