Home Letters Evidence exists of racially biased practices of coalition Government
Dear Editor,
The response to Bharrat Jagdeo’s charge of racism in Guyana is all hot air, unsupported with credible evidence. Indo-Guyanese feel Jagdeo is justified in making the charge that Indians are the victims of racism.
Guyana is a racially divided society and every Government decision or aspect of life has been viewed through the prism of ethnicity, even when race has nothing to do with the act; it is an inescapable, immutable fact of our society. It is no different in other ethnically divided societies and even in advanced democracies like the UK, Canada, Switzerland, Belgium and Jim Crow America. Government, therefore, must take care not to pursue measures that will be construed as being deliberately “ethnic”. But that is exactly what it has been doing since it took power in 2015. Removing primarily Indians or Amerindians from jobs, for example, or hiring only PNC/AFC party supporters, or targeting PPP supporters for SARU and SOCU, as has been the case since May 2015, would inevitably be viewed as ethnic in nature, not different from say, what happened to Black Americans in Jim Crow US. It is in this context that Indian and Amerindian Guyanese feel they have been victims of racial discrimination. And those who feel they have been victims of discrimination, as well as those who advocate their case should not be condemned as has been the case in the media over the last week. Victims, as well as advocates have a right to express their views. If advocates like Dr King or Malcolm X or Congressman Lewis had not spoken out against Blacks, change and equality would not have come about in America.
Making a claim that there is racism in Guyana does not mean there is racism. A case has to be made out with solid evidence (facts, anecdotes, etc). But to attack those who claim that there is racism in Guyana is unacceptable and such attacks are themselves a racist position; they are the real racists. Let the advocates make their case and those who disagree offer sound counter-arguments – don’t attack the messengers that they are pandering to ethnicity. In which multi-ethnic state do ethnic leaders not pander to ethnicity? Even Donald Trump in developed America has been pandering to Whites against Hispanics, Blacks, Asians, natives, and Indians. Conversations with every Indian, Amerindian, Chinese, Portuguese and even some Mixed and Black Guyanese in the greater New York area reveal a feeling of discrimination directed against supporters in Guyana based on political affiliation and ethnicity. To justify this discrimination with the excuse that “PPP also discriminated when it was in office”, if indeed it discriminated against people, is not a sound counter-argument. That in and of itself is an acceptance there is racism directed against Indians. The PNC/AFC campaigned on a theme that it would be different from PPP. So doing more of the same (ethnic discrimination) is not what people voted for and is not justifiable grounds to practice ethnic cleansing of Indians. And at any rate, the country needs national unity. It cannot afford an ongoing policy of racial victimization, or discrimination.
In our fragile democracy, Government cannot govern only for those (50 per cent) who voted for it. It must govern for all. Besides the country has been retrogressing and needs all hands on deck for growth and development. Prosperity can only be experienced through race-neutral policies. Otherwise, the country will return to that dark period of bankruptcy, as happened during the 1970s and 1980s.
The Government has given the opposition cause to cry discrimination based on those who were fired or terminated or removed from their job, as well as those who it has hired. Even when race has nothing to do with a Government action, racial foul is cried. In Guyana, almost everyone hired or every Government advisor and board appointee, it is claimed, is a known supporter of the regime. Almost every diplomatic appointee, save Bayney Karran, is a Government supporter. So evidence exists on discrimination against Indians and other PPP supporters.
To address charges of discrimination, government must depoliticize and “de-ethnicise” appointments, investigations, decision makings, and policies. It must spread resources evenly across all groups and neighbourhoods. It must make every effort to appoint people on merit to reflect the composition of the population so as to neutralize the charge of racism. If appointments were racially balanced and if most people who were/are fired are not Indians and Amerindians, charges of discrimination would not have been made. Also, to address charges of discrimination, real or perceived, the Government has to implement its promise of power sharing among the ethnic groups and parties. Failing that, charges and counter charges of discrimination will continue ad infinitum.
Yours truly,
Vishnu Bisram