I DEALT with the persistence of the colonial mentality in this country in my column of Sunday, September 1, 2024 titled, “The colonial mind is not easy to abolish.” In that piece I looked at what Mr. Mike Persaud, living in the US and a member of the civil society group, Oil and Gas Governance Network had to say about the racial divide in Guyana.

Mr. Persaud advised Guyana that it should look to Canada, US, UK and the EU for a blueprint to decrease our racial chasm. Mr. Persaud found no other country including our own CARICOM neighbours who years ago intervened to stabilise Guyana through two important covenants – Herdmanston Accord and the St. Lucia Agreement. I need not dwell on Mr. Persaud’s mental process any further so let’s move on to another episode of the persistence of the colonial mind in Guyana – Vishnu Bisram.
Here is what Mr. Bisram wrote: “The people are sovereign, and the government has limited power as given to it by the people as in developed countries like USA, UK, Canada.” Mr. Bisram several times has published his status of having several Master’s degrees and doctorates. Why would someone with that kind of background fail to mention India, Costa Rica, Brazil, CARICOM nations?

Before we cite more evidence of Mr. Bisram’s colonial psychology, two essential points are important. It is misleading to say that the government in the US, Canada and UK have limited power. That is too banal a statement to make. It is misleading to make such a blanket statement.
It would shock Mr. Bisram to know that the amended 1980 Constitution of Guyana places more brakes on governmental jurisdiction than in the UK and Canada. In Guyana, there cannot be a confirmed Chief Justice and Chancellor if the Leader of the Opposition does not concur. Acting Chief Justice, Ian Chang was never confirmed because two different PNC Opposition Leaders during the PPP government did not sanction his confirmation.
The French presidency has more power latitude constitutionally than the Guyanese presidency. In fact, in Brazil’s democracy, there is more limitation on the power of government than in the US, Canada and the UK. The Brazilian congress impeached a sitting president who had to resign. In the US two sitting presidents were impeached but were not removed.

Let’s quote Bisram again: “Regrettably in Guyana, unlike in developed countries, politicians (from both sides) don’t like to be critiqued or criticised, not even in the mildest terms.” When I read aridness like this, I normally would ask which world the person is living in. Mr. Bisram cannot be living in the real world the past 11 months. If he did, he would have seen the level of intolerance by leaders of the West, with Ireland and Scotland being the exceptions, toward criticism of their Israel policy.
Let’s go on to quote Bisram: “Government and politicians of both sides should not be so sensitive and defensive of every critique or criticism to go after critics like Dr. Bertrand Ramcharan or GHK Lall and other media people or media houses like Stabroek News, Kaieteur News, and others. Critiques are an essential component of a democracy.”

For all his multiple Master’s and doctorates, Mr. Bisram fails to understand the difference between a critique and malicious incitement, cultural insults and fictional vulgarities. These immoral assaults the leaders of government in this country face on as daily basis. And they do not come exclusively from wild people in the social media sphere. They come also from established civil society groups and the mainstream media.
Mr. Bisram has to help himself by seeking to have more acquaintance with Guyana. Does he read the two private newspapers – Kaieteur News (KN) and Stabroek News (SN)? With all his (supposed) qualifications, would Mr. Bisram classify KN as containing critiques of the Government of Guyana? Mr. GHK Lall is incapable of offering a critique of the Guyana Government, assuming that Lall knows how to pen a critique.

All the KN writes about, each day without exception, the past three years, is oil and oil and oil. Mr. GHK Lall, still reeling from losing his lucrative post as head of the Gold Board, knows no other approach but to cuss down Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo. And Bisram calls that critique.
Does Mr. Bisram read the editorials of the SN? Not even the poisonous anti-government newspapers during the Jagan premiership in the 1960s got so personal with the government as the Stabroek News currently does, running down the president for his choice of clothes and accusing Ministers of not knowing how to use the English language. More on Bisram later.
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.