Assault on people of Indian origin by coalition administration a matter of fact – Former Attorney General
July 27,2016
Former Attorney General and current PPP/C Member of Parliament Anil Nandlall says that comments by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo over the weekend while addressing Guyanese at a function in New York are a matter of fact.
Jagdeo spoke out against victimization and witch hunting which he said is being perpetrated against supporters of the PPP by the APNU+AFC coalition administration. His comments irked the Government which accused him of race baiting in a statement.
Nandlall said he was flummoxed by Government’s “hysterical response” as he has written detailed articles, spoken on television, at press conferences and in the National Assembly, highlighting real examples and cases of such instances. He said that even Jagdeo and other PPP leaders have done the same.
He said that while Jagdeo during his speech in New York identified three types of assaults, only the allegation of an assault on people of Indian origin seemed to have attracted the wrath of the government.
“Their silence on and their failure to deny the other two types of assaults can be interpreted as an admission that these two types of assaults are indeed taking place”, he added.
As examples of real-life instances where persons of Indo-Guyanese ethnicity have been targeted by the APNU+AFC government, Nandlall listed:
- The widespread dismissal of hundreds of Indo- Guyanese in the public sector without a hearing, or cause and without compensation. I have filed legal proceedings on behalf of many of them. The proceedings are pending in the High Court.
- The repossession/seizures or attempted repossession/seizures of Core Homes and house lots from predominantly Indo-Guyanese by Central Housing and Planning Authority. Again, I have filed several legal proceedings in relation to the same. They are pending in the High Court.
- Attempts and continuous attempts to expropriate private properties owned by Transport and Certificate of Title, predominantly by Indo-Guyanese by State agencies. Again, they are several legal challenges pending in the High Court of which I am involved.
- The targeting of, predominantly, Indo-Guyanese for investigations by SOCU and SARU and the confiscation of large sums of money and jewelry in the course of or as a result of those investigations. Again, I have filed proceedings in relation thereto that are pending in the High Court.
- The wanton dismissal of senior management staff, of predominantly Indo-Guyanese decent, at GUYSUCO.
- The closure of Wales Estate where the majority of the workers who would be rendered redundant and without a livelihood are of Indo-Guyanese descent.
- The refusal to offer financial assistance to the rice industry which is predominated by Indo-Guyanese.
- The systematic removal of street lamps from certain Indo- Guyanese villages in West Coast Berbice, while at the same time installing street lights in Afro-Guyanese communities.
- The targeting by the GRA of Indo-Guyanese in Regions 5 and 6, who have under cultivation in their yards, two or more banks of vegetables.
He further said that his list is not exhaustive and that each case listed is real and factual as he has names, addresses and Affidavit evidence from many of the victims.