Jagdeo the genius, genie- don’t ask what kinds

Nov 05, 2024 Features / Columnists, The GHK Lall Column

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…Hard Truths

By GHK Lall 

Kaieteur News- When Guyana’s former (and still) president, Bharat Jagdeo is acclaimed as a man of many mysteries, the crowd of local scoffers come out in full force.  Worse still, attach the labels of polymath, overachiever, and genius to the leader and a safe harbour is recommended.

Guyanese and foreigners admit that Jagdeo is a genius, even an irrepressible genie many times, but they prefer not to say what kind.  There is no such squeamishness here.  A couple of local situations should help.

Sculptor and Burrowes School of Art administrator Mr. Ivor Thom was subjected to the PPP Government’s equivalent of the third degree.  Verbal rubber hoses lashed him, blinding spotlights shun in his eyes.  Sleep deprivation followed privately.  On the sun-blasted tarmac of Carifesta Avenue, he was kicked around, then hauled to the air conditioned cool of the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport for a reckoning.  There he was honored by being dumped on the mat on rolled along the pristine ministerial carpet most unceremoniously.

Some may venture that what came down had persuasive elements of racism.  Best to keep things calm, on this side of the border.  Mr. Thom’s experience from parking lot to PPP princely presence was lacking in anything that has to do with culture, embodied the arrogance and impatience and disrespect of youth.  And, it must be said led to the spectacle of a sculptor and administrator being made into a sport.  To the people of that ministry, thanks for showing the true colors.

Into this fray and from over the horizon rode Guyana’s chief fixer, chief problem solver, and chief outer of fires, Bharat Jagdeo.  In a semi nutshell, Jagdeo is a one-man Ethnic Relations Commission.  The sentiment here is that that ERC body, like all the other PPP appointed bodies is a manifestation of the empty-suited, empty-headed, and empty barrel constructions that came out of the magical mind of Guyana’s wunderkind.  No, it is not the man who craves that crown, Dr. Irfaan Ali.  Who else could it be but big boy, big boss, Bharat?  To repeat, with few individual exceptions, all those agencies, commissions, boards are a total waste of time, space, and human presence.  It is part of the manipulative genius of Mistah BJ.  Like that Sam Cooke hit, he just keeps those records playing, while dancing with my baby.  Oh yeah…having a party up New York way.  Jagdeo not only neutered and superseded the ERC, but he also resurrected Mr. Thom.  And there are hundreds of thousands in Guyana who say that brother Jagdeo doesn’t have one good bone in his body.  Try the rubber variety is the recommendation; a different mindset is sure to follow.

Experience has shown that genie Jagdeo does nothing by half measures.  The leader, the intervener, the reconciler succeeded in kicking the Hon. Attorney General, Dr. M.A. Nandlall out of the way, along with the Top Cop and the Crime Chief.  As an aside, that’s a title that Jagdeo should consider adding to his long list.  No, not Top Cop folks, but Crime Chief.  It goes with the practice.  He pronounced on the Racial Hostilities Act, without one word being said.  What a genius, who could find a genie better than Jaggy?

As if to demonstrate his talent at versatility, Dr. Jagdeo serves as Guyana’s chief censor.  In his magnificent person resides the national censor board, a sort of Guyanese version of the Saudis Minister of Virtue.  He is of the scathing view that Stabroek News and Kaieteur News are not fit to print.  They should neither be seen nor heard and, God forbid, be read.  That’s telling them who is boss, Bhai Bharat.  Crack the whip and lay down the law.  Incidentally, is Cde Nandlall still around, does he have anything to do?  It is why this country is always the dear land of Guyana.  When will dese peeple (yes, doze peeple) come to appreciate that censorship compels convulsions towards finding out what is going on.  Ban a book and it develops a thriving second life underground.  Just check with the Vatican (or American school boards in Texas).  Ban a movie and it is like giving a pirate a rocket ship to run amok.

Thanks to the Jagdeo and the PPP machinery for making some Guyanese into worldwide names.  Hand upraised here.  The Roman emperors from Domitian to Valerian to Diocletian found out the hard way not to mess and try to suppress Christianity.  Failure was guaranteed.  The handicap in GT is that as Jagdeo advances in age, his glorious mind and his hearing have both retreated.  There is difficulty understanding and appreciating the aesthetics of life.  His people in the Cabinet and PPP Central Executive are now inseparably linked to fake news and scurrilous news.  If the chief censor has his way, there will be no news.  For confirmation, just check with Glenn Lall, or consult with Anand Persaud.

Still, the plea is for Bharat Jagdeo to be understood better.  Look at how much he has piled on his plate.  Babysitter to the president.  Decision-maker for all ministers.  Speaker and fighter for all that is good in Guyana in his untiring efforts to make Guyana great again (the first time was under his presidency).  This is the genius of Jagdeo, the genie in him that flits and floats from heavy responsibility to tough duty.  He should be excused for his negligence and calculated distancing from oil.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this  newspaper.) 

(Jagdeo the genius, genie- don’t ask what kinds)

 

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• Bharat Jagdeo, Burrowes School, Carifesta Avenue, Mr. Thom’s experience, PPP Government, recommended

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