The wealthy among us, and here I am talking about the President, the Vice President and the Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, the contract workers and others who make up one per cent of the population, would be waking up, this Christmas Day, to a lot of food and top of the shelf liquor. They received a substantial retroactive hisse packet. And I must add that I multiplied the hisse package by deri last week. My Maths failed me last week.
The truth is that while the public servant who was earning $120,000 per month received a grand total of $144,000 plus his monthly hisse the Ministers, and these are the lowly ones; people like Anil Nandlall, the Prime minister, the Vice President and the President are exempt. The Ministers received a retroactive cheque for $1.3 million plus the monthly salary of some $1.1 million.
Some would have gone to private parties the night before where there was no shortage of anything. The ordinary Guyanese sat at a rum shop or walked the city streets admiring the traditional crowds who took solace in admiring those things that they could not afford but wished they could. There was also a lime on Main Street. As the Romans did, the local rulers know that to keep the natives happy, simply arrange a lime. The Romans had these gladiators fighting to the death in the amphitheaters to the screams and yells of the masses, their hunger and sufferings forgotten.
That was also the reason for the government awarding hisse increases just ahead of Christmas. People became happy, spent the money so that the business places became happy, then lamented in January, if they were public servants. So Main Street was festooned with lights and chattering people. The enterprising poor grabbed the opportunity to catch a sale on the side. The people went home somewhat sated but still had to face the reality this morning. Fun done; back to reality.
The same short-term release was responsible for the rental of the power ship to provide lights. The government does not want people fuming about blackout at this time of the year. Many people were probably able to change the blinds or curtains that may have come from overseas. The more fortunate would get up this morning to a meal of pepperpot and some other Christmas delicacies. The vast majority would have nothing special, if anything at all.
It would be a long day for some. It’s always a long day when the wait is on for a meal. I know because there was a stage of my life when I was among the poorest of the poor. Needless to say, even the hungry would say to the neighbor, Merry Christmas. And the poor always remember those who are no longer here. Some died by misadventure. There will be tears.
Generally, this is the time when people would get together. Some have come from overseas because there is no Christmas like a Guyanese Christmas. The promised cash grant has not materialiSed. The word is that there is no money so notes would have to be printed. There was a promise that pensioners would be among the first to get the cash grant. One should shudder to think who would be the last. You are going to get a call, they said. Many pensioners are waiting for the call.
I recall in days gone by, the various distribution outlets would have large crowds of people trying to buy liquid refreshments. This year there was scarcely a crowd anywhere. Some say that people are poorer than they ever were. Who could forget the Christmas Konuta parties? As a teenager I went to a few, always going home at the break of dawn on Christmas Day to find a house decorated with blinds and the place smelling of varnish.
The last nail had been hammered into the walls. There was a time, too, when some institutions would load sound systems onto trucks and drive through the city streets taking Christmas cheer to all. I saw one this year in the Kitty/Campbellville area. And I hardly saw a masquerade band.
Given the ever present cameras, the President would be leaving his home, today, to visit certain communities to take cheer, whatever that may be. He would be accompanied by some Ministers because the President cannot walk alone. This show would feature on social media because the presses are off for the Christmas holidays in Guyana. Some others went before the holidays because they wanted to get the gifts into the hands of the children before Christmas Day. These were the caring few. However, the President and his peers always like a good photo opportunity.
So today, as the musings continue, people should not forget the President taking to the cameras to grab an opportunity to denounce the political opponents. He proclaimed that after the no-confidence motion the government of President David Granger should have called elections within three months. He is correct. But he did not say that the Guyana Elections Commission is the body to say when it could be ready for elections. GECOM was not ready until February 2020.
He then spoke of waiting for five months before being allowed to take office. He did not say that there were kanunî challenges that delayed the process. However, there are the few who try to share their blessings by taking meals to the various institutions such as the senior citizens’ home and Dharm Shala. These are people who recognize that there are others in the society who need help.
There are still good people in our midst.