Mr. VISHNU Bisram is absolutely right that the PNC of Mr. Forbes Burnham
sought the destruction of Indians by the elimination of those food
items on which they found daily sustenance and religious comfort.
Bisram’s critics absolutely are not familiar or have conveniently
forgotten that many Hindus were vegetarians and the banned items roti, curry, dhall and aloo were daily staples of their diet. While a small proportion of Indians are meat eaters it did not most emphatically disavow their daily indulgence in the dhall, curry, roti and aloo staples. So did all Guyanese.

Moreover, Mr. Ravi Dev accurately highlights how the PNC’s food ban
affected Hindu religious practice. What else is new or occurred in Mr.
Burnham’s starving Guyana that is not publicised and is still denied by
a few? None can really believe that the PNC leader, renowned for his
Machiavellian cunning and intelligence became suddenly preoccupied with
Guyana’s balance of payments and saving foreign exchange. Are we to
seriously believe that in pursuing these food bans he did not calculate
how his policy would affect the arithmetic of his Indian opposition, moreso than his black supporters? Have you all forgotten Jessie Burnham’s (who died a PPP member) warning about her brother’s racism in her book
“Beware my brother Forbes”?

It is a foregone conclusion that political parties seek to keep their
base supporters happy while they seek to win over their opponents.
But who could dispute that both Dr Jagan and Mr. Burnham had a lock on
their ethnic supporters?

Yet the majority of poorer working-class Indians remained firmly in the
PPP camp as the poorer blacks in the PNC camp during the PNC’s 28 years
of mismanagement. The PNC however always had the luxury of Mr. Eusi
Kwayana shepherding blacks into black consciousness (keeping them loyal
to the PNC) comparing them to their perceived “Indian enemies” who
could not be trusted inspite of their common poverty.  What causes
poor, starving people to remain loyal to the PNC even as Indians have
become perpetual targets and victims? If Indians were reacting to the PNC’s antics during its 28-year rule and wanted to get rid of that party, what most assuredly explains the massive black support to the PNC in the 1992 elections when it secured 23 seats to the PPP’s 28? Even when their black leaders were legally starving them?

The fudging of the evidence of rapes of Indian women at national service
and the PNC targeting of Indian food habits to break them cannot all be
coincidence. No one can really believe that blacks who ate anything
(labba, alligator, shark, snails and ackouri) as well as dhall, roti and
aloo would be affected in the same way as Indians who suffered more.

Creolisation of Indians had always been a British colonial policy which
the PNC aggressively continued to break the Hindu and Muslim communities
and convert them to Christianity. But the PNC was most blatant in using
the law to break Indian culture and destroy them simply because their
numbers made them a guilty race and they have been viewed as a threat.
The solution-reduce Indian culture to “equality” with blacks with
aggressive intermarriages and religious conversion to Christianity. Dr
Kean Gibson’s seminal attack on Hinduism serves as the blueprint for
Indian destruction in the black historical journey for political
power. Why would some, ironically pursue “equality” and advancement
through an Indian cultural destruction?

Why this targeting of Hindus and their womenfolk who are perceived to
be the cradle of Indian existence and survival?

This PNC method was similar to that used in Trinidad by Prime Minister
Eric Williams’s black-based PNM government which ruled Trinidad for 41
unbroken years (1956-1995) had also massively supported a creolization policy after taking power in Trinidad in 1956 by financing Christian schools. Up to now there are no government
supported Hindu schools in the second largest city of San Fernando. Yet
steel band and calypso culture was financially nurtured islandwide by
taxpayers’ money. In Guyana, PPP/C Minister of Culture,Youth and Sport, a Dr
Frank Anthony recently donated steel pans to Georgetown school
children. See http://www.guyanachronicle.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29405:school-of-the-nation-receives-steel-pan-set-from-ministry-of-culture-youth-and-sport&catid=2:news&Itemid=2

For the Robin Williamses/Emile Mervinses of this world, dhall can only be
just split peas. Without any familiarity with Indian customs and
traditions they prejudge them. For them it will have no cultural
connotations. Does anyone know of the relevance of apples, walnuts
and grapes as an integral part of Christian rituals at Christmas?
This equalization of their banning by the PNC has absolutely no
comparison. Compare these food items which have been historical ingredients of Indian diet as well as Hindu religious rites. They become more significant after being blessed by the Pandit unlike pastry, like salara and pine tarts. It is the same thing for ordinary water which becomes holy water when blessed by a Christian priest. Note I didn’t call him a Pandit.
Anyone who has been to a Hindu or Muslim religious function, even a
wedding, can even testify to the tastiness of the food after the
event. It is sacred. Most importantly, when ghee is used in performing
Hindu rites, weddings and funerals it is preferable because of its
origin from the cow. Mr. Bisram’s critics may view this ghee as just butter; to the Hindu it is sacred. The puja ingredients are paramount to maintaining Hindu rites, rituals and culture. Not the same with bread, salara and pine tarts. My sympathies to those poor PNC supporters who had to always eat cassava dumplings, cassava and eddoes every day or else go
hungry!

If all suffered “equally,” where is the evidence that blacks massively
rebelled and rejected the PNC as current Indian apathy in successive
general elections have been apparent?
How come the PNC was able to win even bigger margins in every election prior to 1992, but controversially?
PNC presidential candidate Mr. Granger says he does not know of any
evidence (sic) that the PNC rigged elections? Don’t be surprised if Mr.
Granger re-imposes all those food bans. Would he also ban curry powder
too? First, the PNC has to find a way to win the elections.

Hit me with your best shot. Waiting as I eat some dhall and roti. Achar
too man!