THERE is a proliferation of letters back and forth on the subject of the banning of food items and who were the individuals affected. In fact I should rephrase the question-who were the individuals most affected by the banning of certain food items when of course the argument takes a sudden turn at the race factor. So the discussion enters the realm of specifics, which race did the banning of food items impacted on most? Here is where the anger of some in the Black section of the population runs riot. From the many letters in the printed press one would be tempted to believe that the Indian section of the populace were the ones to feel it most; the Indians whose religious ceremonies involved the use of mohanbogh and many other sweet meats not forgetting the delightful tastes of dhal and roti.
But are these things really Indian, reserved for an Indian household only? Of course not, those foods mentioned earlier far transcends the race barrier these foods are more a reflection of things “Guyanese” foods we all cherish wherever we find ourselves in or out of Guyana. Unlike the Black writers who were apologetic and acting stupid on this atrocity of the Burnham era, the predominantly Indian writers on that subject were bold enough to highlight it and should have been commended, not chided.

I wish to draw to the attention of those in the Black community a few salient facts; banning of certain items did affect all church goers in the Christian community and I speak of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in particular of which I am a congregant.
I vividly remember how the banning of wheaten flour and grape wine affected the church greatly because certain ordinances of the church such as Holy Communion would have lost that sacred touch without the usual unleavened bread and unfermented wine. Those in the church hierarchy not to be undone petitioned, literally begged, Burnham for a reprieve only to be rebuffed by him uttering those infamous words “you people can use cherry juice instead.” Our church leaders had only one redress, resort to the smuggling in of wine and flour or the purchasing of these items on the black market, it was a dark and difficult period for the church then with a leader who couldn’t care less of church or people. Yet many in the Seventh Day Adventist Church who approximately 80% of its membership hold allegiance to the PNC regime would selectively choose to be amnesiac as to the obvious violation of this their sacred responsibility to God and say this never happened.
The fact of the matter is whenever discussions of this nature surfaces I would like my fellow writers to be civil in their penmanship and leave out the politics and race factor.