Dear Editor,
Like the rest of us, the past few days provided various forms of excitement but in each and every case, significant lessons that all of us, at home and abroad, if we are sensitive and serious can benefit from.
Folks from Upper Demerara, Linden area discussed the frustration that they are not allowed to manage their own affairs referring to Central Government’s uninvited paternalism and clear attempts to ignore the principles of local governance as enshrined in our Constitution. They referred to the Contract awarded for the construction of Bamia school granted to a known Party supporter, now eight months behind schedule. Also the Community remembers the heavy handed approach of the Police on July 18, 2012, as they get ready to mark the anniversary of the three Linden martyrs gunned down that day.
Last week, during his weekly press statement, the General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party made reference to Burnham being in receipt of money from the CIA. According to him, from some classified documents released recently.
The background is as follows – there were strikes instigated by operatives from Freedom House. They were classified as industrial concentrated along the sugar belt and later the public service. Remember the well known statement by PPP top brass, when the public servants pleaded for increases. The response was “ Not a cent more.”
The Unions had at various periods appealed through the ILO for assistance. The response was positive, Richard Ishmael spoke for sugar workers, Joseph H. Pollydore represented the powerful Transport & Harbours General Workers Union. I was Secretary of the Clerical Section until 1961, when I resigned to be a Candidate for the General Elections. Burnham was President of the powerful Guyana Labour Union. That assistance from the ILO must be what Jagdeo refers to.
Dr. Jagdeo, President Ali and others must write and speak since the PPP high-command has repeated this story before. They should be reminded of the PPP appeal to the Czech government for assistance, since they claim that the left wing of the PPP was incharge.
Bharat Jagdeo should also proclaim where the PPP Party got its ammunition and materiel, set up at their training camp at Brandwagt Sari in the Berbice River. I accidentally ran into that secret training camp after a campaign at the upper Berbice River and was confronted by two young men carrying what appeared to be high-powered rifles. They should also explain the machine guns found at the Rice Marketing Board Wharf and where did the explosive device that went off in the hands of the PPP activist on West Demerara come from.
I can refer to many instances of Dr. Jagan and the PPP who received help of many forms from friends in the east during the Cold War. I cannot remain silent when the top-brass of the ruling Party keep repeating tainted tales about our history when our friends in the PPP keep painting a picture of certain periods of our history, that they were the victims and the saints and the PNC were the opposite. Nothing is further from the truth. We were all victims of the vicious and all-consuming Cold War.
A recent incident involving the attempted assassination of a former US President should serve as a lesson for all of us in the hustings to guard our language and avoid naked propaganda. Political leaders must guard against creating conditions where a single spark can lead to an all consuming fire.
In the Caribbean, there was a popular calypso suggesting there were too many guns in the town. We have beyond the Caribbean religious leaders, blessing the launching of mighty battleships, whose purpose and design is to kill. What all of us must work towards is to teach our children from the cradle to practise civility and dialogue to resolve our differences instead of our current method of postering, prevarication, pronouncements and provocation encumbered with pettiness, creating conditions where a spark can be dangerous. We saw this, as recent as 1914 which led to the brutal World War I
In this way, this and succeeding generations can benefit from compassion, understanding and true love. If we all try, the above will not be a utopia but a reality.
Yours truly,
Hamilton Green
Elder