Guyana

GUYANA BOMBINGS: Terrorism at its worst

2009-07-18T20:59:00.000-07:00

NO ROOM FOR TERRORISM

IF POLITICALLY opportunistic, frustrated and criminal minded elements in our midst have chosen to resort to a new campaign of discord, disorder and destruction, then they should expect that the full force of the law will be unleashed to avoid a recurrence of the infamy of Saturday morning's fire-bombing of the main building of the Ministry of Health on Brickdam.

This nation simply cannot afford a return to the lawlessness, destruction and fear that not so long ago gripped too many of our communities, with loss of lives, including children, and destruction to property, plus the fear and bitterness spawned by the acts of criminality.

For those too intellectually and morally bankrupt to engage in dialogue and offer ideas for peaceful development for Guyana, they should be reminded that this nation has come too far to allow terroristic activities to triumph over the rule of law.

As the security forces were working round-the-clock to locate and apprehend those suspected of involvement, President Bharrat Jagdeo was announcing a $25 million reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators of that despicable act.

It is imperative that no time be lost in expeditiously bringing to justice those responsible. Some recent signals and activities by certain elements have been noted, but the crime sleuths, the experienced investigators of the security forces would know, should know, how to diligently and fearlessly proceed in support of the rule of law.

Much is at stake. The domestic terrorists, the elements with a passion to spread hate, fear and destruction, as if to mock serious efforts by the public and private sectors to push ahead with plans for the social and economic progress of Guyana, must not be comforted by failures of the law enforcing agencies.

Only those committed to hampering national progress in order to satisfy their pompous egos, narrow agendas and distaste for peaceful engagement, can benefit from the criminal destruction of the Ministry of Health building.

It is encouraging to learn from Minister of Health, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, that the destruction to the main building did not affect the services normally offered by the health sector. What, of course, is most desirable, is for the culprits involved to be flushed out -- from wherever -- and face the consequences, in accordance with the rule of law.

We await the responses from the parliamentary opposition parties and civil society representatives.

Opposition Leader of the People's National Congress Reform, Robert Corbin, currently faced with his own internal party problems, had a most curious initial reaction, as reported in another section of the media.

He said, in commenting on the destruction tragedy, that "other mysterious fires had haunted other government buildings and ministries over the years." He went on to express hope that "the fire is investigated thoroughly." Some may consider this an understatement, to say the least.

It certainly was not a condemnation of the criminal act. We, too, hope that there will be a "thorough" investigation; one that culminates with the arrest, prosecution and conviction of the perpetrators.
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Attack akin to domestic terrorism
July 19, 2009 | By Anupa | Filed Under News

Fire at Health Ministry…

The attack on the Ministry of Health is nothing short of a case of ‘Domestic Terrorism’ said Health Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy when he hosted a press conference at the National AIDS Programme Secretariat yesterday.
He told media operatives that while the attack is clearly a criminal case of arson, it is in fact despicable. He said that it is shocking and shameful that anyone would have selected the Ministry for such an expression of terrorism.
“Guyana can ill-afford such terrorist acts. And as the Minister of Health and as a citizen of this country, I deplore such actions and I would ask all Guyanese to join me in expressing our disapproval of such tactics. Whatever makes people angry, terrorism is not an option,” warned the Minister.
He pointed out that the effort by persons to address their concerns through destruction of a health facility is the worst thing that anyone could think of. “I stand by my words, that this must be the action of warped minds, people who don’t belong in the realm of human togetherness. These are people who need to be arrested, people who need to be charged and people who on conviction should be locked away.”
According to the Minister, he could only express anger that person or persons had chosen his Ministry for such an attack.
The Minister said, yesterday, too that he has had confirmation that indeed the fire was as result of firebombing through the use of channa bombs.
He disclosed that since Friday it was also discovered that in the other buildings of the Ministry there were broken window panes. He added, too, that it has been ascertained that the panes were not broken as a result of the fire or activities around the fire.
“These were broken at strategic points indicating that attempts were made to firebomb other buildings. These panes were broken but the windows were protected by grills so therefore they couldn’t get in.”
The Minister noted that there was certain proof that there was an attempt to destroy the Ministry in totality.
He expressed disappointment that there have been some erroneous statements made about the cause of the fire, even as he added that “this is not the time for us to manufacture stories. Any kind of implication that the Ministry of Health wanted to destroy its records is pure mischievousness.”
According to the Minister, when he spoke with media operatives at a press conference on Friday, he had not received police confirmation that explosive items were discovered at the site of the fire which razed the main building at the Ministry’s Brickdam headquarters.
He said that on Friday prior to speaking with the media, he had heard and officers had indicated to him that they had in their possession remnants of channa bombs.
The Minister is, however, grateful that the whole complex was not destroyed, even as he pointed to the fact that the work of the Ministry cannot be deferred for even one day.
He said that in spite of the destruction, the staff at the Ministry have been at work to ensure that public health services remain available to people.
“At this particular time some of our services have already been relocated and we are working throughout this weekend, 24 hours per day, to ensure that when the Ministry of Health staff report for work (tomorrow) they have a place from which to deliver their services.”
And according to the Minister, all staffers can rest assured that they will receive their salaries. He noted that although some accounting documents were destroyed, the Ministry was able to recover some $2.5 M in petty cash which was secured in a safe with some cheques that will have to be returned to the Accountant General and new ones will be reissued to allow for the payment of salaries.

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Ministry of Health fire

Posted By Stabroek staff On July 19, 2009 @ 5:01 am In Editorial

What a disaster – for the health sector, for our material heritage, for the political environment and most of all for the people of Guyana. There is something wrong with whoever burnt down the Ministry of Health if, by virtue of some twisted logic, they seriously believe that this is a step towards making Guyana a better place.

So who exactly, everyone is asking, is responsible for this latest example of destructive nonsense? One is assuming (although there is no proof of this currently) that the perpetrators have been inspired by some kind of political considerations, and that one is not dealing with anyone who has a personal grudge against the Ministry of Health and was just out for revenge. The reason of course is that the fire follows the pattern of earlier attacks on ministries – the case of the Ministry of Works excepted – during periods of instability associated with elections. And the instrument of destruction has generally been Guyana’s own version of the Molotov cocktail – the channa bomb – tempting one to the conclusion that while the same perpetrators may not have been responsible, they nevertheless operate with a similar mode of thinking.

There are certainly wild men out there who do not adhere to any formal party structure, but who are incited to commit dangerous acts because of a tense political atmosphere, or careless statements made in the political arena, even though these were not intended to incite anyone. As things stand, the political atmosphere has been a great deal less than rational in recent times, while of the careless public statements, the most unfortunate of them (on Honduras) was made by Mr Corbin. One presumes that the recent shrillness of tone of the ruling politicians is to do with the local government elections, and their fear that members of their constituency might not turn out to vote at all, or might even defect because the PNC is not perceived as representing the threat it once did. As for the PNC, it is in disarray and its leader under challenge on a number of fronts, which is not an environment conducive to moderation in speech.

Assuming a general political motive of some kind, what was the reason for the arsonists’ choice of target? The truth is, it really doesn’t matter what it was. The act was misconceived, whether aimed at the Minister of Health in particular because of his travails in relation to the spyware allegations, for example, or the government in general – or both. Furthermore, if the larger intention, for instance, was to injure the government and ruling party the effect might paradoxically end up being quite the opposite. It would open up possibilities for them to galvanize their constituents in relation to the usual tired themes, and deflect attention from the plethora of allegations about their governance. It might incidentally open up possibilities for Mr Corbin as well to rally the disaffected troops, and distract them from his own difficulties within the party. In other words, the fire-bombing was not a revolutionary act; it was one likely to ensure the political status quo, if it doesn’t help send the society over the cliff altogether.

There is always the remote possibility that the arsonists were actually targeting a specific set of documents, but for anyone who had anything to cover up, the financial records would be the critical ones, and these are backed up in the Ministry of Finance, the media were told. And as for the procurement records, Dr Ramsammy told the press yesterday that those were not kept in the ministry anyway. Anyone who knew enough to want to target these records would surely be aware of this and not waste their time with the Ministry of Health.

Without speculating on who they were, the President on Friday rightly laid emphasis on catching the perpetrators. A substantial reward has been offered for information, and one can only hope that it produces results. However, the population is not holding its breath, since no one was ever apprehended for the previous incidents involving ministries. The President also raised the question of increasing security at government installations, however, in the first instance, the administration needs a detailed analysis of what went wrong in this case.

There were three security guards on duty that night: one at the hut on the Brickdam side of the compound, one at the Hadfield Street hut, and one in a makeshift hut to the east. (Stabroek News was told there should have been four guards, but one did not turn up for duty.) The fire appeared to have broken out in the top flat on the Hadfield Street side, so was the guard there asleep, as Minister Ramsammy suggested? It may be significant that it was the female guard on the Brickdam side who saw the smoke and called headquarters, not the one on the side where the fire began. And if the guard on that side was not asleep, how did the arsonist(s) climb the stairs of the fire escape to the top flat without being noticed? It is not as if any bomb thrower could have successfully tossed a missile (probably consisting of a rum bottle) full of channa from ground level in through a grilled top-floor window.

In fact, one should ask was the bomb thrown through a window at all, because if it had been, the sound of breaking glass might have attracted the attention of a guard, sleeping or otherwise, and possibly even of local residents – and it is a long way down from the top floor to make good an escape. Could it be that the device(s) was just set down on the top landing, because other than that one would have to postulate that the perpetrators either had access to the building, or were able to force their way inside without making too much noise. And where forcing their way inside was concerned, Minister Ramsammy told our reporter yesterday that the door at the top of the fire escape was locked from the inside, and that the grilled windows were not of the louvre variety, so therefore were not easy to remove. They could have been broken one supposes, but again, should the guard not have heard this?

It was suggested to us by a source yesterday, that in one of the annexes which was on fire, bombs were found inside although there was no evidence of forced entry or a broken window. However, this makes no sense, since as far as is known the makers of channa bombs have not yet graduated to including timers in their devices. Once the wick is lit, therefore, provided it does not go out, it will ignite the contents of the bottle after a relatively short period. In any case, Minister Ramsammy said there was evidence of a break-in there.

Apart from a sleeping guard or guards, there are other hypotheses, one of which, although unlikely, would involve the collusion of a security guard, and the other, that one (or even two) guards deserted their posts for a short time. In any event, the gates were closed, and the perpetrator or perpetrators had to get into the compound somehow, so exactly how was this accomplished? Did the guards in the Geology and Mines Commission compound see anything unusual? Is the fence easily scaled, and if it is, should not alert guards notice intruders in the compound? In addition, what was the quality of the lighting like? Were there large dark areas which would have allowed the arsonists to stay out of a guard’s line of vision? Was it that the guards really were all awake, but their disposition around the compound, and other circumstances made it possible for an arsonist or arsonists to enter undetected? The public, no less than the government, one presumes, would like answers to these and other questions. We cannot afford another catastrophic loss of this kind, let alone the political consequences that will come in its train.

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Domestic terrorism at its worst

Keith Burrowes
THE intention of this week’s article was scheduled to focus on the challenges and trials of engaging in a public service in a visible way; something I have become intimately acquainted with over the past year. But in the wee hours of Friday morning, that all changed.

Sadly, I didn’t get the message about the fire which destroyed the Ministry of Health’s Headquarters until the ‘event’ of it was almost over -- perhaps this has helped somewhat in mitigating the sense of devastation which came over me. Many of my colleagues were not spared that, however, most of all, the Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy. I could imagine the sense of futility and frustration felt by all who had to stand by and watch as what amounted to a crucial part of their lives literally went up in flames.

There are no doubt a dozen theories about the perpetrators of the offence and, by association, the motives associated with the fact. What is clear is the effect aimed for, which is, undoubtedly, fear. What other motive could be attributed to such wanton and senseless, yet considered and thorough destruction of public property?

This act of arson -- and it is officially considered as such, to the point that the President has offered a $25 million reward -- against a government agency as crucial as the Ministry of Health shows that those behind it are intent on attacking Guyana.

The ministry of fear, whether used as a political tool, solves nothing, and is always an end in itself. It is spiteful, barbaric and shows that the planners/executors aren’t capable of any sort of rational thought.

The result? A worst-case scenario would have been a situation whereby there was loss of life and injury, and where the fire might have spread to neighbouring buildings, both within the Ministry’s compound, the neighbouring Hadfield Street, and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission compound. As it is, the estimated hundreds of millions of dollars in actual valuable losses, as well as the invaluable institutional memory, create a situation which the country can ill afford.

Whether reconstruction will be primarily donor-funded, the money which will have to fund the re-establishment of the physical Ministry of Health is money that could have been better spent on other crucial sectors, or even some critical aspect of health care delivery in Guyana.

Outside of this -- the obvious disruption of the administration of the national health services in the destruction of the building itself -- the Ministry of Health’s building was part of the architectural legacy of this nation: A beautiful, even majestic building. Buildings such as these have survived the efforts of successive regimes in Guyana because, even against possible differences in other areas, there was the good sense of the commonality of our cultural history.

The business of the Ministry of Health is continuing, outside of the physical presence of the Ministry’s Headquarters, and this is what is ultimately important. Sick people are being taken care of; babies are being delivered; and children are being inoculated against disease across Guyana. It is not that the Ministry of Health will rise against the ashes, but that it has continued to exist despite them.

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This is insanity
IT IS A sad day for any nation when its citizens degenerate to the place of engineering the destruction of facilities which provide vital and critical services to its people.

The recent conflagration at the Ministry of Health reveals a horrifying verity about the nature of the minds of people who live amongst us.

As the Minister pointed out, this assault is not an assault upon the ministry or the government; it is an assault upon the people of Guyana. All Guyanese have been violated in this atrocious act, but more so, the working and poorer class who depend on the services of our health care sector.

The question must be asked: What manner of beings do we have living amongst us, who would put personal, financial, material or political gains ahead of the people of our country? The circumstances surrounding the fire are still being investigated by the police; hence it would be improper to speculate as to the nature and motive of this assault. But what is very clear, and no investigation is needed to determine this, is that the perpetrators of this act cannot, by no stretch of the imagination, be considered humane.

This act is callous, unpatriotic, selfish, and tantamount to terrorism.

In light of the global epidemic and widespread concerns over the H1N1 virus, to have the health ministry incapacitated at this time poses a serious threat to the entire nation of Guyana. For someone, therefore, to deliberately seek to make this ministry inoperable is, in effect, seeking to leave this country vulnerable and exposed to the H1N1 virus and any and every other form of outbreak. Is this not an attempt at genocide? Is this not seeking to wipe out a nation? Surely, anyone even contemplating such actions is not only guilty of treason, but the highest crime against humanity. Hence, I hold the view that no Guyanese is capable of this act. It might be useful for the investigating agency to consider expanding their investigations outside of Guyana. For it may well be that a foreigner, an alien from even outer-space, is responsible for this assault upon our people.

For no Guyanese, conscious of our struggles as a nation, familiar with our history, and who have seen the many hurdles we have surmounted to get to where we are, will even consider such a thing. No patriotic Guyanese, having been raised here, schooled here, lived through the dark days in our political past, would even countenance such a thing.

What we have lost as a nation is not just a building; or some records.

What we have lost is the security of knowing that we are safe amongst our own; that we can go to bed at night knowing that we are safe amongst our own people. We have lost the assurance that our national institutions are safe, not because they are guarded by paid security, but because everyone who holds the label of Guyanese would be the custodian of every piece of property of the State, and the keeper of his brother’s peace.

When we can turn our anger, frustration, or even greed -- for we are yet to determine the motive for this crime -- against our own people, it indicates a level of irrationality that defies logic.

I pray that we as a nation can regain that spirit of patriotism by which the progress and prosperity of Guyana is secured.

May those amongst us who seek personal gains; who seek to create public unrest by destroying properties of the State, with disregard for the wellbeing of our vulnerable, may they find mercy at the judgment seat of God, at which we all must appear.

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Terrorist attacks in Guyana: HEALTH, CULTURE MINISTRIES BOMBED

2009-07-18T09:01:00.000-07:00

Buildings, irreplaceable records destroyed - Minister

July 18, 2009 | By osafo | Filed Under News

… US$5million Health Ministry razed

“Anytime there are political events in the country this building always gets threats. It’s one of the first buildings that people would threaten but nothing really ever happened in the past.”- Minister Ramsammy

(By Mondale smith)
An inferno that lit up the morning skies for close to two hours yesterday, left in its wake an estimated $1B in destruction at the Health Ministry’s main office. Arson is suspected to be the cause.
Police confirmed that they recovered several incendiary devices (‘channa bombs’) at the scene and this seemed to confirm that the blaze, which razed the historic structure, was deliberately set.

Hadfield street view of the Ministry of Health on fire yesterday morning
Kaieteur News understands police ranks found two of the ‘channa bombs’ in a building which escaped the blaze; four others in a bag in the vicinity of the Vaccination Centre, and another under a car.
This publication was at the scene when the police removed several of the suspected Molotov cocktails from the compound just after 03:00hrs.
But investigators are puzzled as to how the arsonists could have sneaked into the compound, which was guarded by three security staffers; two women and one man.
Police were up to late yesterday evening still questioning two of the guards at the Brickdam Police Station.
In its wake, the fire destroyed two buildings that housed the Health Minister and Permanent Secretary’s offices and the Administrative Department.
The buildings also housed all the records of the Ministry and the health centres, the Accounts Department, the Diseases Control Unit and the registry as well as the records for the pharmacies and medical professionals.
The buildings also housed records of every local medical professional in Guyana.
At about 3:00hrs yesterday “three loud cracking” sounds awoke residents in Hadfield Street. When they looked outside they saw “fire and smoke coming from the top western section” of the Health Ministry’s building.
The fire service was summoned. Witnesses said that they arrived less than ten minutes after the first call, but by then the fire was raging throughout the main building, which was a national heritage site.
Persons in night attire flocked to the scene from all locations and some lent physical support to the fire fighting.
Though not in a position to pronounce on the cause of the fire, Health Minister Dr Ramsammy said that according to police, they found explosive devices around the building.
He said that on those grounds it appears to be the work of arsonists but he said it will be left up to the police to make the final determination.
“This is an unfortunate loss” one resident said from a heritage stand point, but commended the fire service for containing the fire to the one building.
Saved
Fire fighters fought the raging flames from every angle and managed to contain it to the main buildings.
Upon arrival at the scene, this publication watched as public-spirited citizens and ministry staffers pushed to safety, 50 vehicles, including ambulances, parked in the compound while three belonging to the Blood Bank were destroyed.
As he watched his office burn from the Hadfield Street entrance, Dr Ramsammy fought back tears. He said that the building housed a lot of irreplaceable records and documents.
As the blaze raged, public-spirited citizens and Health Ministry staffers swung into action to assist in dousing the flames to save what they could.
Some Ministry employees upon hearing of the tragedy gathered in pockets, with eyes welled up; some were heard talking of their valuables burnt to cinder in their offices.
Some even pondered what their future employment status would be as a result of the fire.

Security
“Security is an issue and I’m sure that when everything is done and we analyse, we will find breaches again,” Dr Ramsammy told reporters at the scene yesterday morning.
As is the case in other places, he said that security has always been an issue in the Ministry’s compound where people sleep.
He said too that he’s always had problems with guards at the location. He has had to summon security firm owners, he said.
He has also had on occasions to lock the gate and put the guards outside of the compound.
He also recalled being locked in the compound by the guards. He is normally at the office, in most cases until 2:00hrs. On Thursday night he left about 22:00hrs.
“I wish I was here but I don’t know what I would have done anyways,” he said.
He said that Brans Security Service replaced the guards from the United Associates Guard Service.
At the time of the fire, there were three guards in the compound, one of whom was a female.

Threats
Quizzed at the scene, Dr. Ramsammy said that he had become used to receiving threats every time there is some incident in Guyana, but nothing has ever come of those.
“We did not receive any threats this time.”
I was here until about ten o’clock last night (Thursday night). I left two security guards in the compound.
It will be a huge setback for Guyana’s health care system as most of the files, programme plans and documents are destroyed and in many cases we will have to start all over.
As he fought back tears, the embattled Minister said that the building has been home to him for more than twelve years. “This is my life’s work.”
“It’s a criminal act. Obviously arson of this kind has political implications,” he added.
Dr Ramsammy said that if arson is proved, “it’s an indication of how low people can go.
“The building does not serve a political purpose. It serves the Guyanese people, especially the poor.”
This razed building is estimated to be close to two centuries old.
It is said to have housed the Orphan’s Asylum and from 1918 – 1951, Queen’s College.
Joseph Hadfield, one of the most prolific architects of that period, designed the colonial block of the building.
Originally, this building stood on a block of land comprising lots 2-9 Brickdam, Stabroek and was owned by Edward Carberry in 1838.
In 1852, the government of British Guiana acquired the land. Property registers state that Joseph Hadfield designed the old colonial buildings along that block.
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Health Ministry channa bombed

Posted By Iana Seales On July 18, 2009 @ 5:26 am In Local News

A huge fire sparked by channa bombs completely destroyed the Ministry of Health’s main building at Brickdam and an annex early yesterday morning, devouring decades-old records, vehicles and a string of key divisions in a major blow to the health sector.

The raging inferno erupted some time before 3 am and rumbled on for three hours amid a downpour and a valiant campaign by the Guyana Fire Service to save three buildings in the ministry’s southern wing and its immediate neighbour, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC).
The conflagration levelled the offices of two ministers, permanent secretary, chief medical officer and administrative staff, the Registry, Disease Control Unit, Adolescent Health Unit, Tobacco Control Unit, Standards Department and a section of the Accounts Department in ruins.

The Ministry of Health maintained records for health professionals and from health centres across the country. It was also housing some records for the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. However, a portion of the records destroyed were computerized and can be retrieved from a back-up system which was saved.
The police in a statement last night said that patrols arrived at the scene at about five minutes after a report had been made to 911 and saw the top flat of the main building engulfed in flames.

[1]
Fire ripping away at the main building at the Ministry of Health and an annex. (Photograph by Brenon Sookram)
“On checking around the compound they discovered a large bottle along with what smelt like a flammable substance with channa and a wick. Further checks were made around the compound and two security guards were seen. They alleged that they saw smoke at the top flat of the building and raised an alarm. A third guard was later found at the Hadfield Street entrance and he alleged that he had gone to release vehicles from the compound into Hadfield Street.

“The main building was extensively burnt, also four vehicles in the compound were damaged. A room in a building south east of the main building was scorched. The louvre windows were discovered damaged and pieces of glass and channa were found on the inside and outside of the building.

[2]
A distressed Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, Minister of Health surveying the scene yesterday morning. (Photo by Brenon Sookram)
“Several items inside the room such as condoms and medical equipment were damaged. The damage was not caused by the fire emanating from the main building. In fact the fire from the main building never reached that building.
“A further search of the compound unearthed a bag with two complete bottles with a suspected flammable substance, wicks and channa and three broken bottles with channa.
“Up to this afternoon fire service personnel and police ranks were still combing the scene”, the police said.

Two of the buildings spared were handed over to the ministry for use but a third is still under investigation after an explosive device was linked to the building.
Questions have since been raised about security and where exactly the security officers on duty were at the time of the alleged attack. There are also concerns as to the reaction time of the officers and how soon the fire service was alerted.
Health Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy seemed assured yesterday that after the police completed their investigative work it would be found that there had been security breaches. He said security has always been a problem for the ministry, adding that only recently a new firm had been contracted.
He said the health sector is often at the centre of threats whenever there is unrest in the country adding that whenever there is protest action people would pass and throw remarks such as, “you’re next” in reference to the ministry. But there had been no such threats in the past few months, he said.
According to the minister, if the ministry was directly targeted, “it is sad and despicable” because the ministry does not belong to a political party or one group.

[3]
The Ministry of Health building on Brickdam alight early yesterday morning shortly after flames erupted in the upper flat. (Iana Seales photo)
Ramsammy declared that the Ministry of Health is the property of the people of Guyana and that it serves a public good, and he questioned why anyone would want to make that ministry a target or any other ministry.
“Why this ministry? Why the Ministry of Housing or why any building?” he asked yesterday recalling that a fire had also destroyed the housing ministry on Homestretch Avenue a few years ago.
He also dismissed questions pointing to recent allegations surrounding him saying that there can be no possible link to the fire.
“Let us not go stretching and looking for a story that is not there. It is an absurd story… I am done with that,” the minister said.
Ramsammy called the press conference at the National AIDS Programme Secretariat (NAPS) to say that the work of his ministry continues. He said the ministry is not intimidated and was focused on being fully operational again by next Monday.

No chance
It is unclear at what time the fire service was alerted about the fire but when the first tender arrived at the scene the ministry was already engulfed in flames and “well on its way” to burning flat, according to a fireman at the scene. He said that the ministry had no chance of surviving the blaze even with the greatest of efforts.
Deputy Fire Chief Winston McGregor in an interview at the scene told reporters that the first of five fire tenders deployed to the scene started rolling from the central base within seconds of the call, but turned up and met a building well ablaze.
However, he said the fire service’s operational strategy was put in place to contain the blaze, adding that firemen fought hard to reduce the damage.
McGregror told reporters at the scene that the fire service would have been able to do

[4]
A view of the eastern section of the Ministry of Health as it burned yesterday morning. (Iana Seales photo)
much more in terms of a response had it been notified earlier.
“The men worked well,” he said while noting that his comments can be termed as subjective.

A flaming early morning sky and thick smoke covered the upper half of Brickdam at around 3:15 am when Stabroek News arrived on the scene. The fire service was already in firefighting mode and had surrounded the ministry using Brickdam and Hadfield streets.
Brickdam and its environs were blanketed in darkness following a power cut, illuminated only by the fire gutting the building. An intense heat drove back curious onlookers, barring anyone from proceeding beyond the Independence Arch at the head of Brickdam yet a handful of determined residents pressed forward to get a closer look.

The old wooden superstructure of the ministry started to disintegrate within some 30 minutes of the fire; the eastern section caved in first. It was about 3:40 am when the eastern section housing Ramsammy’s office among others collapsed.
With manpower of close to 50 and generators pumping water from the Brickdam and Hadfield Street drains, the fire service moved swiftly and after an hour was able to reduce the threat to neighbouring buildings and the southern wing.
Residents eager to assist charged into the ministry’s compound from the Hadfield Street gate and jumped right into fire-fighting mode. Other residents realized that the vehicles in the compound were at risk and immediately started a mad rush to save them.
The scene was a chaotic one as employees of the ministry who had gathered at the scene and residents in the area rushed to clear the compound of vehicles. Keys which are usually stored at the security hut in the compound were missing, forcing the staff to push several vehicles out of the compound.
Ramsammy yesterday confirmed that the ministry had lost three fairly new vehicles assigned to the National Blood Transfusion Service, which were in the western section of the compound, but he said they managed to save 50 other vehicles.

Emotional
Ramsammy gave a brief interview at 4:10 am when the fire had already destroyed the main and annex buildings. He told reporters that it was difficult to watch the buildings go down and feel helpless at the same time.
He recalled leaving the office at 10 pm on Thursday along with his driver and two secretaries only to receive a call later that the ministry was burning.

Since he was the last employee at the ministry to leave Ramsammy has been asked to provide a statement to the police. He said yesterday that his driver and his two secretaries would also give statements.
“I wish I was there, but don’t know what I would have done anyway,” Ramsammy said shrugging his shoulders. He was being comforted every few minutes by staff and colleague ministers who arrived on the scene as the word spread.
Public Service Minister Dr Jennifer Westford was among the first to show up followed by Human Services Minister Priya Manickchand. Some time after Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee and Culture Minister Dr Frank Anthony turned up.
Ramsammy appeared to have been doing okay though he looked distressed, but shortly after during another on-the-spot interview with reporters he broke down.

Teary-eyed and visibly emotional Ramsammy pointed to the burning building and said, “My life’s work is in there. A lifetime of work is in there”. He referred to the fire as a significant setback, but vowed that the ministry’s work “must continue”.
Shaking his head and with his eyes lowered the minister called the fire a tragedy saying that its impact is devastating. He noted he had been minister of health for ten years.
The Health Ministry was one of the few surviving structures considered part of the national heritage of the country. The building had once housed Queen’s College.

Support
Ramsammy mentioned that he had received a tremendous amount of support within hours of the fire saying that everyone seemed genuinely affected. He said yesterday that the staff of the ministry has been “focused and committed to the process of moving forward” from the minute they realized that the ministry was no more.

[5]
Firefighters and residents pushing a vehicle to safety from the Ministry of Health compound while the fire raged early yesterday morning. (Photo by Brenon Sookram)
He said he had received calls from donor partners and technical partners in and outside the country. Specifically, he noted that he received calls from Dr Margaret Chan, Director General of the World Health Organisation and Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS.
He said too that telephone calls also came from colleague ministers in the Caribbean all expressing solidarity. Ramsammy said that he was moved by the support, but he was particularly touched when ordinary citizens made contact to say how affected they were.
At the press briefing, he disclosed that he was meeting with technical and donor partners in the afternoon to discuss a way forward and to “begin the work of rebuilding the ministry of health”.

‘I saw smoke’
Stabroek News spoke with one of the security officers on duty at the time and the woman recalled seeing smoke some time after 2 am coming from the top flat of the building. She was at the security hut at the main entrance of the ministry and according to her, no flames were visible at that time.
“I only see smoke; so I call the base and tell them call the fire service,” she recounted.

She was a bit flustered but related that two other security personnel were at the back of the building making routine checks when the fire broke out. According to her, efforts to locate the other officers later proved futile.
However, at his press conference Ramsammy said there were only two security guards. He could not say if the guards had also been questioned by the police.

[6]
Some of the unexploded channa bombs retrieved in the compound of the Ministry of Health. (Police photo)
The woman insisted that she saw nothing strange on Brickdam saying that she had no idea what the other security officers saw while making checks at the back. She was unable to say how soon the fire service arrived after she contacted her security base.
The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) released a statement yesterday saying that it was saddened by the destruction of the building and concerned at the initial evidence that pointed to the work of arsonists and terrorists.
The party said the building was one of the nation’s beautiful pieces of architectural heritage and called on the security forces to thoroughly investigate the incident and bring the perpetrator/s to justice.
Additionally, the party said that the fire has coincided with “attempts by some fringe elements to try to heat up the political situation.

“The demonstrations and provocations of the police were no doubt deliberate to court arrest in the hope of gaining support. It appears to have been intentionally designed to create an atmosphere for arson and terrorism in the society,” the statement said.
Meanwhile Opposition Leader Robert Corbin speaking yesterday on the incident said the nation could ill afford such destruction at this time.

Speaking at the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) weekly press briefing, Corbin told reporters that he was unaware of the origin of the fire, but noted that other mysterious fires had haunted other government buildings and ministries over the years.
He also expressed hope that the fire is investigated thoroughly.

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President announces $25M reward for info on arsonist/s

Posted By Stabroek staff On July 18, 2009 @ 5:25 am In Local News

President Bharrat Jagdeo condemned yesterday’s early morning fire that led to the destruction of the Head Office of the Health Ministry and announced a $25M reward for information leading to the arrest of the arsonist/s

Speaking at a press conference at the Office of the President, Jagdeo disclosed that from information he had received from the Commissioner of Police, Henry Greene and Fire Chief Lawrence David the fire appeared to be a deliberate act, since “they had found a number of incendiary devices in the compound”. He later disclosed that the incendiary devices were ‘channa bombs’, some of which had gone off while others had not.

[1]
Some of the unexploded channa bombs retrieved in the compound of the Ministry of Health. (Police photo)
The President said that it was “a sick act on the part of depraved people who will target a public building that provides support for the whole country, particularly in the area of people’s well-being, that is, health care.” He added that it was “extremely sad because this will set back the management of the sector and we will have to start rebuilding from scratch”, even as he acknowledged that taxpayers’ money will have to go towards restoring the building.

He said that the fire had affected thousands of people all across Guyana since a lot of assets were lost. Jagdeo stated that thousands of records related to the institution’s history, its management, programmes and systems, as well as those related to the well-being of citizens had been lost in the fire.

Jagdeo said that in light of this occurrence, there will be heightened security at government facilities even as he stated that no chances could be taken.

When asked to comment on what may have triggered this act, Jagdeo said that he could not comment on the issue of “culpability” since investigations are ongoing but he emphasised that no angle will be left out in the investigations and said that he had held extensive meetings with security forces. “We are going to get to the bottom of this, we are going to get the people who did this”, Jagdeo emphasised.

[2]
Vehicles in the Ministry of Health compound yesterday which were destroyed by the fire. (Photograph by Brenon Sookram)
Meanwhile, Jagdeo said that he spoke to the Ministers of Health to make alternative arrangements to manage the sector.

[3]
What was left of the Ministry of Health yesterday following an early morning fire that gutted the building and an annex in the compound. (Jules Gibson photo)
He said that sometime during the course of next week the ministry will be functional again. He stated that “all the programmes might not be functional immediately” but said that the government needed to ensure that the essential ones are functioning so that there is no prolonged impact on the delivery of health care in the country.

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Channa bombs lobbed at Culture Ministry

Posted By Stabroek staff On May 17, 2008 @ 5:19 am In Local News | 23 Comments

Shots fired at WaterChris
By Gaulbert Sutherland and Sara Bharrat

[1]Gunmen last night attacked the Ministry of Culture, throwing two channa bombs into the compound shortly after blasting off shots at the nearby WaterChris Hotel.

There were no reported injuries in the attacks at either place. In a lightning strike, the gunmen, who were in a car, fired at least three shots at the Water Chris Hotel on Quamina Street shortly before 9:30 pm. A car, PGG 8912 that was parked in front of the hotel was hit at least two times by the bullets while there was also a visible bullet hole on the northern wall of the hotel.
Speeding down Quamina Street, the gunmen then threw two channa bombs into the compound of the Ministry located at Quamina and Main streets before they sped off. The bombs failed to ignite.

[2]At the WaterChris Hotel, moments after the shots were fired, there was a sense of disbelief. The shots had been fired in quick succession, reverberating throughout the area. The dining room of the popular hotel is located on the Quamina and Waterloo streets side and it was here that the shots were directed. While some persons immediately came out others stayed inside. There was a function at the Clerical and Commercial Workers Union building located on the other side of the street, and persons came out after some time had passed, exclaiming in shock. A person, who was said to be the owner of the car, told this newspaper, at the hotel that he had no comment to make. Security personnel at the hotel warned persons to stay away from the vehicle, though the curious still went to inspect it.

A few minutes after the shots had been fired at the hotel, a police van arrived and then, sirens blaring, sped down Quamina Street towards Main Street. About nine minutes later, a police car arrived at the hotel, followed by others and they commenced taking photos of the bullet holes and appeared to be looking for spent shells.

Some minutes after this, there were reports that the Ministry of Culture was also shot up and police went there.

Speaking to reporters at the ministry, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony said that he was informed that a car had passed by and two channa bombs were thrown at the building and the northern side of the building was shot up. He said that the lower flat of the building housed offices of the National Sports Commission and the upper flat some offices.

Appealing for calm to prevail, he said that hopefully the police would get whoever is responsible and with regards to the Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA) “if this was intended to be such a deterrent people should think again because this is not going to stop us”.

When Stabroek News passed by the WaterChris Hotel again, the shot car had been removed and the people had dispersed.

Earlier, when Stabroek News arrived on the scene of the WaterChris shooting the police had not yet turned up. However, at 9:40 pm a police car with its siren flashing drove past the location and was flagged down by the small crowd that had gathered at the scene.

“It had shoot-out here. Bout six bullet I hear!”, a woman said while making great haste to leave the scene.

“I live just up the street,” one man said. “I hear like four gunshots so I dash to my window to peep and see wa goin’ on”, he explained.

Shortly after, additional ranks arrived at the scene and the officers were seen with flashlights scouring the road and grass for spent shells. Despite the attack which left many shocked, patrons of the WaterChris could be seen sitting quite calmly inside continuing with their evening’s meal and entertainment.

Just after 10 pm, when Stabroek News arrived at the Ministry, Minister Anthony was seen standing in front of his Ministry’s Main Street entrance, his hands folded across his chest, with a grave expression on his face. Anthony appeared to be shaken but in control of the situation and at approximately 10:15 pm he escorted a number of police ranks into the compound.

A small group of Ministry employees, the Minister and police officers made their way to the northern side of the building, which faces Quamina Street, and pointed out what appeared to be a mixture of shattered glass and remains of a “channa” bomb on the building’s stairs. Windows from the lower flat of the building were broken.

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Terrorists attacks in Guyana - Health Ministry firebombed, destroyed; heightened security

2009-07-17T21:11:00.000-07:00

Health Ministry firebombing triggers tighter security

THE firebombing of the Health Ministry complex on Brickdam, Georgetown early yesterday morning has triggered heightened security at all government facilities and other places, President Bharrat Jagdeo announced.

He told a press conference at the Office of the President yesterday afternoon that several incendiary devices (channa bombs or Molotov cocktails) were located in the compound and while investigations continue, “it seems as though this was a deliberate act”.

Asked if the firebombing may be part of a bigger plot the President said “We can’t take chances – so no stone is being left unturned”.

He said several channa bombs were found in the compound and some apparently exploded while others did not.

Mr. Jagdeo said he could not comment on culpability at this point in time because the investigations are still ongoing.

“But trust me -- no angle is left out from the investigations…I have had extensive meetings with the security forces and we are going to get to the bottom of this and we are going to get the people who did this”, he declared.

He announced a $25M reward for any information that could help track and convict those who committed “this atrocious act”.

“…it is really a sick act on the part of depraved people who will target a public building that provides support for the whole country, particularly in the area of people’s wellbeing and in health care”, the President noted.

He called the firebombing an horrific act, pointing out that it’s not the government that is being affected but thousands of people across the country and taxpayers money would have to go to restoring the complex.

Health Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, at a press conference earlier in the day, said the fire started on the upper floor of the main building in the complex.

The complex that was gutted by the blaze that started around 03:00 h, housed the offices of Ramsammy and senior ministry officers and four other annexes.

Three other buildings in the compound were slightly damaged, including one in the southeastern corner of the compound in which an incendiary device was placed. An eyewitness said the flames there were put out by firefighters who were alerted to the blaze while fighting the fire in the main complex and the room where the device was placed among documents was slightly scorched.

President Jagdeo said the loss of the complex will set back the management of the health sector and the government has to start rebuilding from scratch.

He said “we can only deplore this as a country given the enormous loss of resources that the country has suffered and the possibility of a setback in the delivery of health services to our people.”

He reported that Ramsammy and Minister in the ministry, Dr. Bheri Ramsarran, are spearheading the organization of alternative arrangements to manage the sector and the ministry will be functional again during next week.

He said the plan is to get essential services up and running so that there is no prolonged setback to the delivery of health care in the country.

Ramsammy said this is a crisis for the Guyanese people but assured that the ministry will continue its services.

“We at the Ministry of Health refuse to give into this disaster – whether it was a disaster crated by accident or by design…the services of the Ministry of Health are in place and functional”, he said.

He told reporters that two of the three remaining buildings in the compound were released by police and fire service officials for use by the ministry.

“If in fact it is arson and the Ministry of Health was targeted, it is sad; it is despicable because the Ministry of Health doesn’t belong to a political party or one group…this is the people’s property and provides services to anybody…certainly, it is only a warped mind that would think of a Ministry of Health”, he said.

He said three “fairly new” vehicles were destroyed in the fire but about 50 others were saved.

The minister said he was the last of the employees to leave the building Thursday night and acknowledged that security at the ministry has always been a major problem for him.

“I have never been satisfied in the 10 years at the ministry with the level of service provided by the contracted services…everybody has the same issue – even in the private sector”, he said.

Ramsammy said he was told that two security guards were on duty in the compound at the time of fire.

A despicable act
INITIAL indications after the fire that yesterday morning gutted the Ministry of Health complex on Brickdam, Georgetown point to arson.

At a press conference yesterday afternoon, President Bharrat Jagdeo said several incendiary devices (channa bombs or Molotov cocktails) were located in the compound and while investigations are continuing, it seems as though this was a deliberate act.

Reflecting the seriousness with which the government is taking the startling development, the President announced that after extensive discussions with the security forces, security will be intensified at all government facilities and other areas.

A $25M reward is also being offered for any information that could help law enforcement officials charge and prosecute those responsible.

We welcome the assurances by the President that no stone will be left unturned in going after the sick and depraved perpetrators.

There is enough initial evidence to conclude that dark mischief is once again afoot in this land and the law enforcement agencies must pull out all stops to get after those responsible and blunt their macabre designs.

The targeting of the Health Ministry for an apparent fire-bombing amid frenetic bids by some to stir street protests fit a pattern that is familiar to most Guyanese.

It recalls the destruction by fire of the Housing Ministry on Homestretch Avenue on June 15, 2001 and the fire at the Education Ministry, also on Brickdam, on May 2, 1999.

It is a clear attempt to create unease among citizens and must be nipped in the bud.

Above all, the situation calls for increased vigilance by the Joint Services, Community Policing Groups and others across the country.

All decent-minded and peace-loving citizens must be on the alert to ensure the dark days and the fear that once prevailed here are gone forever.

Why would any sane person target a Health Ministry, or any government or state agency dedicated to the service of all the people of this country for fire-bombing, if not to send a signal?

As Health Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy observed yesterday, “it is only a warped mind that would think of (targeting) a Ministry of Health”.

“If in fact it is arson and the Ministry of Health was targeted, it is sad; it is despicable because the Ministry of Health doesn’t belong to a political party or one group…this is the people’s property and provides services to anybody”, he said.

Democracy and the people’s right to choose those they want to govern the affairs of the country in a free and fair process were restored to Guyana in October 1992 only after a long and arduous fight.

That is the only accepted way into the corridors of government and those seeking other avenues marked by shadows of fear cannot be allowed to succeed.

The price of freedom is eternal vigilance and the law enforcement agencies have to once again show they can help Guyanese protect their hard-won gains.

Pre-dawn fire guts Ministry of Health
“This will not stop us, we will rise from the ashes in a bigger and better way”, says Minister Ramsammy
By Shirley Thomas

Minister Leslie Ramsammy, PS Hydar Ally andJunior Minister Bheri Ramsarran at the scene early yesterday

MINISTER of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy yesterday expressed shock and sadness at the destruction by fire of the building housing his Ministry at 1 Brickdam in the capital city.

But he said this will not stop the Ministry’s work, as it will rise from the ashes in a bigger and better way.

“At this moment, we are not going to let this tragedy stop us from doing our work. I look at this as a crisis for the Guyanese people, and not a crisis of the Ministry of Health...What I can promise the Guyanese people is that the Ministry of Health will rise from those ashes in a bigger and better way,” he affirmed.

Minister Ramsammy assured that no employee would be placed on the ‘bread line’ as a result of yesterday’s fire, and that by 8:00 hrs. on Monday morning, everyone dislocated by the fire would be reporting for work at some site.

He said too that the Ministry would do everything in its power to ensure that employees – particularly the junior staff, are paid their July salaries before the end of the month.

Fire, the origin of which is still being assessed by experts, shortly after 3:00 hrs yesterday broke out in the main building housing the Ministry’s headquarters, reducing billions of dollars worth of assets to a rubble.

Employees sadly view what is left of the Ministry of Health following yesterday’s fire

As word quickly spread around the capital city, employees and other concerned citizens quickly rushed to the scene, where within minutes the old, prized and well-kept wooden edifice, which housed Queen’s College in the 1950’s, had been transformed into a raging inferno.

It was an emotional scene, with Minister of Health Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, his Permanent Secretary Hydar Ally, and other employees weeping openly.

The fire, even amidst sporadic showers, raged uncontrollably, quickly spreading to sections which housed the offices of the senior Minister, Dr. Ramsammy, and his Junior Minister, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran; Administrative services; Central board of Health; Youth Friendly Health Services; Adolescent Health Services; pantry and board room on the middle floor; the Records and Human Resource Department and Central Accounting Unit and vault on the lower floor; and the top floor which housed the offices of the Chief Pharmacist; Director of Standards, Director of Chronic Diseases; General Nursing Council; Audit and Statistical Departments; and main conference room.

Buildings under threat from the fire included the neighouring Geology and Mines Commission to the west, and other ministry buildings the south of the burning offices.

As screaming fire tenders raced to the scene, firefighters hastily dismounted and proceeded to fight the angry flames as if their lives depended on it. Persons on the scene commended the firefighters who managed to skillfully avoid being struck by the huge greenheart beams tumbling dangerously from the burning building.

Meanwhile, the dousing of the building sent charcoal embers flying through the air, and cascading dangerously on motor cars parked as far away as the Geology and Mines and GT&T compounds in the west. Other vehicles parked in the Ministry’s compound were also damaged.

Long after the building was gutted and the destructive flames were brought under control, firemen remained on the scene, working at extinguishing pockets of smaller flames occasionally popping up.

With an innate will to overcome, both Ministers are working to relocating the affected staff, numbering close to 100. Emergency meetings were held at the offices of the National AIDS Programme Secretariat (NAPS) yesterday morning to address this concern.

Determined that the Ministry should not let the disaster weaken their resolve, other assurances given by Dr. Ramsammy were that the Ministry would work to ensure its employees, now dislocated, continue to work in comfort, and that the delivery of healthcare is not adversely affected, but will continue with the same efficient flow.

“Our home may have been burnt down, but the Ministry of Health stands tall and we will provide our service as if nothing is wrong,” Ramsammy assured. The Health Minister said that, in every sense, yesterday’s fire was a great tragedy for this country.

Meanwhile, Junior Minister of Health, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran, equally prepared for the challenge, in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle affirmed:

“When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. We are a tough bunch and will not give up.”

He said that at a just concluded meeting with Heads of Departments, ramifications of relocating were worked out; sites identified for relocating the dislodged workers include NAPS offices; ministry of Health’s facilities at Liliendaal, unaffected buildings at the back of the Brickdam compound; among others.

Dr. Ramsaran said that fortunately the building housing the Information Technology Department was not affected, so that with intact database, information can be retrieved to keep systems going.

He also gave the assurance that persons required to travel abroad for medical services such as surgeries and having their documents or financial assistance processed by the Ministry of Health would not be adversely affected. This is because the system provides for information to be sourced from the GPHC or other institutions which recommended their travel.

Other important services which continue to function without disruption include the immunisation programme housed in one of the saved buildings; Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission Programme; and Maternal and Child Health Services.

Also, details of applications in response to advertisements for training programmes such as the nursing and the Dentex Certificate and Diploma Programmes can be accessed from the Information Technology Department which is intact.

Arson fire at Health Ministry causes national setback
“We should look at this tragedy as an opportunity, as the new Ministry will be a bigger and better facility that will change the landscape of Brickdam and Georgetown” – Minister Ramsammy
By Vanessa Narine
THE health sector suffered a national setback when the main building and another in the Ministry of Health, Brickdam, Georgetown complex were completely destroyed in an arson attack.

But Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy assured that the ministry is still functional.

Speaking to the media, following the early morning conflagration, he declared: “We have never failed the Guyanese people, so we will do what we have always done and treat this just as any other crisis situation as we try to get our jobs done.”

The compound accommodated five buildings but the main one and the annex next to it were wiped out by the blaze that points to the work of arsonists who started it on the top floor of the three-storey edifice which also housed the offices of Ministers Ramsammy and Dr. Bheri Ramsaran and the Permanent Secretary.

Administration, finance and personnel sections and directors were accommodated there, as well.

The other three buildings were only minimally damaged and two of them were released for use by the authorities as they were determined to be of no risk to occupants, Ramsammy said.

He disclosed that his ministry was in the process of computerising its systems but the records are not irretrievably lost.

Ramsammy said damage was also done to three motor vehicles but several others were saved.

He lauded the supportive efforts that were exerted to help the Ministry.

Ramsammy said he left there around 22:00 h Thursday night and, at 02:00 h yesterday morning, he received a telephone call informing him of the inferno.

He said, since then, he and his officers got together, determined to deal with the situation.

About the cause, Ramsammy said the indication given by uniformed personnel is that it was arson because several explosive devices, commonly called ‘channa bombs’ were recovered at the scene.

ORIGIN
He pointed out, though, that if indeed the origin was arson, it was not an attack on him or the Ministry but on the people of Guyana and the matter will be left to the law enforcement agencies.

Acting Chief Fire Officer Mr. Marlon Gentle could not be contacted for comment.

Ramsammy vowed that the Ministry will not give into the challenges that have arisen whether the occurrence was by accident or design.

He observed that, as availability of health services is akin to the lifeblood of the Guyanese people, steps are being taken to relocate different departments so that operations can resume from Monday.

Public announcements about those will be made but some of the relocations include:

* the Adolescent Health Department to the National Aids Programme Secretariat (NAPS) building, Hadfield Street;

* the Standards Department to the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) office, East Street;

* the Personnel Department to Guyana Agency for Health Sciences, the Environment and Food Policy (GAHEF) building, Liliendaal and

* the Chief Medical Officer, Minister Ramsaran and the Permanent Secretary to spaces in the unharmed buildings at the Brickdam address.

&#xWe have ensured that what needed to be done to have our services uninterrupted has been done,” Ramsammy said.

He said processing of documents that would have facilitated the commencement of training programmes and access to medical assistance will progress as scheduled.

RESOLVED
Ramsammy reiterated that the Ministry is resolved not to lose one minute in responding to the difficulties ahead.

&#xWe should look at this tragedy as an opportunity, as the new Ministry will be a bigger and better facility that will change the landscape of Brickdam and Georgetown,” he stated.

However, his confidence was not demonstrated by some staffers, many of whom expressed concerns that ranged from loss of records to retirement plans.

Those who voiced distress said they were shocked and hurt as the reality of what happened set in.

Noting their apprehension, Ramsammy, before the media briefing, called for the employees to gather at the NAPS building where his address left them feeling more convinced.

There, though the anguish in his voice was easily recognized, he advised each employee to pray, hug each other and build solidarity, assuring them that the Ministry will be rebuilt stronger.

Executive Director of the Health Sector Development Unit (HSDU), Mr. Keith Burrowes echoed a similar sentiment.

He said: “We will rebuild and we will not be deterred.”

Permanent Secretary, Mr. Hydar Ally, in an invited comment, said the incident is tragic and unfortunate.

“This is a big blow for the health sector since there was much work done to get to where we are, particularly efforts to build institutional capacity,” he offered.

He maintained, though, that one thing the people of Guyana can rely on is the fact the Ministry will be there.
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Utterances and occurrences are they coincidental?
ONE of the major facets of democracy is freedom of expression of opinions – be they of a generally orthodox nature or of the eccentric sort. This reality, a fundamental human right, has in many instances proven, like everything else in life save the divine, to have both positive and negative embodiments and manifestations. As a result, the phrase with responsibility was appended to freedom of expression. The new phrase freedom of expression with responsibility attracted much criticism and drew the ire of people who opined that this new phrase was indicative of the intent of the powers that be to muzzle the mouths of citizens. Proponents of ‘freedom of expression with responsibility’ hold that “with responsibility” phrase was necessitated by the fact that many sections of society were in fact abusing the human right to free expressions. And are these proponents justified? Have their propositions been vindicated?

The reality that there is a direct correlation between certain public utterances emanating from the tongues of citizens affiliated with a particular political group and devastating occurrences should be great cause for concern.

Many years ago, during a public demonstration by the People’s National Congress (PNC), the late Hugh Desmond Hoyte, then Party Leader, proclaimed: ‘Slo fyah; mo fyah!’ This expression became so popular with party supporters, it became something of a party slogan, and unfortunately, it will be immortalised with the party. Immediately subsequent to the first publication of the ‘slo fyah; mo fyah’ proclamation, an upsurge of violence descended upon our nation and its people. There were many killings; many public and private buildings were gutted by fires the enormity of which was never previously known to the nation. Can we then make the association between the ‘slo fyah; mo fyah’ proclamation and the vile acts that followed? Literally and figuratively, there were acts connoting ‘mo fyah’, and they were hardly in any ‘slo fyah’ mode.

The philosopher, psychoanalyst, historian, researcher, and scholar generally, will assert that robust conclusions are not reached by isolating a variable and examining its nature in a single environment on a single occasion. Instead, conclusions that can stand the test of time must be reached as a result of examination of a particular variable over time, controlling its environment. Let us adhere to the recommendation of these most credible experts.

Activist Mark Benschop and trade unionists Lincoln Lewis and Norris Witter were arrested on Wednesday, July 15 for disorderly behaviour and resisting arrest during an illegal protest outside the office of the Commissioner of Police, Eve Leary. They refused to pay bail and were detained overnight until they decided to accept bail privilege.

Hours after the release of the trio, there were public statements of an inciting type. Norris Witter exclaimed on a newscast: ‘The struggle has now begun; the fire has now begun to burn!’ Hours after, the main building of the Ministry of Health was totally consumed by fire. This building housed the offices of the Ministers of Health, Chief Medical Officer, the Secretariat, and other important departments of the sector.

This is certainly a huge setback to the nation, and in particular, to the social and health services to the citizenry.

Investigations unearthed incendiary devices at the site of the fire. This suggests that the destruction of the health facility was an act of arson.

Is it a mere coincidence that the Health Ministry’s building went up in flames on the back of Witter’s statements? Or can we now make an association and reach a conclusion?
GUY SCHOLARI

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Guyanese-born Farouk Samaroo, U.S. Army Soldier, for 38th Assembly Vacancy

2009-07-12T18:18:00.000-07:00

NY Daily News: Guyanese-born Farouk Samaroo, U.S. Army Soldier, for 38th Assembly Vacancy

Contact: samarooforny@aol.com

Army soldier goes from battlefields of Iraq to political ring for Seminerio seat

BY John Lauinger

Army Specialist Farouk Samaroo is looking to run for the Assembly seat vacated by Anthony Seminerio.

Queens native Farouk Samaroo enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2007 because he wanted to fight in Afghanistan.

Born in Guyana and raised in Richmond Hill, Samaroo, 26, has spent the last year in combat, serving in a unit that sought to strengthen the legal process in four Afghan provinces.

Now back at Fort Hood, Tex., Samaroo is transitioning out of active duty and preparing for a much different type of campaign.

He is running for the Assembly seat vacated by Anthony Seminerio, who pleaded guilty to influence-peddling charges last week.

A successor for Seminerio, who represented the 38th District for 30 years, will be chosen in the November general election.
Samaroo charged that Seminerio advocated too strongly for conservative issues, even though Democrats outnumber Republicans by more than 3 to 1 in the district, which has undergone a demographic shift with in influx of new immigrants.
"This is a very diverse district that needs an Assembly member who represents everyone," Samaroo said. "I am that person."
He said his focus would be to address the "neglected base of government services and aging infrastructure" in the district.
Samaroo won't return to the district for another two weeks, but he said he has a devoted group of followers circulating petitions in his absence.
He is likely to face a Democratic primary against Community Board 9 member Nick Comaianni of Woodhaven.
Samaroo, who will accept an officer's commission in either the Army Reserve or the National Guard, worked on state Sen. Shirley Huntley's campaign in 2006.
But that wasn't his first foray into Queens politics. In 2003, he worked as a community liaison for then Assemblyman Brian McLaughlin, who was sentenced in May to 10 years in prison for stealing $3.1 million from Little Leaguers, lawmakers and his own union.
McLaughlin canned Samaroo two days after giving him a raise to make room on the payroll for a no-show job, Samaroo said.
In a strange twist, Samaroo's Assembly run was made possible because McLaughlin ratted out Seminerio to get a lesser sentence.
"I had no idea what was going on at the time," Samaroo said of McLaughlin's swindle.
"I was one of the people who believed in Assemblyman McLaughlin and was hurt by his schemes."

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/queens/2009/07/03/2009-07-03_army_soldiers_next_big_battle_is_for_seminerio_seat.html

Manning was condescending

2009-06-28T06:34:00.000-07:00

Manning was condescending

EDITORIAL - The unravelling of logic

Published: Tuesday | June 23, 2009

Put a politician before a crowd of his own supporters and his capacity for thoughtful clarity seems to evaporate into intoxicated fervour.

So, Sunday's speech by Trinidad and Tobago's prime minister, Patrick Manning at a conference of his People's National Movement (PNM) does not, for us, provide an adequate basis from which to assess the philosophy that undergirds Mr Manning's promotion of deeper integration, possibly a political union, between Trinidad and Tobago and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

Indeed, Mr Manning's remarks give added credence to Prime Minister Bruce Golding's call for this matter, and the future of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) generally, to be debated, fully and frankly, by the heads of government when they meet in Guyana next month.

In fact, the leaders of the OECS - a group made up primarily of CARICOM members in the Leeward and Windward Islands - might themselves require some explanation from Mr Manning of the manner in which he framed Trinidad and Tobago's case for this deeper integration.

Unassailable

This newspaper, of course, believes that the logic of Caribbean conglomeration is unassailable. We, however, found Mr Manning's narrative to be almost condescending, capable, despite his claim to the contrary, of fuelling those who ascribe to Mr Manning imperial aspirations.

Such charges, ironically, echo the late Eric Williams' warning to English-speaking Caribbean countries to be wary of "new imperialists", at a time when Venezuela's Rafael Caldera was making overtures to the region.

In Sunday's speech, Mr Manning reminded his party's supporters about just how well Trinidad and Tobago's oil and gas-fuelled economy was doing, and the tribulations of the OECS members, where his country finds an export market of TT$$400 million annually.

His country's unemployment, Mr Manning said, was 4.2 per cent, while in the OECS states it ranged from 15 per cent to 20 per cent. The implication of the worsening economic situation in the OECS is that its citizens will 'seek greener pastures'. Trinidad and Tobago represents one of those fields.

The reality of it

"We are not going to have enough police officers to stop the influx of illegal migrants into Trinidad and Tobago ... . That is the reality of it".

Indeed, Mr Manning raised the spectre of illegal immigrants squatting in Trinidad and Tobago and jostling for services against "those who are legitimately citizens of Trinidad and Tobago".

That may be sound logic for offering aid to the OECS, but clearly not the logic of economic and political integration, where one expects programmatic symbiosis among the component parts of the union. A seamless economic space presumes the free movement of all factors of production, including labour, for the benefit of the whole.

Mr Manning, therefore, has to clarify what he means by this deepening integration, if, on the face of it, it affords the parties nothing more than what now exists in CARICOM.

Worse, the Trinidadian leader runs the risk of signalling a perception of the OECS states as basket cases that need to be thrown a safety net to prevent Trinidad and Tobago being overrun by the hordes.

He needs to fix that perception, if his invitation to Mr Golding that the "doors are open" is to be looked on with any favour.

The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner. To respond to a Gleaner editorial, email us: editor@gleanerjm.com or fax: 922-6223. Responses should be no longer than 400 words. Not all responses will be published.
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Guyanese immigrants must be treated with respect – President

Posted By Stabroek staff

The treatment of Guyanese immigrants in other countries continues to be of great concern to President Bharrat Jagdeo and he is urging that they be treated with “respect” and “dignity” wherever they go.

The President said that this is one of the main issues that he would be plugging at the upcoming Caricom Heads of Government Meeting which will be held in Guyana from July 2.

Jagdeo was at the time speaking at a press conference held yesterday at the Office of the President.

When asked specifically about the treatment of Guyanese immigrants in Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, President Jagdeo said that “one thing I will insist on is that our people be treated with respect wherever they go”. He said that if these persons “break another country’s law, he cannot do anything about that” but added that “even if this happens, they must be treated with dignity and not in a demeaning fashion”, even as they face legal action or action by law enforcement authorities.

Jagdeo also said that persons in Guyana had an important role to play because whatever they say or do here tended to feed back into other societies. He said that persons from other countries would read the newspapers and would focus only on the negative issues such as crime, even in the cases when crime rates in their countries are higher than that of Guyana. He said that situations like these created a kind of “xenophobia” against Guyanese.

President Jagdeo also criticized recent statements made by the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Patrick Manning, during which he outlined his willingness to help the region. While emphasizing that he did not wish to make disparaging remarks about his fellow Caricom leaders, Jagdeo opined that Manning’s statements sounded “a bit condescending”.

The Head of State said that while Trinidad and Tobago was a rich country, especially because it possessed oil and gas, these two industries could decline, especially as a result of climate change and the likely spinoffs that this would have.

Nevertheless, he hoped that the entire immigration issue will be thoroughly discussed at the upcoming meeting where he expects several perspectives will be brought to the table.

He expressed his hope that the issue will be dealt with sensibly where all parties are taken into consideration.

According to him, in these discussions the obligations as outlined in the Treaty of Chaguaramas will have to be addressed. He also pointed out that apart from the Treaty, there are standard protocols which outline how immigrants are treated.

While each country has its own sovereign rights, he opined that if they voluntarily subscribed to a multi-lateral agreement, some of these rights would have been ceded to this agreement.

He said that this had to be respected.

Additionally, President Jagdeo said that attention needed to be paid towards the strengthening of the regulatory and supervisory framework of the financial sector in the region.

He stated that this was needed to prevent and minimise the risk of future financial sector problems. He said that there needed to be a Caribbean-wide position which may even require changes in the legislative framework. He added there are some areas which are new to regulators which need to be discussed.

He declared that he was disappointed that months have elapsed, but that the group put together to look at this issue has not come up with a clear and definitive pathway for others to follow. Consequently, Jagdeo opined that the leaders of the region will have to show this pathway because of the urgency of the situation.

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Dear Editor,
Once I get the tape and study it, I shall write something about what, from excerpts in the media, appears to have been a most remarkable address by the political leader of the PNM to a Special Convention of his party on June 21. Even the Gleaner in far-off Jamaica found his speech “to be almost condescending, capable, despite his claim to the contrary, of fuelling those who ascribe to Mr. Manning imperial ambitions.” But I shall come to that in due course. For the moment, I should like to touch on one aspect of the Prime Minister’s statement of June 24 to Parliament on what he called the “contribution [that Trinidad and Tobago] can make at this time to [the] economic wellbeing [of some Caricom countries].” In this connection, he spoke of possible collaborative efforts with Jamaica, Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Dominica.

But now President Jagdeo of Guyana has used the same word as the Gleaner – “condescending” – to describe this latest foray of Mr Manning’s into regional diplomacy. And when I read the penultimate paragraph of his remarks I have to agree. This is what the paragraph says: “Mr. Speaker, these are initiatives being contemplated by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, and we propose to enter into appropriate discussions with the governments concerned to see if these approaches are acceptable to them” (my emphasis). Only one logical construction can be put upon those words: Manning is publicly suggesting projects in Caricom countries which have not yet been discussed with, let alone approved by, the governments of those countries. And in making the suggestions in Parliament, he is seeking to provide a patina of governmental respectability. Elementary courtesy aside, isn’t it in any case for the governments concerned to take the lead in indicating what their priorities for development are? Can you imagine Gordon Brown announcing in the House of Commons projects for France or Germany that Nicolas Sarkozy or Angela Merkel don’t know about?

Manning’s approach is more than condescending; indeed, it verges on the colonial. But then, who knows, perhaps this is what “political and economic union,” as seen by him, really entails.
Yours faithfully,
Reginald Dumas

Chennai hospital hostage drama involving ex-Guyana First Lady ends

2009-06-27T07:16:00.000-07:00

Chennai hospital hostage drama involving ex-Guyana First Lady ends

Chennai, June 27 (ANI): The 48-hour-long hostage drama at Chennai’s Frontier Lifeline Hospital ended on Saturday after both the NGO and the hospital authorities reached an agreement to allow the ten children with heart-related ailments to return to Guyana on condition that the NGO would clear all medical expenses within the next six months.

The ten children were set to return to Guyana after heart surgeries. The West Indian republic’’s former First Lady, Varshnie Singh, who is representing the NGO that sponsored the treatment, was earlier not permitted to leave the hospital following a dispute over the payment of bills.

Dr. K M Cherian, the hospital’s chairman, had earlier said that the patients would not be released. He said the patients had paid the money to the Guyanese NGO, but the latter had not forwarded the payments to the hospital.

The children and two adults brought by Singh under the aegis of the NGO, KidsFirst Fund, were about to leave the hospital on Friday night when they were stopped by hospital officials who insisted Singh settle the bills for surgeries before they left.

The Guyana-based NGO has been sending children to the hospital for heart surgeries for the last four years and used to settle bills after they return, Singh told reporters.

“We have come here five times before and have always paid later. This time, the hospital gave us a letter about a week after we arrived on June 9 asking us to pay,” she had said adding she had ignored it in view of the past practice.

Singh claimed that she could not meet Cherian as she was informed he had gone abroad for a meeting, but hospital authorities said she had avoided meeting him on arrival.

Hospital Chief Administrative Officer Jose Manavalan said a sum of USD 13,000 was pending from the NGOs last visit and the hospital had waived it. (ANI)

Chennai hospital allows Guyanese children to return home
Chennai, June 27

Ten Guyanese children, who underwent cardiac surgery at a private hospital here and were detained for non-payment of bills, were Saturday allowed to return home after the NGO that brought them here agreed to pay the money over a six-month period, a hospital official said.

Speaking to reporters here, K.M. Cherian, the chairman of Frontier Lifeline Hospital, said: "On the assurance from the NGO to settle the dues in six months time, the children have been permitted to go."

The dues add up to nearly Rs.45 lakh (Rs.4.5 million/$90,000), he said.

Early this month, the children were brought to the hospital, which specialises in cardiac surgery, by Guyanese NGO KidsFirst Fund. The children were operated upon and were set to return home Friday when the hospital detained them for non-payment of bills.

KidsFirst Fund, under the charge of former first lady of Guyana Varshnie Singh, has been sending children for heart surgery for the past four years to the hospital.

According to Singh, the past practice has been to settle the dues after returning to Guyana.

On Friday evening, Singh told reporters here that the hospital had changed the payment system and the children were detained at the institute.

Hospital officials, however, maintain that the system was changed after the NGO defaulted on the payment last time.

Chennai Hospital detains Guyanese patients

2009-06-27T06:35:00.000-07:00

Hospital detains Guyanese patients

27 Jun 2009, 0546 hrs IST,

CHENNAI: There was drama at the Frontier Lifeline Hospital here on Friday when 10 children and two adults from Guyana were detained at the hospital for allegedly defaulting on payment of $91,250 (about Rs 45 lakh). They had been brought to the hospital on June 9 for heart surgery by the former first lady of Guyana, Varshinie Singh. ( Watch )

At 5 pm, when they were to leave for the airport, they were told they wouldn't be able to do so without making a payment and made to wait in an enclosure outside the casualty ward. They then wrote "please help" on a placard and showed it to mediapersons waiting outside. The police were called and complaints lodged. Later, the patients were moved to their beds and told they would not have to speak to the chairman, Dr K M Cherian, set to arrive later in the night.

"We have been coming here since 2005 and this is our sixth visit. Each time we came, we bought patients. We would go back, raise funds through various activities like cycle races, luncheons, comedy shows and then pay the hospital. If the hospital has changed its ways, we should have been told before we got here. We don't have money now. We will have to raise funds and pay them, though I can't give a deadline," Singh told reporters.

Hospital director Dr Soma Guhathakurtha said: "We told Singh earlier that she would have to pay but she was elusive. She did not even come to the hospital when we are around. The last time she had defaulted $13,000 and we had to write it off. We decided to go ahead with the surgeries because she did not say no to our letter saying they had to pay. We even arranged a trip to Mahabalipuram and a shopping visit. Today, they decided to leave the hospital without even a discharge certificate. We believe they had no intention of paying us though they had raised the money already."

Chief administrative officer Jose Manavalan said: "We could not give beds to our patients. Why should we treat them free of cost when even our Indian patients do not get that? We are not a charitable organisation," he said.

Guyana kids held captive at Chennai hospital to be freed

Chennai: Ten Guyanese kids who were held captive at a hospital in Chennai for not being able to pay their bills will be released by the hospital on Saturday.

“We have come to an agreement. We will be clearing the bills in the next six months through fund raising activities. The children will be discharged today (Saturday) and we are working with Air India to get a flight to fly out tonight (Saturday night),” says former First Lady of Guyana and coordinator of the NGO Kid’s First, Varshnie Singh.

All the kids were reportedly cardiac patients and were brought to India by a Guyanese NGO.

The NGO usually pays part of the hospital bill from public donations but this time the NGO hasn’t paid any money to the hospital.

Police says the NGO pays part of the money after the surgery and the rest later but hospital authorities claim they did not discharge the patients as no payment were made.

“We have treated these children earlier also and last two times we have faced some problem with them regarding payment,” says doctor Soma Guha Chakurta.

“There was a big misunderstanding. May be my absence caused it but our relationship is still intact. What happened was unfortunate,” says Dr KM Cherian expressing disappointment over what happened at the hospital.

Ten children from Guyana, who were not permitted to leave a Chennai hospital for non-settlement of bills for their heart surgeries, were allowed to return home after an NGO, which sponsored them, and the hospital reached an agreement on Saturday.

The Guyana-based NGO named Kids First Fund, which is run by Varshnie Singh -- the former First Lady of the Carribean Republic -- had agreed to settle the bills within six months for surgeries performed at Frontier Lifeline Hospital, sources in the hospital said.

Singh, who made a vain bid to take the children on Friday, confirmed that a settlement has been reached and they would leave either on Saturday or Sunday depending on availability of air tickets.

The children and two adults brought by Singh were about to leave the hospital late Friday night on completion of treatment, but hospital officials insisted she settle the bills for the surgeries, performed earlier this month, before they left.

The NGO had been sending children to the hospital for heart surgeries for the last four years and used to settle bills after their return by raising funds, Varshnie had said.

Before reaching Guyana, the children would visit London for a fund raising event, she said.

Prior to the settlement, hospital Chief Administrative Officer Jose Manavalan had said the NGO owed $13,000 on account of surgeries performed during the last visit, but the hospital waived it.

BAJAN RACISM? Indo_guyanese harassed, discriminated, by marauding immigration officers

2009-06-18T16:01:00.000-07:00

http://www.kaieteurnews.com/2009/06/18/the-bajan-dilemma/

BAJAN RACISM?

The Bajan dilemma
June 18, 2009 | By knews | Filed Under Editorial

Opinion is divided over the action by the Barbadian Government to rid the island of undocumented immigrants, among whom are a large number of Guyanese. Earlier this year, Barbados Prime Minister, David Thompson, announced that his government was moving against the undocumented immigrants.
He said that an amnesty was being afforded to people who were in the country for nine years and more, and that those eligible to regularize their status would be duly processed.

Some Guyanese who had qualified according to the limitation announced by Prime Minister Thompson, expressed reservations, some concluding that the Barbados Government was playing a trick to trap them into coming into the open and so be able to deport them.
It was the same with illegal Guyanese in the United States in the 1980s when the United States Government offered an amnesty to illegal immigrants. Many were afraid to come forward to regularize their status with the result that some are still illegal more than two decades later. Others have run foul of the law and have been deported.

The issue here, though, is not about regularizing the status but about the treatment of the so-called undocumented immigrants. Barbadians have advertised in the local media seeking Guyanese labourers and skilled artisans. And many Guyanese responded.
These people contributed their blood, sweat and tears to help build Barbados; they rented sub-standard accommodation created as the Barbadians set about exploiting them.
There are reports that some of the skilled Guyanese moved into structures that once housed dogs.
The big question now is, “Why should Barbados move against undocumented immigrants who have skills that the country lacks?” The answer is not straightforward, but this action comes at a time when Barbados has suffered a drop in its international credit rating. It also coincides with the global economic crisis that has seen a drop in tourists to that island.

Those who oppose the action by the Barbadian Government are convinced that the foregoing have something to do with what the Barbadians have adopted. Meanwhile, Guyana has been benefitting from remittances from that country. There has already been a drop in remittances from the countries of the north where Guyanese abound.
There is something to all this, though. Some feel that there is a clash of cultures and that Barbadians, who are among the most conservative people in the region, do not take kindly to foreigners seeking to impose other norms of behaviour.

What has not escaped notice is the fact that Guyana is a multi-racial society, so Guyanese of every ethnicity have joined in the migration train to Barbados. But there is a strange thing here and some feel that it borders on racism, although the evidence seems to suggest that the Barbadian Government is not discriminating in its drive to follow through with its campaign against undocumented immigrants.
Indeed, Guyanese of East Indian ancestry would stand out in Barbados more than those of African ancestry, and are therefore more prone to being stopped by the marauding immigration officers. Those of African ancestry are more likely to dodge the net by even imitating the Barbadian accent.
But there will be fallout, because the very society is going to once more turn its attention to Guyana for skilled labour and for Guyanese qualified as nurses and teachers. Already residents on the island are complaining about the government action, because those who modified their homes to accommodate the undocumented tenants are saddled with the mortgage and empty houses.

The transport system is suffering from a reduction in fares and constructions are being halted because a lack of labour. This is a case of cutting one’s nose to spite one’s face but for all this, a country has a right to enforce its laws and should not be the subject of criticisms when it attempts to do so.
Barbados is in a Catch-22 – damned if it does and damned if it does not. Meanwhile, Guyana can do no more than welcome its citizens who, on arrival, are processed like any deportee. For them, this is a double whammy because they are fingerprinted and photographed after a long period in police custody in the land of their birth. On this occasion the Guyana Government may wish to consider a waiver of this protocol.

BAJANS' CRUEL NAZI-STYLE TACTICS

2009-06-17T04:18:00.000-07:00

‘Guyanese are being raided in Barbados’

Posted By Stabroek staff On June 17, 2009 @ 5:33 am In Local News | No Comments

-Deportee says he was woken up at 6 am, taken to airport
The Guyanese man who was asleep when Barbadian immigration authorities knocked on his door on Friday last is back in Guyana and says he has “no regrets”, and he is already working on a business investment.

He was deported along with eight other Guyanese on Sunday morning, some 48 hours after they were picked up by the authorities- many believed to have been rounded up from an area populated with locals within the Christ Church parish. Before his departure from the island, he recalled that another batch of Guyanese was sent home on an earlier flight, among them a woman who was six months pregnant.

“Guyanese are being taken from their homes and deported…some of us getting a knock on the door like me and other times they just showing up, marching in people’s home and taking you if you have no papers to show”, the man told Stabroek News yesterday.

“When I went outside to join the bus to go to the airport it was so full I had to travel in the immigration vehicle…they had to raid several homes that morning”, he added.

He said that the reality of what Guyanese are enduring on the island, particularly those who are undocumented, is a far cry from the comments of Barbadian officials. He disputed the notion that homes of Guyanese are not being raided saying “it happened to me”.

Barbadian Prime Minister David Thompson recently denied knowledge of raids on the homes of Guyanese living on the island, as disclosed by President Bharrat Jagdeo last week. The President said he got the assurance from Thompson when Caricom Heads met last month in Trinidad.

Further, he explained that he raised concerns about the allegations that the homes of Guyanese were being raided as well as some of them being taken off buses and deported. “He said he didn’t know of any such cases and that that is not the intention of his government,” Jagdeo was quoted as saying on Thursday last.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity out of concern for his family, the man said bluntly that he was deported because he had no connections to keep him there. He was on the island for four years working in the areas of carpentry and mason, but had been undocumented for years.

The connection, he explained, was having a person on the inside who is willing to “arrange your papers”. He admitted trying to make that certain connection, but always “coming up short”.

The process to be documented became so frustrating that it simply became a matter of when they would pick him up and have him deported, and that day was Friday last.

He recalled that it was shortly after 6 am on Friday morning when immigration authorities knocked on his door. He was asleep at the time and another undocumented occupant of the home, a Jamaican, answered the door. The authorities, numbering around ten and dressed in casual clothing, entered the home and demanded to see their papers.

He was awakened and forced to produce documents which he was not in possession of, and neither was the Jamaican. He said that they looked at his passport and immediately told him that he was going home. He was given a few minutes to pack some things and was later hustled out of the home. The Jamaican was also taken away.

In a room with five others
Barbadian authorities questioned him for hours after he was taken to the airport and housed in a room. He said the line of questioning focused on how long he had been in the country and why he overstayed. He remembered saying very little to the authorities except that he was “working there”.

He was later held in a room with five other Guyanese where they remained until available seats turned up on a flight back home. He recalled that many Guyanese who were deported had similar stories to his- which was that the authorities went to their homes unexpectedly and rounded them up.

“I know for sure that they are not knocking on every door in every area looking for Guyanese…they are doing groundwork and are also getting tip off, they know which homes to raid”, he said.

The man told this newspaper that his life in Barbados centred on “work, work and work”. He said there was hardly time to hang out because the work was demanding at times and he was forced to get as much rest as he was allowed.

He described his years on the island as productive saying that he worked hard and was of service to the Barbados nation. In return for his service, he earned a good income and was able to live decently and support his family back home. He recalled that the pay over there was good and enough to allow him to realize certain short term goals. If there is anything he is going to miss about Barbados, it would be the salary.

He recalled that the authorities over there were accommodating after they were picked up and noted that they were treated “fairly okay”. He was deported back home on a flight early Sunday morning and was on local soil around 8 am. However, the authorities here kept him and the others in custody until after 9 pm the night as part of the routine processing.

Business plan
The man said that he has no intention of sitting around and waiting for any help as he resettles back home though he is not averse to the idea of government assisting persons deported. He has spent the past few days contemplating his future and has decided on a business investment.
“I am looking right now at possibly getting into the taxi business…buying a car and driving to make a living”, he said.

He is of the opinion that life goes on and that he can only survive if he makes a wise decision on how to move forward. For now, the taxi business seems like a good idea.
He was adamant that he has no regrets over how things have turned out for him. He is grateful for having spent the years in Barbados working and earning a decent income, and is now ready to make things work for him back home.

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New immigration policy giving Barbados bad name – Mottley

Posted By Stabroek staff On June 15, 2009 @ 5:04 am In Regional News | 15 Comments

(Barbados Nation) Opposition Leader Mia Mottley has warned Government that its new immigration policy is already beginning to give Barbados a bad reputation in the region and could possibly affect the economy.

“A government is entitled to implement strong policies. These policies, however, must be applied consistently, fairly and humanely,” she said in a statement on Saturday.

“Moreover, for a country where people’s standard of living depends on people visiting our shores, any reputation of Barbados being inhospitable to visitors will affect our economy,” Mottley added.

The Opposition Leader’s comments came on the heels of Guyana’s President Bharrat Jagdeo’s statement over the weekend in which he took exception to the treatment of Guyanese in Barbados as reported to him by Guyana’s Honorary Consul Norman Faria.

The Guyanese leader said he had spoken to Prime Minister David Thompson on the issue and noted that his administration would do all it could to assist Guyanese who might be deported with resettling in their homeland.

To this end, Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues will be in Barbados for a regional meeting and while here she will meet Guyana nationals, some of whom might be affected by Government’s six-month amnesty for undocumented immigrants.

Jagdeo said his government would not stand by and see Guyanese treated unfairly anywhere without speaking up for them. He said the situation would be discussed at the regional Heads of Government meeting.

‘Must be corrected’
Mottley said it was critical for Barbados to “correct the unfortunate reputation which Barbados is rapidly developing in recent weeks”.

“A hostile environment for immigrants must not be an unwelcome environment for Caribbean visitors. The focus must be simply who have arrived and who have never been documented . . . .
“Further, that when people are asked to leave that they are given the time to pack up their belongings and leave in a manner that does not reduce them to feeling like criminals,” she said.
According to Jagdeo, there were reported instances of Guyanese allegedly having their homes raided at night and also being taken off buses and deported.

“Prime Minister Thompson said to me that he didn’t know of any such case, and that is not the intention of his Government, and that he is willing to meet with our honorary consul to discuss any case and to investigate any such case,” Jagdeo said.

Jagdeo noted that some of the arguments put forward about immigrants putting pressure on the social security of the countries in which they resided were not really valid.

On this, Mottley said Thompson as lead Prime Minister for the Caribbean Single Market and Economy must settle the contingent rights as a matter of urgency.

“It is the uncertainty as to what social services persons will be entitled to receive when they move to live in another country that has driven many of the legitimate concerns expressed by Barbadians and others in the region,” she added.

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Guyanese rounded up in Barbados, facing deportation

Posted By Administrator On March 28, 2007 @ 6:59 am In Local News | No Comments

Barbadian authorities detained twelve persons, all reportedly Guyanese, five days ago and are holding them at the airport while deciding what to do with them.

The group is facing possible deportation back to Guyana and is reportedly being held in a “cold room” at the airport.

Contacted on the issue yesterday, Guyana Consul in Barbados Norman Faria said his office was aware of the incident and was following it up with the Barbadian authorities. Additionally, he said, the office was providing assistance to the Guyanese nationals who are being held. Faria declined to say anything further on the matter.

Stabroek News was informed by a relative of a female who was picked up that the group was just rounded up and taken to a room at the airport. The woman said a phone call came through to the family yesterday.

Based on the information received, she said, the Guyanese were picked up from different locations and taken to the airport where the Barbadian authorities threatened them with deportation. The relative said Barbadians have been feeding the group only bread and water since last Thursday.

According to her, the persons detained were not told why they were picked up. However, they were warned of possible deportation. She said her relative who is among those being held left for Barbados late last year to work. However, she had no idea whether the woman had secured a job.

Guyanese visiting Barba-dos and working on the island have encountered a range of problems in recent years.

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Guyanese deported for various offences – Barbados

Posted By Administrator On March 31, 2007 @ 6:59 am In Local News | 5 Comments

(Barbados Nation) The Barbados Immigration Department on Thursday evening confirmed the detention and subsequent departure of ten Guyanese nationals between March 22 and 27 for various offences. Six were deported and four were asked to leave.

The incident sparked debate here and in Guyana where the Stabroek News on Wednesday headlined the story, Guyanese rounded up in Barbados facing deportation.

However, a Guyanese who spoke to the WEEKEND NATION under anonymity, refuted reports that the Guyanese were badly treated. He said he was in the cell with the deportees and it was not true they were mistreated or not properly fed.

“There is no truth to the water and white bread story. Immigration officers go to the deli and buy sandwiches which have in tuna, cheese, meat and ham.

That’s for the morning breakfast,” he said.

He added that lunch was “proper food” such as shepherd’s pie, plantain and lettuce, among other things, and at night a choice of hot beverage or soft drink was given along with sandwiches.

He said what some of his countrymen were guilty of was not speaking to the immigration officials properly and he was “not going to tell lies on them”. Meanwhile, a report has been sent to the Guyanese authorities about the alleged mistreatment.

Honorary Consul for Guyana Norman Faria said that on Tuesday he received word from a relative of one of the detainees that they were being held for an unreasonably long period.

He said they were in custody at the airport since Thursday last week, and only seven of them were sent back up to Wednesday morning.

Faria said the local immigration authorities told him the Guyanese had violated Barbados’ immigration regulations. He said on receiving the information he did a probe.

Chief of Immigration Gilbert Greaves said the immigration offences included living on the island illegally, conviction on a criminal offence and possession of false documents [including a false work permit stamp, ID card and Treasury receipt].

The person with the false documents purported to be a priest.

Greaves admitted there was a delay in the deportation but said it was the result of a lack of airline seats.

Greaves said the allegations about the diet were false.

“Those persons who were detained all had their breakfast, lunch and supper provided in accordance with established practice. Of course, persons do, from time to time, refuse meals for various reasons,” said Greaves.

Guyanese rounded up in Barbados, facing deportation

Posted By Administrator On March 28, 2007 @ 6:59 am In Local News | No Comments

Barbadian authorities detained twelve persons, all reportedly Guyanese, five days ago and are holding them at the airport while deciding what to do with them.

The group is facing possible deportation back to Guyana and is reportedly being held in a “cold room” at the airport.

Contacted on the issue yesterday, Guyana Consul in Barbados Norman Faria said his office was aware of the incident and was following it up with the Barbadian authorities. Additionally, he said, the office was providing assistance to the Guyanese nationals who are being held. Faria declined to say anything further on the matter.

Stabroek News was informed by a relative of a female who was picked up that the group was just rounded up and taken to a room at the airport. The woman said a phone call came through to the family yesterday.

Based on the information received, she said, the Guyanese were picked up from different locations and taken to the airport where the Barbadian authorities threatened them with deportation. The relative said Barbadians have been feeding the group only bread and water since last Thursday.

According to her, the persons detained were not told why they were picked up. However, they were warned of possible deportation. She said her relative who is among those being held left for Barbados late last year to work. However, she had no idea whether the woman had secured a job.

Guyanese visiting Barba-dos and working on the island have encountered a range of problems in recent years.

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URL to article: http://www.stabroeknews.com/2007/news/local/03/28/guyanese-rounded-up-in-barbados-facing-deportation/

Guyanese rounded up in Barbados, facing deportation

Posted By Administrator On March 28, 2007 @ 6:59 am In Local News | No Comments

Barbadian authorities detained twelve persons, all reportedly Guyanese, five days ago and are holding them at the airport while deciding what to do with them.

The group is facing possible deportation back to Guyana and is reportedly being held in a “cold room” at the airport.

Contacted on the issue yesterday, Guyana Consul in Barbados Norman Faria said his office was aware of the incident and was following it up with the Barbadian authorities. Additionally, he said, the office was providing assistance to the Guyanese nationals who are being held. Faria declined to say anything further on the matter.

Stabroek News was informed by a relative of a female who was picked up that the group was just rounded up and taken to a room at the airport. The woman said a phone call came through to the family yesterday.

Based on the information received, she said, the Guyanese were picked up from different locations and taken to the airport where the Barbadian authorities threatened them with deportation. The relative said Barbadians have been feeding the group only bread and water since last Thursday.

According to her, the persons detained were not told why they were picked up. However, they were warned of possible deportation. She said her relative who is among those being held left for Barbados late last year to work. However, she had no idea whether the woman had secured a job.

Guyanese visiting Barba-dos and working on the island have encountered a range of problems in recent years.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Article printed from Stabroek News: http://www.stabroeknews.com

URL to article: http://www.stabroeknews.com/2007/news/local/03/28/guyanese-rounded-up-in-barbados-facing-deportation/

Opposition warn of amnesty backlash

Posted By Stabroek staff On May 8, 2009 @ 5:03 am In Regional News | 19 Comments

(BBC) – The opposition in Barbados has told the government to prepare for a backlash over a planned amnesty for illegal aliens from Caribbean Community (Caricom) nations.

Prime Minister David Thompson, who came in to office with a controversial “Barbadians first” policy, told parliament that the amnesty will last from 1 June to 1 December.

He said the recommendation had come from a panel asked to draw up proposals to reform the government’s much-criticised approach to immigration.

Illegal immigrants who entered Barbados before 31 December, 2005 and have been living on the island for at least eight years are eligible to apply for the amnesty.

Opposition Barbados Labour Party leader Mia Mottley wondered why the offer appeared to single out nationals of Caricom countries.

She said: “This action coming on the heels of the Prime Minister’s statement in Guyana of ‘ever so welcome, wait for a call’ and the draconian way in which many Caricom immigrants have been unceremoniously removed from Barbados over the last year will undoubtedly have implications for Barbadians working and moving in the wider region.”

Mottley said the amnesty should be carried out in a humane and transparent manner and in keeping with local and regional legal obligations.
A small non-parliamentary party, the People’s Empowerment party, rejected the offer outright, calling it a complete repudiation of the committed and enlightened regionalism of the nation’s independence leader Errol Barrow.

Thompson said the amnesty will not be automatic to applicants as each case will be considered individually on merit.

Among the conditions: Applicants must be currently employed and provide evidence of employment and pass a security background check.

Applicants with three or more dependents will be considered, but will not automatically qualify for status.

The spouse or child of an employed applicant residing in Barbados with applicants is eligible to apply for amnesty. Thompson said current levels of immigration to Barbados were unacceptably high and posed economic and social challenges to the island.

“I must make it clear that after the qualifying period has expired, those Caricom nationals without lawful permission to remain in the island will be removed,” Thompson said.

The Prime Minister acknowledged that although many non-nationals were making a contribution to the island’s development, “the problem of illegal immigration can no longer be ignored”.

Thompson insisted his government was committed to adhering to agreements on migration within Caricom, in particular on the employment of qualifying skilled nationals.

161st death anniversary Enmore Martyrs observance

2009-06-15T18:49:00.000-07:00

161st death anniversary Enmore Martyrs observance

Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud and People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Donald Ramotar yesterday, joined members of the Enmore Shiv Mandir, Enmore Pasture, in observing the 161st death anniversary of the five sugar workers who were killed on June 14, 1948, during a massive strike demanding the abolishment of the then existing "cut and load" system in the fields.

Prime Minister Hinds commended the Mandir for continuing its observance of this very significant event in Guyana’s history. He noted that it was an important time for sugar and was also the focal point for the establishment of the first Trade Union in Guyana, the Guyana Industrial Workers Union (GIWU).

The Prime Minister said the death of the Enmore martyrs tells the message that “in life there are always changes, and it is important we maintain relationships of trust, especially in the workplace.”

Minister Persaud said Guyanese need to be inspired by the dedication and commitment of the five workers who were slain and the countless others who participated in the 1948 strikes.

He said if workers today want to bring about change in their environment, they must first work to create a unified society and to remove all barriers of division in society.

The Agriculture Minister noted that since then, Guyana has made significant progress, adding that currently the sugar industry is undergoing significant changes and challenges. He encouraged workers to be inspired by the courage of the Enmore Martyrs.

The PPP General Secretary recalled that the 1948 strike began as an economic one, as the workers demanded an increase in their pay. It then developed into an industrial relations strike for democracy, and finally it was a focal point in the establishment of this country’s first political party the PPP.

During the 1948 strike, the workers demanded higher wages and improved living conditions on the sugar estates. However, the real aim of the strike was to demand recognition of the GIWU as the bargaining union for the field and factory workers on all the sugar estates in the country.

The strike obtained political support from the Political Affairs Committee (PAC), and the workers were addressed at numerous public meetings by Dr. Cheddi Jagan, Janet Jagan, and leaders of the GIWU.

On the morning of June 16, hundreds of sugar workers gathered outside the factory at Enmore for a protest and picketing exercise. The Estate’s management was expecting this protest action, and the evening before had requested assistance from the Police.

The workers attempted to enter the factory compound but were pushed back by the police who opened fire and five of them were killed. The five who perished were Lallabagee Kissoon, Pooran, Rambarran, Dookhie and Harry. These men, through the years, became known as the Enmore Martyrs.

A monument was erected in their honour at Enmore and every year homage is paid to them. (GINA)

Kaieteur Falls: Special tourism package

2009-06-12T16:12:00.000-07:00

Cheaper flight for Guyanese Kaieteur enjoyment available again
By Priya Nauth
A SPECIAL domestic tourism package, to afford Guyanese the opportunity to visit and experience the beauty and wonders of Kaieteur Falls, was put on offer, again, yesterday at Air Services Limited (ASL), Ogle Airport, East Coast Demerara.

It was made possible through the collaborative efforts of ASL, Rainforests Tours, Kaieteur National Park (KNP) and National Parks Commission (NPC).

The reduced price of $32,000 per person, from $54,000, is already on offer and will continue to be available every Saturday until the last one in August and flights are departing Ogle at noon.

Those who take advantage of the cheaper fare will get to see sheer drop of 741 feet in the total 822 feet falls from which water flows at a rate of 30 million gallons a minute.

This is the sixth year since this bargain has been made available and, speaking to the media, Managing Director of Rainforest Tours, Mr. Frank Singh recalled it started with a call, by President Bharrat Jagdeo, to develop domestic tourism, by private tour operators making tourist sites more affordable and accessible to the local population.

“A lot of people were saying that it is much cheaper to go to Trinidad. Well now we are making it affordable to go to Kaieteur which is cheaper than going to Trinidad,” Singh pointed out.

He said the charge includes the seat on the aircraft, the National Park permit, the tour guide and transportation, so all the passenger has to do is carry a snack pack.

Singh said the concession will not only allow Guyanese to see the magnificent falls but, more than that, they would be able to experience and learn about the culture, history and biodiversity of the surrounding KNP.

He disclosed that, since the promotion began, every year it is attracting more and more response.

“What is happening now is it is kind of word of mouth and I have noticed that the people who are going on these trips are more from out of Georgetown,” Singh said.

He said those who have made the journey would share their enjoyment with others and encouraging them to do likewise.

Reservations can be made at Rainforest Tours office, at Lot 232 Middle and Camp Streets, in the city, or by calling telephone number 231-5661.

Flight Operations Superintendent, Ms. Annette Arjoon said: “We are committed to the development of tourism in Guyana, which is why we are here today.”

She said the tourists will have opportunities to photograph and enjoy the breathtaking beauty of the rainforest during the one-hour flight.
Arjoon suggested that, in light of President Jagdeo’s Low Carbon Development Strategy, passengers can see and learn more about the rainforests while flying.

http://www.guyanachronicle.com/topstory.html#Anchor-Cheape-33304

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2009-05-31T05:08:00.000-07:00

The Indian presence in Guyana

2009-05-31T05:04:00.000-07:00

The Indian presence in Guyana

By Stabroek staff | May 28, 2009 in Guyana Review

The descendants of indentured Indian immigrants and settlers who came to British Guiana between 1838 and 1928 constitute the largest group in the population. Today, they play essential roles in the economic, political and cultural life of the country.

The Indian presence began with the arrival of indentured immigrants in British Guiana on May 5, 1838 primarily to work on the sugar plantations. There had always been a labour shortage in the sugar industry and planters anticipated that the emancipation of enslaved Africans would precipitate an exodus that could aggravate that situation. That did not quite happen. Nevertheless, indentured immigrants were brought from various European countries, the largest group being the Portuguese who had been recruited from Madeira and started arriving as early as May 1835.

Three years after the start of Portuguese immigration and four months before African emancipation in August 1838, Indians started to arrive. Over the next nine decades, 239,909 Indian immigrants would arrive until the termination of the system in 1917; a few hundred others came up to 1928. Of these, 75,547 returned to India under the terms of their contract. The remainder who survived chose to make this country their home.

The ethnic origins, occupational diversity and large number of Indians were important determinants of their own destiny and the development of the country. Many were recruited from the heavily-populated, Bhojpuri-speaking area that came to be known as the United Provinces − roughly the present-day Uttar Pradesh − and embarked at emigration depot at Calcutta (now Kolkota). Strong linguistic, demographic, cultural and religious bonds existed among them.

Another significant source of immigrants was the Madras Presidency, in Southern India, of which the present-day state of Tamil Nadu is a part and where the principal emigration port was Madras (now Chennai). Today, the descendants of the immigrants from these parts are still called ‘Madrasis.’

The majority of immigrants came from the lower agricultural caste (including chamar); artisan caste (kumhar); cultivator caste (kurmi); grazier caste (ahir); landholding caste (thakur), and priestly caste (brahmin). There were also significant numbers of muslims and outcasts. Owing to the relative shortage of women immigrants in the early days, there was a degree of miscegenation; some men married or cohabited with African women producing children of mixed blood referred to as ‘douglas.’ Today, it is estimated that there are 325,000 Indians, making up 43.5 per cent of the population in Guyana. About 125,000 persons are mixed, many of them douglas. Living and working conditions on the plantations as labourers and engaging in inter-caste, inter-religious and inter-racial marriage made it difficult to maintain ethnic exclusivity. Some persons also changed their names making it impossible to trace their original caste.

The Indian presence made an indelible imprint on rural Guyana where the

Hindu temple
descendants of the indentured immigrants constituted the main labour force in the sugar industry from the mid-nineteenth century to the present day. But they had come as free persons from functioning village societies and economies. When their contracts (indentures) expired, they were able to resume their original occupations and recreate near-typical traditional Indian village life in their adopted homeland. After half-century of immigration, for example, the occupations of ‘free’ Indians displayed the diversity of their inherited and acquired talents and were listed as follows:

…rice cultivation; cattle farming; growing provisions; jobbers about town; grass-cutters; gardeners; grooms; jockeys; fishermen; cabmen; cartmen; milk-sellers; tramcar-drivers; hucksters; merchants; mechanics; clerks; barbers; boatmen; tailors; rope-makers; charcoal-burners; goldsmiths; workers in clay; domestic servants; manufacturers of coconut oil; sweetmeats-vendors; boxwallahs [peddlers]; bakers; chemists; shopkeepers.

According to Basdeo Mangru, by the first quarter of the 20th century, there were already 238 Indian jewellers; 445 shopkeepers; 845 hucksters; 259 milk-sellers; 12, 465 rice farmers and 13, 700 landed proprietors, agriculturists and cattle farmers.

Indian indentured labourers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries successfully transplanted their skills from their old homes onto their new. In so doing, they not only displayed a high occupational profile in a number of non-plantation, economic activities but helped to diversify the economy of this country.

The Indian presence was cemented in the country by the colonial administration’s decision to establish exclusive land settlement schemes. After the first 30 years of the indentureship system, it was calculated that about 30, 000 immigrants were entitled to free return passages to India at a cost of $250,000 after their contracts had expired. Within a decade, the number of claimants, and the cost of their passages, had doubled. In order to avoid their responsibility, the planters and the colonial administration developed a number of land settlement schemes – Nooten Zuil and Helena on the East Coast Demerara; Huis ’T Dieren on the Essequibo Coast; Maria’s Pleasure on Wakenaam Island; Bush Lot on the West Coast Berbice; Whim on the Corentyne Coast – to lure the immigrants into accepting land in lieu of their return passage. This, perhaps, was the most significant factor in the permanent settlement of Indians in Guyana.

Others, through thrift, were able to buy freehold land on their own when they left the plantations. As most immigrants had come from agricultural castes, they were able to embark on rice and coconut cultivation and animal husbandry on small holdings as independent peasants. By the end of the 19th century, Indians dominated coconut and rice industries and cattle and dairy farming. The food shortage created by the First World War firmly established Indian-grown rice both as a domestic staple and a major export commodity. This was nothing less than the start of an agrarian revolution that transformed both the economy and society.

Landowners and millers became an extremely rich élite largely through high interest and land rental rates. New occupations such as money lending – dominated by the bania business caste and taking advantage of the absence of banks – sprung up. Others became rich as jewellers by melting down silver coins to be made into personal ornaments as jewellery but which also stored the family’s wealth. From among them, the Indian middle class emerged and eventually embraced the values of colonial society, at least in part. A significant minority of the socially mobile adopted Chris-tianity, opened enterprises in Georgetown and New Amsterdam and sent their sons to be educated as professionals – especially as accountants, attorneys and medical doctors – in the United Kingdom. Resaul Maraj, Joseph Jaikaran, Francis Kawall, Charles Jacob; Hussain Baksh Gajraj were among the pioneers and stalwarts of the new Indian commercial community. From the first quarter of the 20th century, this middle class began to make its presence felt as a significant political, economic and social force.

Indians were largely absent from the political scene throughout the indentureship period. By 1925, although Indians had increased to 40 per cent of the population, they comprised only 13 per cent of registered voters. Gradually, they became more organised in politics and society.

At the political level, eligibility to vote in the early 20th century was determined by literacy in the English language, income, age, citizenship and property qualification. Rich, educated members of the emergent élite were therefore best positioned to exploit the opportunities for political advancement. Joseph Alexander Luckhoo, an attorney-at-law and scion of the large Luckhoo clan, was the first Indian elected to the Combined Court (the forerunner of the National Assembly). His brother, Edward Alfred, a solicitor, was elected in 1926. Three Indians – E.A. Luckhoo, A.E Seeram and J.B. Singh were elected in 1931. Later, Peer Bacchus, C. R. Jacob, A.M. Edun and others followed their lead. Given the restricted franchise, it is evident that voting did not take place on racial lines and they had to win the support of eligible African, Chinese and Portuguese electors of the day.

By the time that Dr Cheddi Jagan was elected to the Legistative Council in 1947, therefore, a tradition of Indian legislative representation had already existed for over 30 years. The most important political phenomenon, perhaps, was the founding of the People’s Progressive Party in 1950 and the introduction of universal adult suffrage in the ‘Waddington Constitution’ of 1952. Cheddi Jagan became leader of the party’s legislative group and, eventually, the most beloved Indian-Guyanese of all time. But he was not without rivals.

Numerous attempts were made to establish parties based almost exclusively of Indian ethnic support. Lionel Luckhoo, at one time President of the Manpower Citizens’ Association – then the main labour union in the sugar industry – established the National Labour Front aimed at winning the support of Indian sugar workers and farmers; Balram Singh Rai and Jai Narine Singh formed the all-Indian Justice Party and Hoosein Ghanie, the Guiana United Muslim Party, in 1964. More recently, Ravindra Dev formed the Rise, Organise and Rebuild Guyana movement which won a seat in the 2001 General Elections. Today, after 59 years, the People’s Progressive Party is still the dominant political force in the Indian community and is likely to remain so in the foreseeable future.

At the labour level, since the Indian immigrants came largely as labourers, the plantations became the anvil on which their relations with European planters were hammered out, usually over disagreements about wages and working conditions. There were over 600 strikes which resulted in assaults on managers, overseers and drivers and the deaths of 50 labourers, within the first hundred years of plantation labour. The first major strike occurred at Leonora in 1869. This was followed by violent clashes throughout the sugar belt – at Hague; Uitvlugt; Mon Repos; Non Pareil; Zeelugt; Vergenoegen; Success and, finally, at Devonshire Castle in September 1872. In the 20th century, strikes continued at Friends, Rose Hall, Ruimveldt, and again at Leonora.

It was partly as a result of these frequent disputes and disturbances that Ayube Mohamed Edun established a labour union – the Manpower Citizens’ Association – mainly for Indian sugar workers. Registered in November 1937, within five years, its membership soared to 20,000. For decades thereafter, the MPCA’s dominance in the industry was challenged first by Joseph Lachhman-singh’s Guiana Industrial Workers’ Union in the 1940s and, from the 1960s, by the Guyana Agricultural Workers Union until its influence in the industry was shattered.

At the social level, the British Guiana East Indian Association, aimed at highlighting the plight of Indians, was established in 1916 largely through the efforts of Joseph Ruhoman. Over the next thirty years, several other organisations – Susamachar East Indian Young Men’s Society; Balak Sahaita Mandalee (Children’s Welfare Society); Dharamsala; British Guiana Dramatic Society, and the East Indian Cricket club, among others – were established largely under the leadership of prominent persons in the growing middle class.

Religion has always been central to Indian society. According to Tota Mangar, approximately 83 per cent of the immigrants who came were Hindus, about 14 per cent were Muslims and 3 per cent were Christians. Plantation managers and the colonial administration encouraged Indian religion by permitting free time for the celebration of some festivals such as Holi, and by providing building materials for the construction of mandirs for the Hindus and masjids for the Muslims. As a result, by 1920, there were already about 50 of each throughout the coastland. Several religious organisations, most prominently the British Guiana Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha and the Sad’r Anjuman E-Islam were established in 1927 and 1937, respectively.

Attempts to evangelise Indians in the 19th century, especially by Anglicans and Presbyterians, had only modest results. Gradually, however, Christianity took hold and by the 1990s, several Pentecostal and other churches of other denominations sprouted in the countryside. By 1972, Benedict Singh, a priest of Indian origin, was appointed Roman Catholic Bishop of Guyana.

Indians have left a rich legacy of art, dance, literature and music. Traditional cuisine – the perennially popular curry, puri, roti, bara, kheer – and other vegetable dishes, are widely consumed. Festivals, including the colourful Holi, Diwali, Youman Nabi and Eid-ul-Fitr are today national holidays. Traditional Indian wear – the shalwar, sari, kurta – though no longer everyday wear, have remained very popular especially at festivals, weddings and religious ceremonies. The contributions to sport, especially in the present day feats of Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan, have become national legends.

The last shipment of immigrants – consisting of 437 persons and originating from both Madras and Calcutta – arrived on April 18, 1917 aboard the S. S. Ganges formally terminating the Indian indentureship system. Nevertheless, over 400 immigrants were brought on contracts to work on the sugar plantations in 1921-1922 and several others also came as ordinary settlers. Immigration from India ended in 1928 after almost exactly 90 years.

The Indian presence has immeasurably enriched the Guyanese nation. Descendants of indentured labourers continue to contribute to the cultural, economic and political life of the country.

Bajans adopt Nazi tactics against Guyanese

2009-05-19T11:47:00.000-07:00

The Fruits of Disdain
May 19, 2009 | By knews | Filed Under Editorial

The David Thompson Government of Barbados, elected on a “Barbadian First” jobs platform has decided to “remove” illegal immigrants from other CARICOM countries, immigrants who reside in its territory.
This list does not include illegal immigrants from say, the US or Europe – just from fellow members of CARICOM.

Barbados, as a sovereign nation, is of course free to proceed on such a move but we wonder what it signals for our regional integration movement that Barbados had pioneered.
The Prime Minister did not deign to make public any survey on the numbers or breakdown of CARICOM illegals in his country or any study to show the deleterious effects that these immigrants have had, or might have, on Barbados.

He simply announced laconically “current levels of immigration were unacceptably high and posed economic and social challenges to the island”.
In contradistinction, T&T has a much higher number of illegals, including Barbadians, but has not taken the draconian measures adopted by Barbados. From anecdotal evidence while Barbadian illegals originate from many CARICOM jurisdictions, Guyanese and St Vincentians dominate their ranks.

Last year in our Editorial “Bajans’ Disdain for Guyanese”, in the wake of the murder of a Guyanese national, we asserted, “it is a fact that anti-Guyanese sentiments are on the rise in Barbados”. A documentary, “On the map” situated this antipathy within a context of the miserable conditions of migrants on the whole, in the island. The Thompson administration pandered to this sentiment in its campaign that catapulted it to power in January 2008. The PM had contemptuously dismissed these immigrants as originating from countries “used to under classes” and accustomed to “substandard conditions”.

He very quickly established a panel to make recommendations on the issue and the results ought not to be surprising to anyone. Illegals who have been residing in Barbados before January 1, 1998, have verified employment and fulfil various other stringent criteria may apply by December 1, for regularisation, which is not automatic.
June 1to December 1, 2009 is supposed to be an “amnesty” but already the dehumanisation of illegals has intensified; open season has been declared on them in public and anyone suspected or fingered for being illegal can be literally “rounded up” and kept in a holding pen before being shipped back to his or her homeland.

Most insidiously, since many Guyanese in Barbados are of Indian descent and can be easily distinguished from the average Barbadian, we have received and published reports of racial profiling that has resulted in the homes of Indo-Guyanese being raided indiscriminately at nights. We have seen these programmes in action before in the world – German Nazis who targeted Jews come to mind.
The Prime Minister of St Vincent, Ralph Gonsalves, has responded germanely: “It is sad to note that in the 21st Century…some political leaders, are stoking chauvinistic fires which are latent in our Caribbean societies…This outpouring of a malignant xenophobia… must be stopped, if not, CARICOM would shortly be rent asunder…”

As we have done before, we would remind the government of Barbados that it must not forget history – especially that of the country. In an expression that is common to our region, including Barbados, “Time longer than twine”. One of the reasons of the Barbados success in the present is that its citizens have been permitted to emigrate – mostly illegally in the last few decades to the US.

Apart from defusing a population explosion, these immigrants sent back huge volumes of remittances that were invested into the economy. Closer at home, as their opposition leader noted, more than half of Barbados’s exports are to fellow CARICOM members and a fifth of their tourists from those same countries. Would they be able to withstand a boycott from other Caricom members?

The Heads of Government of CARICOM will be meeting in T&T this coming weekend. We hope that Prime Minister Thompson will be informed in no uncertain terms by other leaders that the way he has gone about dealing with what could be a legitimate issue is not befitting a country that has been in the forefront of preaching regional unity.
Either we hang together or we hang separately.

Guyanese in Barbados being ‘stereotyped’ on basis of appearance

2009-05-18T20:55:00.000-07:00

Guyanese in Barbados being ‘stereotyped’ on basis of appearance – Faria

Posted By Stabroek staff
On May 18, 2009 @ 5:13 am In Local News | 118 Comments

-some opting to return home

Reports are being received of Guyanese being “stereotyped” on the “basis of their appearance”, Guyana’s Honorary Consul in Barbados, Norman Faria says.

[1]
David Thompson

In a release on Saturday, he said that Guyanese are worried following a recent statement by Barbados Prime Minister David Thompson on immigration policy changes and are reporting to their Consulate in the island. Faria said that his office has seen a “big jump” in telephone inquiries and walk-in traffic about the implications of the recently announced changes to the Barbados Immigration regulations by Prime Minister Thompson.

On May 5th, the PM told the Barbadian Parliament that Caribbean non-nationals living in Barbados illegally have up to June 1, 2009 to start turning themselves into the Immigration Department, or they will be “removed” from December 1 this year. This applies to all undocumented CARICOM nationals who entered Barbados prior to December 31, 2005 and remained undocumented for a period of eight years or more.

Faria said reports are being received of Guyanese being “stereotyped”, simply on the basis of their appearance. “Yes, it is natural that people are worried about their security and future. Guyanese are human just like Bajans in a similar situation overseas. Their Consulate is there to help and we offer assistance and counselling. It is really heart-breaking to hear of people being here for five and eight years, even more, and hear them making inquiries about whether they fall into the time frame as announced. Some have settled into their neighbourhoods with Bajan companions and friends. We do however have a remigrant programme and we provide information for those who wish to return to Guyana and contribute to the ongoing development and progress there. In fact, some of them are going back”, he said.

“Regrettably, there have been distressing reports that some Guyanese, simply on the basis of their appearance and who may have some form of status such as work permit or residency, are being singled out for attention in places like public transport vehicles. This is wrong and must be condemned. It goes against the grain of time honoured traditions of hospitality, tolerance and decent mindedness in Barbados”, he added.

Faria said that because of protocol restrictions, he could not speak pro or con regarding the Barbados government’s position and will be sending a “full” report to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Guyana. Minister of Foreign Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett has been unavailable for comment on this matter and has not said anything on it despite the statement being made by Thompson on May 5th.

“I must say that the Consulate is also receiving inquiries from Bajans seeking advice about their Guyanese companions, loved ones and children born here and in Guyana. I have always said that there continues to be good and friendly relations between the Barbadian and Guyanese peoples and the governments over the years and it is my firm belief that right and proper choices that will further cement these long standing warm relations will be made during this challenging juncture for some Guyanese in Barbados”, Faria said.

He also said that the Consulate’s annual “Fun Day/Picnic” will have even more of a “Bajan connection” this year but more awards will be given this time to Bajans. The get together is being held at the Esplanade just outside the capital Bridgetown this Sunday and Prime Minister Thompson has been invited to present the Awards and say a few words.

Thompson in his address to Parliament had also said the conditions for regularisation would include:

• submission to immigration of an application for immigrant status together with all supporting documentation on the prescribed form before December 1

• the applicant’s ability to substantiate the claim that he or she has been residing in Barbados for at least eight years immediately prior to December 31, 2005 – specifically before January 1, 1998.

• the applicant must be currently employed and provide evidence of his or her employment status.

• the spouse or child of an employed applicant residing in Barbados with the applicant is eligible to apply under this new policy

• the applicant must pass through a security background check, and

• applicants with three or more dependents will be considered, but will not automatically qualify for status.

BAJAN ATROCITIES: Guyanese plead for President Jagdeo’s intervention

2009-05-18T20:51:00.000-07:00

Guyanese in Barbados plead for President Jagdeo’s intervention
May 18, 2009

- houses reportedly being raided by night

“I don’t know if Jagdeo has any teeth,” Barbadian-based Guyanese
Guyanese nationals living in Barbados are calling on President Bharat Jagdeo to speak on behalf of his countrymen against what they described as atrocities against them by the Barbadian authorities.
The call comes in the wake of a warning by Vincentian Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of a collapse of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) in the face of what he sees as discriminatory immigration policies in some territories of the regional integration bloc - CARICOM.

Ralph Gonsalves
A new Barbadian immigration policy threatens the deportation of all illegal immigrants at the end of this year, but CARICOM Secretary General Edwin Carrington has said that while CARICOM is not lenient towards “illegal” immigrants “the way” in which these policies are executed, matters.
According to Guyanese on the island, President Jagdeo appears to be a ‘toothless poodle’ when it comes to representing his people against atrocities meted out to them by authorities in CARICOM member countries, especially Barbados.
Several Guyanese and other Caribbean nationals have migrated to the island within the past decade.
Guyanese Benn Rajkumar has been living in Barbados for the past eight years and according to him, Barbadian Immigration Officials, with assistance from the Barbados Police Force, have been raiding the residences of Guyanese at nights under the guise of picking up suspected illegal immigrants.
The Guyanese said that suspects are rounded up and detained at a facility at the Grantley Adams International Airport, sometimes for four days under inhumane conditions.
“The police move around in the nights and they raid mostly the Guyanese East Indian residences because they are easily identifiable. I don’t know if President Jagdeo has any teeth,” Rajkumar.
He said that within recent times, Guyana’s Counsel in Barbados Norman Faria has been speaking out but this appears to be having little or no effect.

David Thompson
Barbados Commissioner of Police Darwin Dottin refused to comment on the matter when questions were put to him during the recent Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police conference held here last week.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued in the Vincentian House of Parliament, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, while not naming Barbados specifically, said it was sad that some political leaders are “stoking chauvinistic fires which are latent in our Caribbean societies.”
“This has led here and there to an outpouring of a malignant xenophobia particularly against Guyanese, Jamaicans, Vincentians, St Lucians and Grenadians,” he is quoted by news reports as saying.
Gonsalves has been quoted as saying that if the discrimination does not stop, then “Caricom would shortly be rent asunder.”
The St. Vincent Prime Minister, who is known to be outspoken, drew an example of discrimination whereby a Vincentian woman, who is married to a Barbadian, was denied a student visa for her five-year-old niece who was attending school in Barbados and her 18-year-old niece who was writing exams last September.
Gonsalves said both had to leave Barbados within a seven-day period on instructions of the Immigration Department. A letter outlining the circumstances had been sent to Barbados Prime Minister David Thompson, Gonsalves said.
He said his government is being patient with CARICOM and will never “lightly abandon the CSME, but the discriminatory antics against our nationals by some immigration authorities must stop.”
Gonsalves asserted that the Vincentian government had gone way beyond the treaty and had accommodated CARICOM nationals who were not yet entitled to the right of employment.
CARICOM Secretary General Edwin Carrington said the May 23 meeting of leaders in Trinidad would be the earliest opportunity to determine “whether we are going in the right direction.”
http://www.kaieteurnews.com/2009/05/18/guyanese-in-barbados-plead-for-president-jagdeo%e2%80%99s-intervention/

Guyanese nationals kidnapped, drowned; Bodies dumped in river

2009-05-17T23:52:00.000-07:00

Guyanese nationals kidnapped, drowned
By Indarjit Seuraj Monday, May 18 2009

Two Guyanese nationals working in Trinidad were yesterday found dead at an abandoned dump in Chaguanas, 12 hours after they were reported kidnapped close to their home.

Detectives believe Narad Sookoo, 29, and Vinod Dubay, 28, both of 34 Dookiesingh Street in St Augustine, might have been drowned by their abductors.

Their bodies were found lying face down in a drain at the abandoned dump on Shipping Trace, Felicity, Chaguanas. Their hands had been bound with duct tape.

Detectives also said there appeared to be no physical marks of violence on the bodies but an autopsy done on the bodies today will determine the cause of death.

The drain in which they were found flows into the Caroni River and then eventually into the Gulf of Paria. The dump had been closed down for some time and the area earmarked for the setting up of an army base.

Chaguanas police responded to an anonymous call at about 9 am yesterday that two bodies had been spotted in the area.

The police went to the scene where a team of officers from the St Joseph Police Station arrived minutes later and escorted Dubay’s brother-in-law Lawrence Mohammed to the scene where he identified the body.

Dubay’s wife Roxanne Perreira had reported to the St Joseph police on Saturday night that Dubay and Sookoo were bundled into a white panel van close to their home on Dookiesingh Street.

When Newsday visited the scene, relatives were heard screaming. They, however, refused to comment on the killings.

The victims reportedly worked at a construction site close to their home in St Augustine. No motive has been ascertained for the killings.

Acting Superintendent Deodath Dulalchan of the Central Division, co-ordinated the efforts on the scene yesterday.

Homicide Bureau officers are investigating.
http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,100339.html

Bodies dumped in river
Grisly end for kidnapped Guyanese workers
Peter Christopher pchristopher@trinidadexpress.com

IN A SCENE that bore resemblance to that of a mafia movie, two construction workers were found dead in the Felicity River.

Narad Sookoo, 29, and Tameshwar Doobay, 22, both Guyanese nationals living in St Augustine, were at their worksite at around 4 p.m. on Saturday when two cars pulled up alongside the site.

A group of men emerged from the cars and called across the two men.

A heated discussion followed and the two men were bound by the group of men and bundled into one of the vehicles.

Relatives of the men got word of the incident and made a report to St Joseph Police.

Any hope of finding the men alive ended yesterday when residents of Felicity made a report to Chaguanas police yesterday at around 9.30 a.m. about the discovery of two lifeless male bodies floating in the river just off Shipping Road.

The bodies were confirmed by relatives to be those of the two construction workers.

All their clothing was intact with the exception of their missing shoes.

Police said their bodies did not have any marks of violence, but suspect foul play in their drowning.

Southern Bureau homicide is continuing investigations into the death of the men.

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161478772

Two Guyanese found dead in Trinidad dump

2009-05-17T19:30:00.000-07:00

Snatched at St Augustine workplace...
Two Guyanese found dead in Felicity, Trinidad dump

Published: May 18, 2009

Anguished relatives consoled each other yesterday after being told that two young Guyanese men were found murdered in central Trinidad. The bodies of 28-year-old Narad Sookoo and 22-year-old Vinod Dubay, of Dookiesingh Street, in St Augustine, were discovered at an abandoned dump in Felicity around 9 am.

A call was transmitted to E-999 Division and officers who responded found the bodies partially submerged in a swamp. The men were initially reported kidnapped, police said. Police said Sookoo and Dubay, who came from Guyana, and were staying with relatives in St Augustine, worked at a construction site mere metres away from their home. It was while working at the same site, that Sookoo and Dubay were snatched by armed assailants around 6 pm on Saturday.
Police said three men in a heavily-tinted car pulled up at the site, bundled the Guyanese nationals into the car and drove off.
As police officers broke the news to relatives, loud wails shattered the serenity of the afternoon.

Up to late yesterday, police were exploring several leads, including that the killings may have been drug-related. Insp Nelson, acting Sgt Katwaroo and PCs Grant and Thomas of the St Joseph CID are continuing investigations.

http://guardian.co.tt/news/general/2009/05/18/two-guyanese-found-dead-felicity-dump

CARICOM nationals face deportation: Fear and panic in Barbados

2009-05-17T06:22:00.000-07:00

Fear and panic as Barbados regularisation deadline looms

Fear and panic have engulfed a section of the Guyanese population in Barbados as the June 1 deadline for them to turn themselves in to immigration or face deportation looms.

A new policy recently announced by Barbados Prime Minister David Thompson requires Caribbean non-nationals living on the island illegally to start turning themselves in to the Immigration Department or be “removed” from December 1 this year.

Undocumented Guyanese and Vincentians will be most affected and Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves said last week that such immigration policies could collapse Caricom.

Thompson gave the official notice on May 5, bringing finality to his government’s pledge to address the contentious issue. He told the Barbados parliament that a cabinet subcommittee had agreed that the current levels of illegal immigrants were “unacceptably high, increasingly difficult to control and posed potentially negative socio-economic challenges for the country”.

Therefore, with effect from June 1, 2009 all undocumented Caricom nationals who entered Barbados prior to December 31, 2005 and remained undocumented for a period of eight years or more could “come forward and have their status regularised”. This regularisation will however come only after the immigrants meet a set of requirements which the government has also outlined.

Sam Legay, a Guyanese attorney working in Barbados, related in correspondence with this newspaper that he has been receiving numerous calls from clients and potential ones, since the announcement. A large percentage of his work deals with immigration matters.
“Thus far, the response has been in most cases, panic and fear,” Legay said.

He said this response was justified since in some cases many persons are not sure how to interpret Thompson’s comments. Legay said he has been encouraging non-nationals not to panic but to try to “get their acts together”. One documented Guyanese living and working in Barbados legally and who spoke to this newspaper on the basis of anonymity said many Guyanese are sceptical that any status would be granted under this amnesty.

The source did not believe such an announcement would affect the immigration status of legal immigrants but added, “one never knows how these things can be interpreted”.
According to the source too, some Guyanese have referred to the new policy as a ploy to get all the illegal persons to turn themselves into immigration; luring them with the promise of immigrant status. “People are afraid, some want to go to immigration and some don’t,” the source said.
However, the source said, there have not been many open statements or comments about it.

The source also said that it is sometimes hurtful to hear some of the cruel things which are said about Guyanese in general.

“The few that come and misbehave wipe out the memory and the work and efforts of those of us who are making a significant contribution to the society in all the sectors; not just in agriculture and construction,” the source said.

This newspaper has also learnt that since the announcement, Barbadian call-in shows are inundated with calls about the issue; about 50 per cent agreeing with the decision and some calling for immigration statistics before offering a public comment.

Opposition leader Mia Mottley has since asked if this same policy will be applied to the North American and European nationals who are in Barbados illegally and to date there has been no response from the government.

Reactions
Meanwhile, the original report published on the Stabroek News website on May 6, saw a significant number of posts from Barbadian as well as Guyanese in reaction.
One commentator who uses the name “Practical Bajan” emphasized that Guyanese are not the only ones being targeted. “I think you are missing the point, its all Caricom Nationals. Guyanese are not ill treated in Barbados. You cannot blame an immigration officer who refuses an individual who turns up at the airport with US$150 for a two-week stay or does not know where he is staying. You are probably not aware of the high incidence of Guyanese who are committing passport fraud, credit card fraud and domestic violence. Last year we had 7 murders and 3 were committed by Guyanese and in two cases it was Guyanese killing Guyanese. Some Guyanese have not being the best ambassadors. I have some great Guyanese friends and have encouraged a lot of them to join the Credit Unions and save their money.

Why is it easier to talk negative rather than the positive? A lot of Guyanese go to school in Barbados obviously they pay talk about the education they now get hoping that they may someday return to build Guyana. Partisan politics have divided Guyana for many years where you have elected leaders without a vision and foresight to make unpopular decision to build the country. Stop sensationalizing an immigration policy that is in everyone’s best interest. I hereby repeat the immigration policy is not targeted at Guyanese.”

Another commentator “Ne Ne” said: “Barbados has always been cracking down on illegal immigrants especially Guyanese - Bajans treat Guyanese with disdain and contempt. However, people are resourceful and creative so good luck Thompson!!!!! It used to be the other way around when Bajans were welcomed in Guyana. Perhaps one day we will regain our status among our Caribbean neighbours.”

The Government of Barbados is giving amnesty to all Caricom Nationals who meet specific criteria. What is wrong with that?” another commentator “Jackie” asked. “I am Guyanese. I dislike the way Guyanese are treated in Barbados, but guess what? We are not Barbadians, and maybe if we were as patriotic as Barbadians are we would be in a better socio-economic position. Thank our successive governments for the mess we are in, don’t be upset at Barbados for taking care of themselves.”

“Chemist”, a Barbadian commentator opined: “The heads of Caricom sat time and time again to discuss CSME, the movement of skills and products throughout the Caribbean and for the region to become one community, yet the immigration policies of CSME or Barbados does not allow for the documentation of non-qualified skilled nationals such as tradesmen including construction workers who make up the bulk of immigrants as a result, these persons are deemed as illegals while the economy of Barbados is smiling to the bank with development from cheap labour on the sweat and discomfort of Guyanese. Further to that, there is a large population of Pakistanis that is allowed to fester…. What is their contribution to the region as a whole? Their presence is for their own gains while they bring cheap inferior goods from outside the region to rob us with. Barbados will soon stand to regret the influx of these people and their culture. Note, they are a group that is closely knitted, rapidly growing.”

“Sandhurst First”, a Guyanese, related, “Well its time Guyana start deporting Bajans and other nationals who are here illegally. Let’s give them until May 31st to report or be “removed” by November 31st!!! An eye for an eye. The only reason Guyanese go there to work is because of the money and most if not all of them want a better life which Guyana doesn’t offer to its citizens. Some people say the Bajans are lazy and the Guyanese are taking all their work. I would never go there to be treated like a third-class citizen anyway.”
President of the Guyanese Association in Barbados Keith Arno told Stabroek News in correspondence that there was nothing the association could do in this regard, but to offer advice.

“Some people will be able to regularise their status and unfortunately some would not. There is nothing this association can do but to offer advice. We are a social group trying to encourage new membership,” he said
Guyana’s Honorary Consul to Barbados Norman Faria who refused to address their newspaper’s questions on the matter via telephone, had promised a statement on the matter. One week later none was forthcoming.

Sovereignty
Asked to comment, Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon told Stabroek News that government could not castigate Barbados for protecting its sovereignty. “That is their right,” he said. However, he said that if for any reason Barbados’s policies offend its regional obligations to agreements of treaties, that was something different.

Luncheon said too that there exists endless opportunities including when heads meet next, for such issues to de discussed.
According to him, Minister of Foreign Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and Faria have always had discussions on this issue. He recollected too that the issue of illegal Guyanese immigrants had been brought up at the highest level of Caricom – the Heads of Government meeting — where the consensus has been that there is work that needs to be done.

Xenophobia
Meanwhile, according to the Nation newspaper, while delivering a ministerial statement in St Vincent’s House of Parliament on Thursday, Gonsalves also charged that Vincentians were discriminated against by neighbouring territories and hinted that his country might also consider withdrawing from the CSME.

It said in his speech, which was punctuated with emotion, that every member state was not abiding by the letter and the spirit of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas. He said his office received heart-rending stories of Vincentians who have been subjected to unfair, unconscionable, and discriminatory treatment by some immigration authorities within member states of Caricom.

“It is sad to note that in the 21st century, some responsible persons, including some political leaders are stoking chauvinistic fires which are latent in our Caribbean societies. This has led here and there to an outpouring of a malignant xenophobia particularly against Guyanese, Jamaicans, Vincentians, St Lucians and Grenadians. This must be stopped if not Caricom would shortly be rent asunder,” Gonsalves was quoted as saying.

According to the Nation, in an apparent reference to Barbados, the Vincentian leader said it was historically tempting for him (Thompson) to bash immigrants at times of domestic economic difficulties.
“But to do so against one’s Caricom brothers and sisters is surely unacceptable… My government is being patient with Caricom and we will never lightly abandon the CSME. But the discriminatory antics against our nationals by some immigration authorities must stop,” he said.

Stop It: Indentureship was not Slavery

2009-05-13T17:08:00.000-07:00

Stop It: Indentureship was not Slavery

May 13, 2009 | By knews | Filed Under Letters

Dear Editor,
Nearly a decade ago I went to the Caribbean Studies Association Annual Convention in St. Lucia. My paper was on the subject of violence against indentured women during the 19th and early 20th century. Alissa Trotz was the discussant, and I recall David Hinds being in the audience.
I began the paper by stating that there is a rising Pan-Indianist grand narrative seeking to equate indentureship with slavery. I specifically wrote that this narrative is preoccupied with “the working and living conditions of indentured labourers with considerable effort expended to show how indentureship was actually a form of slavery” (Persaud 2001).
I objected to that discourse then, and I do so again. The matter is simple – indentured servants did not suffer nearly as much as African slaves.
Any such suggestion must be, at best, dismissed as misinformed. As I stated in St. Lucia, the fundamental difference between the servant and the slave was that the servant was never the private property of a master.
The Indian servant had a contract – that is to say, he/she had a legal instrument governing the terms and conditions of employment. The indentured servant was taken to Guyana by contract; the slave was taken there by force. At the end of the contract, the servant did not have to go through four years of apprenticeship as African slaves had to do after hundred of years of coercive exploitation.
I am well aware of the reports filed by people like H.V.P. Bronkhurst and Joseph Beaumont.
These reports did capture the terrible conditions in which indentured servants lived and were by a large accurate. But we must also understand that men like Bronkhurst and Beaumont were activists who wanted to end the indenture system. The reports were constructed to elicit horror in England (See Walter Persaud on this). They did.
What is striking is that so long after the end of the indenture system some writers have not understood the textual strategy of the anti-indenture activists. They take the reports at face value, rather than engage in the deconstruction of those texts. The whole notion that indentureship is similar to slavery was concocted by anti-indenture activists who knew that such an association would resonate among progressives in Britain. We should note that one such activist, Joseph Beaumont published a book called The New Slavery in 1871. Even book titles have their conditions of emergence and this historicity should not be ignored.
Whilst I am at it I may as well address why the indenture system began. Rum shop historiography has it that many people came before and could not do the work. More serious scholarly disquisitions point to labour shortage. Rum shop historiography is nothing other than a form of ethnic nationalism. Cease and desist! The labour shortage thesis has more scholarly traction but its explanatory power withers as you dig down.
Following Rodney, I argue that the real drive behind indentured labour was to dismantle an increasingly well organised African work force. There was absolute shortage of labour. If there was labour shortage sugar production would have suffered even before emancipation. But as I wrote in the St. Lucia paper “sugar production actually increased by 214% between 1812 and 1835. Eighteen twenty-nine in fact, was one of the most profitable years in the colony, when 109 million pounds of sugar was produced” (Persaud 2001). I also argued then that “while emancipation did, in and of itself lend to labour withdrawal, the equally pressing matter was that a labour market had actually emerged.” The ex-slaves were now in a position to bargain for wages and better working conditions. Task Gangs were formed as a strategy of strengthening the bargaining position of workers. Significantly, the Task Gangs broke the absolute control the planters, managers, and overseers had in controlling every aspect of estate work” (Persaud 2001).
The disruption of plantation hegemony by the emerging African working class (in the technical sense of that term) was of great concern to the planters. Moreover, there had been periodic but intense protests in the years before emancipation. Between August 18th and 23rd 1823 for instance, there was a revolt on the East Coast. Martial Law was declared on August 21st, and it took musket fire and several dead and wounded to beat back the more than 2000 slaves in arms.
Forty-five slaves and a white missionary were sentenced to death for the revolt.
These were the circumstances that led to indentured labourers. Make no mistake about it; the planters wanted to break the back of a rising labour militancy in Guyana. This is why in January 1836 John Gladstone wrote to Gillanders, Arbuthnot & Co. specifically inquiring about Bound labour. Gillanders replied the order could be met, and that the Indian labourer was akin to a monkey, and has only paltry needs. Mangru’s work on this aspect of the labour migration is excellent.
There is much more to this story, but one thing stands out. By 1888, P.M. Netscher was in a position to write the following – “through the advent of those competing labourers, the people have made themselves completely independent of the caprices and extravagant demands of the creole workmen” (Netscher 1888). The people as used here referred to the planters and the established classes of colonial society.
The suffering of Indians is not an empirical question. Indians did suffer. The question is -so what? In part you get the answer when the attempt is made to equate suffering in indentureship with suffering in slavery. In this context there is a shift from the empirical documentation of hardship, to an epistemological strategy of ethnic instantiation. Whereas the former is concerned with historical knowledge, the latter is driven by a politicized historical presentism.
The former is productive and should be encouraged; the latter is a dangerous potion that should not be swallowed, even by the descendants of the indentured servants.
Dr. Randy Persaud

Yesu Persaud: All Guyanese should be proud to celebrate Indian Arrival

2009-05-13T16:46:00.000-07:00

Yesu Persaud: All Guyanese should be proud to celebrate Indian Arrival

By Stabroek staff | May 5, 2009

The Indian Commemoration Trust (ICT) is happy to celebrate this historic day not only with Indians but with all Guyanese because this is a part of our history as the indentured Indians made tremendous contributions in helping to build the nation, ICT Honorary President, Dr Yesu Persaud said in a statement on the commemoration of Indian Arrival.

He said further that the ICT would also like to express its gratitude at “seeing other organizations joining in to celebrate the arrival of the indentured Indians since this is a day all Guyanese should be proud to celebrate.”

Dr Persaud who is also Chairman of Demerara Distillers Limited noted that this is the 21st anniversary of the ICT, which commemorates the day at the Indian Monument Gardens at Church and Camp streets, Georgetown.

And taking a brief historical look at the event, Persaud recalled that on May 5, 1838 the sailing ships Whitby and Hesperus left Calcutta with 437 Indian indentured workers for British Guiana, now called Guyana after Independence in 1966, and 18 persons died during the voyage; 14 from the Hesperus and four from the Whitby. Four of the deaths were from a deadly outbreak of cholera owing to highly unsanitary conditions aboard the ship and the bodies were unceremoniously thrown overboard. However, the ship’s surgeon worked tirelessly and was able to bring the dreaded disease under control.
And pointing to an important lesson which the indentured Indians learnt on board the ships, Dr Persaud said that irrespective of class or caste they had to work together as a team on board the ship and form a bond that kept them together and brought about the concept of ‘Jahagiship’.

Dr Yesu Persaud
Looking at their earliest experience in the then British Guiana, Persaud observed that on arrival in Demerara and Berbice they were allocated to the sugar estates and commenced work on the second day of arrival. Their dwellings were the same slave logies occupied by the slaves who were given final freedom on August 1, 1838.

“The indentured Indians were a little better off than the slaves, but they could not leave the plantations without a pass and anyone found off the plantation without a pass was arrested and jailed or fined. And the indentured Indians were not allowed to mix with the slaves since the British masters feared the slaves would try to sow discord against their masters. Those who challenged their masters were tied to a post, beaten with cat-o-nine tails and salt was rubbed in their wounds,” Persaud recounted.

Moreover, he observed, the indentured Indians were treated horribly on the sugar estates by the plantocracy and the general idea was that they had no culture and with no knowledge of Christianity, they were referred to as idol worshippers. During the period 1838-1917, 240 indentured workers came to Guyana of whom 70 percent stayed to build their homes in Guyana.

But despite all the hardships, the ICT Honorary President asserted, the remaining indentured Indians who braved their way through the many storms made some great contributions in every phase of life.

The colonial masters didn’t have a clue that these people had a history and culture dating back to the mist of time and so they did not realize that their very ancestors were the ones who had written the immortal Mahabharata, the Ramayana, the Bhagwat Gita and the Upanishads, works which could not be replicated, Persaud said.

In addition, he said that it should be remembered that the numeration system, mathematics, algebra, trigonometry, etc were discovered by the Indians thousands of years ago while the West was living in darkness.

In the meantime, the ICT has been continuing the celebration of the arrival of the indentured Indians and will do the same for this 171st anniversary.

Why are we arguing at this time about who suffered more?

By Stabroek staff | May 13, 2009

Dear Editor,

There are a number of letters in the SN which indicate that people are upset by Mr Bisram’s letter in which he wrote and pronounced on the sufferings of the indentured labourers and the slaves.

The responses were expected. I have no idea why at this time we are arguing about who suffered more or less. I do not understand why we are fostering and probably festering issues that add to the division as opposed to those that could facilitate unity.

I feel that the limited space in the letter columns could be utilised more productively. However it seems that there is a propensity for the editor to feature letters by a few who seem to be treated as if they are columnists for the newspaper regardless of what they write.

Mr Bisram’s letter should not have been printed in the first place. The editor should have exercised some judgement. The position is not one that I and many of us who are descendants of indentured servants find reasonable. While it is true that indentured servants were treated badly, there is no way that I would readily accept the barbaric treatment, the total subjugation of the slaves, the actual treatment of the slaves as a commodity, as just a resource that is owned as similar to that meted out to the Indian people who were brought over here. I repeat the ideas posited by Bisram were not reasonable and the editor should not have allowed them to be printed. I feel that a retraction and an apology are necessary both from the editor and Mr Bisram.

Having said that, the writers who responded to Mr Bisram have reminded us of the method used by the growing capitalist class of Europe to facilitate capital growth. The accumulated capital was then used to employ the freed slaves and indentured labourers and their descendants in an economic system that facilitated further growth and enrichment of those who owned the accumulated capital.

Unfortunately also most of our journalists, editors and many of the prolific writers know very little of the history of capital accumulation and have themselves been conditioned, indoctrinated, by populist writings which have shaped their ideological make-up even though they would argue that they do not have an ideology.

To those who talk about the history of Africa not being emphasized, I would like to agree, but I would also like to emphasise that the history of the working class and its organisations are even less taught and written about. Most of us have no knowledge about our own working class history. Most of us have internalised the ideology of the capitalist class.

We do know however the history of the oppressor class as they own and control the media, the publishing houses, the TV stations etc, etc, and which they use to disseminate their ideas. In this way they exercise hegemony over our minds, over our thought processes and so we see through their eyes, hear through their ears, speak through their mouths conscious of only their world and their perspective.

Yours faithfully,
Rajendra Bisessar

Minorities’ political strategy

2009-05-10T15:03:00.000-07:00

Ravi Dev raised some important issues in this article from Kaieteur News:

Minorities’ political strategy

Mr. Ralph Ramkarran, one of the possible PPP Presidential candidates for 2011, offered an interesting riposte to the calls by Mr. Eric Phillips of ACDA for Shared Governance in Guyana. Titled, “You cannot expect marriage without courtship”, its main thrust is that in a nation of minorities, it is possible for any party to win general elections if they are willing to court those that are outside their traditional bases.

Inter alia, Mr Ramkarran mentioned ROAR’s (and my) espousal of the concept. To put the record straight, this was placed in the public domain as far back as 1990. In the paper, “For A New Political Culture”, we sought to address the African Security Dilemma that was precipitated in a polity that voted ethnically but in which they would always lose at majoritorian elections since Indians, their competitors for power, formed an absolute majority.

We offered seven proposals that included a temporary shared government and Federalism as that which South Africa adopted four years later. At the time we had a government in office that was supported by African Guyanese and we felt it was necessary to address their rational fears if the government were to be changed.

Mr Ramkarran has pointed out a collapse of the premise that undergirded the African Security Dilemma: Indians are no longer an absolute majority. According to him they are, “just under 40 percent and declining”. If one were to combine Africans with the “Mixed” section that had traditionally identified with them, they now outnumber Indians....READ MORE...

President Jagdeo lauds inner strength of indentured Indians

2009-05-06T04:30:00.001-07:00

President Jagdeo notes the inner strength of indentured Indians

By Priya Nauth
HEAD of State President Bharrat Jagdeo has noted that it is important to know the history of the struggles of our ancestors and has urged Guyanese to work together to help build the country.

He made this remark yesterday when he joined scores of Guyanese to celebrate the 171st anniversary of the Arrival of East Indians to Guyana at the Joe Vieira Park, West Bank Demerara.

The traditional event hosted by the Indian Religious Cultural and Social Organisation of West Demerara for the 22nd year featured a display of various aspects of Indian culture on stage, including tassa drumming, Indian traditional and film songs and dances, and viewing of floats depicting the rich cultural heritage of East Indians, with booths displaying a variety of Indian dishes and clothing, and other items along with other attractions for the entire family.

The Head of State said, “I hope as we get together and enjoy this beautiful culture that was brought from a distant part of the world, from India by our ancestors, that we take time to appreciate this gathering and all that the culture demands of us.”

Noting that it is not just about song, dance and music, he stated, “It is also about the inner strength of the people who first came to this country, because they had to have that inner strength to survive the ravages of the difficult path that they undertook.”

He said that many of the East Indian immigrants who were very young left India not knowing what they would face.

He said, “They struck out in search of a better life and it is that same ‘pioneering spirit’ that today helps our country to move forward,” he said.

He went on, “So I want you as we celebrate to never forget that spirit and to never forget what happened to those people when they came here because they were treated like second class and third class citizens in this country.”

“The white planters who ruled Guyana locked them away in their ‘slave-like’ conditions on the estate through indentureship,” Jagdeo emphasised.

Alluding to the hardships and difficulties endured by the Indians, he declared, “…but they did not give up.”

President Jagdeo said these indentured labourers persevered and finished their contracts and built a life for future generations, noting, “It is much better than theirs, so we must not take for granted their struggle.”

He further reiterated, “They struggled for freedom to raise their children in a society that will give them opportunities.”

“There was one time when the British sent someone here to Guyana to do a report and they said that the Indians who were living in the colony at that time did not value education, so you should not build schools in areas where the Indian immigrants live – that is totally untrue,” he refuted.

He also noted, “There was a time when if you were a Hindu or Muslim, you had to convert to Christianity to get a job in the public service.”

“All of these assaults on the culture of the people who came did not succeed, because today, as we have seen, the culture is strong and it is preserved and people are proud of it,” he observed.

“We live in a very unique country, a wonderful country. We have many people of different races and we have different religions and that is our strength,” he advocated.

“We have to learn to live together, to build this country together so that all of the children of Guyana, regardless of their religion or race, can enjoy a prosperous and brighter future than we have had,” he noted.

He encouraged the gathering to respect the culture of all the groups who came to Guyana and the indigenous peoples as well.

“We all contributed to this Guyanese culture. We are not better or worse than any other group – we are all Guyanese together and this is the attitude that we have to instill in everyone and our children especially. Among those present were Prime Minister Samuel Hinds; Chairman of the Indian Commemoration Trust, Mr. Yesu Persaud; Region Three (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara) Regional Chairman, Mr. Julius Faerber; and representatives of the Indian High Commission.

~~~~~~

Prime Minister Hinds urges Pushpanjali audience to continue national development
By Priya Nauth
PRIME Minister Samuel Hinds has urged Guyanese to continue the task of developing the nation and adopting the resilience of indentured East Indian immigrants.

He was speaking at the Indian Commemoration Trust evening of music, dance and stage-play ‘Pushpanjali 9’ Monday, in observance of the 171st anniversary of the arrival of East Indians to Guyana, on the lawns of the Monument Gardens in Georgetown.

Prime Minister Hinds extending Arrival Day greetings, said, “One can imagine those first immigrants coming to this land - a strange land.”

“They faced great hardships and those hardships were not attenuated as they could have been by the owners of the estates in those days – there were the prevailing ideas of class, race and all those things,” he stated.

However, he emphasised, “They endured, they survived and they succeeded.”

Hinds noted that the succeeding generations of these immigrants have made great contributions and taken many leadership roles in society.

“As I say this, I think indeed of our departed Dr Cheddi Jagan, the son himself of immigrants who took to this land of Guyana and took to all its people,” he said.

“He dared to become a Guyanese and more than that, a man of the world, and in so doing, he has rightfully earned the name of ‘Father of our Nation’.”

He repeated, “Those immigrants who first came, they endured and succeeded - they dealt with the problems of their day. For us of this generation we have problems, we have challenges of a different nature. At this time we have the challenges in the world at large and at the same time still have the challenge of developing this nation materially.”

“We have also the challenge of becoming one people,” the Prime Minister stated.

Insisting that all groups have contributed to the development of Guyana, he noted that over the years, the culture that was brought by the East Indian immigrants is becoming more and more the culture of all Guyanese.

“I want to join in some moments of reverence as I think of those first immigrants, of all they endured and their contribution which we now enjoy,” he expressed.

He urged, “We shall commit ourselves to continuing in their task to develop the country and to make really ‘one people’, ‘one nation’ with a common destiny for us all here in Guyana,” he noted.

Distinct
Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Mr. Subit Kumar Mandal, in brief remarks noted that the idea to celebrate the root, the origin and the ancestry of Indians was rather a new one.

“It was the idea of the movers of the Indian Commemoration Trust that led to the celebration of Indian arrival day and even the present day,” he observed.

He noted, “It took 150 years of the descendants of the immigrants from India to openly rejoice in their origin, to take public pride of their inheritance and also to proclaim their confidence in their Guyanese identity, while underscoring their cultural and emotional ties to India.”

He said over the last 20 years, the idea has flourished and become an icon of the Guyanese identity.

Arrival day is now an established cultural phenomena that showcases Guyanese imagination and innovative flare, he stressed.

The High Commissioner stated, “The expressions of Indian culture in Guyana have assumed a distinct Guyanese identity. It has become richer…”

“Indians have arrived in Guyana and they have enriched this land and are enriched by it – that journey that began 171 years back has not ended and continues to newer frontiers reflecting the indomitable spirit of the human soul ,” he said.

“I join you in saluting this spirit and sharing this joy, this fulfillment and this promise,” Mangal said.

Chairman of the organisation, Dr Yesu Persaud, in welcoming remarks, stated that the immigrants came to Guyana with great expectations. “Those who know the sugar estate well would tell you it was not easy - they managed and survived.”

“It was a hard task, it was not easy but survive they did and this generation is fortunate to had such indomitable pioneers of such strength and character to be able to survive for us to carry on today,” he insisted.

He said that Indians have made tremendous contributions to the development of society, not only in Guyana, but globally, and can be found in every field of human endeavour.

Persaud went on, “They have made good for themselves and this generation and future generations, , their job was a building job and it is for us to continue from here onwards.”

Observing the contributions of other groups too, he said, “They all persevered and all the races in this country made a contribution to build this nation of ours and we owe it to all of them to say thank you very much for a job well done. You have done well for us, this generation, but let us keep working together.”

Taking note of the rich cultural heritage that was brought by our ancestors, he reiterated, “We owe it to our foreparents who braved not only one sea to arrive here and to have survived the harsh and terrible conditions of the sugar plantations.”

Pushpanjali, which has been commemorated by the Indian Commemoration Trust since 1988, opened with a Vadana (paying homage to God) and featured prayers by all the major religions (Hindu, Muslim and Christian) ; special performances by Banaras Thumri, Diva Kumud Diwan, and talented Kathak dancer Mahua Shankar from India; singing of songs, qaseeda, folk and filmi dances; and tassa drumming.

Among those present were Minister of Finance, Dr Ashni Singh; Minister of Human Services, Ms. Priya Manickchand; ; Pro-Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Dr Prem Misir; Former Minister of Information, Mr. Moses Nagamootoo; and President of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud.

Proud of the arrival of Indians, By Dr Yesu Persaud

2009-05-06T04:29:00.000-07:00

All Guyanese should be proud of the arrival of Indians
By Dr Yesu Persaud

The Indian Commemorate Trust is happy to celebrate this historic day not only with Indians but with all Guyanese because this is a part of our history as the Indentured Indians made tremendous contributions in helping to build this nation. This is the 21st Anniversary of the Indian Commemoration Trust which commenced in 1988. The ICT duly commemorates this day at the Indian Monument Gardens, located at Church and Camp Streets, Georgetown.

On 5th May, 1838, the Sailing ships Whitby and Hesperus left Calcutta with four hundred and thirty seven Indian Indentured workers for British Guiana now called Guyana after Independence, eighteen persons died during this voyage, fourteen persons from the Hesperus and four from the Whitby – four of whom died from a deadly outbreak of Cholera due to highly unsanitary conditions of the ship and were thrown unceremoniously overboard. The ship surgeon Dr Richmond worked tirelessly and was able to bring this dreaded disease under control.

One lesson the Indentured Indians learnt on board the ships was that irrespective of class or caste, they had to work together as a team on board the ship and form a bond that kept them together, this brought about the concept of ‘Jahajiship.’

On arrival in Demerara and Berbice they were allocated in the sugar estates and commenced work on the second day of arrival. Their dwellings were the same slave logies occupied by the slaves who were given final freedom on the 1st of August, 1838, who had sworn never to return to the sugar estates. The Indentured Indians were a little better off than the slaves, however, they could not leave the plantations without a pass, anyone found off the plantation without a pass was arrested, jailed or fined. The Indentured Indians were not allowed to mix with the slaves since the British masters feared the slaves would try to sow discord against their masters, those who challenged their masters were tied to a post, beaten with cat-o-nine tails and salt were rubbed in their wounds.

The Indentured Indians were treated horribly on the sugar estates by the plantocracy, the general idea was that these people had no culture; they had no knowledge of that beam of Christianity, they were referred to as idol worshippers. During the period 1838-1917, two hundred and forty Indentured workers came to Guyana of whom 70 per cent stayed to build their homes in Guyana.

Despite all the hardships, the remaining Indentured Indians who braved their way through the many storms made some great contributions in every phase and facet of life.

The colonial masters didn’t realise that these very ancestors were the ones who had written the immortal Mahabharata, the Ramayana, the Bhagwat Gita, and the Upanishads, these works could never be replicated. The Ramayan and the Mahabharat were considered two of the greatest epics of the world. The Ramayan dates back to nearly four thousand years, while the Mahabharat dates back to nearly three thousands years. The colonial masters didn’t have a clue that these people have a history and culture that dates back to the mist of time.

Professor Max Muellar who was a sanscrit scholar, praises the great works of the Indian scriptures and philosophy that had so much to teach the world. Professor Muellar translated the great Indian literature and works of the past Mahabharatan, Ramayana, Bhagwat Gita and the Upanishads into English, giving the world an insight what India really contributed to its development. It should also be remembered that the numeration system, mathematics: algebra, trigonometry etc were discovered by the Indians, thousands of years while the West was living in darkness.

Perhaps I may quote my great friend and colleague Dr Ian Mc Donald, who featured article, ‘Tiger in the stars’. “In the case of the Indian Indentured people it is not only the long list of outstanding personalities emerging over the years to make their contribution domestically, regionally and internationally which is important, though the list is immensely impressive. What would Guyana be without those thousands of Indians who played outstanding roles in politics, the unions, the professions, the public service, the trade unions and business, the arts and culture, the intellectual development and the religion of this country? It would be invidious to single out names, but perhaps I might put it this way: in politics, in law, in medicine, in the arts, in education, in business, in religion, in every walk of life, there have been more than one equivalent to what Rohan Kanhai is to cricket.

But it is not only the personalities. It is also the richly variegated culture which has helped to form the fabric of the nation and enhanced all our lives whether we are Indian or not. What would Guyana be without Indian customs, Indian religion and its age-old practices and philosophy, Indian festivals and holy days, Indian clothes and jewellery, Indian food and spices, Indian dance and song and music, Indian architecture, Indian learning, Indian attitudes to life and death inherited from centuries ago? Without this myriad of legacies, contributed out of a great culture, it would simply not be Guyana at all.”

The (ICT) Indian Commemoration trust has continued in the celebrations of the arrival of the Indentured Indians and will do the same for this the 171st anniversary. We would also like

President Jagdeo: apply pioneering spirit of indentured Indians

2009-05-04T20:29:00.000-07:00

FROM GUYANA CHRONICLE MAY 5th 2009

President Jagdeo calls on Guyanese to apply pioneering spirit of indentured Indians
By Priya Nauth
PRESIDENT Bharrat Jagdeo has urged that Guyanese take heed of the lessons of their ancestors and apply their pioneering spirit to help move the country forward.

PRESIDENT Bharrat Jagdeo flanked by Finance Minister Dr.Ashni Singh and Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud at Sunday's Celebration at the National Stadium.(Adrian Narine photo)

The Head of State made this remark when he joined hundreds of Guyanese Sunday evening at the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha celebration at the National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara, to mark the 171st anniversary of the arrival of East Indians to Guyana

“When the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) decided to make this a national holiday, we had in mind the celebration of the very important journey that various groups made to this land - not just that journey, but the sacrifices of our ancestors and the contributions that they have made to the development of this society,” he stated.

“As we celebrate on Tuesday (May 5), I hope that in the glamour of this celebration and in these wonderful displays that we never forget the difficulty of that journey,” he said.

Taking note of the difficulties and hardship endured by East Indian indentured labourers, he noted, “…how they were treated in ‘near slave-like manner’.”

“They persevered through this all. They persevere because of that spirit they had, the pioneering spirit that they brought out of India, and they survived because of that spirit so we need to apply the same spirit in modern day conditions to move our country forward,” the President emphasised.

However, he urged, “We also need to take strength from their sacrifice and this is more important to me than some of the celebratory activities that we have. As important as they are, because we are proud of our ancestry and where we came from – we should always be proud of that-- but we need to take the heed, to pay more attention to lessons of our ancestors.”

He expressed the hope that there will be greater participation of all the different religious groups in these activities noting, “…next year we will have greater participation from the Muslim Indians and the Christian Indians – they are also a part of this wonderful culture, the wonderful history of our ancestors and I wish that they recognise that more.”

“I know they have their own celebrations in many ways, but I wish to see a greater coming together of all the groups so we can really understand the true lesson of this very important journey,” the Head of State reiterated

“I hope that the young ones, especially the young ones, be taught those wonderful lessons,” President Jagdeo stressed.

Noting that the Ramleela is an important part of Hinduism, he stated, “Its revival in Guyana is something we should all be proud of and we should thank the Dharmic Sabha for doing this.”

“I hope that it goes all the way across the country so that the people living in Essequibo and those villages can see these wonderful performances, as well of those in Berbice and other parts in Guyana so that they can appreciate the preservation of this essential part of our culture,” he expressed.

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony in brief remarks noting the significance of Arrival Day stated, “It commemorates or celebrates the coming of our ancestors to Guyana.”

“There were many people who came here as indentured labourers, including Indians, Portuguese, Chinese and indentured Africans, and all of these persons who came here - our ancestors by their sacrifice and struggles-- have helped to make Guyana a better place,” he stated.

He went on, “Because they came from different shores and so many continents, they brought with them their own unique culture that have made our country quite an exceptional place - a rich and diverse place and I think that richness and uniqueness is what makes us truly Guyanese.”

Among those present Sunday evening were Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh; Minister within the Ministry of Health, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran; and General Secretary of the PPP, Mr. Donald Ramotar.

Over 15,000 turn out at biggest IAC mela ever in Essequibo
OVER 15, 000 Guyanese, many decked out in their traditional colourful Indian wear, gathered at the Anna Regina Community Center Ground in Essequibo yesterday afternoon for a grand cultural mela (fair) and family fun day to commemorate the 171st anniversary of the arrival of Indians in Guyana.

The mela began with the customary prayers by representatives from the Hindu, Christian and Muslim communities.

The crowd was treated to mesmerizing classical and film dances from various troupes, songs, poetry and drama. As well as dazzling performances by Shelita’s Dance Troupe, Tameka Dabichand and Annie’s dance troupe from Essequibo, while the music was provided by the Clarity international crossover band. Qaseedas and bhajans (devotional songs) were also sung.

To the delight of many, the mela featured a variety of Indian dishes and sweetmeats on sale; various booths, and lots of games and fun for everyone.

The show was got underway with the Academy of Apex dance troupe which set the mood for other artistes.

However, the highlight of the event was the performances by a visiting troupe from India which included the famous dancer Mahua Shankar who was featured in two movies Devdas and Gaddar and popular thumri singer Kamud Diwan.

Popular Thumri singer Kamud Diwan performing her renditions

Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud who is also a patron of the IAC also attended the mela. He told the gathering that as they reflect on Indian arrival, they should remember that it is much more than singing, dancing and eating; it is about the significance of the sacrifices Indo-Guyanese made in developing Guyana.

He said all Guyanese should be inspired by the rich culture and history of the Indo-Guyanese.

“When our foreparents came, a bonding took place on the ship. As we look around our country and communities that same spirit is not alive today. We need to rededicate and re-instill that spirit of brotherhood and looking out for each other,” he said.

In May most immigrants came to Guyana as Indentured labourers. The East Indians came on May 5, 1838 aboard the ships, the HMS Hesperus and the HMS Whitby.

The IAC first celebrated its Mela in 2003, an event which has grown bigger with the passing years. The IAC mela at Anna Regina, Essequibo, was largest mela ever held.

READ MORE...

Best wishes to Indo-Guyanese
On the occasion of Indian Arrival Day, the People’s Progressive Party extends best wishes to the Indo-Guyanese community whose ancestors arrived here 171 years ago. It is an occasion for all Guyanese to celebrate.

In our continuing quest to develop our country, we recognise that our Indo-Guyanese sisters and brothers have made a tremendous contribution to every aspect of life in Guyana. The culture and way of life they preserve when they were brought from India to work as indentured labourers in the sugar plantation has enriched our country and added significantly to our diversity. That contribution in its development makes up our distinction as a people and nation.

We cannot downplay their role in the major struggles in Guyana. Together with other sections of the population, they fought to end colonial domination, they struggled to better the lives on the sugar plantations and waged epic battles for democracy in the country.

Their struggles and a deep sense of commitment to nation building signify their importance in the history of Guyana and their outstanding role in Guyana’s development.

Today, other goals face our nation; for example, the goal to forge national unity. This is important to face the challenges we confront presently and which are ahead, many imposed from outside.

To achieve that unity and to strengthen the measures already taken towards that end, the Indo-Guyanese community must jealously safeguard their own unity and be wary of attempts to fracture their ranks. The challenges of today require our united effort as a people if we are to effectively face up to today’s problems.

We take special pleasure in extending to the Indo-Guyanese Community our greetings; and in doing so, recognise their rich contributions to the Guyanese tapestry, their significant role in the struggles of our people, their achievements, and their on-going all round contribution to our development.

We must guard our unity in diversity like the apple of our eyes. We must all take responsibility to continuously develop and promote the unity of all Guyanese people.
People’s Progressive Party
******
Reflect on the significance of the occasion
The People’s National Congress Reform joins all like-minded groups at home and in the Diaspora in celebrating the 171st anniversary of the arrival of Indians in Guyana. This occasion offers the opportunity for the nation as a whole to recognise the important role that our Indian ancestors and fellow compatriots have played in the development of Guyana.

The Party also believes that this is also an opportunity for the nation to understand that we all share a common destiny and that racial harmony, tolerance and understanding are essential to the further and overall development of this country. The development of Guyana can no longer be deferred. It is therefore essential that all stakeholders, especially political parties, and all relevant social groups and organisations make a firm commitment to exercise honesty, maturity and good judgement in order that this nation can put an end to racism, which has often stymied the development of our society and nation.

The PNCR therefore calls on all our citizens to reflect on the significance of this occasion and to take to heart the lesson that racial harmony and understanding are the keys to our survival and long term development.
People’s National Congress Reform
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East Indians have made a significant contribution
In a statement released yesterday, leader of the Justice for All Party, Mr. C.N. Sharma said that the East Indians have made a significant contribution in all sectors to the development of independent Guyana.

Today Guyanese observe the 171st Anniversary of the arrival of East Indians from their homeland India to a British colony – British Guiana. According to Sharma, the forefathers of many Guyanese living here or in any part of the world should recognise the struggle of the indentured labourers who went through turmoil to survive in their blind date for fortune in the West Indies. The genes of those forefathers still live on in many East Indians today, he said. The cultures, traditions, religions and rich values that they brought from their mother land India are preserved and are being practiced. This has been integrated into a multiethnic society in Guyana with diverse religions, cultures, traditions, races and political persuasions.

Over the past century offspring of those indentured labourers have held significant positions in Guyana even at the highest office of the land, who have descended from forefathers who lived in logies.
C.N Sharma
Justice For All Party

MESSAGES FOR ARRIVAL DAY 2009
A day for us to reflect and pray
THE Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG) congratulates the Nation on the commemoration of its 171st anniversary of the Arrival of Indian Immigrants to Guyana.

Today is a day for us to reflect and to pray for those of our ancestors, who made this journey across the “Kalapani” and arrived on the 5th May, 1838.

As we pay tribute to them, we reflect on their numerous achievements which were the result of their strong faith in GOD combined with their zeal for a better life.

We the descendants benefitted from a foundation which was built on sacrifice, truth, morality, strong resilience, optimism and a willingness to convert every stumbling block into a stepping stone.

They sought “advantage in disadvantage” and “unity in diversity.”

We have inherited an abundance of good. It is our duty to continue their legacy and rise to greater heights.

Although these are significant achievements, we must not allow ourselves to be in a mode of complacency but we must work assiduously towards the development of all the peoples of our country.

We need to educate ourselves both religiously and secularly and put into practice our religious beliefs which will help us to develop strong families, strong communities and a healthy and prosperous country, as well as obtaining the pleasure of the creator.

Morality was the main reason for their success.
Morality is the distinction between animal life and human life.
Al Hajj Fazeel M. Ferouz
President
Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana.
CIOG.

Arrival Day ought to be used to promote national unity
- says Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud
by Priya Nauth
EAST Indians arrived in Guyana bringing with them their ancient customs and culture from India and undoubtedly today their various arts and culture continue to be kept alive.

On May 5, 1838, the first set of East Indian labourers arrived in then British Guiana on the ships Whitby and Hesperus that landed with 936 Indian indentured workers after a hazardous journey crossing the Kala Paani (dark) from Calcutta.

The preservation and development of their rich and unique cultural heritage can also be credited to the hard work and dedication of several dynamic individuals and descendants of Indian immigrants.

One such person is President of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha and former Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud, who is the son of an immigrant.

In an exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle, this Hindu Missionary said his father was from Pitampura in India, while his mother was born in Vreed-en-Hoop on the West Coast of Demerara.

He was fortunate to visit the land of his ancestors and recollected, “I went to the very room where my father was born and I climb on a rope to get upstairs and I saw the indigenous layout.”

“They have simple houses…I met some relatives so I had a good day in the village of my father’s birth,” he stated.

“When indentureship started in 1838, in excess of 239,000 people came from India most of course from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and a sprinkling from other states,” he noted.

“They brought with them a culture, a way of live - their heritage so to speak-- and that culture has been nurtured,” Persaud stated.

Apart from their rich cultural heritage and religion, he said: “In addition to all of that, the Indian immigrants made a tangible contribution to the economy of this country.”

“Recognising what others have contributed, I make the point that Indian contribution in this respect has been of great magnitude,” Pandit Persaud reiterated.

One significant contribution, he observed: “With their arrival, Guyana stop importing sugar and started exporting.”

“But as we look at Guyana today, the Indians have been absorbed or they have entered every conceivable field of life, particularly in the professions.” Descendants of indentured laborers continue to make immense strides in the social, economic, cultural, educational, political and trade union fields, and even in the sporting arena.

“I am Guyanese, I was born in Guyana and my commitment is here,” the former Minister of Parliamentary Affairs maintains.

“I will always be proud of the fact that India is the land of my heritage,” the Sabha’s President exhorted.

“What stands out in Guyana is the fact that the culture was not only brought, but the culture has been fueled and it remains as of today very vibrant and visible,” noted.

“There was a time when an Indian girl danced, a ‘stigma’ was attached to her. I took that on as a battle and brought home very forcible to this country that Indian dance forms are enshrined in our scriptures. Hinduism is a musical religion,” he posited.

“Its poetry is fantastic and most of our verses and so on can be sung in various melodies and tunes and ragas (melodic modes used in Indian classical music) so right now the culture is rising,” he said.

He pointed out that young people are now openly associated with dance schools.

The Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, which was formed in 1974, has the Dharmic Nitrasangh which produces Naya Zamana and the recent Ram Leela.

The organisation with mandirs (places of worship) and groups across the country is also involved in the hosting of annual Deepavali motorcades, Kala Utsav or ‘Festival of Arts’, an annual event which showcases a variety of talent forms by participants drawn from Praants countrywide.

“The organisation is going well up to today and it is definitely the strongest and largest,” Persaud insisted.

He said the Sabha has classes in vocal and instrumental music, dancing, Hindi classes and promoting the various Indian arts and culture; the organisation is involved in social and humanitarian activities and recognising the rich depth of talent in Guyana, has been actively engaging and molding young people.

“I think we have the most powerful network,” with mandirs and regional groups (praants) across the country.

The Sabha also has the Dharmic Naujawaan, which is the central youth arm.

“…we (the Dharmic Sabha) teach and we bring out very good talent,” Pandit Persaud stated.

“The tassa and nagara drums seem to be disappearing but some work has to be done in that field; nagara has been a vibrant dance form and I know some of the real top nagara dancers in the Guyana,” he says.

“Indian Arrival Day celebrates not only arrival but arrival of a change which has brought about a new beginning…not only in the economic sense, but in the cultural sense definitely.”

“In Guyana, Indian culture is now appreciated by people of all faiths and people of divergent cultures discuss aspects of Indian culture - it is a fascinating thing to look at a good kathak (traditional Indian dance form) dance,” he noted.

“But I will conceive kathak does not really attract the young so much - youths like the filmi dances and of course the more relaxed dance forms,” Pandit Persaud said.

He noted that today descendants of Indian immigrants are actively involved in the playing of traditional musical instruments such the sitar, tabla, and dholak, among others, apart from the singing and dancing.

“The culture in itself is not only singing and dancing,” he pointed out.

He spoke of the ‘seven curry’ which is eaten in the puri leaf at religious functions, and the countless Indian delicious sweets such as barfi, gulab jamoon, ladoos, and mithai.

“Arrival Day is an integral part of our history and an opportunity to reflect and to contemplate on where we have come and where we have reached,” he noted.

“Arrival Day ought to be used to strengthen unity in Guyana. I have not seen divergent cultures as you will find here in Guyana anywhere else,” the Pandit stated.

“I myself was born in a logi and I grew up in a logi. I know logi life and while I was not exposed to the harshness of indentureship, I know of the hardship my foreparents passed through, particularly on the sugar plantation,” he noted.

“Not only have they (Indians) survived. They have risen in society both in business and the professions. Indian culture is now paramount, and it has grown in great magnitude, and people take pride in their culture.”

CELEBRATING THE 171st ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARRIVAL OF INDIANS TO GUYANA

2009-05-04T20:22:00.001-07:00

FROM GUYANA CHRONICLE SPECIAL INDIAN ARRIVAL DAY SUPPLEMENT, may 5th 2009

CELEBRATING THE 171st ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARRIVAL OF INDIANS TO GUYANA
5th May 1838 - 5th May 2009

THE MAKING OF A NATION
BY PARVATI PERSAUD-EDWARDS

"....where the mind is without fear and the head is held high: where knowledge is free: where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls: where words come out from the depth of truth: where timeless striving stretches its arm toward perfection: where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit: where the mind is led forward by Thee into ever-widening thought and action: into that Heaven of Freedom, my Father, let my country awake.”

(Rabindranath Tagore - Gitanjali xxxv)
The Indian diaspora has eventuated in the establishment of prosperous communities throughout the world - communities that evolved from the thrift and industry of the descendants of those intrepid foreparents who dared the unknown journey across the Kala Paani to strange lands far away from Mother India.

The European Colonials in British Guiana (BG) were faced with a dilemma subsequent to emancipation. The freed slaves trekked away from plantation life to establish independent communities, only working in the sugar plantations sporadically, preferring instead to cultivate farms.
READ MORE:

INDENTURED
By Parvati Persaud-Edwards

and they came

haggard with suffering

endlessly searching

the ever-elusive horizons

of the endless Kala Paani

miraged dreams

nightmare realities

souls of shared agonies

casteless brothers

chamar and brahmin

kshatriya and Muslim

in unified misery

bonded jahaji

and they came

deception lured unrealized dreams

to harnessed servility

ashed hopes

deflowered joy

aspirations raped before maturity

coalesced

into nightmare reality

of manja's lash,

pickled brine,

sweat, blood, and tears commingling

bowed not the head

nor daunted souls

scorning the scourge

of whip and fools

and the decadence

of empty lures

yes, they came

my per-aja and ajie

my per-nana and naani

to drown their hopes

in nectared bitterness

of sugared gold

and stench

of squalorous logie

raped dreams and flesh

buried not the songs

of my pious ajie

nor dimmed the valour

of the sepoy Kshatriye

shackled slavery

equalled not bonded spirit

of martyred cuffy

and my forebears

dauntless descendants

of rani jhansi

and akbar ali

suckling mothers and ailing fathers

stalwart men and beauteous maidens

in couraged defiance

bared unarmoured breasts

to arrowed bullets

sacrificed souls to maha shakti

to birth the hopes

of a new generation

create the legacy of a new dispensation

and forge the spirit

of a Guyanese nation

AN INDIAN FAMILY THAT SET LANDMARKS

Dr. Jung Bahadur Singh was born at Goed Fortuin, West Bank Demerara. He married Alice Bhagwandai Persad, whose grandfather was a Kshatriya from Bengal who came to these shores as a Christian interpretor, on 23rd February 1912. They were both dispensers.

However, Alice loved cultural things and staged many theatrical productions, among which was the highly-successful play, Savitri. Subsequent to this production she founded the British Guiana Dramatic Society, which was the forerunner of the Theatre Guild.

Alice was all things to all people. She was a member of the Red Cross, the YWCA, and the Dharm Shala and also visited and helped prisoners and their families. In 1936 she founded the Balak Sahalia Mandalee, an organization that helps destitute children to obtain an education and/or skills training. Her efforts to help humanity earned her an MBE.

Dr. Jung Bahadur Singh completed his medical education at the Edinburgh University and began his medical practice in 1919. He worked on immigrant ships, but this did not impede an activism, together with his wife and other associates, in the political construct of the times, and he served as President of the British Guiana East Indian Association six times between the period 1920 - 1949.

A. J. Seymour wrote that he became a member of the Legislature for Demerara - Essequibo and, during that interim, he also served on many committees and boards.

He founded the Maha Sabha and served as its president from 1935 to 1955. He was awarded the CBE in 1944.

Their daughter Rajkumari Singh was crippled by polio at age six, but this proved no deterrent to matching her parents in endeavour and achievement.

Rajkumari herself was a cultural icon who wrote prolifically. Notable among her works was her best play, GITANJALI, and a book of six short stories entitled A Garland of Short Stories, published in 1960. She also wrote songs and was acclaimed by Peepal Tree Press as "one of the first Indo-Guyanese women to speak to both the ethnic and gender issues facing Indo-Caribbean women."

She was a broadcaster, announcer, and presenter of cultural programmes on Radio Demerara, among many other pursuits., such editor of the publication Heritage

The People's Progressive Party engaged her services in the 1960's to serve on the Commissioner of Enquiry into the racial violence at Wismar.

Rajlumarie joined the Guyana National Service in 1972, received the Arrow of Achievement in 1970, and the first Wordsworth McAndrew in 2002.

Her son, Gora Singh, was one of Guyana's most brilliant exponent of Indian classical dance, most notably Kathak, and daughter Pritha is the Executive and Artistic Director of the Rajkumari Cultural Centre, which was established in Richmond Hill, New York, in order to propagate the cultural legacy of the Singhs.

GUYANA INDIAN ARRIVAL DAY: Indentureship records of my Surinamese ancestors - Varuna Singh

2009-05-04T08:32:00.000-07:00

varuna singh
to Bhatchaman@yahoogroups.com
to ourGUYANA@yahoogroups.com
date Mon, May 4, 2009 at 10:54 AM
subject [Bhatchaman] Re: [GUYANA Forever] Fw: HONOURING OUR ANCESTORS

Hi Latchman ,

I thought I would share these two Indentureship records of my Surinamese ancestors with you as they can inspire one to push hard to get Guyana's records digitized.

They are of my mother's side of the family . My great great great grandmother Phooljarria Ramnarian and her son Hurdutt Sital Persaud. They were both born in Basti, Faizerbad, India and left India when she was 28 and widowed and he was 14.

She was the 2nd or 3rd wife of a Hindu Pandit who was far much older. She was 13 when he married her and he was in the 30's. When he passed away, she was 26 and she refused to live a life as a servant in the home of her in-laws without being able to re-marry so she left as the opportunity to go to Suriname arose. Her son Hurdutt, was well schooled in languages so when he arrived in Suriname at age 14 he was already a well learned, well rounded man so he was placed as an interpreter and rose to high rank in the immigration.

Hon Min of Home Affairs in Suriname and founder of the Suriname indentureship database, Hassan Khan, is having his biography done as he did much for rights of people in Suriname of all races and religions . He and his wife Mary Dully, who was from Punjab based with her father in Barbados, adopted over 16 kids and did much to ensure orphaned kids were adopted by families who could afford to do so.

This is how my family became intertwined with folks from British Guiana, Dutch Guiana, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, etc. As you will see from Hurdutt's document, his daughter was matched and wed, who latter became known as Guyana's Dr. Jung Bahadur Singh as JB's Great Uncle of Bengal had a great relationship with Hurdutt Sital Persaud and he, Deonarine, traveled often to the colonies as a merchant trader. My family has put together hundreds upon hundred of family photos, information and date which we are publishing however this will only be a publication for members of the family and eventually, a publication for the general public will be made available through Suriname as it is impossible to get anything done in or through Guyana as the people and govt have shown little or no interest in preservation restoration of Indian historical documents and artifacts.

I regret not being able to post photos of both Phooljarria and Hurdutt from the 1800's as I am restricted by the family until publication of complete; however, if Dr. Baytoram's Biography on Dr. Jung Bahadur Singh is published before our family history I am sure you will see many photos of the family in his book. I translated the Dutch into English to make it easier to read. Here is to the greatest of India's finest and best we call Jahajees.

Varuna

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sitalpersad, Hurdutt

Relations:* zoon of K/22; of; of

line
M.
age 14
skin colour dark brown
length unknown
herkenningstekens unknown
nationality British India
district Faizabad
police force mail Biteapore
village Basti
profession unknown
religion or caste Hindu
children J

ship name English ship Ailsa III
monster number 27
recruitment agency the colonial government
afreisplaats Calcutta
afreisdatum 18 October 1881
aankomstplaats Paramaribo
arrival date 9 January 1882

grower M.G.H.Barnet Lyon
plantation pl.Jaglust (are.Surinam)
contract number k/23
commencing date contract 9 January 1882
termination date contract 9 January 1887
commencing date second contract unknown
termination date second contract unknown
commencing date third contract unknown
termination date third contract unknown
left/died unknown
resistance activities
unknown
note field C.V.O. uitger. on 10 jan. 1887. Dismissals (ag. 1887 no. 349). On 29 March 1894 married with Mary Dully and the children Henrie ì Luchmidutt and Elizabeth Bhagwanday legalised (ag. 1894 no. 3580). For the care ceded the orphan child Bendhia 217 S. Died 16 May 1923 at Par'bo. Children: Willem Mihunduth, j, geb. 19/3/1896. Henrie Luchmidutt, geb. 20/4/1889. Elizabeth Bhagwanday, geb. 22/4/1892. Elizabeth Bhagwanday married at Par'bo 23/2/1910 with Dina ì Nathalias Jung Bahadur Singh mother of Henrey Charles Hardutt ì, j, geb. 26/12/1910 at Par'bo .Agenda jan. 1911 no. 145/0 . Elizabeth Bhagwanday are mother of Nadia Sarswati, m., geb. ì 14/9/22 at Par'bo.

* The relations exist from references to data concerning family members elsewhere in the database. Zoon of X/157 means that the concerning person is the zoon of in the database mentioned immigrant, to find under contract number X/157.

[ afdrukbare version ]

---------- historical database Surinam ----------

Phooljharia, Ramnarain

Relations:* mother of K/23; of; of

line
V
age 28
skin colour dark brown
length 1.422
herkenningstekens unknown
nationality British India
district Faizabad
police force mail Biteapore
village Basti
profession field or factory labour
religion or caste Hindu
children N

ship name English ship Ailsa III
monster number 26
recruitment agency the colonial government
afreisplaats Calcutta
afreisdatum 18 October 1881
aankomstplaats Paramaribo
arrival date 9 January 1882

grower M.G.H.Barnet Lyon
plantation pl.Jaglust (are.Surinam)
contract number k/22
commencing date contract 9 January 1882
termination date contract 9 January 1887
commencing date second contract unknown
termination date second contract unknown
commencing date third contract unknown
termination date third contract unknown
left/died unknown
resistance activities
unknown
note field Vw. c. see dd. 18 oct. 1881 at Calc. gesl. C.V.O. uitger. on 10 jan. 1887. On 3 March 1887 bev. on pl.Jagtlust v/e zoon gen.Bretikishore ì (ag. 1887 no. 34). Dismissals (ag. 1887 no. 349). Married with 99/Ii Dwarka at Par'bo on 8-6-1904 and the child ì Bretikishore (ag recognised. 1904 no. 1532). Premium receives from Ifonds. Certificate sees A.G. of 23-8-1920. Besch. ì dd. 20-1-1920 no. 5501. Bretikishore married at Par'bo with Jacquelina Agnes Jacotdes ì Combet (ag. 1979). Taken i/h hospice Moffenbuttel on febr. ì 1931.

* The relations exist from references to data concerning family members elsewhere in the database. Zoon of X/157 means that concerning person the zoon is of in the database mentioned immigrant, to find under contract number X/157.

[ afdrukbare version ]

to zoeken

zoekinstructie

explanation databases
data

abbreviations

ship list

---------- historical database Surinam ----------

GUYANA INDIAN ARRIVAL DAY : Arrival is not geographical, RAVI DEV

2009-05-04T05:03:00.000-07:00

Arrival is not geographical

May 3, 2009 | By knews | Filed Under Features / Columnists, Ravi Dev

This week, the nation commemorates Indian Arrival Day. The holiday is officially designated “Arrival Day”, putatively to recognize all the other immigrant groups that were brought by the planters to labour on the sugar plantations after the abolition of slavery. These groups would then include the Portuguese and Chinese as well as Indians but there has not been any noticeable participation by the descendants of these industrious and hardy pioneers since the holiday was ushered in back in 2004.

In the run-up of the efforts to have the day officially recognized, we had predicted this outcome not merely because May 5th was the specific day Indians arrived in Guyana - Portuguese landed on May 3rd and Chinese on January 12th - but because the latter two groups, especially the Portuguese, never demonstrated any collective inclination to remind themselves or the nation that they had arrived as immigrants to this nation. Whatever the reasons for this self-induced amnesia, it may be time for the government to alter the omnibus appellation that probably forcibly reminds these communities of a circumstance they would rather not deal with. Trinidad also initially ushered in an “Arrival Day” holiday but soon changed it to “Indian Arrival Day” without raising any fuss.

But whether we call the holiday “Indian Arrival Day” or “Arrival Day”, there is still the objection originally raised by ACDA as to why should Africans celebrate an occasion that resulted in the undercutting of the bargaining power for their labour. Whether the group that was used as scabs were Indians or Portuguese (as I have argued) to break their seminal 1847 strike, the argument needs to be addressed. There are several ripostes.

Firstly, the occasion is not mandated to be celebrated but to be commemorated. This is not an idle semantic distinction. Occasions are commemorated in a manner intended to inculcate some value into the participants, related to the occasion. It is from this perspective that we have been criticising some events in Mashramani, which we feel do not serve to promote the values necessary for the authentic realisation of Republican status.

“Holocaust Day”, which has been proposed by ACDA as a holiday (and supported by the Select Committee on Holiday in 2004) is meant, I am sure, to commemorate and not celebrate one of the greatest tragedies in the history of the world – the uncountable deaths of so many Africans during the Middle Passage. I believe that the way that ACDA has been commemorating the event over the past few years is most touching and appropriate and inculcating a palpable ethos of overcoming in the African Guyanese community.

The arrival of Indians – especially because of their relatively large numbers and the decision of most of them to remain - has impacted on the rest of Guyanese society in profound ways and other groups can reflect on these to commemorate Indian Arrival Day. In the economic realm, apart from the early undercutting of wages, the Indians’ immigrant drive for material accumulation has been transmitted to their descendants and has influenced how they exploit economic opportunities in the present.

This is not unique: when African Guyanese emigrate to the US, they exhibit these same immigrant values and stand out in their new communities. Maybe the same resolve and wherewithal can be reinforced right here through activities and events on Indian Arrival Day. A similar argument can be made for dealing with the political consequences of the demographic changes precipitated by Indian Arrival - about which ACDA and Eric Phillips have been very vociferous in highlighting.

But there is a deeper level at which the whole society might deal with the question of arrival. After all, every group that now inhabits this land of many waters came from somewhere else. It is taught to us from our earliest lessons in Primary School – but we seem to forget as soon as the school doors close – that even the Amerindians came across the Bering Straits. So in the most mundane geographical sense, we all arrived by merely setting foot on this land. We have posited before, however, that “arrival” can also be looked at from an aspirational perspective: arrival becomes not a “where” but a “what”. What is it that each one of us, individually, sectionally and collectively want to become? When we have achieved that, then and only then would we have “arrived”.

As a start I believe that we all want to live in dignity and in peace. On May 5th, let us therefore at least spare a thought as to what we can do as citizens and as groups to create the conditions in this land of immense possibilities to move us closer to that goal. Arrival can thus become a notion that can bring us together rather than divide us as it does presently.

GUYANA INDIAN ARRIVAL DAY, May 5th: HONOURING OUR ANCESTORS

2009-05-03T14:32:00.000-07:00

HONOURING OUR ANCESTORS

171st ANNIVERSARY OF

THE ARRIVAL OF EAST INDIANS INDENTURED

LABOURERS TO THE CARIBBEAN

By Latchman Kissoon

It was fifty years ago, as a teenager, that I was photographed in Nickerie, Dutch Guiana, now the Republic of Suriname, with two original Indentured Labourers from India.

They were the last batch of our ancestors who came to the Caribbean . I had gone to Nickerie from neighbouring British Guiana, now the Republic of Guyana , to visit relatives’ decedents like myself of “Jahagis”, shipmates of my Great-grandfather who were indentured to the Dutch Colony while my immediate ancestors were bound for British Guiana .

I have no knowledge as to how my Indentured ancestors looked but I believe this picture, which speaks a thousand words, demonstrate the history of that period

little did I know that fifty years later I would be also using a cane for walking.

East Indians arrived in British Guiana on the 5th of May 1838 on two ships the Whitby and Hesperus. Several ships arrived in the Caribbean at various times until the end of indentuership in 1917.

A list of those ships with the number of its cargo is listed as a reminder as how East Indians became part of the Caribbean population and became deculturalised in many of the smaller territories.

1838 to 1917

Country Year First
Total Arrivals Arrived

British Guiana 238,909 1838

Trinidad 143,939 1845

Guadeloupe 42,326 1854

Jamaica 37,027 1845

Surinam 34,304 1873

Martinique 25,509 1853

St. Lucia 4,354 1859

Grenada 3,200 1857

St. Vincent 2,472 1861

St. Kitts 337 1861

French Guiana 8,500 1855

St. Croix 321 1862

Belize 3,000 1857

No Indentured Indians went to Barbados although it was a British possession with large sugar plantation. Today Barbados has about 2,500 East Indians and Hinduism is becoming a growing religion because of vegetarianism and yoga.

This year 2009 marks the centenary of the arrival of East Indians to Barbados . Gujariti Indians from British Guiana arrived in the island to trade in charcoal and copra. The Indentured East Indians lived and worked in primitive conditions causing many of them to converted to Christianity in the smaller territories such as St. Vincent , Grenada , St. Lucia and Jamaica .

Like the Lotus Flower in murky waters many of the descendants of these Labourers rose to the top in every sphere of activities such as politics, law, medicine, commerce and sports.

This is not intended to be a history of East Indians outside of India but to honour our ancestors. East Indians went to work also in Mauritius Fiji and East Africa and according to Dr. Kwame Nkruma of Ghana “ It is not the heights that we reach that matters but the depths from which we came” We must all be given an equal opportunity and like President Barack Obama of the United States and demonstrate that in a world of equality the sky is the limit.

The Republic of Guyana has produced two heads of state Dr Cheddie Jagan and Baharat Jagdeo, the present speaker of parliament Hari Narine Ramkrran (Ralph),

the acting Chancelor of the Judiciary Justice Carl Singh and the Secretary General of the British Commonwealth Sridath Ramphal

Suriname has also produced a head of state Mr. Ram Shankra and the Trinidad and Tobago a Prime Minister now Leader of the opposition the Honourable Basdeo Panday. In sports we recognise and honour Sony Ramadine, Dinesh Ramdin Rohan Khanai, Joe Solmon, Alvin Kalicharan and the renowned Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

We must not forget Sir Vida Nipaul, Sir Lionel Luchoo, Sir Harry Anamantadoo, and Mohmad Shabadeen.

Mention must be made of Sir Anand Satyanand born in Fiji of Hindu parents and is now the Governor General of New Zealand . Sir Moti Tikaram served as the highest-ranking Judge in Fiji and the Honourable Dr. Navindra Ramjoolam is the current Prime Minister of Mauritius.

East Indians must be given an equal opportunity as other citizens remembering what Dr. Fidel Castro said “ When an energetic and forceful people cry injustice trembles”.

Among the indentured labourers were Hindus,Muslims,Christians. The Hindus around the world are united through a programme on Jaagriti Radio www.jaagriti.com .

Dr. Latchman P. Kissoon is an Attorney-at-Law, Journalist and Short –Storywriter.

GUYANA INDIAN ARRIVAL DAY, May 5th: A multi-cultural nation

2009-05-03T14:30:00.000-07:00

A multi-cultural nation

May 3, 2009 | By knews | Filed Under Editorial
The observance of Arrival Day as a Public Holiday by the nation on Tuesday should remind us that we are a multi-cultural society since each of the group that arrived into this country brought distinct cultures with them, aspects of which survive to this day.
There are still some misunderstandings as to what “multiculturalism” means and we offer the following rumination by Lord Bhiku Parekh to suggest a perspective.

Multiculturalism is best understood neither as a political doctrine with a programmatic content nor a philosophical school with a distinct theory of man’s place in the world but as a perspective on or a way of viewing human life. Its central insights are three, each of which is sometimes misinterpreted by its advocates and needs to be carefully reformulated if it is to carry conviction.
First, human beings are culturally embedded in the sense that they grow up and live within a culturally structured world and organize their lives and social relations in terms of a culturally derived system of meaning and significance.

This does not mean that they are determined by their culture in the sense of being unable to rise above its categories of thought and critically evaluate its values and system of meaning, but rather that they are deeply shaped by it, can overcome some but not all of its influences, and necessarily view the world from within a culture, be it the one they have inherited and uncritically accepted or reflectively revised or, in rare cases, one they have consciously adopted.

Second, different cultures represent different systems of meaning and visions of the good life. Since each realises a limited range of human capacities and emotions and grasps only a part of the totality of human existence, it needs other cultures to help it understand itself better, expand its intellectual and moral horizon, stretch its imagination, save it from narcissism to guard it against the obvious temptation to absolutise itself, and so on.
This does not mean that one cannot lead a good life within one’s own culture, but rather that, other things being equal, one’s way of life is likely to be richer if one also enjoys access to others, and that a culturally self-contained life is virtually impossible for most human beings in the modern, mobile and interdependent world.

Nor does it mean that all cultures are equally rich and deserve equal respect, that each of them is good for its members, or that they cannot be compared and critically assessed. All it means is that no culture is wholly worthless, that it deserves at least some respect because of what it means to its members and the creative energy it displays, that no culture is perfect and has a right to impose itself on others, and that cultures are best changed from within.
Third, every culture is internally plural and reflects a continuing conversation between its different traditions and strands of thought. This does not mean that it is devoid of coherence and identity, but that its identity is plural, fluid and open.

Cultures grow out of conscious and unconscious interactions with each other, define their identity in terms of what they take to be their significant other, and are at least partially multicultural in their origins and constitution. Each carries bits of the other within itself and is never wholly sui generis.
This does not mean that it has no powers of self-determination and inner impulses, but rather that it is porous and subject to external influences which it assimilates in its now autonomous ways.

A culture’s relation to itself shapes and is in turn shaped by its relation to others, and their internal and external pluralities presuppose and reinforce each other. A culture cannot appreciate the value of others unless it appreciates the plurality within it; the converse is just as true. A culture cannot be at ease with differences outside it unless it is at ease with its own internal differences.
A dialogue between cultures requires that each should be willing to open itself up to the influence of and learn from others.

Corentyne High School Holds 70th Anniversary Gala in NYC

2008-08-22T20:13:00.000-07:00

Corentyne High School Holds 70th Anniversary Gala in NYC
By Vishnu Bisram

The alumni of Corentyne High School – J C Chandisingh Secondary School (CHS—JCCSS) of Port Mourant, Guyana, celebrated its 70th Anniversary and Re-Union 2008 on Saturday, August 9, 2008 at the posh catering venue of Antun’s located in Queens Village, New York City, USA.

The event was a well attended gala affair graced by the presence of a capacity crowd of 650 plus specially invited guests. Attendees were predominantly graduates, former teachers and principals of CHS—JCCSS and their respective spouses, friends and well wishers. Attendees came from Europe, the United Kingdom (UK), Canada, several from the Caribbean countries, Guyana and from all over the USA.

Special guests include Guyana’s Ambassador to the United States, Hon. Bayney Karran of Washington, DC. Keynote Speaker was Jules Nathoo, a former teacher at CHS—JCCSS who now resides in Canada. Former CHS—JCCSS teacher and principal Jagdat P Deonarine attended as a VIP guest, along with his wife Elaine, a former student herself. Also in attendance: famous cricketer Joseph Solomon and wife Betty, as well as former teacher Sewcharran Gunraj, Dan Sukhu, Chetram Singh, Dr Mahendra Deonarine, Mr and Mrs Austin of the UK and Jane Baichu, one of the oldest surviving alumni – and several well known former teachers whose contributions are noteworthy.

The Chairman of the 70th Anniversary and Re-Union 2008 Planning Committee was Ashook Ramsaran of the class of 1964, formerly of Bloomfield Village, Corentyne, now residing in USA. The MC for the event was Rishi Singh, graduate class of 1971 and former teacher at CHS—JCCSS, along with Co-MC Bibi Hydar, graduate of class of 1977.

It was a grand affair and a very successful 70th Anniversary and Re-Union 2008 re-union event that brought together alumni and former teachers spanning several decades and from various parts of the world. In summary, it achieved its objectives with unmatched style and elegance.

The program included a “Meet-Greet-Eat” first 90 minutes during which attendees mingled, greeted each other and became reacquainted with each other as well as made new friends. This was followed by the formal program, then entertainment and dancing. A live band headed by V-Men provided excellent music and songs from the 60’s to contemporary times. Vince Ramcharran of Vancouver, Canada was the official photographer and videographer.

CHS—JCCSS alumni class of 1963 and former teacher Paul Erich wore the trademark hat of pioneer and J C Chandisingh MBE and rang the bell to signify the “start of classes” with the statement that “Boys and girls, school is now started. Go to your classes”. CHS—JCCSS alumni Martin Lalsingh started the event with the national anthems of both the United States and Guyana, followed by a moment of silence for all those who have passed on.

MC Rishi Singh spoke of the remarkable and significant history of CHS—JCCSS, its alumni, former teachers and principals who all “in particular J C Chandisingh who have made such a tremendous contribution to education in the Corentyne area”. He lauded the significant achievements of former teachers and alumni in Guyana and those who have settled all over the world and have contributed to their various professions as a result of the education they received at CHS—added JCCSS. “We are a family”, Singh reiterated. He urged everyone to participate in enabling the organization to achieve its goals as well as to explore new and challenging ways to respond to the needs of their former school.

Chairman Ashook Ramsaran welcomed everyone to the event which he described as “this historic event in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of a unique institution that transformed the lives of so many since its founding in 1938” He stated that “we recognize that the event must celebrate the founding of CHS--JCCSS and the pioneering spirit and vision of J. C. Chandisingh MBE, as well as all those contributed to CHS--JCCSS becoming a highly successful and prestigious institution that helped change the landscape of education in Guyanese society. The CHS--JCCSS 70th Anniversary & Re-Union 2008 Committee and its advisors place enormous value on the contributions of former and current teachers and principals at CHS--JCCSS, in particular those who continue to cherish and share the wonderful memories of that unique institution that nurtured the formative years of so many. Their unmatched dedication, enthusiasm and pioneering spirit are truly positive models for students of CHS-JCCSS and for that we are grateful”.

Chairman Ashook Ramsaran introduced the CHS-JCCSS 70th Anniversary Committee members and advisors: Indra Seebarran (Class of 1971), Bibi Farina Hydar (Co-MC, Class of 1977),, Annie de La Chapelle (Class of 1975), Estel Dundee Ambler (Class of 1967), Ashook Ramsaran (Chairman, class of 1964), Pam Savitree Hemraj (Class of 1971), Rishi Singh (MC, Class of 1971), Aslim Khan (Class of 1973), Martin Lalsingh (Class of 1967), Lomas Sharma (Class of 1971), Rodney Gocool (Class of 1964), Talim Khan (Class of 1965), Dee Hanuman Baldeo (Class of 1976), Ishwar Megnauth (Class of 1971), Netram Rambudhan (Class of 1969), Sher Moti Goordat (Class of 19761).

Hon. Bayney Karran extended “greetings to the alumni and supporters of the Corentyne High School and the JC Chandisingh Secondary School on this proud occasion of the 70th anniversary of your school and your Reunion 2008”. He continued, “This Gala and Reunion is a fitting occasion to look back with pride and satisfaction over the last 70 years in acknowledgement of the foundation which your alma mater has laid for your academic accomplishments as well as your personal and social achievements”.

Keynote Speaker Jules was given a lengthy introduction by alumni Beauty Rawana, an introduction that included greetings from Hardutt Chandisingh, the only surviving son of CHS—JCCSS pioneer J C Chandisingh. Hardutt Chandisingh (Class of ‘57; Teacher ‘57—‘62) lives in the UK with his wife Deomatie (Ganesh) Chandisingh (Class of ’64). Nathoo spoke of his experience as a former teacher at CHS--JCCSS and stated that “The 70th Reunion of CHS-JCCSS is an occasion of great historical significance. It brings together its graduates from all parts of the globe in an expression of gratitude, love and compassion. It is altogether fitting that in a grand celebration we should honor all those who have contributed to our success and, in particular, J. C. Chandisingh, the great educator and his worthy successor, J. P. Deonarine”. He further stated that, “the occasion is of special significance because of the launching of the school's website. This has enabled graduates to communicate on a scale hitherto unprecedented. Finally our children and grandchildren will be able to have some understanding of their rich heritage. Generations yet unborn will be able to trace their roots from this source”.

Resolutions were introduced at the event. These include: The 75th Anniversary of CHS—JCCSS to be held in August 2013 in Toronto; prioritizing the needs of the school and develop a strategy to raise funds and implement programs that would enhance the CHS-JCCSS student experience; a Cultural Evening be arranged in New York for the Summer Of 2009 to bring grads and their families together and to raise funds for CHS—JCCSS.

Class of 1971 Alumni Gem Madhoo, who traveled with husband Kit Nascimento from Guyana to attend the event, delivered the “Note of Thanks” and recognized all those whose contributions of time, effort, resources and well wishes helped make this event a reality and a very successful one.
A handsomely designed 75th Anniversary event brochure was released and distributed at no charge that evening. The contents include citations from NYC Mayor Bloomberg and Queens Borough President Helen Marshall, as well as letter of congratulations from Ambassador Karran. It also included a history of CHS—JCCSS, several articles by alumni and teachers, greetings and a pictorial gallery.

The celebrations continued the following day with a picnic at the park at the Valley Stream State Park in Long Island where hundreds gathered with children, friends and associates. The title of the day-after was aptly named “Day After Re-Union” given the acronym “DARU”. Martin Lalsingh coordinated DARU and commented afterwards that “everyone had a great time”.

The alumni expressed appreciation to the organizers for their hard work in planning, coordinating and holding the event. They also want the event to be held regularly. Beamed a very happy graduate who travelled from Canada to attend the gala event and DARU, “it is a superb and tremendously successful anniversary! I wouldn’t have missed this for the world and I am so glad to be here!”.

Ich bin ein Guyanese

2008-08-08T16:54:00.000-07:00

--- On Thu, 8/7/08, Deosaran Bisnath wrote:

Ich bin ein Guyanese

“I hear he is a Guyanese.” In their programme on radio, in Trinidad , the prominent Hindu Leader and his associate were referring to me. Yes, me, Deosaran Bisnath, a Trinidadian, born in the idyllic village of Felicity , the quintessential Indo-Trinidadian village, the Heart of Trinidad Indianness. There is Felicity; there is Laventille; the former predominantly Indo-Trinidadian, the latter predominantly Afro-Trinidadian, but with much in common. Surprisingly, at least to me, not too many Felicitians have spent time in Laventille, and not many Laventillians have been to Felicity. We must rectify this because we need to know more of each other.

Next day: “No, no, he is not Guyanese, but he rubbed shoulders with many Guyanese”. My family and friends ribbed me mercilessly about my ‘true’ Guyanese identity and accused me – in jest - of masquerading as a pseudo-Trinidadian when I real life I was Guyanese-born.

All in fun, I bear no malice or resentment towards anyone, including the Leader and his associate. They were on radio, waxing warm, interfacing with listeners, heady with the power and influence associated with being the self-styled ‘only legitimate voice of the Hindu community.’ Seems that not only I am Guyanese but if I am not careful I could be considered an ‘illegitimate Hindu voice.’ Bhai and bahens, this is real bad karma. Ultimately, Bhagavan knows best, Bhagavan Rules.

But, don’t bother about me; I am a citizen of the world. Call me Guyanese, call me Trini, I have been called worse. The serious issue here is the implied characterization that if you are Guyanese in Trinidad & Tobago, and in several Caribbean islands, you are a lesser mortal; thus you should keep your mouth shut and find your place, possibly amongst the second tier of people in our beloved country. This is not funny – anti-immigrant rhetoric and xenophobic nationalism are dangerous. for Trinidad and Tobago , and the world.

In 1963, United States President John F Kennedy made a ground-breaking speech in Berlin, in front of a crowd of 120,000 Berliners gathered in front of the Schöneberg Rathaus. Kennedy had just returned from a visit to one of the Berlin Wall's most notorious crossing points, Checkpoint Charlie. He was watched from the other side of the border by small groups of East Berliners unable even to wave because of the presence of large groups of the East German Police.

"Two thousand years ago," he told the crowd, "the proudest boast in the world was 'civis Romanus sum'. Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is 'Ich bin ein Berliner.'” President Kennedy proclaimed “I am a Berliner, I am with you, and I stand in solidarity with you against the authoritarianism and dictatorship of the Soviet Union .”

Kennedy's "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech was seen as a turning point in the Cold War. It was a major morale booster for West Germans, alarmed by the recently-built Berlin Wall. In November 1989, the Berlin Wall was finally dismantled, piece by piece, communism collapsed and the Iron Curtain fell from Eastern Europe . Germany was re-united in October 1990.

Today, all free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of the world, and therefore, as a free man, as a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago , I take pride in the words, 'Ich bin ein Guyanese'. I am a Guyanese.

I stand in solidarity with Guyanese, and people of all nationalities, across the world, in defiance of bigotry and prejudice, and in advocacy of democracy, freedom of the individual, freedom of the media, the independence of the Judiciary, and the rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled, irrespective of race, religion, nationality, and political affiliation.

“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. ”

—Article 1 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

Deosaran Bisnath,

Member, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch

President, GOPIO Trinidad & Tobago

PRO, HCU Depositors & Shareholders Group (HCUDSG)

Editor, International Jahajee Journal

deobisnath@yahoo. com

1 868 687-7529

Bajans, Guyanese and the politics of hate

2008-07-25T08:52:00.000-07:00

Commentary: Bajans, Guyanese and the politics of hate

Published on Friday, July 25, 2008

By Dr Randy Persaud

It is finally happening. Guyanese immigrants in Barbados are now being murdered. The attack in which Christopher Griffith was killed, and Seelochanie Samuels wounded, was not the work of bandits. It was an anti-immigrant political killing.

For many Guyanese this might be a surprise, because, after all, we are all West Indians, and on top of that, Barbados has this image as an Island Paradise. Political violence is not supposed to happen there. Barbados is supposed to be the Singapore of the Caribbean – highly globalized, high per capita GDP, and outranked only by the OECD countries in the UNDP’s Human Development Index.

But something ominous and enormously complicated is occurring in Barbados. There is an unbelievable level of hatred against Guyanese in general and Indo-Guyanese in particular. The magnitude and depth of hatred against the Guyanese is now bordering on neo-fascism.

In this short article I am arguing that the developments in Barbados have direct linkages to the campaign to construct the Government of Guyana as racist. By ‘construct’ I mean that in contradistinction to objective reality, a platoon of opposition elements have been using various media (TV, daily columns, letters to the editor, blogs etc) to give the impression that the PPP government is deliberately victimizing the Afro-Guyanese population. This particular racialized construction of the political in Guyana, I submit, is linked to the vitriol against Guyanese in Barbados. I am also suggesting that the murder of Christopher Griffith and the wounding of Seelochnie Samuels are linked to the said campaign. Now let me develop the arguments with evidence.

Several months ago I happened upon an internet news source called “Barbados Underground” (hereafter, BU). I was shocked by the contents. Writers openly called for mass deportation of all Guyanese. Others called for the annihilation of Indians. Yet another commentator suggested that only Guyanese who had proven themselves should remain in the country. In this commentator’s view only one Guyanese met the qualification -- Dr. Kean Gibson.

It so happens that Kean Gibson is the lead writer on the BU blog dealing with a topic labeled “Indian Racism Against Afro Guyanese in Guyana.” Sister Gibson, as she is lovingly called by some of her followers, penned the opening act under the title “Racism and the degeneration of Guyana”. She promised to follow that up with Part II in which she stated “I will look at the response of the people to the violence that is being inflicted on them by the state.” I am confident when she does, it will be a defense of the insurgents who have been destroying innocent lives in Guyana. Prove me wrong.

Gibson’s views are well known, and her BU article is a simple continuation of the predictable. Here are some quotations from her: (1) “If the word “discrimination” is a poor choice for the experiences of African-Guyanese since racism is not legal in Guyana, then a more apt word is “victimization” where a group of people are singled out for cruel and unjust treatment”; (2) “...African are victims of what is in the hearts of East Indians...”; (3) The racism, and thus inequality, that is promoted in the Hindu sacred texts is a valuable resource which bestows benefits, rights and duties to a group of people and thus must be maintained at all costs and by any means necessary”; and finally (4) “We see that one set of laws and behaviors that apply to a particular group, do not apply to another. Young African men and the poor in the society are summarily executed while surrendering, or killed without firing at police...” Gibson goes on to say that white collar crimes go unpunished, in part because the state has “been reconstituted to become a criminal enterprise.”

Now here are some commentaries inspired by “Sister Gibson” followers.

A blogger who goes by the name Anonymous writes “I hope after this article by a respected researcher from the UWI Dr. Kean Gibson that I don’t hear no damn foolishness from those seeking to push their evil agenda under disguise...” The writer is admonishing someone who is calling for calm and reason.

He continues – “Bajans deserve everything that could happen to them here in Barbados with this influx of these indians...” (sic).

Once he found his length and line, Anonymous became nagging. “Barbados will become like Guyana or Trinidad UNLESS DAVID THOMPSON TAKES A BOLD STAND AND START REPATRIATING THESE PEOPLE BACK TO GUYANA” (emphasis in the original). He continues – “It is like a homeowner given a small pitbull puppy as a pet, it seems all fluffy and nice for the first 6 months because after all it depends on you to feed it and protect it since it is unable to fend for itself in this strange new environment. However as soon as this puppy becomes a dog and is confident enough, well then, the fangs come out, and you see the real viciousness of the animal.”

He closes off this particular installment with – “Remember Dr. Kean Gibson instructed us that this mindset has been laid down for them (i.e. Guyanese Indians) in their teachings.

Another writer hiding under the name Bimbro is even more fascistic that his other Sister Gibson follower. Here he is: “Doan give them nuh exotic name...That’ll only make the bastards feel more important than they should be!! Call the shits what they are and let’s hurry and bring them to justice”.

“As far as Im concerned, ANYBODY who attempts to highjack our democracy, deserves just one solution!! The Final One” “Get my drift?!!!!”

Another person writing under the name Analyst praises Kean Gibson’s research and then states the following – “The pit bull analogy given by Anonymous hits right home. East Indians became a real problem in Guyana only after DDT cut malaria and reduced their infant mortality in the 1940’s and 1950’s and their population increased exponentially. Then the PPP asserted itself...now there is a democratic dictatorship in Guyana that controls every facet of life.”

The Kaieteur columnist Frederick Kissoon name also pops up on the website. The just mentioned Analyst circulated Mr. Kissoon’s February 2 article “War of the Flea” and stated that the article “...gives insight as to WHY the bloody massacres in Guyana underly (sic) a guerrilla war...” (emphasis in the original).

I want to be fair to Kissoon here. I am not linking him with Gibson. Kissoon, after all, has been critical of her. I point to the circulation of the Flea article because it has in fact been used by the nativist elements in BU to bolster their xenophobia against Guyanese in Barbados. I am confident Mr. Kissoon would not be happy that his work is being used to justify vitriol against fellow Guyanese overseas. I urge him to write to the BU editor and clarify his position.

Rickford Burke, the New York based writer who consistently characterizes the PPP as a race-based party is also quoted by Gibson’s followers as an authoritative source. His work is also used to justify assaults against Guyanese immigrants in general, and Indians in particular.

Last month, while in Colombia for the Caribbean Studies Association Annual Convention I had the good fortune of watching the film On the Map – produced and directed by Annalee Davis, a Barbadian. The film depicts the despicable treatment of Guyanese in the once lovely Caribbean island. I sat beside Dr. David Hinds and we were both moved by what our fellow Guyanese are enduring in Barbados.

Annalee Davis told us that, of recent, there has been a surge of resentment against all Guyanese, but especially Indians. She mentioned that she has reports of Guyanese being forced into the back of buses, just like old times in the Southern United States. On other occasions, Guyanese have to get up and give their seats to Bajans, all through which they are verbally assaulted.

The point of this article should not be lost. I claim here that the hatred of, and creeping violence against Guyanese has two central elements. Firstly, there is a form of generalized resentment against all Guyanese. This aspect of the anti-immigrant outbursts is actually (believe it or not) quite ‘normal’ in societies that go through rapid demographic, social and cultural change associated with immigration.

I argue that the second element, namely, the anti-Indian dimension, has links to the ways in which opposition elements have been painting Guyana as a bastion of victimization against Africans.

In closing I should let you know that about three months ago, I wrote to BU and pleaded with them not to allow it pages to be used as a site for anti-immigrants hatred. I hope the descent into physical violence will now force them to think about this. To date, BU’s official position is that they have found nothing offensive on their site. Kean Gibson’s article is still there as the lead off piece.

I know that President Jagdeo and the Guyanese Ambassador to Barbados have been trying to help Guyanese in Barbados in whatever way they can. That effort must both be applauded and re-doubled. I also urge the President Jagdeo to send a special team to investigate and document the treatment of Guyanese immigrants to Barbados.

If On the Map has not been aired in Guyana yet, it should be.

Dr Randy Persaud is a Guyanese-born political scientist living in the USA. He is Associate Professor of International Relations and Director of Comparative and Regional Studies in the School of International Service, American University, Washington, D.C..

GUYANA: Yours to Discover

2008-07-13T06:04:00.000-07:00

GUYANA: Yours to Discover

NINE VIDEOS

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ourGUYANA/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iagR5_3ySQY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1APdawMn37c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gobhh7HgWWs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcr6KemQqW8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQNkn_D3SiE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xul6hhZ-u_I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YR3xSg88cmg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3ylQkwLYGw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EB2E1PrAeYE

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ourGUYANA/

http://jahajeedesi.com

http://jahajeedesiblogspot.com

http://deosaranblogspot.com

Deosaran BisnathJuly 13th, 2008

From Bengal to Bushlot to Belize -THE INDENTURED IMMIGRANTS, by Karan Chand

2008-07-06T15:04:00.000-07:00

From Bengal to Bushlot to Belize -
THE INDENTURED IMMIGRANTS

by Karan Chand

Karan Chand is a Guyanese living and teaching for the
past 19 years in Belize City, Belize. This book is on the
list for Literature at two high schools in Belize and
others are now considering it to be included as an
additional text.

From Bengal to Bushlot to Belize -
THE INDENTURED IMMIGRANTS is

is available from the author - E-mail
kchand16@hotmail.com

BONDED SERVANT

”…..Day after day Mattai left for work before daybreak after eating and using the communal latrine over the trench which was an open sewer. On his way he secretly threw his baited buoys into the canal at a grassy spot to conceal them. He worked very hard, always choosing ‘task work’ over ‘day work’, determined to earn the maximum wage. He chopped cane with his cutlass and stacked them. As he did, he usually overheard the sound of cane being cut by others in nearby fields, amid voices in conversation. Not far away, other workers were constantly yelling at uncooperative oxen and mules as they hauled the long carts and iron punts 9 laden with cane being transported to the factory. Mattai worked alone swinging his cutlass with great proficiency. As he did, his body was continuously covered in sweat which soaked his sparse clothing and trickled into his eyes, burning them. From time to time, he swiped his saturated forehead with the back of his left hand and shook it, shedding the invading sweat. This was done in one continuous, instinctive action that did not disrupt the rhythm of his chopping.

Mattai felt helpless; entrapped. He had never expected to work so hard in his life. However, there seemed to be no easier option, no readily available alternative. Many years before, he had stopped entertaining the thought of escaping. Then, when he was still young and restless, he had fled from his quarters and ran all night through the dark forest hoping to reach the seashore. Convinced that he could not have been that far from his homeland, he had, for many months, planned to make a raft and set sail for Calcutta . In his rush, he had thumped his right big toe, severely injuring it, on a piece of fallen bamboo. Ignoring the pain, rather enduring it, he had limped on. By daybreak, he had not reached any body of water. The next day, hungry and tired, he had been caught hiding in the bushes. The Driver on horseback had taken him back to the estate. At the manager’s office he had been sternly rebuked and told to pay one shilling on payday. In hindsight, he realized that he had been favored. Older men who had tried to escape had been tied to a post and severely flogged with a cat-o’-nine-tails under the manager’s house. They had convulsed in pain during the ordeal which ended with salt pickle being rubbed on their wounded backs. Some of them got so ill afterwards that they had to be taken to the sick-house.. ….

THE WEDDING

On the eve of the wedding people again gathered at the venue for the wedding, a large two-storied, wooden house on tall cement pillars. It was the “Cook Night”. While most of the invitees danced, drank and socialized, chosen people cooked all night underneath the house preparing for the attendees on the following day. In an enclosed area illuminated by a Tilly gas lamp, some women were busy peeling and dicing vegetables and preparing concoctions of other ingredients, various spices, which they crushed to a puree on massala seels.6 These were sent nearby to the men who cooked them in huge caharies 7 along with rice and dhal 8 which they constantly stirred with long wooden paddles. All the while, there was music mixed with chatting, laughter and drinking. The cooked food was carefully stored in a makeshift room called the bandara 9 with one man supervising its apportioning as needed. This was vital in order to minimize wastage and prevent shortage. This time, Mattai was present and actively participating by micromanaging, having been asked to take charge by the bride’s father, Babutty. He moved around stirring pots, tasting, adding ingredients and chatting, while at the same time giving directives to others who assisted him. He was considered indispensable as far as catering for large crowds were concerned, regardless of whether it was a time for celebration or sorrow. At these times his new status, from an underdog cane-cutter to a supervisor, gave him a feeling of importance and made him tireless, especially when the drinks were circulating, even though he was well aware that it was a temporary position. It was a badge of honor for him and made his days. With such feeling of self worth, he worked unfalteringly and did not return home until the wee hours of the morning.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6 massala seels-rubbing stones

7 caharies- cauldrons/ huge hemispherical pots

8 dhal- cooked yellow split peas

9 bandara-makeshift room serving as a pantry

RICE CULTIVATION

“…Mattai’s daughter and son-in-law could not be there every harvest as they had both a rice and cane farm of their own to attend to. During their absence, Mattai, Sook and Rattowa worked late into the nights mostly in the ‘watch house’ with the light of a bamchodie 10. One night, Sook was walking behind the oxen in circles around a post mashing a pile of rice to separate the grains from the stack. Mattai was occupied nearby. They had not spoken for a while so absorbed were they with their work and thoughts. Suddenly, without forewarning, Sook said,

” Pa, ah want to be wan police.”

“Wha’ yu seh bie?” Mattai, who was putting threshed rice grains into jute bags, did not hear him. ” Ah want to be wan policeman.”

Mattai stopped working and let go of the bag which fell, spilling some of the grains. Rattowa had remained later than usual because of the demanding work. In the moonlight outside, she was out of earshot winnowing the paddy in a huge sieve hanging on a frame in order …..”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10 bamchodie- flambeau, bottle lamp

Deosaran Bisnath
July 6th, 2008
deobisnath@yahoo.com

BERBICE, GUYANA: 8 Miners slaughtered

2008-06-22T06:32:00.001-07:00

Eight miners believed killed near Christmas Falls

Eight diamond miners are believed to have been killed at Lindo Creek, located 10 miles downriver from Christmas Falls where wanted man Rondel ‘Fineman’ Rawlins and his gang had earlier been hiding out.

Among the dead are thought to be the son and brother of the Lindo Creek dredge owner, George Arokium – Dax, 28, and Cedric Arokium, 46. According to George, the names of the other men are Kampton ‘Tona’ Spiers and Drakes of Meten-Meer-Zorg, Berry Wong, Lancely ‘Piggy’ of Tucville, ‘Bonny’ Harry of Annandale and a teenager from Kwakwani.

George told Stabroek News that on Wednesday night he had received a phone call from a woman who told him that some “soldiers” had shot and killed his men and burnt their bodies. Later, he said, he received a second phone call from a private number. This time, George explained, it was a man calling who told him the same thing.

The dredge owner recounted that he arrived at his camp some time between 7 am and 7.45 am yesterday morning. “Skulls and bones,” he repeated at intervals as he described what he had seen. He said that the entire camp was in a state of disarray.

Dax Arokium (left), George Arokium (right)He said someone in the area told him that they had heard shots several days prior to his arrival there.

George maintained that it was indeed the remains of his men he had seen at the camp. “Eight men cannot be accounted for in the area and it is logical for me to think they are my men,” he said.

He described the camping site as having two main areas – the kitchen and another tent for sleeping. The tarpaulin roof was missing from the tent where the miners slept, George said, and he suspected that the eight men had been wrapped in the tarpaulin and their bodies burnt.

Stabroek News understands that the men who killed the miners were dressed in camouflage uniforms. During the five minutes that he spent at the scene, George said, he was not able to determine whether anything was missing from the camp although he assumed that the men had been robbed.

When Stabroek News arrived at the Arokiums’ South Ruimveldt Park home shortly after 7 pm yesterday, a number of friends and relatives had already gathered. Dean Arokium, Dax’s brother, was directing the preparations for a wake while being updated by his father on the telephone at intervals.
He told this newspaper that his father had left on Friday to travel to the Lindo Creek location.

According to Dean, his father said he could not bear the sight before him when he arrived at the scene and told the men who had accompanied him to cover the men’s remains. George, Dean said, then left the camp to travel back to Georgetown.

When this newspaper spoke to George later yesterday evening, he explained that he had arrived at a camp some four miles away from his at 2 am yesterday, and had slept there until 6.30 am, thereafter making his way to the Lindo Creek site.

Dean said that his brother had left behind his pregnant girlfriend, while his uncle Cedric leaves to mourn his wife and two teenage daughters.

“This ugly, this real ugly though,” a friend of the Arokiums was heard repeating.
Dean was overheard saying, “A whole set of army and CID [Criminal Investigation Department] people only calling and asking wha happen.”

Up to press time the police had made no statement on the matter.

Joint Services ranks recently killed a man, suspected be a member of a gang including wanted man Rondell ‘Fineman’ Rawlins, after they were attacked in the Christmas Falls area some 300 miles up the Berbice River.

According to a Joint Services press release, around 7:00 hrs on Friday, June 13, ranks while on patrol in the Berbice River community encountered a gang of about six persons.

It added that the patrol had come under fire, returned fire and a gang member had been subsequently killed.

The release said other gang members who included wanted men ‘Fineman’; Cecilo Simeon Ramcharran called ‘Uncle Willie’; ‘Magic’; and ‘Chung Boy’ among others, escaped down a slope and disappeared into the jungle. Trails of blood found suggested that others had been injured, the statement added.
‘Uncle Willie’ and ‘Chung Boy’ were subsequently killed at Goat Farm in the Berbice River.

The Joint Services said the Christmas Falls camp had “four buildings in a desolate area in the jungle and foodstuff to last several weeks in a large kitchen, which also had a gas stove, generator and solar energy. In addition, there were six portable tents, four hammocks, three mattresses, a mini-stereo system, a DVD player, a cell phone, a hand-held radio set, items of clothing, medical supplies and a bible which were abandoned by the gang.” (Sarah Bharrat)

Deosaran Bisnath
June 22, 2008

Broadcasters are held to a high standard of public

2008-04-19T04:36:00.000-07:00

Broadcasters are held to a high standard of public
responsibility

April 19, 2008

Dear Editor,

In 2005 when the licence of CN Sharma’s television CNS
TV6 was suspended at the time of the flood disaster by
the Prime Minister, who was then the Minister
responsible for telecommunications, for what appeared
to be a deliberate attempt to make the President
appear contemptuous of the conditions of the flood
victims, I wrote at some length endeavouring to
provide information and explain what we should expect
of a licensed broadcaster.

It seems appropriate, given the suspension of CNS TV6
licence, to, once more, repeat much of what I said
then.

In every case the constitutional protection offered to
every citizen of freedom of expression has been
invoked on behalf of Mr Sharma. However, what we are
yet to understand, far less accept, in Guyana is that
the broadcaster is held to a much higher standard of
public responsibility in exercising freedom of
expression granted by his licence than is a newspaper,
printed publications or the ordinary citizen.
A broadcaster is granted a licence, in a democracy, on
the condition that he uses it to serve, to use the
language of the USA’s Federal Communication Commission
(FCC), “the public interest, convenience and
necessity”.

The broadcaster, in essence, is granted the privilege
of using the broadcast spectrum, to serve as a “public
trustee”, while benefiting from its commercial use
because he is being allowed the use of a limited
public resource, the broadcast spectrum.

The conditions under which the broadcaster must
function as a “public trustee”, are spelt out in the
licence and are governed by the regulations under
which the licence is issued.

In effect, the broadcaster who is granted a licence to
use the electromagnetic spectrum for commercial
purposes, is granted exclusive free speech rights
denied to others and, to justify this privilege, is
constrained to serve as a “public trustee” of the
airwaves.

Unlike the rest of the media, the broadcaster is bound
by statutory and regulatory obligations to serve the
public interest in a defined way which would abridge
the constitutional right of free speech which other
media and published speech enjoy.

There is no constitutional right to hold a broadcast
licence and monopolise a broadcast frequency to the
exclusion of others as some in Guyana seem to believe.

Where there are adequate broadcasting regulations, a
potential licencee must first justify at public
hearings by the regulating authority, his or her
qualification to be granted the right to a broadcast
licence.

In Guyana licenced broadcasters were, unfortunately,
given licences without hearings, without having to
establish their qualifications for a licence, without
any public justification for being granted the
privilege. Our broadcasters were granted licences
simply because they either first squatted illegally on
the frequency, or the government was persuaded to
grant them the licence.

The US Supreme Court has, as has every other Court in
the major democracies of the world, consistently
upheld the requirement that the broadcaster must serve
as a “public trustee” of the licence he holds and must
“conduct himself as a proxy or fiduciary with
obligations to present those views and voices which
are representative of his community and which would
otherwise by necessity, be barred from the airwaves”.

The Federal Communications Commission of the USA in
July 1960, issued a “Report and Statement of Policy”
which summarise the Commission’s powers over a
licencee’s programming and the responsibilities of the
broadcaster in this regard. These operational
guidelines should long ago have been applicable to the
granting of television broadcast licences in Guyana,
had not both the governing and opposition parties,
ever since we became independent, refused to agree to
a professionally drafted broadcasting act and
regulations to be implemented by an independent
Broadcasting Authority:

* The principle ingredient of the licencee’s
obligation to operate his station in the public
interest is “to make a positive, diligent and
continuing effort to determine the tastes, needs and
desires of the public in his community and to provide
programming to meet those needs and interests”.

* “The licencee, is, in effect, a “trustee” of the
public interest in the sense that his licence to
operate his station imposes upon him a non-delegable
duty to serve the public interest in the community he
has chosen to represent as a broadcaster”.
* “Broadcasting licencees must assume responsibility
for all material which is broadcast through their
facilities. This includes all programmes and
advertising material which they present to the public.
With respect to advertising material, the licencee has
the additional responsibility to take all reasonable
measures to eliminate any false, misleading or
deceptive matter and to avoid abuses with respect to
the total amount of time devoted to advertising
continuity as well as the frequency with which regular
programmes are interrupted for advertising messages”.

* “The broadcasters should consider the tastes, needs
and desires of the public he is licensed to serve in
developing his programming and should exercise
conscientious efforts to not only ascertaining them
but also to carry them out as well as he reasonably
can”.

* “Broadcast stations should not become the private
preserve of certain individuals or groups to serve
their special interests nor should they serve the
exclusive interests of certain social, economic,
political or religious philosophies or of particular
business enterprises”.

* “Broadcasters must have a wide range of discretion
and freedom of choice in deciding on their individual
programmes and are to be judged by the overall
operation, presentation and balance of programme
measured in terms of satisfying community needs”.

CN Sharma’s use of his broadcast licence and the
unique privilege it grants and his right to continue
to broadcast are, therefore, conditioned by the
regulations under which he is granted the licence and
which hold him to observe the standard accorded to a
public trustee of the frequency he is allowed to use.

If Mr Sharma or any other broadcast licencee
broadcasts material which violate the standards set as
a condition of the licence, the Constitutional right
of free speech does not of necessity, guarantee him
the right to continue to hold a broadcast licence.

The Amended Regulations made under the Post &
Telegraph Act (Cap 47:01) Section 63(5) governing the
granting of a licence issued for the operation of a
television broadcasting station contains the following
conditions amongst others:

(a) the licencee shall ensure that nothing is included
in programmes which offends against good taste or
decency or is likely to encourage or incite or to lead
to public disorder or to be offensive to public
feeling;

(b) the licencee acting reasonably and in good faith.
Shall ensure that any news given (in whatever form) in
the programmes of the licencee is presented with due
accuracy and impartiality; and

(c) the licencee shall ensure that due impartiality is
preserved by the person providing the service in
regard to matters of political or industrial
controversy or relating to public policy.

The Amended Regulations establishing the Advisory
Committee on Broadcasting defines the appointment and
composition of the Committee and its functions. The
functions include advising the Minister (at first it
was the Prime Minister and is now the President) “on
compliance with the terms and conditions of licences
or otherwise” and recommending “appropriate action” to
be taken and “including revocation of licence”.

It is the responsibility, therefore, of the ACB to
advise the Minister on the action which should be
taken if or when any licencee, in the opinion of the
ACB, fails to comply with the conditions of the
licence set out in the Amended Regulations of June 27,
2001.

The legislation does not empower the ACB to do
anything or take any action which is not within the
functions of advising the Minister, unless the ACB is
specifically directed by the Minister under Clause 23
B 4(c).

The Wireless Telegraphy Regulations of the Post &
Telegraph Act at Section (63) 5, Clause 26(1&2),
however, provides for the Minister to act without the
intervention or advice of the ACB to cancel or suspend
the broadcaster’s licence for a period up to 12 months
or more, if he considers that the broadcaster has
failed to comply with any of the Regulations under the
Act.

The President, therefore, certainly had the right to
act. Did Sharma fail to comply with the conditions of
the licence?
In making that judgment, the President will have taken
into account the fact that the country remains under
threat of the heavily armed criminals who have
massacred 23 people and are still at large.

Clearly, in these circumstances, broadcasting a threat
to kill the Head of State and then re- broadcasting it
on a number of occasions is wholly irresponsible and
could be said “to encourage or incite or to lead to
public disorder”.

The Constitutional protection of free speech does not
protect a broadcaster from losing his licence if any
of the conditions set out in the licence are
considered by the Minister to have been violated.

Broadcasters, however, regardless of the conditions
which require them to serve as “public trustee”,
remain entitled to the common law protection of
“natural justice” and there is no precedent in
broadcast law which denies the broadcaster the right
to a fair hearing prior to any punitive action being
taken by a regulator against him.

The President did give a hearing to Mr Sharma and his
attorneys prior to taking action to suspend the
licence of CNS TV6 for four months.

It’s unclear exactly what advice, if any, was given by
the ACB to the President. It’s also unknown whether
the President sought the advice of the ACB, though,
given the existence and intent of the Regulations
establishing the Committee, it’s reasonable to expect
that he would have done so and in writing.

In any event, as I have already pointed out, under the
law the President does not have to rely on the ACB’s
advice.
Mr Jagdeo and Mr Hoyte did enter into a political
agreement that, as a condition of Mr Hoyte’s
endorsement of the Amended Regulations, the government
would not act independently of the ACB’s advice. The
Agreement does not legally bind the government to
honour it.

Was the President’s decision fair and reasonable,
taking into account the prevailing conditions in the
country as well as the fact that this is the second
serious offence committed by the station? The fact
that the law gives the power to the Minister and, in
this case, the Head of State who was the subject of
the threat, is unfortunate.

Guyana now remains the only major country in the
Caribbean without modern broadcasting law instituting
a politically independent Broadcasting Authority to
administer and regulate broadcast licences.

The legislation establishing the ACB was, at best, an
interim measure agreed to by the two major political
parties to bring some minimum order to the use of the
broadcast spectrum.

We have had broadcast legislation, in one form or
another, in draft in Guyana since 1969, but, to date,
the political will to legislate a modern Broadcasting
Act which will relinquish political control over
broadcast licensing and regulations, remains absent.

At the end of the day, Mr Sharma, because we are a
democracy, is getting his day in Court. We should,
nevertheless, remember that free speech is not an
absolute right, and, for the broadcaster who is
granted the privilege of a licence, it is a right
abridged by very specific conditions demanding
standards of public trust which all of our
broadcasters, including the State owned television and
radio stations, continue to treat with little respect.

Yours faithfully,
Kit Nascimento

from STABROEK NEWS

Posted by Deosaan Bisnath

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2008-03-28T03:25:00.000-07:00