Dear Editor,
It has long been an effective method used by the PNC and its surrogates to go into the streets in urban guerilla warfare. Whenever members of that party could not get their way, they would violently attack. Events leading to beatings, burnings and the like were common spectacles whenever they were cornered, be it at election time or otherwise.
A Facebook friend challenged me on the point that the last teachers’ strike action was a peaceful exercise, and should be a point of note. And this is exactly my point: had this strike been in the setting as in the Desmond Hoyte days, there was the certainty of buildings going up in flames and teachers of a certain race or perceived political lineage being targeted. This is the naked reality that we have had to face here in Guyana.
One would recall the days of carnage that took place when Hoyte lost the 1992 Elections. For two long years, the PNC mobilised forces on the streets, causing violence of every imaginary kind. The Government of Janet Jagan finally gave in to pressure, and the Constitution was amended to usher in laws stipulating that leaders have to be born here in Guyana, and that leaders were to be limited to two terms in office.
Even the teachers’ strike that came soon after that saw its own violent turns and twists, and eventually went to arbitration.
The present lot of union leaders and other leaders in the Opposition are still stuck in the slavery of mob rule and mob justice. They strongly believe that they could resurrect that strategy and force the Government into giving in to their inordinate demands. I am talking about people who believe that they could exacerbate the teachers’ strike to bring about their own political agenda.
But Guyana has long since gone past that era of mob justice, as other unions shunned their entreaties to go on to the streets and civilized Guyana frowned on such actions. What was visibly seen and felt was that reasoned and civilized bargaining is the way to go. We look to the future for amicable, free and frank discussions to solve our problems.
Respectfully submitted,
Neil Adams
