…for sugar workers
Back in the day, when Rodney offered some real opposition to the PNC dictatorship by mobilising ordinary Guyanese across the ethnic divide, Burnham warned him about his “sharper steel”. We know how that ended, don’t we? In case you forgot, Rodney CoI, which the PNC deep-sixed, told you who was behind it all. But that wasn’t the first deadly, revengeful act of Burnham. A few years before, when sugar workers led a historic 135-day strike that compelled him to recognise GAWU, Burnham was livid! He deployed his “sharper steel” on them.
He closed down Leonora estate, which had been the bastion of PPP strength and militancy in the sugar belt since the 1960s. Burnham shut it down in 1976, as soon as the strike was called off. And it is against this precedence we must analyse the actions of President Granger in the sugar belt, since he’s vowed to continue the “legacy” of Burnham. But Granger has one important difference from Burnham’s modus operandi — and it is now in operation for you to see.
When the sugar workers in 2015 — especially from Berbice — refused to fall for the blandishments of Nagamootoo, who was then joined at the hip to Granger as leader of the PNC, there was no overt public warning from Granger. Nagamootoo?? He’s just a toothless granny!! While, like Burnham, Granger doesn’t practise turning any other cheek. Unlike Burnham, he believes revenge is best served cold. And you can’t get colder than firing 2000 sugar workers in Berbice, from Skeldon and Rose Hall, without any warning!
This is the Burnhamite “condign” treatment that are the wages of opposing the PNC. And we have only seen the beginning. Granger is convinced the PPP will not be able to mount any effective protest against it. Like in the sixties, the PPP has no numbers they can mass (or amass) in Georgetown — which international observers and the diplomatic community could see if they come out into the streets — and then react to it.
Sugar workers can march up and down all they want out in the deep country in the sun — it’s like a tree falling in the middle of the forest with no one to hear the sound, much less yell, “TIMBER!!!”. Did it fall? If it were the PNC supporters who were being thrown into the streets – like fish out of water to convulse and die – you bet there would’ve been violent protests in Regent Street, with maybe a building or two burnt to the ground for good measure!
In the meantime, the PPP MPs can’t even protest in Public Buildings!!
…in housing
During the ongoing Budget Debate, there are some interesting tit-bits being thrown out. If they’re linked together, they provide a useful window into the mentality of the PNC. (Your Eyewitness finds it tiresome to keep on talking about “APNU” and AFC, when in reality they’ve got less effect on governance than a gnat sucking away on the hide of an elephant!!)
First, the Govt criticised the much-acclaimed drive of the PPP to hand out over 50,000 house lots to Guyanese of all walks of life. The PNC says more than half aren’t occupied with houses, or even shacks. THEY, on the other hand, claim they’re giving out HOUSES!! Sounds good, right? You don’t get a lot; you get a house -which is what you want! But you know what they say about things “too good to be true”! There’s always a catch!! And with the houses, buyers have to be PREQUALIFIED to even APPLY!!
So 2/3 of the folks won’t even get a house-lot!!
