Your Eyewitness is bemused at the opposition’s ploy of counterposing the government’s relief programs for sections of the populace to insist there’s racial discrimination being practised. They know fully well that in our country, their tactic is cold and callous since it can certainly lead to increased suspicion and hostility among our people. Their most predictable trope is to contrapose “sugar workers” versus “public servants” – which every Guyanese knows the Opposition means Indian versus African Guyanese.
Now, right off the bat, one can see how the Opposition has absolutely no regard for facts – and would do anything to stir up racial animosity – since more than 30% of sugar workers are African Guyanese. And whatever imbalance there is it’s because of historical circumstances. The point is sugar workers face the most challenging circumstances in Guyana to complete their “tasks” – which are the same going all the way back to slavery and indentureship! If sugar workers were lying on a bed of roses, your Eyewitness wonders why Public Servants aren’t lining up to fill the endemic openings in the industry!! They aren’t fools – that’s why!! They’ve never tried to exchange their air-conditioned offices for the sun, rain, and other brutal elements they’d have to overcome! Burnham tried it once when sugar workers went on strike during the seventies – and those psyches still haven’t recovered!! Ask the Sanctimonious Gangster!!
Then, the assistance to “sugar workers” was necessary for several specific negative reasons that did not impact on public servants. The first one that jumps out is the vindictive act of the APNU/AFC government to shutter four estates and throw 7000 workers into the breadlines!! The “economic” argument are specious and disingenuous since their own $150-million-COI recommended that the entire corporation be “reconditioned” and privatised after three years!! How long did the Opposition think the “severance” pay would last?? If the Opposition was concerned about pressures on the government’s purse, how come during that time their government INCREASED the number of Central Government employees by FIVE THOUSAND!??!
The Opposition has to stop playing these divisive politics – if for no other reason than it’s not even helping their own cause and just increasing the bitterness in the society. The PPP appears to’ve learnt this lesson: they’re court all groups as exemplified by Pres Ali making pointed incursions into African Guyanese villages . On Monday it was Den Amstel’s turn on West Demerara after Mocha, Buxton, Golden Grove etc. And it’s not just “moutar” – in each of these villages specific infrastructural and employment initiatives was unfurled!!
If the Opposition think they’re solidifying their base by their bitter denunciations of the PPP “favouring” the “other”, their erstwhile supporters’ experience would tell them differently!!
The Opposition definitely needs a “whole new game!!
…tourists’ needs versus ours
If this is November, it gotta be “Tourism Awareness Month” and the theme is….drumroll!!… ‘All Sectors, One Tourism’!!! Your Eyewitness figures this means all sectors – including the new kid on the block Oil – should get their act together to woo tourists!! Now, if the truth be told, he never did take this tourism bit very high in his esteem. Tourists come to the Caribbean with deeply entrenched stereotypical views – what Naipaul call the “Bongo Man” syndrome. This isn’t very far from the Sambo stereotype that came out of slavery – with the obligatory steppin’, fetchin’ and grinnin’!!
Of course, your Eyewitness doesn’t consider those “returning Guyanese” – who have the right to vote under protest by the Opposition!! – as tourists. Excepting when they attempt that faux Yankee accent that makes him cringe!! But since the government has already launched the Tourism Month we might as well get something out of it.
He suggests we launch a “Get rid of vendors from Georgetown Streets Movement” to salve the tourists’ sensibilities!!
…villages
While we’re in this tourism frenzy – which intersects with the government’s intermittent national and regional “clean-ups” – why don’t we bring back those “Best Village” competitions of yore??
That’ll please tourists – while earning winning villages hefty prizes!!
