DAVID Hinds on the Freddie Kissoon Show described Geeta Chandan, PNC (not APNU) parliamentarian) as a slave-catcher and advised her not to put her mouth into “Black people business.”

What did Ms. Chandan do to invoke the wrath of Mr. Hinds? At a public meeting, a female WPA speaker made derogatory remarks about Indian Guyanese people in general.

The defined attitude of Hinds as can be deduced from the Chandan drama is that non-Africans or maybe Indian people specifically should not pronounce on anything that essentially relates to the African people of Guyana. Now it is of innocuous consequences if Mr. Hinds is a loner who is happy to be a loose cannon.

But he is not. He has announced that there are talks ongoing with the PNC to have his tiny party, the WPA coalesce with the PNC for the 2025 election. This puts Aubrey Norton in a terrible situation for which you have to feel sorry for him. If the PNC unites with Hinds, unlimited questions will follow. Let’s look at some of these curiosities.

Before we do so some emphasis is required. Chandan accused the African woman of insulting Indians. Hinds said that is tantamount to slave-catching and that as an Indian she should not be commenting on Black Guyanese in general. It is important to note that Chandan did not put her mouth in a private matter involving African Guyanese. Chandan did not support an action by a non-African person against an African-Guyanese.

All Chandan did was to object to derogatory remarks made about the nature of Indian people. All Chandan was saying is that, as a member of the Indian race in Guyana, she rejects such a cultural and ethnic slur against Indian Guyanese. Now for argument’s sake, if the PNC wins the next election, obviously, Hinds as the leader of the WPA will have a state role.

Is an Indian employee allowed to object to a culturally and racially insensitive remark against Indian people by her Afro Guyanese boss? Let’s offer a hypothetical example. The African boss walks into the office and tells the office-attendant — “Don’t order lunch for the staff from Narine’s restaurant because Indian people don’t know how to cook.”

If an Indian employee objects to that as an insult to the Indian people of Guyana is that tantamount to slave catching and is the Indian subordinate putting his/her mouth in “Black people’s affairs?” The answer is no, but according to Hinds, it has to be a resounding yes.

So we move to another question. If this is Hinds’ anthropological belief system, what value does he bring to a government of the PNC in multi-racial Guyana? Let’s move to question number three.

If an Indian cannot reject an insult made against his/her race in Guyana because in doing so the Indian is putting his/her mouth into “Black people’s business” then is it not true to say that an Indian voting for an Afro Guyanese man from the PNC to lead Guyana, is in fact putting their mouth into “Black people’s business?”

If you as an Indian cannot complain against African Guyanese insulting the Indian race then why should you vote for an organisation of which David Hinds is a part? A vote for a coalition that includes Hinds is a vote to put Hinds into state office, and once Hinds is in state office, the Indian employees in his office cannot say anything at all about any incident of racial sprouting from African members of the office because Hinds would tell them that as a non-African is none of their business to talk about Black people.

For the long time I have known Norton, he always publicises his ability to analyse politics. Well, let him analyse the Hinds factor in the election campaign. Nigel Hughes does not have to worry about the ghost of David Hinds haunting the AFC’s election prospects. Hughes and Hinds will not be in the same outfit for the 2025 election.

But Norton and Hinds will be in the same organisation for the 2025 campaign (if the PNC teams up with the WPA), and Norton needs to explain how with Hinds as his coalition partner will bring in votes from Indian people who constitute 39 percent of the population.

Does Norton believe that Indian people will vote for his coalition given the horrible, racially charged temperament of Hinds?

Hinds just vilified Indian culture by defending Baby Skello’s vulgar and degenerate assault on the Hindu religion. I think the most pressing curiosity for all (if not all, then, most) Guyanese is if Aubrey is going to accept Hinds as his coalition partner. But then again, Aubrey may not be too far from David — if you know what I mean.

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.