Dear Editor,
The flag-raising event to commemorate our 58th Independence Anniversary should have been a non-event, so said the Opposition PNC.
Consumed by a spirit of negativity, they had asked the people of Linden to boycott the event. However, interestingly enough, that call to stay away was scoffed at by Lindeners, who otherwise came out in their numbers to another national milestone event.
This year’s independence celebrations in Linden marks another step in the bonding of our nation in unity as we journey on the road of development and progress. No longer would we allow ourselves to be divided by politics, race, or geographical location; we are all one people, one nation, and looking forward to arriving at a unified destination.
The Opposition’s retrograde call stems from the fact that they claim Linden to be a PNC Exclusive Zone, and, as such, a PPP/C Government has no business holding an event there. Nice sounding words to those who wish to see us divided. However, that did not take place, which sends a clear message to the Opposition that we now stand together as one people.
Gone are the days of the PNC’s triumphalism and no-go areas, we are now in the state where every habitable place in these 83,000 square miles of territory is open to Government to meet and fellowship with its people.
The Linden situation reminds us of an earlier time when President Bharrat Jagdeo visited the squatting area of Angoy’s Avenue on the outskirts of New Amsterdam. That visit brought consternation from the PNC- controlled municipality there. In that instance, the PNC’s contention was: (a) the President should have asked their permission to go to the squatting area, and: (b) the monetary handout of $10M should have been handed over to the town council instead.
Again, this highlights another attempt by the PNC at asserting themselves with that “control” dogma.
President Jagdeo quickly curbed their enthusiasm with the statement, “I am President of all of Guyana”, hence no place is excluded from his outreach and no place is excluded from his largesse. The PNC have, over the years, valiantly struggled with that reality, backing themselves into a miserable corner as their so-called grip on strongholds slowly diminish.
What the PNC must realize is that Guyana has moved on, never to be the same again. We are now looking forward to a new Guyana: where peace, progress and harmony reigns supreme.
Respectfully,
Neil Adams
