Federalism and Ravi Dev

Sep 05, 2024 Letters

Dear Editor,

For over a decade Ravi Dev has been the foremost intellectual author of Federalism in Guyana. Just recently, he again, amidst the debate on democracy and autocracy, wrote another letter entitled “Integrating One Guyana”. (Kaieteur News September 3, 2024). Ravi seems to believe that by having “federalism” in Guyana, all of our problems will be solved.

He wrote “Locked in conflict for six decades, Guyana is a country like a bear caught in a trap and can only eat away its trapped foot in a desperate attempt to free itself. Even though at last our leaders concede possible incommensurable clashing values in our culturally plural society, they refuse to consider forms of governance such as federalism to head off conflict while yet integrating our society. “Federalism” seems to invoke partitioning Guyana while it is simply another way of integrating a country with “deep divisions” – first explored by the US.”.

Here, Ravi seems to want to give credibility and authenticity to “federalism” by indicating it was the United States which first explored this idea.

Ravi then offers his “coup de grâce” by stating in the final paragraph of his letter “While there will be many expressions of diversity, from a political perspective, we have seen that in the postmodern world ethnicity has become the most widespread one, leading to severe strains and this seemingly inevitable and intractable conflict between nationalism/ethnicity and democracy. It combines kinship (the basis of ethnicity) and consent (the basis of democratic government) into politically viable entities through constitutionally protected arrangements, involving territorial and non-territorial politics. This is the central need of politics in Guyana. In the modern world where groups, especially ethnic groups, have not disappeared into some sort of mélange, and there are far more groups in the world than countries, federalism performs a sociological function by simultaneously facilitating the integrity of various groups and their input into the political system. Thus, federalism combines the seeming contradictory impulses present in all societies, but accentuated in plural societies such as Guyana, the need to be united (the principle of solidarity – and shared rule) and the need for groups to live authentically – (the principle of autonomy – self-rule).

Ravi Dev is not only a lawyer but he founded a political party Rise Organise and Rebuild Guyana (ROAR) . For younger Guyanese who do not know Ravi Dev, ROAR was established as a political party in 1999, and was the first party in the country to describe itself as being ethnically based. Ravi Dev is an Indian nationalist whose true colors are again shown in his recent article in the Guyana Tomes (14 July 2024) entitled “Of Slave Catchers and Arkatis”.  Ravi believes in Indian supremacy and that Nigel Hughes is here to split the Indian vote so the PPP would lose.

But let me address the two fundamental issues Ravi Dev is addressing. Indirectly and subliminally, Ravi Dev is addressing the issue of “democracy versus autocracy” raised by Dr. Ramcharran (“Shades of Autocracy”). Additionally, Ravi Dev is arguing for “federalism” when he knows it would be the most racist form of governance Gyana could even implement given our history of slavery, indentureship and winner-take-all divisive politics.

Ravi Dev knows the voting history of Guyana as well as the fact that African Guyanese are mainly in Region 4 and Region 10. Regions 1, 7, 8 and 9 are dominated by Amerindians. Indo-Guyanese dominate Regions 6 and 5 and to a larger extent Regions 2 and 3.   The table below shows the areas of each of Guyana’s 10 Regions.

Region                                                                   Area (Sq. Miles)

1                                                                                   7,425.2

2                                                                                   2,236.4

3                                                                                   1,302.1

4                                                                                    791.3

5                                                                                    1,498.3

6                                                                                   14,457.8

7                                                                                    18,428.8

8                                                                                   7,941.9

9                                                                                   21,076.6

10                                                                                 6,217.0

In essence, according to Ravi Dev, Amerindians, would be in political control of 31, 872.5 sq. miles covering Regions 1, 7, 8, and 9), while African would control 7,008.3 sq. miles (Regions 4 and 10) and Indians would control 19, 494.6 sq. miles (Regions 2, 3, 5 and 6).

Beyond this, Region 4 has the largest population in Guyana (40%) and the least resources. The 473,000 Africans who died to build Guyana would control the least resources and the most densely populated area while Amerindians who supported the Dutch and English in their “crimes against humanity” would control 67.5% of Guyana although they are less than 12% of the population and areas with the most minerals. Africans, according to Ravi dev should have suffered the most, been excluded the most and now should be given the least under his apaan jaat promotion of “federalism”. Never mind that the IPCC has concluded Georgetown will be under water by 2030 because of rising oceans due to climate change.

Secondly, let me address the issue of “democracy versus autocracy” that seems to have gotten some folks to react indignantly and ferociously.

In 1763 when Cuffy rebelled in Berbice, Guyana was an autocratic state. In 1823 when Quamina rebelled in demerara, Guyana was an autocratic state. In 1838 when Damon rebelled and led a peaceful march against colonialism, Guyana was an autocratic state.

Guyana’s winner-takes-all system makes it a de facto autocracy since an Opposition Party with 49% of the votes cannot change a single dot in the budget or participate in the social and economic development plans of the country or even influence its foreign affairs.

Autocracy is in Guyana’s DNA, and we have not found a constitutional and governance architecture to make Guyana an inclusive democratic state.

Guyana is still looking for its Lew Quan Yew.

It is interesting that Ravi Dev’s article is again pushing the “One Guyana” theme. One Guyana for whom? We all know the answer as GHK Lall’s articles daily destroy this racism agenda of the British Guiana Colonization Scheme of 1919 where Guyana was offered to India as a colony.

Former President Jimmy Carter said Guyana is the most divided nation he has ever visited and that the Leaders do not want to change. The US, European Nation and most countries that have looked at Guyana know that the winner-take-all system is about racial subjugation and division. Divide and rule.

Ravi Dev and his team of racial entrepreneurs need to stop promoting this vision of a more divided Guyana under “federalism” using the oxymoronic theme of ‘One Guyana’.

Our Independence motto is One people, One Nation, One Destiny. Apolitical slogan of “One Guyana”, for that is what it is, is about further division under the magnificent masquerade of unity and integration.

Yours truly,

Eric Phillips

• amidst, culturally, decades, Eric Phillips, Federalism in Guyana