Your Eyewitness returns to this “Father of the Nation” ruckus that’s been roiling the newspaper chatterati. And that’s important to note – it doesn’t appear that the masses have been moved to work up a sweat on the issue. Your Eyewitness suspects that’s because to them, there’s absolutely NO issue – each of the ethnic groups have already picked their own “father”. And by golly they ain’t gonna be no stepchild!! For most Indian-Guyanese Cheddi Jagan wins the race hands down; as does Forbes Burnham with African-Guyanese. So, it would seem that unlike folks being made in the image of their father (as the Good Book says!), for national leaders, it MIGHT BE the other way round!!
So, the question arises, who’s the “father of the nation” for the other groups?? Note we’re talking about POLITICAL leaders in terms of the country writ large. But if we’re to go by the convention of Cuffy (Kofi) of Berbice being the NATIONAL hero, we’ll then be allowed to go back to pre-unification 1831. So would European-Guyanese settle on Laurens Storm van Gravesande?? He’s the fella who solidified the foundational settlement of Essequibo – from whence he sent out settlers to Demerara when the soil fertility ran out. To some folks, he might just be the ULTIMATE national hero!! But, of course, there’s the not-too inconsequential matter that he permitted the enslavement of Africans – dragged across the Atlantic. That black mark can’t be erased – even by Europeans. Note the apologies of the Trevelyan family to Barbados and the Guardian owners to Jamaicans! So Gravesande’s out!! Along with all the other Europeans – Dutch, French and British – of that era.
So, how about our Indigenous Peoples?? Weren’t there some great Chiefs who resisted the Dutch and the British and refused to become vassals. And forced them to sign treaties by which they had to be given tributes annually!! A lotta modern folks don’t realise that this is the foundation of the acknowledgement to having claims to whatever land they occupied – in the order granting us Independence!! They weren’t GIVEN lands – they always OWNED IT!! Your Eyewitness wonders whether any names of those stalwarts have come down in the lore of the nine tribes?? Stephen Campbell was the political leader who brought back the bacon in 1965 from the Constitutional Conference, so maybe he can do until someone else is selected – BY THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES!!
So, what about the Portuguese and Chinese?? Will Peter D’Aguiar and Arthur Chung do?? Let’s hear it now!! Trouble is, this might never end. If there’s a “Father of the Nation”, the question has been posed there ougthta be a “Mother of the Nation”, no??
Or was Guyana an Immaculate Conception??
…in a calabash
Now while your Eyewitness is of the view that the geriatric antics of some wanna-be revolutionaries in the present are more akin to galvanic twitches from the seventies, he does believe that the State can’t allow the law of the land to be flouted with impunity. The individual who called for his “kith and kin” in the armed forces to turn their guns on Guyanese who aren’t kith and kin has rightfully been charged with “Attempt to exciting racial discord” in accordance with the Racial Hostility Act. He was freed on bail.
Back in 1970, Burnham – who sought to create the armed forces in his image – had told them they had to swear loyalty to his government but as to any other government, that was a matter up to them. After that, the Army did kill two civilians guarding ballot boxes in the 1973 rigged elections – where all ballot boxes were taken to Army HQ and ballots substituted to give the PNC a two-thirds majority.
But have remained professional since. Quo vadis??
…and calm
While that sideshow continues, most Guyanese are getting on with their lives in the new economy which offers hope that at long last we can all be free of the scourge of poverty.
