Dear Editor,
Reading Christopher Ram’s letter (in the media) captioned “What are the real curses?” was quite refreshing, since I really thought the local thinkers were going to allow those reprehensible statements from President Granger to slide.
It is shocking how hugely and strangely ill-informed Mr Granger really is on the topic of the workings of the Guyanese economy, both now and in the last century, although he claimed he is a historian.
The danger for Guyana is that there is in charge today someone who does not have a clue what these so-called curses mean for the working family in the mining, forestry, and agriculture sectors. But what is even more dangerous is that there is an unwillingness to understand what these so-called “curses” did for black and brown lives in Guyana for centuries.
Pulling them down is not an option if you are too incompetent to replace them with alternative economic sectors. Thus this Granger cabal have not earned the right to call any sector a “curse” when their track record reveals that they are clearly unable to construct alternative economic sectors to exculpate their position. Thus there is no defence for these silly comments from Mr. Granger.
One hears of the “green economy”, the “digital economy”, the “good life”; but I am convinced that once this kleptocratic Granger regime is in place, all these phrases are an adventure in storytelling (in Guyanese parlance, Nancy Stories). Here, we have a CEO claiming that he wants to rebuild the systems in Guyana, but rather than do the honourable thing and declare his intent to restructure the system in a fair, transparent and accountable manner, he launches into sly actions to provide coverage for his action.
One has only to reflect on the recently concluded Paul Slowe-headed Commission of Inquiry. Such a course of action represents a character flaw that is grounded in dishonour, deception, and dishonesty. Millions of taxpayers’ dollars were wasted on a Commission of Inquiry to investigate bogus charges brought by a clearly mentally challenged individual when the work of an experienced detective would have done adequately. But these millions had to be wasted to provide the cover for an agenda that is grounded in prejudice.
Current research on this Granger regime really points to the fact that it is a really chaotic project that is focused on the seemingly private enrichment of a small cabal, funded by the public treasury. But what is most concerning is that, fundamentally, this Granger cabal is widely perceived to be structured along racial lines. What Mr Granger’s legacy has been to date is the manifestation that one group of people has more rights to, and more economic privileges to, rule over the ordinary black and brown people of Guyana.
‘Grangerism’ is nothing but a stain on our collective identity. Unfortunately, many in the ruling cabal think Grangerism is a good thing because of their newly bestowed perks and privileges. But for the ordinary black and brown families of Guyana, who are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet, their plea every day is that they have not seen things this tough in Guyana since the horrible days of 1984 under Burnham.
So, in conclusion, when Mr Granger exhibits such executive arrogance, where he believes he can utter words to the effect that the industries that fed the families of Guyana for over a century are “curses”, he must be called out. His statements are nothing but an aloft attempt at revising history. He must not be allowed to do this; not today, not tomorrow, not ever!
Regards,
Sase Singh
