Dear Editor,
“Freedom is not given, it is taken,” thus spake the forgotten hero, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, India’s most enigmatic freedom fighter. Mahatma Gandhi embroiled the British with weapons of peace and non-violence to wrench India’s independence from the hands of those who raped a country of her invaluable treasures. While being imprisoned, Nelson Mandela fought for South Africa’s freedom from an apartheid state.
Stevie Wonder sang, “You know apartheid is wrong like slavery was wrong and the holocaust was wrong.”
“Massa days gone,” reflected Ian McDonald. Guyana and Guyanese, invitees, visitors, members of the Diplomatic Corps, regional and international business entities, their owners and overseas workers, are all in the realm of observing and celebrating the 58th anniversary since Guyana, then British Guiana, gained independence from Great Britain on that infamous date May 26, in the year 1966. Jagan and Burnham led a bloodless battle with a war of words and wits to give the people of Guyana the gift of freedom.
How many and for how long enjoyed being unchained? The deliverance from colonialism was short lived and soon converted to dictatorship by the tyranny of the PNC led by Burnham. Burnham subsequently declared, “Whiteman days done, now is we time.”
J.W. Chinapen prosed, “At eve how sweet, to see the herons home, and out the young birds come, their parents glad to greet.” From that class of generation and prior, they would recall the thrill experienced during the midnight event on the 25th May 1966, when the Union Jack was flown for the last time and lowered, to pave the way for the Golden Arrowhead to be raised and flutter with the wind coming from the great Atlantic Ocean.
Standing to attention, the popular Guyana Police Force Band, quietly but proudly, played the Guyana National Anthem soothingly, softly and sweetly for the first time with pride, dignity and honour. Did Burnham discharge his duty to the PNC by executing a nationalization policy in order to hire all his cronies and party members? A PNC party card was the passport to privileges, priorities and preferences. A new liberated autonomy had enveloped the political, economic and social landscape in Guyana for one sect while another was subdued.
Mahadai Das scripted, “Today, I remember my forefather’s gaunt gaze. My mind’s eye sweeps over my children of yesterday. My children of tomorrow. The piracy of innocence. The loss of light in their eyes.” This beautiful land of many waters and more than the original six races, has a glorious history dating thousands of years ago, from the time of the many tribes from our Indigenous people who are the founding occupiers of this land, to the time of changing hands as explorers from Spain, France, Portugal and England came to compete for ownership.
William Wordsworth reflected, “To me did seem, appareled in celestial light, the glory and the freshness of a dream, it is not now as it had been of yore.” The British were given a foot but took the whole nine yards and ended up as the colonial masters to rule, governing and capitalize on the richness of this land and draining her resources, to make Britain a rich and pompous nation so that she could provide a luxurious way of life for the British at the expense of this country’s slaves captured from Africa and the indentured labourers imported from Portugal, China and India.
The wounded tribal Indians were the unfortunate ones who bore the brunt from inception, as explorers came and seized them and put them to work as captives and made them their slaves. They lost their breathing space and the hunters became the hunted.
Martin Carter wrote, “No, I will not still my voice. I have too much to claim-.” King Sugar was the main source of revenue for the British, followed by the exploitation of Guyana’s pricey mineral resources, her qualitative bauxite and the royalty of her strong timber. As the inhabitants of a suppressed colony slaved day and night in order to provide for the Queen and her people, the colonists were struggling to survive and live a way of life by way of menial means and minimal motives. In the 1950s, it was the Father of the Nation, Dr. Cheddi Jagan, on his return from the US with his American wife, who started a revolution to directly, daringly and doggedly challenge the British for self-governance with other staunch and determined supporters and then, he was joined by Forbes Burnham on his return from England, after inviting him to become a member of his founding party, the People Progressive Party (PPP), which originally started out as the Political Affairs Committee (PAC).
Was it a meeting of the minds or the parting of the ways? Albert Einstein pointed out, “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep riding.”
The crafty, cunning and corrupt Burnham showed his true colour quickly and split company to form the People’s National Congress (PNC), the first sign of racial enticement to divide and conquer. Julius Caesar wasn’t ambitious, for thrice he refused a kingly crown.
Jagan tried to compromise but Burnham said, “It’s Leader or nothing.” Forewarned is being forearmed. Caesar was warned, “Beware the Ides of March.” He didn’t heed the advice and died at the hands of his assassinators, including “Et tu Brutus!” Jessie
Burnham warned, “Beware my brother Forbes.” Jagan wasn’t wary enough and died a death of 28 years as the Opposition. Although facing the trials and tribulations of 33 years under PNC dictatorship and 25 years of PPP/C democracy, Guyana today still lacks enough free thinkers of the world! This trail has failed to fully liberalize many Guyanese who are still grounded with their minds in shackles and led astray by a handful of greedy, selfish and egoistic incalcitrants, who are prepared to break the law to cease power through the back door.
“We must have lawful, free, fair and credible elections and no man is going to circumvent GECOM. No man will circumvent GECOM. We will take whoever to court if they tell us that GECOM can’t do their work. We will go to court,” said James Bond of the People’s National Congress in 2019. The election riggers with 33 years’ experience are the ones today in court. They misused freedom.
Now a Republican nation, the PPP/C is governing with the latitude of utilizing the newly gained oil revenue, efficiently and effectively rather than wasting the money unwantedly. On the contrary, the PNC want to misappropriate the oil money and even spend what has not been earned yet. They love freebies, ‘freecos’ and freeness. They do not want to sweat for their salt. The Indian monk, Swami Vivekanand taught, “Only the moment you reject all help are you freed.” It is time all Guyanese prize and protect the dignity of freedom and persevere in its power and purpose. Happy Independence Day Guyana.
Yours respectfully,
Jai Lall
