Marginalisation of Afro-Guyanese claims
President David Granger is coming in for heavy criticism and faces accusations of inciting racism, after he claimed at the weekend that Afro-Guyanese were marginalised by previous Administrations.
Addressing the opening of Cuffy250’s fourth Annual State of the African Guyanese Forum at the Critchlow Labour College Sunday morning, President Granger claimed that ethnic discrimination and lack of equal access to public services contribute to inequality, adding that people of African descent have in the past alleged such acts of discrimination in the Public and Private Sectors.
“There is evidence that there was discrimination. We must now correct that situation because discrimination against anyone promotes insecurity and social exclusion and that can lead to disorder,” the President said.
Rohee said even though his Party was still analysing the President’s statement, Granger’s comments were duplicitous, especially since it was the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Administration, which had labelled as inciting racism, statements in New York by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo that Indo-Guyanese and other Guyanese supportive of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) were being discriminated against and victimised by the Government..
“Mr Granger as the President of this country seems to be speaking with a forked tongue,” Rohee declared.
Clement Rohee
He went on to explain that on one hand the President is saying that Jagdeo should temper his language and should not speak out in favour of people who have been marginalised and oppressed, while he himself is making allegations of ethnic marginalisation, the very thing he accused the Opposition Leader of doing.
Rohee noted the evidence of marginalisation of Indo-Guyanese and other Guyanese who are associated with the PPP was glaring, pointing to what was taking place in the sugar industry and the Government’s plans to close the industry which employed mainly Indo-Guyanese, the current troubles facing rice, another sector in which the majority of the farmers are Indo-Guyanese.
He, however, went on to explain that Jagdeo did make it clear that apart from Indo-Guyanese, other persons perceived to be supporters of the PPP were also being victimised and marginalised by the Government.
Rohee argued that Jagdeo’s statements in New York were rooted in facts, unlike the claims of the President, for which there is no empirical evidence and, as such, the PPP remained resolute in its support for the Opposition Leader.
“When you attack Mr Jagdeo especially in those terms, it’s an attack on the PPP. Mr Jagdeo cannot be separated from the PPP and vice versa. So when you attack Mr Jagdeo on the question of racism, it’s an attack on the PPP,” Rohee declared.
Observers have called into question the President’s statement which they said bordered on inciting racial division, the very claims his government made about statements made by Jagdeo in New York.
One observer told the Guyana Times that Jagdeo’s New York comments were based on facts that Indo-Guyanese were being marginalised and were similar to those made by the President when he spoke of marginalisation of Afro Guyanese existed.
