DR. DAVID Hinds in a letter (SN, January 13, 2011) titled “there needs to be a new black cultural revolution” caused me to react “Araay baaap ray baaap! Again?” (It means Oh Lord have mercy on my soul). Will this United Nations inspired ‘new black cultural revolution’ finally ensure that Africans become fully independent economically and finally emancipate them from blaming others? I seriously and sincerely hope so. While Africans are not “emancipated” worldwide, many groups and races and minorities will agitate that their cause demands similar, even higher UN sponsorship and priority. The Palestinians have no homeland and the native Amerindian culture has been vapourised on two continents inclusive of Guyana and the Caribbean. They also desperately need UN sponsorship.
May I however, suggest how Africans can succeed in their cultural revolution by the end of 2011? Start first a revolution by a metamorphosis of your mind, teach Africans to save their money, diminish creating children out of wedlock, cut down this jump-up-and-dance attitude, whining up on the streets like there is no tomorrow, running to rum shops and nightclubs every and each weekend, spending all your money on clothes, ganja, liquor, drugs, gold teeth, expensive hairstyles, nice-nice shoes and most importantly blaming everyone else for your problems. Get into backbreaking agriculture and when you realise how hard you have earned your money you will not spend it unwisely. Most importantly, with all the sincerity in your heart, start praying and believing in God and impart these values to your children by how you live. Such a policy will get sincere Indian respect and assistance in agriculture.
Instead I find Dr. Hinds seemingly swaying to some rhythmic drums seeking to piggy back on the UN year of the African to solve African problems advertising again, another “new “black cultural revolution “this year (2011)to begin the process of retaining lost ground, but more importantly to assert their co-ownership of Guyana”. So nothing is wrong with black cultural pride and celebrations but you have to decide if this will finally work on your intended target man. The perception has been obvious that you tirelessly seek non-African approval of your aspirations with chronically blaming others and perpetually complaining with no finality.
What is bothersome is Dr Hinds decrying “an increasing willingness to collaborate with and accommodate with the ethnic status quo from the position of ethnic inferiority,” but he is absolutely silent “on the worst kind of political manoeuvring and bullying” by a former chief magistrate Juliet Holder-Allen, who justifies deportation of all Indians from the land of their birth as a solution to Africans problems. “Indians did not enslave Africans; get that straight” Eusi Kwayana has already pointed out.
Can Dr Hinds “co-ownership of Guyana” still be feasible if all Indians were to be deported from Guyana? Take a stand man. If they are gone who will you whine up on? Jumbie? Masakurruman orMoongayzah? Or would the native Amerindians become your next agenda victims since their historical ownership of Guyana does not even qualify them for any of your Hinds (light) co-partnership?
When will there be acknowledgement that poverty exists everywhere, even amongst the most industrialised countries. Poor people still starve and sleep on the streets worldwide and they are mostly non-Africans. Economic independence is not exclusive to people because of colour, race or nationality.
Dr. David Hinds must explain why the African based PNC’s reign of absolute power for 28 years with a referendum victory of 97 percent allowing Africans total control of all government institutions failed miserably in African economic empowerment; yet he rightfully expects success from the Indian based PPP/C in spite of proudly condemning Buxtonians for welcoming President Jagdeo with drumming and fanfare. He cannot have it both ways. He cannot damn the PNC yesterday and now be their champion today. What has fundamentally now changed in that party? Putting a token Indian as leader? Apparently many Buxtonians led by Mr. Mboya Wood et al have learned something that Dr Hinds is yet to comprehend when they secured the $50 million rebuilding of their society hall. Of course, no one expects Dr Kean Gibson and the Afro-centric Dr Hinds to credit Hinduism or Islam as the source of PPP/C success as it is a socialist party and religion is insignificant to them.
How can Drs Hinds and Gibson justifiably blame colonisation and ‘Indianisation’ for black Guyanese economic demise when their PNC party was totally in control?
It’s a known fact that “Indians do not join the army; it’s not profitable.” Then why do Afro-Guyanese choose and are continuing to flock to it? Indians apparently are visibly successful in business and agriculture and for this they reap attacks and condemnation. Can African economic power sustainably accelerate through business and agriculture rather than the armed forces or civil service if there was a role reversal? No? Then continue abstaining from involvement in agriculture and business regardless of Indian entry into the armed forces and stop condemning their economic success or their religious and cultural beliefs including Hinduism, to advance a black agenda.
Both Drs Hinds and Gibson remain so focused on Indo-Guyanese, their religion and their accumulation of wealth as if Indians alone possess the know-how to earn money. Indo-Guyanese however are not the sole ethnic group that controls Guyanese economic heights. Neither do Indo-Guyanese own the biggest stock share in public corporations. One wonders whether some African Guyanese fixation with ownership of wealth will next fall on the necessary foreign investors in Guyana. Apparently the influx into Guyana by Brazilian and Chinese immigrants, the Chinese contractors (at Skeldon and of the CARICOM Secretariat) and the Russian RUSAL ownership of the Linden bauxite mines seem to have, for now, escaped Africanist scrutiny. The target is currently those who are only Indians.
Drs Hinds and Gibson must explain why despite the total African marginal unit of production to GDP in comparison with all the ethnic groups in Guyana they still earn considerably more money from the public treasury and why this has not caused black empowerment? Isn’t it a fact that a physical worker invests tremendous input to create wealth? For example, a sugar worker (both black and Indian) normally wakes up at 4.30 AM (while his wife similarly cooks on a fireside), goes to a stinking backyard latrine dodging snakes and mosquitoes, prays, milks cows, waters his garden, feeds livestock and arrives for “orders” all before sunrise, working all day in the boiling sun and rain till after sundown (sometimes till 830 pm and then has to cut grass and corral for his livestock back to his yard?
Which worker puts in so many hours for lesser total pay compared to those in the civil service and armed forces? And who do they vote for? PPP of course when the Jagans were alive.
Can anyone sensibly justify the large percentage of the budget which maintains a black bureaucracy and yet does not facilitate their economic advancement? Will Drs Hinds and Gibson trade off a Guyana government cutback of blacks from the government bureaucracy, including the various military agencies for land and soft loans to develop economic enterprises for poor people should they migrate to the interior where abundant land is available? Certainly Drs Hinds and Gibson do not expect black economic ‘entrepreneurship ‘on a platter without sacrifices.
It seems that Drs Hinds and Gibson yet do not comprehend that development of a successful business involves taking risks, making major sacrifices, even to health and family, working prolonged hours, sacrificing leisure time unlike most government workers who subscribe to a mere nine to five hour stint.
With Dr Hinds consumed with promotion of another esoteric black political/economic and social philosophy for Afro-Guyanese (sounds like more jump-up and dance) similar to Mr. Eric Phillips African Renaissance about two years ago one wonders if those Buxtonians are divorced from that of Buxtonian Mr. Mboya Woods’s realism who welcomed President Jagdeo. Is Mr. Phillips still teaching black youth karate and how to beat drums and create art? Get on with the programme man. I heard nothing about planting cassava, yams, eddoes and rearing pigs. What happened to plans to rear chickens aback of Buxton? I hope the chickens didn’t fly away or somebody stole them out.
While Dr Hinds is within his democratic right to hawk this “new” Black cultural revolution (one suspects he is being a show off academic) that highlights “old” African emancipation philosophy (in effect old wine in new bottles) he cannot contend nor discard the seven principles of Kwanzaa which provide answers to black Guyanese’s pain and suffering.
Because I have taught it, have learned from it, now kindly allow me to teach, nay remind Drs Hinds and Gibson about Kwanzaa:
1. UMOJA (UNITY), 2. KUJICHAQUILLA (SELF DETERMINATION) 3.UJAMA (COLLECTIVE ECONIMICS IN BLACK ENTREPRENEURSHIP), 4. NIA(ETHNIC PRIDE) 5.IMANI (FAITH)6. KUUMBA(CREATIVITY/ BETTER COMMUNITIES) and 7. UJIMA (collective work and responsibilities….the one I like the best).
Why does Dr. Hinds really need another black cultural revolution is beyond me. How this newly baked Cultural Revolution idea differs from Kwanzaa? Stop this nonsense of blaming colonisation, Indianization, the PPP/C government and Hinduism. Stop reinventing the wheel and sowing confusion with another black cultural revolution. Either you want black people to be wards of the state or emancipate the black Guyanese mind by practising Kwanzaa. What’s so wrong with these teachings and how does it marginalise you?
As an Indian and a Hindu, I do not have the pleasure of any recurring Indian political awakened consciousness to which I can emulate in the new world. Absolutely none.
We are yet to find a new serious unwavering Indian political consciousness Guru who champions Indian consciousness; we are yet to produce an Indian Hinds, Bakr, Phillips, Ogunseye,Kwayana, Gibson or Stokely Carmichael or God forbid, a legalistic Juliet Holder-Allen. Sir Sonny Ramphal, his son-in-law Sir Ron Saunders and Dr Mohammed Shahabuddeen, Ranji Chandisingh Moses Bhagwan, Rupert Roopnarine etc were all on your side.
In the meantime, I remind Dr Hinds: “Indians do not join the army, it’s not profitable.” Yet we still find Afro-Guyanese boldly choosing to go where no Indian dares to go.
I hope your cultural revolution is a grand success despite any taxpayer funding the PPP/C may use to fund its celebration. It’s good old Guyanese election time you know man. But at the end of 2011, I hope you will terminate your blaming everyone else for your problems and be singing a different tune when Kwanzaa rolls around. Who knows, maybe you will invite me for a drink during Kwanzaa, unless Juliet deports me to Devil’s Island.