The recent clearing of Stabroek Market square through the removal of illegal vendors and demolition of stalls was inevitable as the area became overwhelmed with chaos and confusion. Traffic jams and congestion, criminal activity, loud music, drug pushing, etc, became a norm because the conditions and atmosphere were most conducive for such lawlessness and disorder.
Anyone who frequented the area will now breathe a huge sigh of relief as passing through there on foot or in a vehicle at peak hours was like a nightmare.
Most citizens who believe in law and order will certainly welcome this development. However, there is a small group of people who most likely are participants and beneficiaries of the illegal and criminal activities that were prevalent in the area, is in opposition to the restoration of law and order and a semblance of sanity. There are also the vendors and those sympathetic to them, who argue they are being deprived of earning a living, and many have been plying their trade for many years.
Of course the issue deprivation of a livelihood is a serious one because many of these vendors are poor people, many are single parents who have children to feed and send to school. So restoring law and order in this issue has to be given serious consideration and cannot be ignored and that is why President Jagdeo gave the vendors the assurance that they will be allowed to resume vending, but it will have to be done in an organised and lawful manner.
Everyone is guaranteed the right to pursue a means of livelihood through lawful means. However, they do not have the right to do so by infringing upon the rights and convenience of others and creating disorder and chaos. The right of others to move about freely in peace and comfort must be respected as well.
Therefore it was a fine humanitarian gesture by President Jagdeo to assure the vendors that they will be allowed to ply their trade, but he was uncompromising that the laws will have to be strictly observed.
“When I met with the vendors, I said to them that we are not retreating from this; we have to ensure that we clean-up the area, bring back law and order, and we have to stop  the illegal activities there. But I also said to them that I want to ensure that they continue to earn a living,” President Jagdeo stressed.
The other aspect of this issue which needs to be always kept in focus is the fact that Stabroek is one of our historical sites, housing the Stabroek Market and our Parliament building.
Therefore, we cannot and must not allow this area to slump into decadence. Its aesthetics have to be preserved so that our history will be preserved. In addition, it could become a major tourist site; but with the madness which enveloped it, which tourist would want to visit.
However, one of the burning questions that pops up and needs a response is why it took so long for the authorities to address this matter, bearing in mind that they said they had information of the criminal and other illegal activities that were taking place in the area.
It would seem that the grenade incident roused the authorities from their slumber.
But this entire matter should once again teach us the lesson that we must not allow problems to grow into monsters. We must nip them in the bud.
In order to do this, we need to resolutely adopt a proactive approach rather than a reactive one.