Are we returning to kick down door banditry?

Dear Editor,
Since the change of Government – from the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) to the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition – in May last year, there has been a sharp increase in all kinds of crime; particularly robberies, most of it ethnically directed. On a daily basis, since May 2015, there have been media reports of multiple incidents of some of the most heinous crimes (robberies) imaginable in addition to racially directed violence.
Many people have had their homes or businesses invaded during which they were violently attacked (some fatally) and robbed; scores of business people were murdered. Business persons and ordinary folks have also been routinely robbed as they go about their journeys in the streets shopping and or banking, or on their travels to and from work. Very little is being done to reduce, much less to end, these racially inspired crimes.
There is no direct evidence linking the coalition APNU/AFC Government to these notorious criminal acts. But the nature of the types of dastardly crimes committed today bring back memories of what took place under the People’s National Congress (PNC) ethnic dictatorship against Indians during the late 1970s and through the 1980s in what came to be known as “the era of kick down door banditry”.
The PNC dictatorship was implicated in and even accused of, being the chief sponsor of those brutal crimes committed against Indians. Indians felt the dictator Forbes Burnham and one of his lieutenants (who went on to serve as Prime Minister) and other racists introduced the “kick down the door” policy as a means to seize wealth of non-supporters and put fear in Indians, forcing them to migrate”. There was virulent anti-Indianism from the PNC leadership. At a public meeting, Burnham asked PNC supporters: “Comrades, who mined the gold?” The rhetorical response from his supporters was “We do comrade leader”. And Burnham asked: “Who has the gold now, comrades? Who wears the gold and who have the gold in their homes”? He implored: “Take back your gold from them (meaning Indians)”. Kick down door crimes were encouraged and became widespread in Indian communities.
There was the charge that the kick down the door policy was used to instil fear in Indians, Chinese and whites to force their migration so as to strengthen the PNC’s numerical support. African nationalist Eusi Kwayana as well as other Africans nationalists said the PNC Government did nothing to stop criminals from attacking and robbing Indians in the streets and invading their homes or businesses. Dr Cheddi Jagan and other prominent politicians also accused the PNC Government of being behind the violent kick down door robberies and other atrocities committed on non supporters of the dictatorship.
There were countless reports in the Caribbean Contact newspaper and other regional media on the racist nature of the violent robberies linking the PNC to them. Many of these crimes were committed by members of the House of Israel para military group that was organised by Rabbi Washington (black American fugitive David Hill) and funded by the PNC dictatorship. People claimed that some criminals in jails were furloughed and instructed to commit crimes against Indians. The criminals were given arms to commit crimes after which they returned to prison which served as an alibi; they received special privileges in jail and part of the loot.
Roopnarine who campaigned for the AFC in last year’s elections said that several victims of kick down door robberies identified the perpetrators of the crimes in complaints at Police stations, but no one was arrested and no action taken against the bandits. In several cases, the victims identified criminal elements among the Police and soldiers as the perpetrators of kick down door banditry. Instead of the accused being arrested, the victims were arrested. The Police often harassed, intimidated and beat those (victims and their families) who filed complaints against them. This discouraged complaints against kick down door banditry.
But the Indian businessmen decided to take action; they came together as a group in late 1980s and decided to approach the Government for relief. A delegation of Indian businessmen met the dictator Desmond Hoyte and appealed to him to put an end to the kick down door policy which was being encouraged and funded by one of his colleagues and nemesis. Hoyte issued a directive to the Police and Army to put an end to kick door policy. Several of the violent bandits were arrested and hanged, which triggered a power struggle between Hoyte and his nemesis, who opposed to Hoyte’s softening attitude towards Indians. Hoyte ended the kick down door banditry sidelining his nemesis who continued his own anti-Indian policy.
Hoyte lost power in 1992, but his party is back in power. And kick down door banditry seems to have returned after a break of 25 years. The APNU/AFC coalition has not taken significant measures to reduce these types of crimes. Is it because it will drive fear among Indians forcing them to migrate and secure elections for the PNC?
Will David Granger act like Hoyte and take measures to end the kick down banditry? Many Indian businesses funded the APNU/AFC with over a billion dollars in the 2015 election campaign. Some of them are now victims of kick down door banditry similar to how they funded Burnham in the 1970s and 1980s. They should form a delegation and meet Granger and demand he put an end to kick down door banditry.

Yours truly,
Vishnu Bisram