FOR several days we felt the tremor from the sound systems. From different directions came the heavy pounding from drums, the voices of DJs crowning rhythmic choruses and the pulsating mixture of music. Then on Mash Day yesterday, as floats passed The Residence, there was a crescendo in the background medley, “WE READY FOR THE ROAD”!
The glass windows on this “heritage building” were rattling. My wife and I peered from the front windows to see a posse of youth, in green and red, on a big truck, repeating, “we ready; we ready”.

POLITICAL ADRENALIN
It was a note from a jingle that I last heard during the 2015 elections campaign, and my political adrenalin started to gush to my feet and to my head, and I was ready for action. I didn’t know whether I should sit in my study and finish this piece, or put on my shoes and hit the road!
“We ready!”

That was the Mash feeling everywhere as Guyana celebrated the 49th year since attaining Republican status.
We were there on Friday night, when the Golden Arrowhead was hoisted at D’urban Park, once described as an “urban jungle”. It was an emotional moment of identifying with our national flag the generations – the heroes – who made sacrifices before our time, for Guyana’s freedom.
In their memory we sang the refrain from our National Anthem:
“We are born of their sacrifice, heirs of their pains,
And ours is the glory their eyes did not see –
One land of six peoples, united and free”.

ESSENCE OF FREEDOM
In his Republic Day message, President David Granger reminded our people of the essence of this freedom, since “everyone wins when the nation is united”.
The call for unity is perhaps the word most often spoken by our leaders, present and past. It was the elusive goal of both Cheddi Jagan and Forbes Burnham after the split during 1955 in the once united nationalist movement. It was partially achieved after 1975 when unity between the major, splintered political blocs assumed the form of “critical support” and calls for “unity government”. Then, when the six-party APNU+AFC Coalition took office in 2015, unity took a broader organisational form at the governance level.
That was a concrete development and a work in progress toward national unity.
The need for unity today is different from that of the past when we had to come together to win our freedom. Guyana today is a plural, multi-party democracy. The unity that we need today is a necessity to protect our gains, and to ensure that all Guyanese enjoy the fruits of our nation.
This is why President Granger urged:
“Let us work together to ensure that our country remains secure, our economy is stable and that everyone is safe and could enjoy the good life… Guyanese today celebrate the gains made to improve the lives of citizens through public education, public health, public information, public infrastructure, public security, public telecommunications, social protection, access to public services including water and electricity, “ the President explained.

POLITICAL ADVOCACY
The theme of unity runs through a message that I posted on the Prime Minister’s Facebook page. “Our Guyana today remains peaceful, stable and orderly, with a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural population that is striving daily to realise the goal of being one, united Guyanese people, as one nation with a common destiny”.

While it may not be prudent to inject political advocacy in these columns today, I would venture to say that this unity that we talk about and that we need like oxygen to a challenged patient, is political in substance. It is a unity that goes beyond symbolism. It must be bigger and wider than limited coalition unity.

It is commendable that the Executive recognizes the need for togetherness, and has left open the avenues for greater inclusion. But it must be the concern of all patriotic Guyanese that a section of the political directorate is dis-interested in broad-based unity. It feeds on discontent and disaffection. It’s preference to unity is dissent and disorder.

I have noted the posture of the ill-advised Leader of the Opposition who is throwing tantrums, one after the other, as to why he would not engage with the Executive on a way forward. He sees elections as a goal, not as a means to achieve national objectives such as unity. If I were him, I would have no qualms in flagging down the President as he drives to Pearl or any other place. The nation’s interest requires just this, not idle bombast and infantile arrogance!

This moribund opposition wants instead “foreign interference” in the internal affairs of Guyana. I still vividly remember standing in the lawns of a former US Ambassador, Brent Hardt, who was insulted by a PPP sycophant, clothed then as the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs. She gave what her political handler and guru described as a proper “feral blast” for crossing the “red line”.

NO INTERFERENCE
That red line was alleged interference in the internal affairs of Guyana by an American diplomat. Today, that is just what the Opposition Leader is advocating. And, if he has his way, that interference could assume proportions that could compromise our country’s sovereignty and national interest. I will focus on the latter in a future column.
If he is hoping that Washington would lend him an ear, then he is mistaken. Judging from the message by President Donald Trump to President Granger, the United States “recognizes and honours Guyana’s respect for the principles and integrity of democratic governance and institutions”. President Trump described Guyana as “one of the most important partners” of the United States in “ensuring that the Americas remain a zone of democracy, freedom and security”.

There would be no foreign interference in Guyana. Our people are vigilant, and they would not pawn the freedom they enjoy under our Republic for diktat from outside forces. We have to approach our internal order as true nationals would do as patriots, not political mercenaries.
We must be guided in what we do by the behest in our Song of the Republic:
“From Pakaraima’s peaks of pow’r
To Corentyne’s lush sands,
Her children pledge each faithful hour
To guard Guyana’s lands.
To foil the shock of rude invader
Who’d violate her earth,
To cherish and defend forever
The State that gave them birth.”