Dear Editors,
MY article about the 100th Anniversary of the British Guiana Colonisation Scheme seems to have hit a nerve, especially since such an important event that was central to Guyana from 1919 to 1929 has not been covered in any of our history books.
The many who have responded to it all make the same argument: That I misrepresented the facts.

Yet, all I did was to quote from the historical documents, and from Professor Clem Seecharam, Professor Emeritus. This is what is in the historical records. Trying to deny these facts or to suggest it was supported by a few Africans is a lie. Again, the facts from the historical records are as follows:

In 2013, Professor Emeritus Clem Seecharan highlighted the friction the British Guiana Colonisation Scheme created between Africans and Indians during the decade-long debate and trips to India by prominent IndoGuyanese of the day. He wrote about African concerns of Indian domination were exacerbated “by fears that prominent Indians such as J.A. Luckhoo and Dr. William Hewley Wharton were committed to creating an ‘Indian Colony’, with the possible renewal of immigration from India, after the end of indentureship in 1920.
African apprehensions were sustained in the 1930s when prominent Indians such as Peter Ruhomon and C.R. Jacobs advocated the building of a ‘greater India’ in Guyana. This imbedded a resilient fear among African Guyanese that they would lose everything to the Indian juggernaut. Moreover, the notion that British Guiana is an El Dorado, with stupendous resources, has fed continual apprehension between Africans and Indians that whoever inherits the kingdom is on the royal road to a “Golden Age”.

In 1919, Joseph A. Luckhoo and other prominent Indians in British Guiana wrote: “We would then have hundreds of prosperous villages and thousands of square miles of flourishing crops springing up from the fertile soil of the Colony, and by the exploitation of the Gold, Diamond, Aluminum (bauxite ore) and other mineral and forest wealth of British Guiana, the three-century-old dream of Sir Walter Raleigh regarding our Magnificent Province, the fabled land of El Dorado, would be realised”.

The British Guiana Colonisation Scheme initially targeted many areas, namely: (1) 6,300 acres in the Pomeroon behind Hampton Court Estate; (2) 8,000 acres on Hogg Island, on the steamer route to east and west Essequibo; (3) 2,108 acres from Philadelphia to Bonasika Creek, adjoining the Boeraserie Creek and Warimia Conservancy; (4) 7,500 acres on or adjoining the Canals Polder; (5) 32,580 acres in Mahaica; (6) 14,854 acres on the West Coast and Abary; (7) 7,450 acres on the Corentyne Coast. In addition, there were the lands of the N.W. District which required no empoldering over at least 100,000 acres. (Page 24 Report on the Second Deputation).

Today, mainly Indo-Guyanese occupy and own lands in these areas. It is as if many elements of the British Guiana Colonisation Scheme were executed in secrecy. The official discussion of the British Guiana Colonisation Scheme ended in 1929 when Mahatma Gandhi would not support such a Scheme until India was given its Independence from England. Three quotes highlight the strategic goals of the British Guiana Colonisation Scheme, and are taken from the records of the Combined Courts of British Guiana. These quotes are taken from correspondence written by the three most prominent Indians from British Guiana, namely Joseph A. Luckhoo, W. Hewley Wharton and Parbhu Sawh.

QUOTE #1
“We would then have hundreds of prosperous villages and thousands of square miles of flourishing crops springing up from the fertile soil of the Colony, and by the exploitation of the Gold, Diamond, Aluminum (bauxite ore) and other mineral and forest wealth of British Guiana, the three-century-old dream of Sir Walter Raleigh regarding our Magnificent Province, the fabled land of El Dorado, would be realised.”

QUOTE # 2 (From the same document)
“We are in a position definitely to state that the Indians now resident in British Guiana comprise about 45 per cent of the entire population of the Colony, and they are better, safer. Happier. And more prosperous there than those residing in any other parts of the world, and even we venture to say India itself. It may be well to mention that in the social and religious aspects, Indians enjoy perfect freedom. Their general ideas in these respects are somewhat more westernised that in India. All Children in the Colony are entitled to receive free and compulsory education.”

QUOTE # 3 (From the same document)
“We, the Indian representatives of the imperial Colonisation Deputation of British Guiana, now formally state that it is our desire, aim, and our object, if possible, to induce more Indians from the Motherland to join our ranks, increase our numbers, and so help us to make British Guiana an Indian Colony. This is really the Empire’s clarion call to India.”
So, instead of pursuing fake news, as is the trend today, let the historical documents be printed in an insert of the daily newspapers. I challenge any newspaper in Guyana to have the courage to print the actual documents from the Combined Courts. These were not written by me.

Regards,
Eric Phillips