…agriculture
Now that October’s winding down, maybe we can look again at what’s happened during our “Agriculture Month”. Back in the day of Cheddi and Burnham, October evoked the “great” 1917 Russian “October Revolution”. This was gonna usher in a “new Communist World Order” into which we would be “liberated”!! “Workers of the world unite!! You have nothing to lose but your chains!!” was the call. But not even Lenin’s successor, Putin, has mentioned this titbit as he tries to push back NATO’s encirclement of his rump state!!
The Russian Revolutionaries also had agriculture high on their agenda. In accordance with their communist dogma, they pushed collectivization of farms which were owned by farmers, called “kulaks”. The kulaks rebelled against the process of collectivization, and thousands were killed directly – mostly shot on the spot – during the 1930s. About 2 million were forcibly deported to the Far North and to Siberia. They were called “enemies of the people,” as well as swine, dogs, cockroaches, scum, vermin, filth, garbage, half animals, apes!!
Collectivised agriculture was also tried in the 1950s in Communist China – and that also failed. Burnham has similar ideas here in the 1970s, but he dubbed them “cooperatives”!!
So, it’s reassuring to your Eyewitness – who’s from strong peasant stock – that the PPP government hasn’t mentioned “collectivization” in its stress on agriculture!! All the “old dogs” are gone – Marxism has even been expunged from the PPP Constitution, and so new tricks have to be taught!! Like in the theme for the month: “Transforming Tomorrow: Championing Food Security through Innovation and Technology.” Yes…security, baby!! So now the farmer can see himself on par with those brave soldiers defending us from those nasty Venezuelans and Surinamese who’re lurking to seize chunks of our motherland!!
But seriously, folks, the war in Ukraine – plus the dramatic changes in weather pattern brought on by climate change – should’ve driven home the fact that food shortages are as much a threat to our lives as bullets. Of course, when you simultaneously face both threats, like we do — with rising seas and Mad Maduro — you’re up the creek without a paddle! On the “Innovation and Technology” front, ain’t it a shame, though, the Agri Min had to confess that most grads of the Guyana School of Agri don’t end up in agri!! Ditto for all those who write Agri at CSEC!!
Anyhow, you’d think that with “agri-business” invented here and the West Indies – what do you think “plantations” were?? – with sugar etc, we’d be ahead of the game. But we turned to education to get us out of working the land after slavery and indentureship.
So now we gotta redefine what we mean by “education” – and tie it to agriculture!!
…One Guyana
President Ali doesn’t miss an opportunity to expand on his administration’s “One Guyana” policy. Seems it actually comes out of the notion of our “one humanity”, which he informed us is part and parcel of all religious teachings. Used to the PPP’s avoidance of religious beliefs to ground political action, your Eyewitness is pleased. But then Marxism was jettisoned, innit?
Your Eyewitness is reminded that in his inaugural address to Parliament back in 2021, Pres Ali had announced that “the path to this ‘oneness’ would include an Act of Parliament establishing a “One Guyana Commission”, which will be led by Prime Minister Mark Phillips.
“The work of the Commission would be countrywide, and it would listen to the free expressions of all voices concerning ways in which every Guyanese can honour their ancestral heritage while giving the highest regard to our blended Guyanese civilization,” the President had explained.
This commitment was reiterated last year on Enmore Martyrs’ Day…but the Commission still hasn’t been launched. It’ll long overdue!!
