On the eve of this year’s Diwali, your Eyewitness is reminded of the then PNC Education Minister Nicolette Henry’s 2017 faux pas when she confused Diwali with Phagwah!! Speaking at a function on Phagwah – organised by their Ministry of Culture – she told her audience: “I would begin by saying Happy Phagwah, Happy Holi. On Sunday, March 12th, here, in Guyana, and around the world, Hindus will be celebrating Diwali, the Festival of Lights”!!
She couldn’t tell the difference between Phagwah – the exuberant festival of water and colours, and Diwali – the serene festival of lights!! Ragged over her mix-up in Parliament, she retorted, “I am not a Chatree, so I may not know when there is Diwali or Phagwah, but I do know what it takes to improve the education sector.”
And in this lies one of the great contradictions in our country: a PNC Minister of Education – responsible for educating the children in schools and adults in university, feels that she can transmit education – writ large – to our multicultural nation without being aware of the distinction in two major festivals of the largest cultural block in the country!! Not to mention that she put her foot in her mouth again when, in trying to take a crack at Nandalall, she demonstrated that she hadn’t the foggiest idea who a “Chatree” was!!
The point of it all, of course, was made clear by Pres Ali at the inauguration of the Diwali festival celebrations in Reg 3, at the National Athletic Stadium last Monday night!! The President explained at great length the fundamental role culture plays in every society, and more so in one that’s as multicultural as ours. He illustrated it with references to Diwali and its ultimate grounding in spirituality in such a profound manner that it was hard to believe he’s a Muslim!! But he’s a Muslim in our multicultural ONE Guyana, and he took the time to become familiar with the belief and practices of other cultures.
We may have all the money in the world flowing into our little country, but if we don’t address our divisions, we will remain underdeveloped in the most profound way: pointing fingers and always at each other’s throats!!
And this is where the position by some Opposition elements in one of the fringe parties is very dangerous: when they dub folks from other cultures – who take time to understand African-Guyanese culture and ambitions and try to work with them in development with the PPP government – as “slave catchers”.
What this does is not only maintain the walls of differences and doubts, but undermine well-meaning efforts towards building a nation – One Guyana. This does not have to mean an obliteration of differences, but respect for same!! Go Ali!!
…who’re Guyanese
Your Eyewitness was gobsmacked a few years back – yes mate, “gobsmacked”! – to learn that ANSA McAL was allowed to purchase 82 acres of land at Wales, and would be constructing “a wharf and laydown yard”!! Now, a “laydown yard” – your Eyewitness discovered after hitting his Google search button – “is an area on a construction site where tools, materials, equipment, and vehicles are stored temporarily when they are not in use. Laydown areas are most common on construction sites, but other industries like manufacturing or oil field operations use them as well.”
And yes, dear reader, that “oil field operations” clause stuck out like a very sore thumb!! In your Eyewitness’s mind, there’s absolutely no doubt ANSA was planning to service the Oil Industry. So, what about our “LOCAL CONTENT LAW”?? Forget all the patter from the ANSA execs about loving Guyana and all that – aren’t they gonna be transmitting their profits to the la la land of Trinidad???
So, did ANSA ever take in a LOCAL PARTNER??
…handles
Elon Musk knew, when he became Twitter’s owner, that he’d be called the Chief Twit! So, he changed the name to “X”!! But with all the weird things he’s done since then, the “X” merely served to MULTIPLY his “twittiness”!!
