This Independence Day we should remember the ballot box martyrs

Dear Editor,
This year Guyana celebrates 54 years since we gained Independence from the British. However, this year’s celebrations are marred by the situation that is taking place in our homeland. This year, our Independence Day will not be the same because to me, I find it ironic that we would be celebrating freedom from one authoritarian group while another is blatantly trying to gain a foothold. At this point, it is too painful to not see the attempts by the PNC to sabotage the electoral process.
Please note I said PNC and not “APNU/AFC” as it is clear that the Kabaka disciples are running the coalition. The AFC is dead, a breadcrumb long flicked away. First, the recount took a while to take off the ground due to the (in my opinion at least) PNC propping up Ulita Moore to block the recount. Next, we saw President Granger reject The Carter Center observers, politicising COVID-19 as an excuse. Now, as more boxes continue to be recounted, more and more, we see how Mingo’s numbers were inflated to favour the PNC (and in some cases deflate the PPP’s numbers).
Now they have moved onto their next trick: Aiming to void the election and apply for a doctrine of necessity through the courts to appoint an interim Government. They will use the pandemic as an excuse to rule the country until another election is held.
However, we, the people of Guyana, are waiting on the PNC to produce evidence of any voter fraud that took place. In fact, we are still waiting on them to produce their Statements of Poll.
Let us take a look at their nonsensical “voter fraud” campaign. On a post made on their Facebook page, the “coalition” claims that of the 699 ballot boxes examined on May 22, there have been 86,367 votes “lacking credibility”.
I am not making this up, they did. Their line of thought is that if so many voter frauds are uncovered in just 699 of the boxes, what will be uncovered in the other 1640 boxes? This is where things resemble a Looney Tunes cartoon.
If massive voter fraud is “uncovered” in the remaining fraction of boxes, this would mean every single PPP agent, APNU agent at the Polling Stations deliberately turned a blind eye to the electoral process in some elaborate scheme by the PPP to rig the elections – which still resulted in an APNU victory.
The only gain from this hogwash is continued brainwash of their blind supporters, who they will utilise for a recreation of ’98 PNC election violence when the recount shows they lost. I really have no words left to comment on it. Instead, I will quote Odo himself by saying “You must pull a rabbit out of the hat every time”.
Moreover, I feel with all this malarkey taking place while we celebrate our sovereignty, we should remember two less-known freedom fighters: the ballot box martyrs. They may not be remembered by the youth of today so I have chosen to enlighten them, and anyone else. During the 1973 rigged elections, military troops were known for seizing the ballot boxes and taking them to GDF headquarters where they were stuffed to ensure a Burnham victory.
At No 63 Village on the Corentyne, noisy protests ensued upon the troops’ arrival, prompting the troops to open fire, injuring many and killing two: Jagan Ramessar, 17, and Parmanand Bholonauth, 45. Jagan’s treatment was harsher than Bholonauth’s.
He didn’t die immediately. Instead, he was seriously wounded from the shooting and received no medical attention. The police and soldiers transported him to the No 51 Police Station where he died after further physical brutality from them.
Hearing this incident made me sit and think. Jagan was only 17. He and I are around the same age. If he were alive, he would’ve probably retired with lovely grandchildren by now. But alas he is not, all due to protesting the great PNC rigging of ’73. Those two individuals died protesting an authoritarian rule then, as we are now.
While Guyanese all across the country typically use Independence Day to celebrate freedom from the British, I feel this year we should think of the ballot box martyrs, honour them with at least a thought. Say their names: Jagan Ramessar and Parmanand Bholonauth!
For they were fighting for freedom too, freedom from an authoritarian rule. Here we are in 2020, same old story. I would like to wish my fellow Guyanese a happy Independence Day.

Yours faithfully,
Nikhil Sankar