HE only has one name- Harrinarine, but this man has been striving to use his skills and talents to contribute to Guyana’s nationhood during the ‘Mash’ season.
Harrinarine, in 2018, entered into the national competition to write the theme that would guide the celebrations for Mashramani that year.

He wrote: “Let’s cooperate and celebrate Republic 48” and it just so happened that it was selected as the best out of the pool of themes submitted, and it was seen on ever banner, programme and at every event.

Then in 2019, he decided to try again. He came up with “Celebrate Mash 49 with victory in mind” and that too was chosen as the Mashramani theme.
“It was just my luck,” he said.

“The idea behind the [2019] theme is that Guyana will be celebrating its 50th Republican anniversary and the other victory is that we will begin with the commercialisation of oil,” the headmaster explained. “I believe the winning theme is a simple and memorable contribution to nationhood.”

He also highlighted that for years he has been looking at the Mashramani themes and understanding how they fit the society’s atmosphere.
Cognisant of this, he made the attempt and was successful- both times.

But aside from creating the themes, he shared that he has tried to contribute to nationhood in other ways- particularly as Headmaster of the West Demerara Secondary school.
Under his tutelage, and even before that, students of the school have been participating in Mashramani events in the school, at the regional level and at the national level- in everything from drama, to dance, singing and the steelpan.

Harrinarine boasted of the very many awards the school has won. This year, the school copped five awards at the Regional Schools’ Mashramani Competition, for Region Three and at the recent Panorama competition, second place in the large band category.
“Our involvement in Mash has been unmatched in the region,” he posited.
He also hastened to underscore that his school has a 90 per cent pass rate- backed by a 100 per cent pass rate in English Language and a 91 per cent pass rate in Mathematics- which according to him, shows that the school is a force to be reckoned with in academics and extra-curricular activities.

“Mashramani means a lot to me… and I would want to see my school and my region take their role in this celebration to spread it further,” the man said.

And for him, the celebration should be an important one for all Guyanese because it fosters “team effort” and “cohesion”. And according to him, these are critical parts of developing as a people.

Harrinarine doesn’t believe that he will attempt to write the theme again.
“I would want to contribute in future years, maybe not by writing the next theme, but perhaps by writing a calypso,” he said.