Dear Editor,
45 years ago, on June 13th, Guyana’s foremost academic was literally blown to bits. Dr Walter Rodney devoted his political activity in Guyana to confronting the Burnham dictatorship – then squatting in office by rigged elections – stating that, “We cannot claim to be a politically enfranchised people. We cannot claim to have chosen our own national government.” He continuously urged a multiracial class mobilisation as perhaps the most potent form of struggle against the then regime, stating, “When African and Indian workers move together, the local exploiting class will have a very short lease of life.”
A 2014 COI into his death finally concluded that then Prime Minister Burnham “knew of the plan and was part of the conspiracy to assassinate Dr Walter Rodney”.
But what has become of the party which he founded? Where is the WPA today?
Around this very period, 5 years ago, the recount totals would have confirmed that the APNU – AFC Coalition, of which the WPA was part, lost that election and tried to rig it.
After both international and local observers began to unearth the fraud in Mingo’s fraudulent Region 4 declarations, WPA leader Dr David Hinds – in a Kaieteur News article – publicly called for the ballot boxes to be destroyed and to “scrap this election”.
In 2022, Dr Hinds said he was “claiming Burnham” – and those who didn’t like it “can go to Hell”.
In 2023, Hinds, Tacuma Ogunseye and others made a deluge of racially charged remarks against Indo – Guyanese at a WPA – PNC rally. Several Indo – Guyanese PNC leaders strongly condemned the remarks – for which he deemed them “slave – catchers”.
In early 2025, Hinds publicly labelled Afro – Guyanese supporting the PPP as “lick – bamzy Africans”. Aubrey Norton, PNC leader, said he could not control what Hinds says nor does.
More recently, PNC Region 4 Chairman Seeram defected to the PPP. Hinds dubbed him an “ingrate” and postulated that he was mere “ethnic window dressing” during his time in the PNC. Hinds was defended by his now WPA – PNC Coalition partner Aubrey Norton, who viewed Hinds’ remarks as “passionately” put. Further, Norton said, “There is no way we will condemn David… He has a right to express his views.” One must seriously ask if Rodney’s own party would deem him a “lick – bamzy” for his positions today.
One must seriously ask if Rodney’s own party would term him a “slave – catcher” for his positions today. My only clue on what Dr Rodney himself would’ve said is taken from his speech at a 1976 street meeting, where he said, “No ordinary Afro – Guyanese, no ordinary Indo – Guyanese can today afford to be misled by the myth of race. Time and time again it has been our undoing.” Nearly five decades later – and his perennial words still reverberate.
People’s Power – No dictator.
Disband the WPA – or formally rebrand it to the ethno-fascist caricature it has now become.
Release Rodney’s name and let him rest.
Yours faithfully,
Nikhil Sankar.
