Guyana must produce its own heroes

December 25, 2013, By KNews. Filed Under Features/Columnists, Peeping Tom, Source

I have the highest regard for Glenn Lall, the publisher of this newspaper, but there are some issues on which we disagree. But we do so without affecting our lifelong friendship.

Glenn is someone that respects differences of opinion and one of the differences that I have with him is over Nelson Mandela. Glenn believes that Mandela must be counted as the greatest individual of the 20th century.

One night when we were discussing Mandela he asked me to name one human being who could be locked up for twenty-seven years in a harsh and brutal prison environment and yet when he was released harboured no bitterness for his captors. I admit that I could not think of any such individual

I however do not share all of Glenn’s praises for Mandela, but there are two things that I agree with him about. The first is that regardless of how his life is assessed, no one should attempt to tarnish the good name of Mandela. This column has no intention of doing so. In due course, I will undertake a balanced assessment of Mandela.

The focus of today’s column is however on a strongly held opinion of Glenn Lall and one that I share. Glenn believes that the respect that the people of South Africa had for Mandela was mainly responsible for that country not going down the route of Zimbabwe.

Glenn is now fearful that with Mandela gone and with the failure of the South African government to address the growing inequality in that country, South Africa could well – and one hopes that it does not – go down the terrible route that Zimbabwe went when White farms were invaded.

Mugabe made some huge mistakes. But Mugabe’s ability to deal with the inequality issue was primarily as a result of the betrayal of the British government in not honouring the terms of the Lancaster House Agreement which was supposed to have led to increased funding for land reform. The failure of the British government to honour its obligations meant that for almost two decades after Independence the White minority group dominated ownership of the land, to the extent that it frustrated the legitimate aspirations of those who had fought in the liberation struggles.

South Africa faced similar problems with inequality as was faced by Zimbabwe. But South Africa did not go down the road to perdition, and this may be because of the Mandela factor. We in Guyana can learn from that!

Throughout the entire period of mourning for Mandela, a number of local bloggers superficially asked: Where is the Mandela-like figure in Guyana?

Mandela is a unique individual. But one has to say also that Mandela is a product of South Africa and their struggles. You cannot take a Mandela and expect him to be the same person in Guyana, just as how Martin Luther King Jr. cannot be transposed to some other part of the world or a Gandhi outside of India. These persons are products of their own countries’ struggles. Each country must find its own heroes.

Right now Guyana does not need a Mandela. Right now Guyana needs more Glenn Lalls!

Ironically, it was former President Bharrat Jagdeo who many years ago said that Guyana needs more Glenn Lalls. I am sure he is not saying that today.

Why does Guyana need more Glenn Lalls? It does because Glenn has seen through all the schemes of the former administration and knows the dangers that the country faces from what has taken place under the Jagdeo administration.

Everything that has come to pass was predicted from day one by Glenn Lall. Unfortunately not many people took him seriously.

Glenn continues to warn us of the dangerous road down which this country is proceeding. Glenn is not sounding these warnings out of any self-interest. He is doing so because he wants Guyana to avoid the mistakes of others and to avoid problems that can keep this country back. He does not wish to see this country go down the drain and I believe he envisages that problems, serious problems, can arise unless steps are taken to reverse some of the excesses that took place and which are continuing.

I believe that unless the Donald Ramotar administration – and there are many good  men and women in the government – wakes up to what is taking place in Guyana, this country may end up in dire problems. No one wants this to happen.

What is happening in Guyana did not happen even in the harsh days of the dictatorship. This country is experiencing levels of cronyism never before seen. Policies were made to make it seem as if they were intended to serve the good of the people of Guyana, but these policies were intended to fatten a small, avaricious economic oligarchy that is gobbling up the wealth of this country.

I know this is not the type of sentiment one wishes to read on Christmas morning, but let us not pretend that everything is honky dory in Guyana. Let us not let the spirit of Christmas force us to pretend that this country is not facing challenges similar to what was faced in Zimbabwe and what is being faced now in South Africa.

We cannot create the same personalities as other countries. We have to find our own saviours, those who will lead us to the promised land of peace and betterment. But we must learn from the mistakes of other countries so that we do not repeat them.

The Donald Ramotar administration has to wake up to the reality that a small band of individuals, using political influence, are gobbling up the wealth of this country and are shamelessly flaunting this wealth while nurses are forced to take to protest action during their lunch breaks and sugar workers have to strike for a day just to get the annual production incentives that they are contractually obligated to receive. Why?

Can you imagine also, a situation where a handful of minority shareholders have more voting rights on the Board of the Berbice River Bridge than those who own 76% of the shares in that entity? Can you imagine that being allowed to happen anywhere else in the world? Is that not eye pass to the highest extent?

The Guyanese people are looking on and they are seeing for themselves what is taking place. They are not blind or ignorant as some would have us believe. They may be divided, but the masses have never been dumb politically.

No one, least of all this column and Glenn Lall, wants to see Guyana go down the road to problems. But unless things change in the New Year, the patience of the Guyanese people will be tested.

Merry Christmas and let us hope for peace and love in the New Year!