–should be part of the clean-up campaign
OVER the last several months, the Government and the Mayor and City Council have been seriously addressing the problem of drainage and cleaning of the City, and they have made much progress in the downtown areas.
The main stimuli of this fine effort have been the approaching celebrations of the 50th Anniversary of Independence, and helping to create the necessary infrastructure for our growing tourist trade.
Clearing the streets and pavements of the scores of vagrants who live and sleep there must be done in tandem with the present Clean-up Campaign. If these are not done simultaneously, the effort will be partly negated. It is not that the “Authorities” are unaware of the problem, but they have been dilatory in addressing it. The Ministry of Social Protection, the Ministry of Public Health, and the Mayor and City Council each has a role to play, but each has felt that the others should be dealing with the problem.
The fundamental reason for this shifting of responsibility seems to be the assumption that all the vagrants are the same. In fact, the vagrants could easily fall into three categories: The first category is those who are genuinely homeless; who do not have any relatives or children, or who do not have the means of renting accommodation. Such persons are usually old, underfed, or suffer from some physical disability. This category is the smallest in number. Those who suffer from mental illnesses comprise the second category of vagrants. Their illnesses range from Alzheimer’s to violent schizophrenia. This mentally unstable group is probably the largest group. The third category comprises victims of the use of narcotic drugs, such as cocaine and ganja — the “junkies”. This category keeps growing in number, and will, in time, overtake the second category in size.
These three categories fall naturally within the remit of the various responsible Ministries. For instance, the genuinely homeless would fall naturally to the Ministry of Social Protection, and the mentally ill to the Ministry of Public Health. Once the “Authority” or Ministry is aware of the category of the vagrant which comes within its responsibility, that “Authority” could more easily act.
The process of clearing the City of vagrants should begin as early as possible. These few scores of vagrants create the impression, to both residents and visitors alike, that Guyana is a country of overwhelming poverty, of neglect of care for the elderly, and of poor medical outreach facilities. Insensitive or even hostile visitors would delight in photographing the vagrants who reside on the eastern pavement of the General Post Office Building.
Many of the vagrants wander about the City by both night and day and violently attack passersby.
For example, some years ago, at Princes and High Streets, a mentally deranged vagrant threw a coconut at the head of a passerby and killed that person. Another time, two young Dutch tourists, a young man and his female companion, were visiting the Promenade Gardens at mid-morning, and a vagrant who had secreted himself suddenly jumped out and stabbed the young lady to death.
There have also been times when vagrants have thrown stones, glass bottles and other missiles at passersby; or have even physically assaulted them.
In another instance, during the last Christmas holiday season, a tall and sturdy vagrant stood at the corner of Robb Street and Avenue of the Republic at the busiest time of the day and terrorized commuters by lashing out with a long whip at anyone he could.
And smashing vehicle windscreens is a frequent occurrence with vagrants. Sometimes they throw mud and filth on parked cars, and demand money from persons walking on the pavements, assaulting those who refuse to give them any or who give them too little.
Removal of these vagrants is not an insurmountable task; there are facilities to house the homeless, the ones suffering from mental disease could be sent to the Mental Hospital for treatment, and the victims of drug abuse — the junkies — could be rehabilitated or sent to the Mental Hospital.
If the City were cleared of these vagrants, downtown pavements would again be clean and sanitary, and the City would be a much safer place. Clearing of these vagrants should be an integral part of the “City Clean-up Campaign”.
