Halt on Hinds’ and Lewis’ columns was inevitable

Dear Editor,
During last week, we witnessed the mini drama of the Chronicle newspaper standing by its decision to cease publishing articles by Dr David Hinds and Mr Lincoln Lewis. Both men, and some others, have expressed great disappointment at the Chronicle’s decision. Both are supporters of the APNU, and are, no doubt, feeling betrayed.
This is the continuation by the Chronicle. Recall Ricky Singh was earlier banned. At that time, Hinds and his cohorts said nothing.
Another member of the WPA, who, like Hinds, has a history of struggle against the PNC dictatorship, also joined in expressing disappointment at the actions.
These gentlemen seem surprised and taken aback by the action to ban them. They are surprised because they chose to forget, and abandoned the strong, anti-dictatorial, pro-democratic position of Walter Rodney. Instead, they have embraced the racial positions of the PNC/APNU.
Having said that, let me hasten to say that Rodney was an even stronger defender of the black working people than Hinds and Ogunseye. However, he was also a strong opponent of black racism. He was in the mould of Mandela and Cheddi Jagan, who were all opposed to any form of oppression of the working people, or of oppression of any race.
The behaviour of the likes of Dr Hinds and Mr Ogunseye is in a way a demonstration of the power of Rodney’s intellect and charisma. It is clear that Hinds and Ogunseye were only concerned about the position of Afro-Guyanese. However, despite themselves, Rodney was able to pull them along a progressive path — that of freedom for all oppressed peoples in Guyana and everywhere.

Afro-Guyanese suffered greatly under the PNC as well. All our working people, regardless of their ethnic origins, suffered.
That is the only basis for their support. Both between 1964 and 1992, and from 2015 to the present, they have failed in every area: economy, social sector, etc. They are holding on to the racial card; it is the only card they have.
Hinds and Ogunseye have abandoned Rodney. That is why they said nothing when Indo-Guyanese were and are being purged from the public service. Not a word on the obvious racial bias in hiring in the public service; the Elections Commission and public corporations.
Even the black people that the APNU/PNC attacked, like the farmers at Seafield and Number 41 Village, West Coast Berbice have not been defended by those “Rodneyites”. They have not come to their defence because they have been sucked into the PNC/APNU position that those people support the PPP.
Our country produced some very powerful intellectuals among all races. Many of them were able to break free from narrow confines of their own ethnic groups to be fighters for freedom everywhere. Cheddi Jagan, Walter Rodney, Ashton Chase, Brindley Benn, C.V. Nunes, C.J. Jacobs, Boysie Ramkarran, Fenton Ramsahoye, E.M.G. Wilson, Janet Jagan are some that immediately come to mind.
The PNC/APNU have not changed. They have never apologized for their anti-independence role, their undemocratic rule, and the accompanying brutality.
All the signs now point to a deterioration in democratic norms. We are moving back to the worst days of the 1970s and 1980s.
Hinds and Ogunseye have travelled some distance, but still find themselves trapped in purely ethnic confines. Maybe their lucrative jobs have stifled their consciences and made them forget the main principles that Rodney stood for. Hinds and Ogunseye should not be surprised by their treatment. It was bound to happen.

Sincerely,
Donald Ramotar
Former President