Dear Editor,

I WISH to register my stern objections to being referred to in any way, shape or form as being used as a “token” or “educated slave” by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government. I, and I rather suspect others in the party or affiliated with the PPP, are tired of their contributions to the body politic of our nation being seen through these eyes or racial lenses just because of whom we support.
For the record, I am fully aware of the history of hardship and oppression that Blacks in this part of the hemisphere have gone through and endured throughout the periods of slavery, communism, and pre/post-independence periods in the Caribbean and farther afield. I know of the systematic racism being fuelled against Blacks and coloured people that has made us resist and fight against the system that seems destined to put us down, don’t matter what we try. And the stereotypes of being Black and wealthy or being angry and a woman are untrue, because time and time again we have many examples of this culture being shattered to pieces the world over.
Closer to home, we have seen how being Black or coloured worked against us in the Caribbean to keep us down and in slave-like conditions whenever we wanted to reach or surpass our developmental aspirations. It still works to keep us in check and behind today.
But my experience has opened my eyes to a world of possibilities that appears to be endless if you work hard, are conscious of what you want, and are capable of respectable disagreement. In Guyana, the system has not been kind to all of us. The problem with the system for achieving wealth is that the opportunities are given to one group and people at the exclusion of another. I am proud to have the opportunity of an education and common sense to know that racism is wrong and we must never allow or condone it from anyone at anytime. Therefore, the freedom of association and freedom of choice leaves it to me to decide who has the best sets of policies, plans and initiatives for Guyana, and which political party appears closest to achieving this vision that I see for a Guyana that isn’t enslaved to the chords of racism and is developing, conscious that it is existing in a world that has been built on racism.

And that party has been a clear choice for many people who have grown weary of the opportunistic PNC and the people who lead that party. We have grown tired of not only preaching our history of the enslavement of the Black man but using it against us to tell us that the only way you can break free from that state is by resistance and through the creation of fear, problems and anxiety. The PNC, now APNU, is opposed to working to break the chain of racism through new and unique partnerships, cooperation and bi-partisan dialogue. They want dominance and Black superiority. They don’t want to share the corn of development equally as we now know from the experience of living under their political party when it was in government from 2015 to August 2, 2020 and the period from 1966 to 1992. Look at what the PNC does when it gets power and control: everything is for the Afro-Guyanese and throwing mere scraps to every other group in the society. Their management of the economy, though it appears to the naked eyes as good, is rooted in the principles of tribalism and ethnic dominance. Now that they are out of power, they want us to go easy on them. They now know the meaning of democracy, transparency and accountability. They are now the champions of the environment, good oil deals and good public sector investments in health, education and public works. They are now doing the works on our Amerindian communities and the disadvantaged blocks in society. They want public servants, of the Black majority, to become worked up by demanding salary increases and better working conditions.

They want the public to believe that the PPP has fired hundreds of Black Guyanese from the public service without any reason because it will make them concerned and move to action. But this PNC/APNU/AFC will not get the Black Guyanese worked up again for no real reason. They will not fight against their Black leaders in the PPP simply because they are qualified and are doing their jobs. They will not become worked up because they’re not seeing eye-to-eye with the APNU+AFC cabal.
We know what we are doing and that’s breaking the stereotypes of Black people in the PPP. We know that we are a threat to those Black leaders who thrive on race hate, division and divisive politics. We don’t believe in racism and using the excuse that “its because you are Black…”.
I am not a token. PPP is not a party for indians in Guyana alone. I am not here because I feel I am going to get something. I am here because I am at home in the PPP, their policies are right, and Guyana is safe under the leadership of the PPP. I know my history and the young people are smart to know their history and not repeat it.
I salute all the hard-working PPP members of African descent who are making a change for Guyana’s development and the hundreds crossing the divide daily. Together we can break the back of the problem of development, one pillar at a time.

Yours faithfully,

Michael Younge