RECENTLY, we have seen an influx of former ROAR members in the AFC. This is a bad indication of the current underpinnings of that party, as we are all aware of what ROAR represented.

A recent letter by its former leader Ravi Dev, “The ban affected Hindus”, in the Kaieteur News of June 15, 2011, reveals the kind of mentality that this man possesses. That letter was meant to racially incite Indians, thereby influencing their votes, as Hindus are predominantly Indians.

Every right-minded Guyanese knows the principles upon which Ravi Dev established his ROAR party. His idea of Indian supremacy over other ethnicities is the one thing that he is notorious for.

Ravi Dev is the lowest of politicians, and his party was dissolved because Guyanese will never embrace his ideologies. Editor, Ravi Dev is not my concern today. Guyana has already rejected everything that he stands for.

My concern today is the double-minded nature of the AFC; a party which claims to have the people’s interest at heart, and campaigns on a platform of change and racial harmony, but instead is trapped in the same ‘old school’ narrative that teaches Indian supremacy and Indian dominance over other ethnicities.

The AFC refuses to become a member of the Joint Opposition Political Parties(JOPP). This is not surprising, since, with Khemraj Ramjattan as its presidential candidate and their recent infestation of many former ROAR members, they are confident in pulling more Indian votes. Demographically, Indians are the largest ethnic population; hence, they see their need for African votes as minimal.

By now, this party’s way of thinking is clear. The AFC’s campaign manager, Salim Nausrudeen, another former ROAR member and Ravi Dev tyro, bluntly declared this on the party’s Facebook page. According to Nausrudeen, the AFC will not become a member of the JOPP because it is convinced that the JOPP will not be able to secure Indian votes. The AFC understands clearly, the ethnic dynamics of Guyana’s politics. He went on to say that while the PNCR will secure African votes in this election, Indians will vote for the PPP and the AFC, hence, they have no need for, or interest in forging a coalition with the PNCR and these other smaller parties.
From this statement, it is clear that the AFC is two-faced about their concern for racial harmony in this country. It is also clear that this party has no genuine intention of bridging the divide that exists between these parties. Also, what it cannot hide is the fact that these former ROAR members such as Salim Nausrudeen and Amar Panday, who now occupy important, decision-making positions in the AFC, are hard-core Ravi Dev loyalists, and will never depart from their ROAR mentality.