Dear Editor,
From time immemorial and throughout the human existence one characteristic of the human being has remained constant and that is many of us are never satisfied and contentment is a constant challenge. Our wants are always insatiable no matter how much we are given, and religions and philosophical thinkers have written volumes trying to quell this thirst for more and more and in some instances, they were able to be successful but in the majority of cases they failed to cure the human greed. The Holy Bible, the Holy Quran and the Bhagavad Gita exhort us to have patience and to be contented. In the world today we need a spiritual revival.
Today, in Guyana this greed has become intensified as cash and gifts are being floating around in different parts of rural areas to the point where the contentment of the people are put to a test and greed is exposed. It has escalated to a point where some people are of the opinion that the Government should be handing out not only a hundred thousand dollars but a million dollar to each individual, in addition to a house and land and a motor car. This is the starting proposal which I feel will escalate to another level even if materialized. This is probably a mission for Santa Claus and not a sitting government. Even Santa Claus does not create such high expectations but the masses believe that the billionaire philanthropist Mr Azruddin Mohammed could achieve this by waving a magic wand. It is easy and costs nothing to listen to the concerns of citizens and placate them and allow them to believe that such a utopian society is achievable. It is commendable that this person undoubtedly, has done more than many rich persons in this country: donating houses, cars, and other material items but the misconception that this can be done for each and every Guyanese is certainly impossible. I am sure that every person who surrounded him is afflicted by this illusive dream.
In Islam the holy prophet, peace be upon him, made it pellucid when he emphasized the importance of giving charity, especially in secret, and cautioned against giving charity to be seen by men, as this would make it a form of self-promotion rather than genuine compassion. The intention when giving charity (Zakaat) is also an important factor which must be seriously considered. This show of charity is condemned not only in Islam but by all religions.
In all fairness to Mr Mohamed, he has not openly declared his intention to form a political party and contest the upcoming general elections but the people attending his outreaches seemed to encourage him to do so and some even addressed him as their ‘president’. What is a critical point to note is that he did not discourage them to address him as such and this would seem to suggest that at some point in time he will enter the political arena. However, at one of his ‘outreach’ in Glasgow he indicated that he can defeat all the political parties. This implies contesting the upcoming Elections. Therefore, it would seem that at this point he is doing a feasibility study to test the waters before his final decision. However, attracting a crowd of people whose intention is just for their own short term selfish agenda and not that of the country as a whole is bound to fail when the goodies stop flowing as the finances dry up. It is basic economics that resources are limited in comparison to our wants and this means that choices have to be made. A country is not run like a charity home. Mr Ravi Dev of ROAR learned this the hard way when he decided to launch into politics after having crowds across the country at his many outreaches and he is by far more intellectually capable than many persons I have seen and heard.
What is appalling and disappointing is that some of our people suffer from selective amnesia. Just over four years ago our economy was on the verge of bankruptcy with massive squandering by the Coalition government from 2015 to 2020. Over seven thousand sugar workers were pauperized overnight and the wage freeze in the sugar industry was reminiscence of the Burnham era. People were literally starving and children were not able to attend school on a regular basis and some had to drop out to earn money for food. The Because We Care cash grant was callously snatched away as was the old age pensioner water and electricity subsidies. Roads, bridges and other infrastructure were falling apart. Today, these same people who are complaining are walking on roads and not dirt dams and the general aesthetic quality of the environment has improved beyond expectations. Their pockets have more disposable income with every annual budget. Over 15,000 part time jobs were created in Region 6 alone with a person earning $40 thousand per month by just working 10 days per month for an approximate 4 hours daily. This is $600 million per month or $7.2 billion per annum. This has greatly improved the lives of their family since most of these persons have other sources of income (some have husbands working). What is the amount of money Mr Mohammed has donated so far? This is the money earned by part time workers alone and is just a speck of what this Government has done to improve the lives of people in Region 6. One must not forget the $100 thousand for every mother giving birth and the $100 K cash grant.
Why are some people so myopic? The whole country is benefitting from these magnanimous initiatives, the brainchild of the Vice President. The list of benefits to the people from the 2025 Budget is unending.
I have never witnessed such gullibility in my life. How can anyone’s conscience allow them to give false expectations when he is fully aware that this is just a publicity stunt? How can people not think about what their living conditions were just a few years ago and what it has elevated to now? Some serious introspection is needed. Not so long ago the Guyanese people were crying for change and now again they are crying for change. One needs to understand that this government has resolved so many issues affecting the people and has put this country once again in an upward trajectory. Patience is a virtue, just like contentment and we need to assess where we are today as a nation compared to where we were just 4 years ago.
This is a democratic country and everyone is free to express his or her opinion but deceiving the populace is morally wrong and as the Vice President pointed out at his weekly press conference violence in any form cannot be condoned and protests should be peaceful and within the confine of our laws.
Yours sincerely,
Haseef Yusuf
