Flag-raising ceremony testimony to our commonalities as a people
— and the possibilities of achieving our full potential as a nation
THE pomp and ceremony of an Independence Day flag-raising ceremony at the National Park instills in one’s consciousness a sense of pride at being Guyanese, and the recognition of our joint nationality; because the tarmac comes alive, not merely with the colourful costumes of the participants, but with the rainbow of races that are unique to the tapestry of the Guyanese identity.
That is when Guyanese bond in the commonality of their national identity, as they do when either Chanderpaul or Hooper is bringing in the runs.
And it is at such times that one recognises that Guyanese have so much to be thankful for as a nation; and that we would not be a nation if it were not for the contributions of all our ancestors, which have enabled us to live in this wonderful homeland that is their patrimony to all of us.
And how could any Guyanese gauge or quantify the level of sacrifices or the input of any ancestral tribe to our current national demographics?  At the end of the day, this country is the inheritance of all Guyanese in equal measure.
A house divided against itself can never prevail against adversities, and our President, His Excellency Donald Ramotar, who himself is a product of African, Indian and Amerindian ancestors, has consistently — as he did once more last Friday evening — appealed to the patriotism of every Guyanese to work together, so that our country and every Guyanese citizen can achieve the optimum of our potential for greatness and prosperity.
Despite recent events that are jeopardising the continuance of government’s development trajectory, President Ramotar averred, in his first Independence Day address to the nation, that he is committed to working with all who would move the country forward.
Among the thousands at the flag-raising ceremony at the National Park were obviously many who are opposed to a Donald Ramotar presidency; and those who began, primed beforehand, to boo the President, soon began to listen to his message of hope and unity.
“…we need to safeguard our freedoms, defend and strengthen our democracy, and allow the ingenuity and resourcefulness of our people to flourish,” President Ramotar said, emphasising that development has to do with people; and here in Guyana, we must reconfigure our development models to ensure the benefits are spread more widely and evenly throughout the population.
He stressed the importance of economic development in every village, every nook and cranny of the country.
The President said, “I am committed to working with all those who are interested in moving our country forward. I know that the people of Guyana would like to see us working together.
“This was also the dream at independence, and it remains today a major national aspiration.
“We need to safeguard our freedoms, defend and strengthen our democracy, and allow the ingenuity and resourcefulness of our people to flourish. A great Guyana will not be measured only in terms of what we build and what we create, but also in our character as a nation, including our ability and willingness to set aside narrow interests for the greater good of all Guyana.”
These hopes and expectations expressed by the President were manifested in true Guyanese style by the medley of cultural displays that reflected our national psyche and identity, and the truly magnificent display of our men and women in uniforms, who were truly the stars of the evening, as they elicited prolonged outbursts of appreciation.
Their well-choreographed synchronisation of movements, their ingenuity, their creative genius, the impeccable timing of their twirling batons and swords, their absolute genius for entertaining the crowd were the highlight of the evening.  Kudos to Guyana’s joint services! Superlatively done!
All the entertainers were superb and well appreciated, a truly all-Guyanese star cast; and the blending of colours of the dancers on the tarmac were replicated when scintillating starbursts of colour cascaded down from a glorious evening sky, seeming a fiery blessing on a Guyana that is  poised for a future no less glorious.
A magnificent evening had come to a close, but a future bright with promise looms ahead for all Guyanese as this nation treads a path of commonality of goals.
Last Friday evening, as the nation’s pride was put on display in glowing colours on the tarmac of the National Park, the possibilities of President Ramotar’s hopes for a united Guyanese peoples aspiring for, and working together to make this country and people the best that we can be, did not seem impossible to achieve after all.