Whatever happened to the call for racial unity?

Dear Editor,

The APNU/PNC/AFC government needs to be reminded that it is the ability and responsibility of Government to provide an atmosphere free of inequality and social exclusion in the face of pervasive racial inequality rattling the Indo-Guyanese community. Despite the fact that Indo-Guyanese outnumber Afro-Guyanese by 15%, Indo-Guyanese are given far less access to life’s opportunities – jobs, scholarships etc than Afro-Guyanese. Sadly, Government deliberately fuels this problem. Flagrantly, Government allows Afro-Guyanese to soak up nearly every opportunity. Such pervasive racial inequality can only thrive under an obtuse and dysfunctional Government that disrespects its people. No matter how you cut it, racial inequality is ugly. Racial inequality stifles innovation, and it stifles development. It potently generates high levels of inefficiency, and exacerbates the suicide crisis, to say the least. Strong evidence and a compelling rationale corroborate how Government destroys social cohesion (racial unity) and foments racial division – through racial inequality.

Overwhelming evidence supports the fact that Indo-Guyanese face profound social exclusion under the leadership of the APNU/PNC/AFC government. First case in point: the workforce in the public sector approaches near racial homogeneity with roughly over 80% Afro-Guyanese. Second case in point: the Bertram Collins Public Service College boasts a staff exclusively of Afro-Guyanese. Third case in point: top jobs are reserved almost exclusively for Afro-Guyanese. Fourth case in point: Government even diverts millions of tax payers’ dollars to fund clandestine scholarships almost exclusively for Afro-Guyanese. Afro-Guyanese Cabinet members even enjoy full salaries and full scholarships. This is corruption. Fifth case in point: the historic Jubilee celebration became an Afro-centric event. Sixth case in point: the Cheddi Jagan Research Center (CJRC) was even cowed by Government in an expulsion attempt. The CJRC is about President Jagan, an Indo-Guyanese. Racial inequality plaguing the Indo-Guyanese community is undisputed, and represents a growing trend. Sadly, Government’s actions are destructive to social cohesion. We need to be cognizant of the fact that social cohesion is indispensable to moving this country forward.

Racial inequality within the Indo-Guyanese community is nothing new. Indo-Guyanese have experienced such a problem under the Forbes Burnham Administration. Forbes Burnham even invented the infamous PNC card as a means through which he selectively allowed Afro-Guyanese access to jobs, housing, scholarships etc. Of course, Indo-Guyanese were marginalized. Obviously, Forbes Burnham lacked empathy. He relied heavily on dysfunction, such as racial inequality, to secure power; and this spurred fundamental problems that haunt us to this day. He instigated racism. He motivated race-based voting. He soured race relations. He ignited the suicide crisis. He triggered mass emigration. And he activated the crime situation. Today, the Granger government glaringly rules this country like Forbes Burnham, and I do not see why any Guyanese would want to return such a destructive and divisive Government to power.

The strong link between racial inequality and racial division can be mapped by exploiting the five dimensions of social cohesion. Such dimensions are instruments widely used to assess cohesiveness between and within populations, and are constructed with diametrically opposite variables which describe emotions or which trigger them. Such dimensions can be divided into a positive cluster (belonging, inclusion, involvement, recognition and legitimacy) and a negative cluster (isolation, exclusion, non-involvement, rejection and illegitimacy). In cohesive populations, nearly everyone holds emotions within the same cluster. This means that they stand in solidarity. As expected, a broad racial split is evident between Indo-Guyanese and Afro-Guyanese when the problem of racial inequality in this country is mapped to such dimensions. Why? Racial inequality hurts Indo-Guyanese. Indo-Guyanese are unable to put food on their tables, and this triggers emotions along the negative cluster. However, Government curry favours with Afro-Guyanese, and this drives emotions along the positive cluster. Such disparity in emotions drives racial rifts which detonate social cohesion. This is exactly the situation in this country, and can be confirmed through a survey.

With that said, glaringly Government burdens the social cohesion process through its reliance on a Machiavellian approach to secure power, but shamelessly pretends to be an advocate for social cohesion and a warrior against racism.

Government pledged that the much-hyped oil industry would generate opportunities for all Guyanese. Not a single Guyanese should believe this lie. This is deceit for political power. Indo-Guyanese will never get a fair chance under this Government. When in Opposition, Government promised a good life for all. Today, Indo-Guyanese face marginalization. Also, when in Opposition, Government issued a clarion call for racial unity. Today we know that such a call was an outright scam for votes. Likewise, oil production will never equilibrate racial inequality. Editor, think about it: racial inequality persists because Government is the architect of such a problem. In fact, Government uses racial inequality as a strategy to tilt the racial dynamics in its favour to secure power; and in doing so, it pushes Indo-Guyanese into suicide or emigration, and destroys the social cohesion process. This is irrefutable, and it is dead wrong. Government needs to pivot. We deserve a fair chance at life. Education, empathy, trust and mutual respect will normalize racial inequality, not oil. Indeed, mutual respect fosters trust, and it is an index of social cohesion. Trust bonds communities and brings them together. Amid such madness and dysfunction, we yearn to move this country forward; and this can only be realized under a government that is willing to rule for all its people. I stand convinced that the APNU/PNC/AFC government is not the one.

Yours faithfully,

Annie Baliram