Dear Editor,

IN Guyana, it’s easier to bury the dead than to bury the hatchet. What a merry-go-round week Guyanese experienced with see-saw events and some lost in a maze while trying to fix jig-saw puzzles, plus others wanting to stay clean while playing lovely games with muddy contents. Yet again, Guyana is discovering that Columbus not only took his spoils from the Caribbean, but also left his name and mark right here in good, old Guyana. Dave was right as usual, it’s tradition.

Ninety-nine per cent of the teachers breathe a sigh of relief. The Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) and the Ministry of Education have seen the daylight and called it a day, when they reached a compromising position last Wednesday to start another honeymoon, as Dave would want to put it. There must have been hugs and handshakes to hail the successful conclusion. Some kissed and said goodbye to hastily leave to drum up a war cry in another corner, to hem and haw over milk which they themselves spilled.

Dave is no more, but, his arduous story goes on with glorious shots over the boundary and in all corners. Retroactive increases from 2019 were never a reality, but you may as well dream about heaven and wake up on earth. Again, 39 per cent increase for 2024 was aiming for the moon, and the 10 per cent offer was hitting a star. The word “scraven” was ruled out in Dr. Mark’s vocabulary. The goodly Dr. Lyte preached and practised a sincere sermon, “Let your conscience be your guide.” But it would appear as if two blind mice allowed “cockroaches to eat their conscience”.

You can’t please everybody. Dave reminds us that some Guyanese turn Yankee de minute they get dem visa. Others talking Yorkshire de minute they hear they going where de bridge falling down. Imagine, a man squinched his nose, rolled his eyes and threw his hands in the air, exasperated, and heaved with a sigh when he saw a pit latrine. Town man come to country for the first time. Somebody shouted “welcome home” as the plane touched down in the hinterland. His remark, “but I wanted to go to Guyana!” Never see, come to see wants to be a ruler without knowing where to rule.

This conflict of interest is gaining interest with conflict. A man would give up his pot of gold only if he receives a gold mine. When “you can’t get,” Dave said to say, “I don’t want.” If President Ali is not coming to town, don’t expect to attract a large crowd in Linden, unless…. you giving away free tickets for a “Buju Banton Concert”. But then, there is no Treasury to raid. The AFC has to learn a simple ABC lesson, the “Huge” fan club is still a fantasy.

A man went overboard; not to fish for oil! The PNC said how they “over did it”. They said, “was a lil mistake,” over the choice of colour until de people holler. They were a tee bit confused, not knowing if to paint everything with green, perhaps to go wild, or, paint yellow, meaning to proceed with precaution. So, they painted everything green and yellow to end up with a stop-and-go situation. The engine got confused, felt abused and refused to go any further. The PNC tried to build with tools which are meant to break. The people threw dem out in 2020. Dave said that this “sweet talk” would only work for a while.

It’s not a conference that is being hijacked but our gold from right under our noses, in front of our eyes and in our own backyard. Dave taught that, a couple came to the conference with intentions strong to prove that they do belong. But soon it was “discovered” (like Guyanese Columbus), that they came to shine and not to toe the line. They had to be ejected but they felt rejected. As revenues increase from the sale of the release of less carbon, the Indigenous communities have more to gain and more say in how to spend their money.

Dave said how there are many “copycats” in the room. The CSEC and CAPE results are “out” with “mixed” reactions. We say, we passing rates down and the rest of the Caribbean said the same thing. Well, guess what? In the UK, England, Scotland and Ireland are singing the same tune for the past three years. Everybody has something in common and they all share the same dilemma. Mathematics and English come in again for a sound trashing. When will Guyanese shake off the PNC way of doing Maths so that the children can start getting better grades? That terrible hang-over feeling is still affecting teachers and pupils.

Dave said if you can’t use you brain, then let donkey explain. Once out of office, the PNC will promise you, the star, the moon and the sky. They always calling for bigger and better conditions. They will tell you that they can cross any road, but, is you who have to fetch the load. Even though they’re outside, they know always how to do things different if they were inside. They will criticize from Harry Rang to Mary Right. Is so their story goes as per Dave.

Dave reminded us of boyhood days and their wayward ways. Mr. Discover first wanted cash handouts but now he’s back peddling on cash grants. The man who wants to be President wants to engage Exxon but is still to decide if he will demand more taxes and royalty. The man speaks with a forked tongue and in the abstract. Dave warned that they would watch you in the eye and for sure, they would lie.

Yours respectfully,
Jai Lall