Independence did not immediately free all and sundry

May 29, 2026 Letters

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Dear Editor,

This country of many waters and races, is observing its 60th independence anniversary since the British flag, the Union Jack, was lowered at midnight on the 25th May 1966 and the Guyana flag, the Golden Arrowhead, was raised on the 26th May 1966. Those were the days when sugar was king of the land and nicknamed “gold dust.” Today, oil is the queen of the sea and its pet-name is “liquid gold.” Uniquely, Guyanese are enjoying back-to-back holidays with Eid Al-Adha, the following day.

From the inception, “gold” cradled the foundation for Guyana’s name, built its growth for fame and its “discovery” to develop its fortune. The searching, sighting, visiting, landing, settling and colonizing of “Guiana,” was as a quest to find the “Golden City of El Dorado,” with a famous myth that villages with houses were made of gold.

British Guiana has metamorphosed from a British colony ruled previously by the Dutch and invariably occupied by the French and Spanish, thus tainted with a European intrusion, to a sovereign state known as Guyana and then to a Republic, now referenced to as “The Co-operative Republic of Guyana.”  But, from inception, it was the original home of the Indigenous inhabitants which comprised a number of different tribes but popularly and collectively referred to as the “Amerindians,” who populated the hinterland, in “The Land of Many Waters.”

After the arrival of the European pioneers, they pulverized the land to reap and rape for profits. This was followed by the infusion of African slaves, the indentured Indian labourers and a small influx of Portuguese and Chinese. The eventual co-habitation of the six races, reproduced a seventh race genesis as a result from “cross-pollination.”

From exploration to exploitation, a new community evolved from this Guyanese society to rise to a significant level from a breeding ground, to birth another race of “mixed races” and “cross-breeds” identified as “dougla.” Guyanese are still in disbelief but cannot forget Burnham’s evil intention of the real purpose behind the formation of National Service. Having set aside our diversified background, known as Guyanese now, we are forecasting an identity of “One People.”

Mind you, most Guyanese are wary of the comparable combination of the citizens’ contrasting cultures, which cement a comfortable compatibility not to compromise the nation’s goal of gluing as “One Nation.” But differences and indifferences with options and opinions, actions and activities and our way of life of why we live how we live, will always circumvent any given standard for commonality.

Despite any great purpose, there are those who will obviate any good intention.  The ruling Government led by a roaring President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali and the popular People’s Progress Party/Civic, is perpetually pronouncing on their productive performances and the profitable achievements which will permeate a promenade to produce the aspiration of working together to mold a “One Destiny,” paving a pampered path with peace, progress and prosperity.

Notwithstanding this erudite motto with the classic slogan, “One People, One Nation, One Destiny,” these exponential factors bear an existential quest to resolve an equation for: a vision not to look through the lens of ethnicity as a redress for liberty; a promise to forgo using violence to instigate disruption to address equality; and a challenge to work together to bridge harmony in fraternity against racism.

Having traversed the treacherous journey from forced exits to coerced exits, the wind changed direction from slavery to freedom and then, indentureship to liberation.  The tide having sailed in the colonizers, changed course from independence to a Republican state. In the travesty for overnight self-governance, we trailed on a trial of conspired deception to avoid alleged Communism. The turmoiled water provided a storm to brew dictatorship before being relieved of socialism to rely on capitalism.

Political leaders from the past have manipulated and mutilated the richness of this land via disgusting measures, deceptive means and disguising intentions, denying the people the true results from the ballot boxes with the aid of the British and American cooperation, Guyanese collation and conspirators’ collaboration controlling rigged elections.

Nationalization has seen the rude awakening of a crude, new leader imitating the image of a “white, colonial master,” ashamed of his “innate inhibitions.” A man who professed to be a General, rode on a horse with a cigar as his horse trotted along the road in his “Hope” estate, ordering his “serfs” to obey his command or, bear the brunt of his whip as he unleashed violence, vindication and vengeance! A man who can make Satan cry and his sister weep, was one to fear and not fathom.

The man who thought he would rule for life, aligned himself with Jim Jones and the 918 mass-murders in Jonestown, Rabbi Washington’s House of Israel and the murder of Father Darke and was the intellectual architect who engineered WPA’s Dr. Walter Rodney’s murder. But those sinister events played second fiddle to the horror of the “Wismar Massacre,” the burning and looting in Georgetown on Black Friday and the harsh 135 and 80 days GAWU strikes. The “best orator” stood silent to speak against indignity, injustice and insanity!

Guyana’s independence gave us poverty, nakedness and corruption, all enwrapped, enveloped and entrapped in the name of freedom for the small man to enter the dream of being the real man while the privileged, the protected and the prioritized ones were permitted to enjoy the platter from the luxury of a golden plate!

The infancy stage of Guyana’s freedom fermented a mass exodus of migration from all races, banning of essential food items, the creation of long and lasting “Guy lines,” the freezing of wages, the ‘mistreatment’ of females workers, the use of workers and materials for personal gains, the misuse of the armed forces, the evaporation of foreign currency, the abuse of state properties, and to crown it all, the PNC Party card’s usage as a Passport to freedom, freebies and feasts for the few, fortunate figures!

Independence did not immediately free all and sundry. The fight for real freedom continues as, hopefully, will this article. Happy holidays Guyana.

Yours respectfully,

Jai Lall

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• 60th Independence Anniversary, Golden Arrowhead, Guyana Flag, Jai Lall., Letters

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