Phagwah and Parody
Junior Education Minister Nicolette Henry needs to be schooled on the difference between Phagwah and Diwali. Her inability to differentiate between Phagwah and Diwali is not only an embarrassment for the Minister now equally responsible for spearheading the portfolios of the former Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry, but it is also a gross disrespect to the Hindu community which represents some 25 per cent of the population (based on 2012 census). The speech that was delivered by the Minister was quite possibly an old one coined for Diwali and merely edited (albeit insufficiently) for this year’s Phagwah message. Nevertheless, unless Minister Henry is competing with Minister Ramjattan for negative popularity ratings, she ought to act like she actually deserves the PhD scholarship funded by the tax payers, instead of parodying a culture minister!
The importance of Phagwah is not just limited to its religious signification for Hindus, but is also one of the national holidays which best unites Guyanese of all backgrounds who partake in the Holi festivities. Subsequently, one might expect some effort from the Minister to denote her understanding and appreciation for a holiday that is highly expressive of our cultural diversity.
Yet, some defend that the qualities of the Minister shouldn’t be judged on the basis of her ignorance regarding Phagwah since “we all make mistakes”. However, “mistakes” like these have become too redundant under the coalition in too short a lapse of time to escape criticism. And with two Ministers the Education Ministry, along with the support of two Cultural Policy Advisors, how could Phagwah and Diwali be confounded and more importantly, how could the error slip into the public domain unnoticed? Perhaps some are spending too much time on Government payroll, at the expense of taxpayers, engaging in political activism on social media?
Whatever the reason, this is inadmissible when one considers the massive salaries both Roopnaraine and Henry take home each month; monthly salaries that most Guyanese earning minimum wage don’t earn in a year. It is equally unacceptable considering that Minister Henry like other members and close affiliates of the coalition, (including Roopnaraine’s daughter), is being paid a full PhD scholarship to the tune of G$3.3 million by Guyanese taxpayers and in spite of her salary, when so many young people cannot afford higher education in Guyana. One would think that with her first blunder committed during the 2016 Flag Raising ceremony at D’Urban Park which resulted in a diplomatic embarrassment for the Opposition, Henry would have taken her duties a tad bit more seriously. But just as she remained unapologetic for her mismanagement of the 2016 flag raising ceremony, she continues to display the same arrogance in her parliamentary presentations and carelessness in her work approach.
The poalition’s insouciance might as well be demonstrative of a general lack of competence ranging from elementary grammar mistakes on public signboards (Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Education…) to the inability to pen a few lines for a public message without causing Guyanese some form of embarrassment. Ironically, the coalition isn’t as skilled in basic administrative tasks as it is in let’s say, corruption and mismanagement of State resources! But when two Ministers, two Cultural Policy Advisors and their staff are incapable of discerning the difference between Diwali and Phagwah, one is forced to wonder just how committed the Ministry is to the sensitive, more urgent issues of national unity and social cohesion. As a matter of fact, one wonders just how culturally sensitive these senior officials are, to deserve the salaries and perks which come with their titles.
How can we expect a credible national cultural policy from a Ministry that cannot differentiate between Phagwah and Diwali, when the largest cultural group in Guyana is formed predominantly by Indians of the Hindu fate? How can the Government promote inclusiveness – social cohesion – when such a numerically important segment of the population is embarrassed by the Education Ministry (Culture)?
While it is true that there are bigger problems resulting from the current socioeconomic decay in which the coalition has plunged Guyana, the issues of social cohesion and national unity (both embedded in the coalition manifesto) are equally necessary for our country’s human development.
It is therefore troubling to observe once again, this time through the person of Minister Henry, the nonchalance and mediocrity which impede on the forging of a socially cohesive nation, built on the principles of respect and inclusiveness for human diversities.
