In yesterday’s column, I referred to the vulgarisation of the term, “human rights” by the dormant Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA). Today, I look at the vulgarisation of the term, civil society. Maybe tomorrow I will follow up with the vulgarisation of journalism in Guyana.

Each time the dormant GHRA issues a press release (about once a year), the Stabroek News (SN) carries it as a news item. Other organisations have to settle for a letter-to-the-editor in SN. Yet the GHRA and SN constantly call on the Guyana Government to treat all sectors fairly and be transparent and accountable. Two mysteries exist in Guyana for me. One is who the majority shareholders and board directors of SN are, and secondly, who are in the executive committee of the GHRA.

So last week, the GHRA issued a press release which SN carried with the title – “State sending conflicting signals on wanting to work with civil society.” But who or what is civil society according to the GHRA? Enter Vanda Radzik-Veira. Resting her legs on the Fort Groyne seawall, actually touching the right hand of her interviewer, Stephen Sackur of the BBC’s programme, HARDtalk, Ms. Radzik-Veira, said that the oil contract should be renegotiated and civil society should have a say. But who or what is civil society according to this lady?

Enter Ralph Ramkarran. Mr Ramkarran is not a PPP supporter. His sympathies lie with a political party he founded named ANUG. Mr. Ramkarran took some civil society groups to task when he noted that these groups zero in on issues that have sex appeal. He suggested that there are many areas these entities can show an interest in. In an interview with David Hinds, Mr. Ramkarran said that for taking this stance, he got a “good cussing down.” And guess who did the cussing down? Someone who chastises the government all the time.

According to the GHRA and Ms. Radzik–Veira, who or what is civil society? If it wasn’t a serious dilemma, one can say it is funny. Civil society is the GHRA. Civil society is Ms. Radzkg Veira herself, which the HARDtalk programme lists her as. Civil society is Transparency Institute, Guyana. Civil society is Red Thread. Civil society is the homosexual group, SASOD.
But guess who is not part of civil society? The trade union federation named FITUG, the Indian Arrival Committee, the Private Sector Commission, and the list goes on. Let’s quote from the press release of the GHRA carried in last Sunday’s edition of SN: “The ruling party keeps independent opinion suppressed.”

Again, I stress that if this was not a serious situation, you can laugh at it. The SN is more of an opposition party than a mainstream newspaper and when and where is it being suppressed? The most enduring irony in Guyana is that this anti-government newspaper actually draws the bulk of its income from state placements.

But there is a wider question to ask? Who has an independent opinion in Guyana today? Surely, you can’t be that barefaced to categorise SN as an independent forum. The most sarcastic and vicious descriptions of the government and the ruling party comes from the SN and Kaieteur News rather than from the main opposition party. You read some SN editorials condemning the government and if you come from Timbuktu and read them, you would think that SN is the PR organ of the opposition party.

Is the GHRA a forum of independent commentary? Which citizen in this country that reads the acidic condemnations of the government by the GHRA since the Ali presidency came into being would say the GHRA is independent? Does Guyana have such naïve minds? I hope not.

Now for a colossal irony in the GHRA’s press release. The GHRA condemned Mr. Robin Singh for taking out a full page advertisement enumerating the prominent citizens that either supported election rigging in 2020 or stood silent. I see nothing wrong with that placement, which I read. The only query I have about that placement is that I wish I had that kind of money to buy a whole page advertisement.

Why is Mr. Singh not entitled to run an advertisement in one of the newspapers reminding Guyanese that we have among us people who supported rigged election? The GHRA press release also condemned two of my columns and listed Mr. Singh and I as elements in the state apparatus. I don’t know about Mr. Singh but I have no employment relation with the ruling party, the state, and the government. I am not paid for my Chronicle pieces. My columns have a disclaimer at the bottom. I ask again – who is independent in Guyana?