GUYANA has come a long way since the day it gained its independence. And all around Guyana, there are symbols of our struggles and landmarks and monumental buildings and figures that remind us of who we are, where we have come from, where we are, and where we are going as a people. Buxton’s Tipperary Hall is one of the village’s most monumental landmarks. It carries great ancestral significance, and it tells of the heritage of the people of Buxton. The building was in dire need of repair and the President’s recognition of this is noble. However, it seems that in Guyana today, there is a tragic limitation of editorial responsibility. I am referring to Lurlene Nestor’s letter “The President’s duties extend to other villages as well as Buxton” (Stabroek News December 22, 2010). Lurlene’s letter was rather adamant that Buxton is not the only village that should capture the President’s attention; and in her letter, she brought other villages to Mr. Jagdeo’s attention. But what I find appalling is the fact that all the other villages that Lurlene mentioned are of the similar ethnic makeup of Buxton. What Lurlene Nestor neglected to do in her missive was capture the multi-ethnic dimensions of this country. Why would a PNCR member want to push the ‘black line’ in a multi-ethnic society at such a crucial point in our history? I am sure that while the communities that Nestor mentioned are genuinely in need of assistance, there are many other neighbourhoods of different ethnicity that also need governmental assistance. Editor, we must be alert that it is an election season. No undercurrent of ethnic division should be promoted by the media, since the repercussions of this will be felt by the entire population.
We should not identify villages that the President, should visit based on the ethnic composition of those villages. Rather, we should identify those villages based on their needs; regardless of who the president is.
I am disappointed that this type of missive would come from a member of the main opposition, and I hope that the sentiments of Ms. Nestor, as were made public in that unfortunate latter, is not the official position of the PNCR. It should disavow itself from what was written by Lurlene Nestor.