Dear Editor,
Former Chairman of Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) Solomon Sharma wrote an interesting article about the anniversary of the “Son Chapman.” It’s a sad part of our history when innocent lives were lost due to evil. Ravi Dev added to this piece by pointing out that Solomon Sharma left out the part of the history of Linden when he either failed to or disregard the casualty of the “Indian” before and after the Son Chapman incident. Very interesting.
Sase Singh wrote a very informative letter in respect to the appointment of Permanent Secretaries in the various Ministries. His assertion that our current Government (whether deliberately or unconsciously) appointed 17 of the 18 from the “African” community. This is not new in our country. The question is, “where do we go from here?”
I would like to address the ethnic problem in our country. I will repeat what Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo stated in the last election campaign, for which he was roundly condemned by the previous Government. He stated that he is not “Indian”. I responded to his statement with a letter to the press, full supporting the Prime Minister’s statement. None of us who were born in Guyana are “Indians” or “Africans”. To be Indian or African is not an ethnic group. We are Guyanese of different ethnic groups. People of every ethnic group on the Earth were born in Africa today. Does this means that they are all “blacks?” No, but they are qualified to be called “African” because they were born on that continent. Similarly, in India, people of different ethnic groups were born there today, and that qualifies them to be called Indian. So the nationality of someone born in India or in Africa makes those people “Indian” and “African” respectively. But in Africa, their nationality is not only African, but Nigerian, Libyan, Ghanian, and so on. In Guyana, we are neither “Indian’ nor “African.” We are Guyanese by nationality.
The people in Guyana need to wake up from our slumber. The country is blessed with the greatest ethnic and cultural groups in the world, and what are we doing? Instead of celebrating our great cultures with pride and joy, we seem bent on destroying each other. How long, how long, will be the cry?
My recommendation is that we carry out a detailed survey in two predominantly “African” villages, two predominantly “Indian” villages, two communities of “both ethnic group”, and two “Amerindian” villages. Let us find out what these communities need to make our country move forward. Our researchers must compile the findings of these surveys and then propose new measures to launch a “New” Guyana. We can use the information from the survey to write a “New” Constitution and begin the process of building our people rather than tearing us apart. The funds for this project should come from our business community, the Government and other interested parties. We can then use some of our students from the University of Guyana to work with our researchers to get this done.
Let us put our hands to the plough and build a “New” Guyana for our children and grandchildren, and let us begin to celebrate our different ethnic groups and their rich cultures with pomp and glory.
Sincerely,
Charles Sugrim
