UNDER this particular theme of convenient amnesia, I alluded to the stringent efforts being made by APNU/AFC to have Guyanese forget the atrocities the PNC unleashed on the nation when it kept itself in government through electoral fraud. But that’s just the overarching sum of what took place. The details of the harsh realities would take volumes to document, therefore what is attempted here is an effort to summarise various aspects.This can be broken down in some broad areas, including, the economy, social and physical infrastructure, health and education etc. While they are all considered as priority areas, the economy would take centre stage. This also can be examined from the two periods within the PNC regime: the Burnham era and the Hoyte era. A brief overview of the Burnham era would reflect abject poverty which engulfed all areas of the nation. This of course was a manifestation of a collapsed economy precipitated from wanton mismanagement and the extravagance in which members of the regime indulged.

Glaring examples would be the usual entourage in excess of one hundred that frequently flew overseas on the pretext of official business. This was done at the expense of the masses without consideration to reduce the numbers even for legitimate engagements. It therefore wasn’t surprising that the national carrier, Guyana Airways, could not have been financially viable. But that aside, the Burnham era would always be painfully remembered as a time when basic food items were banned.

These included flour, split-peas, onion, garlic, potatoes, sardines and others. At that time, it was basically a crime to be in possession of a piece of bread! Could anyone imagine today, Guyanese not having access to bread, moreso, the reality of being placed before the courts! This is what David Granger and Moses Nagamootoo are vehemently pushing for Guyanese to forget. The reasons are obvious; it is a disgraceful and shameless past and they do not want this generation to become aware. This is the agenda!

What appears even more disgraceful is for Nagamootoo to make such calls when he was on the receiving end of those atrocities. But with such shamelessness aside, one of the harsh realities then was the first challenge of mothers and fathers having to join long lines just to try and obtain a pint of oil and kerosene. They lined up with a faint hope of having the basic of basics to cook what may become available. That was the second challenge, and very often, it remained that, a challenge, for often many went without a meal.

Try to imagine a father who spent all day in lines to get some form of food for his wife and children and having to return empty-handed. Even if you are not compassionate, such stories must melt your heart. Related stories are too many to be captured within this small space, but what should never be allowed to be dumped from our history are the pains and suffering Guyanese were forced to endure in their quest to feed themselves and family during the PNC reign. Today, the opposite is the reality, with numerous supermarkets flooded with all types of food, both foreign and local. More on this in subsequent instalments.

The Hoyte era began with the death of Burnham in 1985, and ended in 1992 at which time Guyana was declared bankrupt and became, embarrassingly, the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Carl Greenidge was the Finance Minister during Hoyte’s time. He presided over the further decline of the economy, plunging the nation even further into the abyss of poverty and deprivation. All basic services collapsed and despondency prevailed. Guyana became scorned and was the laughing stock of the Caribbean, while Guyanese were stigmatised.

Today, Carl Greenidge tries to impose himself as a bastion of economic prudence in an effort to convince of such capabilities. Therein lies the agenda of the Opposition. They are of the belief that because the younger generation would not have experienced firsthand the PNC’s atrocities, they should not be aware and concerned. In other words, if you weren’t affected, it doesn’t matter. But it does matter! By trying to make it appear as if they did nothing wrong then, even though in the present they denied the people benefits from transformational projects, means they cannot be trusted.

Their efforts to impose convenient amnesia have been repelled by documented history, the internet and most importantly, the memories of the masses that were affected. The cliché of “a rose by any other name is still a rose”, seems apt, but unfortunately, even the roses had challenges to bloom, for the thorns were dominant.

By Teayken A. Dhigg