Dear Editor
THESE days, especially since 2015, it is very amusing to observe the leader of the parliamentary opposition, assuming a new-found role that he never did, or had been interested in, during his 12 years as President of Guyana.

Editor, it is instructive that during his leadership of this nation, which under his watch had degenerated to all forms of socio-immoralities, with the criminal state emerging as the marquee centre piece, that Bharrat Jagdeo never voiced his concerns about the racism which his government propagated, and the simmering discontent that it was causing; and the numerous acts of corruption that were being exposed by way of the annual audit reports. Moreover, the police force, a vital component of the armed forces of which he had been commander-in-chief, sank to abysmal depths of all forms of venalities that gradually undermined its credibility as the nation’s law-enforcement agency.

Its impotency against the criminal gangs which brought the state to the gates of anarchy, was just an example of the kind of society which Guyana had become during the reign of Jagdeo and his People’s Progressive Party government/Civic (PPP/C).

As the blatant acts of corruption became exposed by the media on a daily basis, there was enough evidence which became available for state action to be taken by Jagdeo, against fingered officials who were associated with the PPP/C; for as president, he had the remit to do so. Instead, he fiddled while Rome burnt, as did the historical decadent and unpopular Emperor Nero, whom it was recorded played his instrument while his city went up in flames.

Come 2015, and with a new government which administration has been able to expose the frightening depths of the scale of the criminal state, Jagdeo has suddenly become a spokesperson, articulating positions about corruption, even advising as to what action ought to be taken against those who are implicit in its cancerous practice; voicing his concerns about the socio-economic status of Afro-Guyanese, the latter his policies marginalised; about government’s alleged interference in the affairs of the Guyana Police Force that he claimed was affecting the morale of senior officers and a host of other opinions/views on matters relating to the economy, crime, race etcetera, as to what should be done.

Now, he has ventured into the dishonest realm of seeking to re-write an aspect of this country’s history, playing historian, as he sought to criticise President Granger for his candid remarks made during a pre-emancipation address at Beterverwagting.

In his new role of “historian,”, as he attempts to “educate” the President, a foremost historian of a most distinguished pedigree, with numerous awards and publications to his name. Jagdeo in the August 02, 2018 Demerara Waves report captioned, “Jagdeo accuses Granger of double standards in education, jobs, employment.” “The President should have been aware that in the post-slavery period, a lot of persons did not get government support and instead created jobs in the private sector. However, in post-independence Guyana, the village economies were destroyed and most people were encouraged to work with government. The government sector grew and the private and the village economy shrunk, so people were then encouraged to work– go into the army, police etcetera. The public sector grew large …”

First, Jagdeo ought to be told that historians are usually specific, they do not generalise, so as to what “persons” that did not “get government support”, can only mean the freed slaves who had to combat the spite of the colonial administration, in the same manner which his party and government had marginalised their descendants, denying them socio-economic opportunities such as lucrative contracts, and other related facilities which had empowerment opportunities. Jagdeo should be reminded that, not only did slaves not receive any compensation for the over 200 years of brutality, dehumanisation, and murderous treatment that they received, but instead their former masters were compensated for the loss of slave labour.

Jagdeo should also be made aware that despite the many efforts to frustrate the freed slaves, they had the visionary innovation to purchase villages which eventually laid the foundation for the socio-economic foundation of what is now Guyana. Many, in efforts to build a new semblance of an independent life, in difficult post-slavery conditions, became artisans, carpenters, coopers, blacksmiths, and other craftsmen.
Second, here again, the leader of the opposition is attempting to deceive with his own brand of historical distortion.

How does he account for the post-independence destruction of village economies, without saying, and giving examples of its occurrence? This can only be another facet of his well-known penchant for dishonest narratives.

Since it is a well-known historical fact, that African-Guyanese have always gravitated towards the military, inclusive of the police force, and the larger public service as a means of employment, such will not be further expounded here, except to say that with the attainment of independence, this segment of Guyana’s population concluded that it offered better and more secure employment opportunities, which time and evidence have supported.

But that did not mean that the village economies were totally ended, and did not offer economic living for some Africans. It did, explaining why some semblance of its existence did persist. In fact, the cooperative system, which was the socio-economic vehicle for African-Guyanese empowerment, became a fact of post-independence Guyana, since it was an important part of the Feed, Clothes and House the Nation programme of the Burnham government.

It is well-known that the PPP opposition at the time, poured cold water over this largely socialist strategy which brought housing benefits especially to thousands of Guyanese, and helped hundreds more to discover the alternate use of food substitutes through cottage industries. Therefore, for Jagdeo’s information, the village economies did not fully dissipate as his statement contends.

He should be reminded that this is the foundation and premise upon which the resurrection of the village economies is being built, and which the president envisions to become a major pillar for increased entrepreneurship in Guyana.

Editor, a particular point that perhaps Jagdeo and the PPP/C believed that is forgotten, is that they as a government repossessed many of the lands that had been offered to African-Guyanese for agriculture. And although one can agree that many of these tracts were idle, there were many others whose lessees sought to access loans from the commercial banks for farming, but were denied. His government was certainly aware of the zero options that Africans faced, but offered no assistance, except to repossess.

What does Jagdeo know about African-Guyanese history, except to distort it for his own twisted ends?

Finally, it is the President’s prerogative to pronounce on issues that affect the national interest. And what he said– although seemingly harsh– has to be seen in the context of a Guyana which is now perched for take-off in the largest economic venture that it has ever experienced – the coming of oil and gas. And though it is a message that may be seen as intended for a particular segment of Guyana, we see it as also relevant to the general milieu, as it is an exhortation for all to change some attitudes that are inimical to nation-building.

Regards
Earl Hamilton