Roots …and routes

Well, President Ali just keeps on earning those frequent-flyer miles, doesn’t he?? Your Eyewitness understands he’s in India – as we read this – to be honoured by the Indian Government!! Another 10,000 miles coming and going each way!! And what’s he being honoured for, you ask? Silly question!! For being of Indian Origin and having distinguished himself, that’s what!! Mother India is proud of her children abroad, and wants them to know she cares!!
Isn’t that sweet?? But then, we all know the extent of a mother’s love, don’t we?? Nothing can match that!! We, Caribbean people, were brought together from all the continents to join our Indigenous People, and so we have Mothers from all those continents!! Didn’t we just last year have that African Union-Caribbean virtual first ever AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum?? There Mia Mottley of Barbados showed her love for Mother Africa when she channelled Marcus Garvey’s UNIA (Universal Negro Improvement Association) motto, “One God! One aim! One destiny!” in her forum’. The forum’s theme was “One People. One Destiny. Uniting and Reimagining Our Future”!!
More to the point, to the delight of Africans from across the globe, she and Keith Rowley from TT repeated Kwame Nkrumah’s famous aphorism, “I am not African because I was born in Africa, but because Africa was born in me”!! Wasn’t that great?? So how does our Pres Ali top that? From all we’ve seen in the two and a half years since he became President, he is a real down-to-earth fella. Your Eyewitness wouldn’t be surprised if in his acceptance speech he bursts into one of those songs made famous in, say, Shakrukh Khan’s Dilwale Dulhan le jayenge!! Meaning “The brave hearted will get the bride”!!
Well, your Eyewitness knows Pres Ali’s married and all that…but he’s speaking figuratively, and wonders what he’ll be bringing back from India. The last time President Ramotar got the same award – back in 2013?? – he brought back a commitment for a ferry for Region 1 and a US$50 million soft loan to build that East Coast-to-Diamond bypass highway going through Mocha!! It’s also possible that – like then Pres Bharrat Jagdeo – he’ll be taken to visit the village from which his ancestors originated!! The Indian Government would’ve already done all the background checks, and probably spruced up the road to the village!! Who knows, there might be a host of fellas who look exactly like our President??!! Genes don’t lie, you know!!
But seriously, folks, it’s good that we’re making these connections with India and Africa. The former is poised to become a global power in the next decade, while the latter will do so in a few decades.
Mama…look how well we’ve done!!

…of maternal deaths
What in the world’s going on in our hospitals with all these maternal deaths? C’mon guys, this is the 21st century, and women have been giving birth since…erm…the beginning of (human) history? So, in every culture and civilisation, isn’t this one of the constants that all medical personnel – from shamans and medicine men to doctors – should be looking out for?? Here, in Guyana, we’ve had medical doctors trained since the 18th century, and they want to tell your Eyewitness they haven’t gotten a handle on childbirths??
Your Eyewitness wagers that even in the days of midwifery instead of doctors, during slavery and indentureship, the rates of maternal deaths weren’t this high!! As soon as you turn your head, another mother bites the dust. And the strange thing is no one’s ever responsible!! We just might have to go the American route and hold these medical personnel responsible through the legal system.
Your Eyewitness calls upon the Government to hire lawyers to represent the grieving families. Enough is enough!!

…and COVID testing
With the rate of COVID infection in China rising, our medical mavens decided to impose the requirement that folks coming from – or through – there be tested. Made sense.
Then, the following day, it’s scrapped!! What’s going on??

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