Dear Editor
NOT a day goes by without commentators like GHK Lall stirring up sentiments about racial politics. The truth is, Guyana, like so many countries around the world, is not without the racialisation of politics.

But what is not true is that all our politics can be reduced to race. Commentators like GHK Lall engage in this kind of racial reductionism as a matter of default. Yet, careful analysis of GHK Lall’s own writing shows that there is no guaranteed racial division, with Indians and Africans neatly lined up in their politics.

On the contrary, for GHK Lall there are essentially “good” Indians and bad Africans. Good Indians are simply those who openly oppose and attack the PPP/C. Unapproved Africans, are those who are part of the PPP/C, support the PPP/C, campaign for and with the PPP/C, publicly defend the PPP/C, and serve the PPP/C administration.

In the racialised political world of GHK Lall and others, the following are good, sensible, rational, and open-minded Indians – Dr Janette Bulkan, Melinda Janki, Darsh Khusial, Joe Persaud, Dr. Ganga Ramdass, Mike Persaud, Charles Sugrim, Shirlena Najeer, Glenn Lall, Leyland Roopnarine, Arif Bulkan, Moses Nagamootoo, Gary Girdhari, Nazima Raghbuir, Khemraj Ramjattan, Geeta Chandan-Edmond, Leila Jagroop, Amar Chinkan, Vidyartha Kissoon, Ganesh Mahipaul, Deonarine Ramsaroop, Alfred Bhulai, Dineshwar Jaipersaud, Anand Persaud, Kian Jabour, Ubraj Narine, Derek Basdeo, and Mike Singh, among others.

In GHK Lall’s racial universe, not all Africans are good by default. All the unapproved Africans are those with connections to the PPP/C.

There are, however, some stellar Africans in GHK Lall’s racial universe. They include – Dr. David Hinds, Roxanne Myers, Tacuma Ogunseye, Sherwood Lowe, Keith Lowenfield, Vinceroy Jordan, Richard Sinclair, Maureen Philadelphia, Jermaine Figueira, Flue-Bess, S.F.K. Holder, Amanza Walton-Desir, Clairmont Mingo, Sherod Duncan, Coretta McDonald, Cathy Hughes, Christopher Jones, Karen Cummings, T.J. Sarabo-Halley, Annette Ferguson, Lincoln Lewis, Vincent Alexander, David Patterson Dr. Kenrick Hunte, Eusi Kwayana, Hamilton Green (AKA Elder), Paul Slowe, and Michael Carrington, among others.

In a recent column GHK Lall added another variable to his racial taxonomy. There are good PhD and JDs and bad PhDs and JDs. Good PhDs include Dr Janet Bulkan, Dr. David Hinds, Dr. Kenrick Hunte, among others.

How about the bad PhDs. Well, here GHK Lall in his own words – “I laud illustrious Guyanese with PhDs, JDs, MDs, DDs, who believe that it is their patriotic duty to run interference for VP Jagdeo, as a matter of partisan or tribal honour. I also pity them. I don’t know what they say or write, or care what offense is taken at what I table publicly. It seems, however, there is this fascination, distinctive addiction (sic), with what I present to contemporaries, engrave for posterity” (KN, 2/22/23, emphasis added).

Note how GHK Lall racialises people with PhDs who defend Vice President Jagdeo and the PPP/C. In his universe, anyone who defends the PPP/C is doing it because they are “tribal.” Dr. Bulkan, Hunte, and Hinds, however, are not tribal. In GHK Lall’s racial cartography, Bulkan (PhD), Hunte (PhD), and Hinds (PhD) are patriotic intellectuals.

For the record, I have decided to respond to GHK Lall for the simple reason that he does a daily hack-job on the PPP/C. He takes special pleasure in attacking Vice President Jagdeo. His columns and letters are primarily intended to ruin the prestige that Jagdeo has earned through the gift of intellect, and the demanding work he has put into Guyana for more than a quarter of a century. GHK Lall is where many have been before in attacking the PPP and Jagdeo, in particular.

GHK Lall will fail for two reasons. Firstly, his use of race as a trump card will not yield the results he is hoping for. The APNU just found that out in the recently concluded LGEs. Further, as noted above, Lall’s own writings contradict his racial/political classification system. Secondly, he will fail because he does not understand the carefully configured working relationship between President Irfaan Ali and Vice President Jagdeo.

Yours sincerely,
Randolph Persaud (PhD)