Ok Folks,
Cuffy has been declared a National Hero for Afro Guyanese. I have no argument with the fact that he fought for the freedom of slaves and his title cannot be questioned.
Monument of Cuffy.
The BIG question is how come such a title and monument has not been declared for an Indo Guyanese ?
Should the AFC/PNC government install a monument and declare a National Hero for Indo Guyanese ?
After all, we are all equal in the eyes of GOD.
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East Indian hero, yuji22? I nominate BALRAM SINGH RAI.
Gilbakka posted:East Indian hero, yuji22? I nominate BALRAM SINGH RAI.
Not a bad choice, let the nominations continue. I will post my nominations later, I have two in mind.
I nominate Kowsilla. She should be on our dollar bill.
Prashad posted:I nominate Kowsilla. She should be on our dollar bill.
Wow ! Excellent Choice !
yuji22 posted:Prashad posted:I nominate Kowsilla. She should be on our dollar bill.
Wow ! Excellent Choice !
KOWSILLA aka ALICE
Thanks for posting Gil, Never knew that she was also know as Alice.
yuji22 posted:Thanks for posting Gil, Never knew that she was also know as Alice.
Too young to know a lot of things.
Cheddi Jagan is my national hero. His name means more than an ugly statue.
yuji22 posted:
Ok Folks,
Cuffy has been declared a National Hero for Afro Guyanese. I have no argument with the fact that he fought for the freedom of slaves and his title cannot be questioned.
Kofi is a hero to anti colonial and anti human bondage struggle and that is a legacy of all guyanese whose history is in the cauldron of that oppression.
You are such a shallow man that your mind cannot wrap around ideas unless it is tempered by race.
D2 posted:yuji22 posted:
Ok Folks,
Cuffy has been declared a National Hero for Afro Guyanese. I have no argument with the fact that he fought for the freedom of slaves and his title cannot be questioned.
Kofi is a hero to anti colonial and anti human bondage struggle and that is a legacy of all guyanese whose history is in the cauldron of that oppression.
You are such a shallow man that your mind cannot wrap around ideas unless it is tempered by race.
D2, do you think the face on Cuffy's statue represents a person or demon?
The artist was not looking for representation about personhood but for symbolism of an anti colonial movement
Another inane idea born out of blamelessly pitiful intelligence. Then we'll have national heroes for Portuguese, Amerindian, Dugla, Dutch, Chinese? How about national heroes for Guyanese instead, recognizing anyone's contributions for freedom and justice regardless of race?
yuji22 posted:
Ok Folks,
Cuffy has been declared a National Hero for Afro Guyanese. I have no argument with the fact that he fought for the freedom of slaves and his title cannot be questioned.
Monument of Cuffy.
The BIG question is how come such a title and monument has not been declared for an Indo Guyanese ?
Should the AFC/PNC government install a monument and declare a National Hero for Indo Guyanese ?
After all, we are all equal in the eyes of GOD.
May I ask what Cuffy is holding in his hands? IS that what I think it is?.... just asking... maybe someone can explain.
if you were to go and look at it you would see it is two alligators.
D2 posted:if you were to go and look at it you would see it is two alligators.
Now yuh went and disappoint po Vish.
VishMahabir posted:yuji22 posted:
Ok Folks,
Cuffy has been declared a National Hero for Afro Guyanese. I have no argument with the fact that he fought for the freedom of slaves and his title cannot be questioned.
Monument of Cuffy.
The BIG question is how come such a title and monument has not been declared for an Indo Guyanese ?
Should the AFC/PNC government install a monument and declare a National Hero for Indo Guyanese ?
After all, we are all equal in the eyes of GOD.
May I ask what Cuffy is holding in his hands? IS that what I think it is?.... just asking... maybe someone can explain.
You shouldn't broadcast such ignorance of things Guyanese.
yuji22 posted:Ok Folks,
Cuffy has been declared a National Hero for Afro Guyanese.
Monument of Cuffy.
From a historical perspective Cuffy is/was a hero for ALL Guyanese.
Perhaps then, one should advocate for Amerindian, Chinese, Portuguese, etc., as national heroes.
From 1957 plus the few months when the PPP was in office in 1953, there has been roughly an equitable time when the PPP and PNC are/were in power.
One should view issues from an historical perspective rather than selecting individuals based on ethnic backgrounds.
antabanta posted:VishMahabir posted:yuji22 posted:
Ok Folks,
Cuffy has been declared a National Hero for Afro Guyanese. I have no argument with the fact that he fought for the freedom of slaves and his title cannot be questioned.
Monument of Cuffy.
The BIG question is how come such a title and monument has not been declared for an Indo Guyanese ?
Should the AFC/PNC government install a monument and declare a National Hero for Indo Guyanese ?
After all, we are all equal in the eyes of GOD.
May I ask what Cuffy is holding in his hands? IS that what I think it is?.... just asking... maybe someone can explain.
You shouldn't broadcast such ignorance of things Guyanese.
The man has got a right to know. After all Cuffy to a white mistress.
Wasn't Cuffy a terrorist like ISIS? He massacred innocent men, women and children and he forced the young women into sex slavery. Isn't this what the PNC attempted to repeat in the early 60's, with limited success!
I remember my History teacher in school (a Pan-Afroist) talking about Cuffy. He looked with a blank stare critical of Cuffy for sparing the white girl. He said, when you killing, you killing, spare no one. He looked at the Black kids and said, this is how Blacks will win. And he concluded the class!
I'm sure guys like Caribj knows what I'm talking about!
ba$eman posted:Wasn't Cuffy a terrorist like ISIS? He massacred innocent men, women and children and he forced the young women into sex slavery. Isn't this what the PNC attempted to repeat in the early 60's, with limited success!
I remember my History teacher in school (a Pan-Afroist) talking about Cuffy. He looked with a blank stare critical of Cuffy for sparing the white girl. He said, when you killing, you killing, spare no one. He looked at the Black kids and said, this is how Blacks will win. And he concluded the class!
I'm sure guys like Caribj knows what I'm talking about!
You are facinating in your perverse reasoning. A man, doomed to a life of servitude having already spent his youth in slavery is deemed a terrorist for resisting with extreme prejudice!
Your teacher was right. General Sun looped off the heads of two courtesans to coerce the appropriate receptivity of 98 others to military training. It is not about black kids but about the universal themes if facing an enemy who would not give quarter.
Kofi's failure as a general was to trust his enemy to be moral with him given the evidence of them never ever acted in any moral way. He lost for his prevarication and delay in setting up proper defenses. Instead of negotiating terms they brought in reinforcement and over ran his defenses with superior power and re enslaved his people. A good general should know the terrain on which he fights as well as the mind of opponent he fights.
Jagdeo would be up there as a national hero. During the worst onslaught against Indians, he led the nations to some semblance of normalcy even as PNC bandits killed and slaughtered, street protests, mo fiah slow fiah, Hoyte draping Blackie coffin with Guyana flag, Hoyte marching with the prison escapees, Bartica and Lusignan massacre, Buxton uprising. Let us not forget those dark days that shadowed the land and eventually the freedom fighters were eliminated and the PNC lost their teeth as Jagdeo led the nation.
Drugb posted:Jagdeo would be up there as a national hero. During the worst onslaught against Indians, he led the nations to some semblance of normalcy even as PNC bandits killed and slaughtered, street protests, mo fiah slow fiah, Hoyte draping Blackie coffin with Guyana flag, Hoyte marching with the prison escapees, Bartica and Lusignan massacre, Buxton uprising. Let us not forget those dark days that shadowed the land and eventually the freedom fighters were eliminated and the PNC lost their teeth as Jagdeo led the nation.
https://disqus.com/home/discus...er_khan_death_squad/
PETER âĒ 2 years ago
Roger Khan was running aroung Guyana with his thugs killing off his drug competition under the guise that he was fighting buxton criminals, this could only be done by the approval and sanction of the Minister of Home Affairs Gajraj and the the President Jagdeo. Every Indo Guyanese knew about Roger Khan and held his as their hero.
Roger Khan bought government land on the East Bank Demerara and built Bougainnillea Park which cost Millions of US dollars, you cannot buy government land without the approval of the then president jagdeo. A project of this immensity had to be sanctioned by several government departments, (1) President's Office (jagdeo), (2) Min. of Works (Robeson Benn), (3) Lands & Survey(Doorga Persaud) (4) Housing (Irfaan Ali) (5) GRA(Khurshid Sattaur)
Large quantities of materials had to be ordered and shipped into the country, where did he get the financing for this project, we all know from drug proceeds, Jagdeo passed by that project countless of times when leaving or returning to Guyana yet this lying hyena jagdeo says he don't know Roger Khan, from the smallest child to the oldest person in Guyana knew about Roger Khan, this guy jagdeo is so far out of it you can smell the fear emanating from him and the rest of his criminal cabal.
When they have their criminals doing their dirty work you hear nothing from them but as soon as they are caught these bastards makes tracks and distance themselves then they send out their 3 lap dogs priya manickchand, gail texeira, and the lunchmeat man to do damage control.
I hope the Indo Guyanese people are seeing how he abandons the people that served him.
Refresh your memory,your hero wasn't great as you deemed him to be.
Any truth here ??
Drugb posted:Jagdeo would be up there as a national hero. During the worst onslaught against Indians, he led the nations to some semblance of normalcy even as PNC bandits killed and slaughtered, street protests, mo fiah slow fiah, Hoyte draping Blackie coffin with Guyana flag, Hoyte marching with the prison escapees, Bartica and Lusignan massacre, Buxton uprising. Let us not forget those dark days that shadowed the land and eventually the freedom fighters were eliminated and the PNC lost their teeth as Jagdeo led the nation.
Fortunately, no muse will write his heroic epic and no school child will sing his praise. Any statue erected for him will be ensconced in a forlorn spot ideal only for a pigeon perch and a receptacle for bird poop
I nominate Sawh. He fought against corruption and stood up to politicians who were in it for themselves. He gave his life to protect the country.
The question underlies basic issues. Is there a national consensus about what constitute a national consciousness or a national understanding? Another issue is how was Cuffy selected as the National Hero? Was there national consensus on his selection? Is Cuffy's stature as a national hero tied up in some way with the Burnham dictatorship and what it meant for a significant section of the population?
before D2 gents into a rant, no, I do not believe in having national heroes based on ethnic requirements. Nor do I believe that Balram Singh Rai could be a likely candidate.
D2 posted:if you were to go and look at it you would see it is two alligators.
What is the significance of the alligators??
Demerara_Guy posted:yuji22 posted:Ok Folks,
Cuffy has been declared a National Hero for Afro Guyanese.
Monument of Cuffy.
From a historical perspective Cuffy is/was a hero for ALL Guyanese.
Perhaps then, one should advocate for Amerindian, Chinese, Portuguese, etc., as national heroes.
From 1957 plus the few months when the PPP was in office in 1953, there has been roughly an equitable time when the PPP and PNC are/were in power.
One should view issues from an historical perspective rather than selecting individuals based on ethnic backgrounds.
Yes, he is a national hero from the little I know of him, and ALL Guyanese should pay respect to all of our heroes.
BUT if you think ethnicity was not a consideration into building such a huge monument in the middle of GT under the Burnham regime, then you are as naÃŊve as some of the people here. Heroes are people who appeals to people's emotions based on a significant contribution they made to shaping people's lives and the world in which they live.
My point is you cannot separate the historical perspective from the ethnic emotional attachment. A case in point...Cuffy is seen as an African hero (yes, wrongfully so), but is Gandhi and Jagan seen as a hero for Africans?
http://abioye-berbiciangriot.b...-of-enslaved_26.html
It is not surprising given the barbarity of the slaveholders that the enslaved Africans in Berbice decided as a group to seize their freedom. The story as told in many history books identifies the Africans as ârebelsâ instead of freedom fighters and their struggle as a ârebellionâ instead of a revolution. It is interesting to note the words used by Henry G. Dalton, a British author who, in 1855, published two volumes of âThe History of British Guiana, Comprising General Description of the Colony.â Writing of the Berbice Revolution, which started on February 23, 1763 and lasted until March 1764, Dalton notes: â1763, a terrible insurrection burst out, which convulsed the whole colony, and threatened its very existence.â Some writers have tried to position the freedom fighters of the Berbice Revolution as a group of disorganized Africans who were forever squabbling with each other. However, even Dalton in his telling of the story acknowledges that âthe Negroes had organized themselves into a regular government, had established a complete system of military discipline, and had chosen Cuffy, a young slave of courage and judgment, as their governor.â Kofi whose name has been distorted and Anglicized as âCuffyâ for generations was an Akan man from the area of modern day Ghana. His name identifies him as an Akan male who was born on a Friday. He was chosen as the leader of the revolution and the African governor of Berbice on par with the Dutch governor van Hoogenheim with whom he corresponded during negotiations for the freedom of the enslaved Africans. This correspondence was one of the reasons the Africans were not successful in gaining their complete freedom. While Kofi was negotiating with van Hoogenheim in good faith, the Dutch governor was biding his time until he could gain reinforcements to destroy the Revolution and the Africans.The Africans were superior in numbers and could have crushed the Dutch and either driven them out of what is now Guyana or exterminated the lot of them. The Dutch did not hesitate to brutally supress the Revolution and displayed extreme barbarity in destroying the revolutionaries when their reinforcements arrived in the region. At the time of the Revolution on February 23, 1763 there were in the entire colony of Berbice (which at the time was separate from Demerara and Essequibo) 346 White residents and 3,833 enslaved Africans. Imagine if those Africans had done to the Whites what the White population eventually did to the Africans. Africans in Guyana would have been completely free since 1763. At least by the end of April 1763 the colony would have been free of the White enslavers. However while the Africans were negotiating in good faith, the Europeans were marking time until troops from neighbouring French, Dutch and British colonies arrived. Once reinforcement arrived in the colony and the Europeans regained control of Berbice many of the Africans were brutally killed as a warning. Forty were hanged, 24 broken on the wheel and 24 were burned to death. Some fled to neighbouring Suriname while others were re-enslaved, but Kofi was never captured. Many of the Africans preferred to die fighting, rather than surrender and become re-enslaved.
The occupation and settlement of Guiana began in earnest with the founding of the Dutch West India Company which was chartered in 1621and through this company the Dutch were encouraged to settle in numbers first in Essequibo, Guyana. There were Dutch settlers in the region before the founding of the Dutch West India Company. For instance in 1613 a group of Spaniards surprised the members of a Dutch settlement on the Courentyne in Berbice and destroyed that settlement. To ensure the successful operation of their plantations the Dutch were involved in the kidnapping and transporting of enslaved Africans to their colonies in the New World which included Guiana. The Dutch had been involved in the trading of Africans for a few years before they established the colony in Guiana. In 1598, the Dutch began building forts along the West African coast in competition with the Portuguese. In 1637, they captured ElMina from the Portuguese. Members of other European tribes including the Danes, English, Spanish and Swedes, also became involved in the exploitation of Africa and Africans. It eventually became a free-for-all with the Europeans fighting each other for the opportunity to make their fortunes on the backs of Africans.The Africans resisted their enslavement in various ways from the time they were captured on the African continent and continuing with struggles on board several slave ships. Once they were transported to the plantations they continued the struggle for freedom including fleeing the plantations and establishing Maroon communities. The Dutch expeditions to capture the members of these Maroon communities were also exercises in displaying the barbarity of the White colonisers. A visitor to Guiana in 1796 wrote of witnessing the capture and destruction of some of the Maroons in what is now the capital city Georgetown: âMost of the ringleaders were taken and brought to Stabroek, where they were afterwards tried and executed. One in particular Amsterdam was subjected to the most shocking torture, in the hope of compelling him to give information but in vain. He was sentenced to be burnt alive, first having his flesh torn from his limbs with red hot pincers; and in order to render his punishment still more terrible, he was compelled to sit by and see thirteen others broken upon the wheel and hung and then, in being conducted to execution, was made to walk over the thirteen dead bodies of his comrades. Being fastened to an iron stake to be burnt alive. When the destructive pile was set in flames, his body spun round the iron stake with mouth open, until his head fell back, life extinguished.â
In spite of the White slaveholdersâ attempts to keep enslaved Africans docile and oppressed through such barbaric acts the Africans continued to resist. Although the Revolution which began on February 23, 1763 in Berbice is the most well-known because of its extent and the longevity it was by no means the sole attempt by Africans in Guiana to seize their freedom. There were actions in Demerara and Essequibo by Africans determined to be free of chattel slavery. Today Guyana is a Republic having gained its political independence from Britain on Thursday, May 26, 1966 under the leadership of then Prime Minister the Honourable Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham. The country which encompasses the former Dutch colonies of Berbice, Demerara and Essequibo later (taken from the Dutch 1814 became one colony in 1831) the British colony of British Guiana became the Co-operative Republic of Guyana on February 23, 1970 on the 207th anniversary of the Berbice Revolution. Guyana which is located on the northeast of the South American continent is the only South American country where English is the official language. Slavery was abolished on August 1, 1834 but after four years of âapprenticeshipâ the Africans were finally free on August 1, 1838. Guyana is known as the Land of Six Peoples which includesAfricans (kidnapped, enslaved and taken to Guyana by the Dutch beginning in the 1600s) Amerindians (the native people of Guyana) Chinese (immigrated as indentured labourers from January 12, 1853 aboard the SS Glentanner) East Indians (immigrated as indentured labourers from May 1, 1838 aboard SS Whitby and SS Hesperus) Europeans (first the Dutch1600s, then the British seized the territory 1800s) Portuguese (immigrated as indentured labourers from May 3, 1835 aboard SS Louisa Baillie.) The nation celebrates February 23 Republic Day with a Mashramani celebration reminiscent of Trinidadâs Carnival and Torontoâs Caribana. It would be helpful if the Berbice Revolution was also recognized on that day.
Drugb posted:Jagdeo would be up there as a national hero. During the worst onslaught against Indians, he led the nations to some semblance of normalcy even as PNC bandits killed and slaughtered, street protests, mo fiah slow fiah, Hoyte draping Blackie coffin with Guyana flag, Hoyte marching with the prison escapees, Bartica and Lusignan massacre, Buxton uprising. Let us not forget those dark days that shadowed the land and eventually the freedom fighters were eliminated and the PNC lost their teeth as Jagdeo led the nation.
Hence my first pick for Jagdeo as our National Hero.
I will reveal my second pick later.
We are all Guyanese,we should respect and give credit where it's due,we need to shed the racist lens that is used to describe other races,when one looks at history of the people and their struggles,who have more rights ?? that depends on who is the story teller.
Zed posted:The question underlies basic issues. Is there a national consensus about what constitute a national consciousness or a national understanding? Another issue is how was Cuffy selected as the National Hero? Was there national consensus on his selection? Is Cuffy's stature as a national hero tied up in some way with the Burnham dictatorship and what it meant for a significant section of the population?
before D2 gents into a rant, no, I do not believe in having national heroes based on ethnic requirements. Nor do I believe that Balram Singh Rai could be a likely candidate.
Kofi was selected as a liberation symbol. Compared to him no other person so successfully motivated the entire society to resist the might of a empire.
Balram Singh Rai was a segregationist and colonial pawn not a national hero. His position to head a party was to act as a wedge to resistance against the colonials.
yuji22 posted:Drugb posted:Jagdeo would be up there as a national hero. During the worst onslaught against Indians, he led the nations to some semblance of normalcy even as PNC bandits killed and slaughtered, street protests, mo fiah slow fiah, Hoyte draping Blackie coffin with Guyana flag, Hoyte marching with the prison escapees, Bartica and Lusignan massacre, Buxton uprising. Let us not forget those dark days that shadowed the land and eventually the freedom fighters were eliminated and the PNC lost their teeth as Jagdeo led the nation.
Hence my first pick for Jagdeo as our National Hero.
I will reveal my second pick later.
His governance is tainted,no concoction can cleanse that era.
Django posted:yuji22 posted:Drugb posted:Jagdeo would be up there as a national hero. During the worst onslaught against Indians, he led the nations to some semblance of normalcy even as PNC bandits killed and slaughtered, street protests, mo fiah slow fiah, Hoyte draping Blackie coffin with Guyana flag, Hoyte marching with the prison escapees, Bartica and Lusignan massacre, Buxton uprising. Let us not forget those dark days that shadowed the land and eventually the freedom fighters were eliminated and the PNC lost their teeth as Jagdeo led the nation.
Hence my first pick for Jagdeo as our National Hero.
I will reveal my second pick later.
His governance is tainted,no concoction can cleanse that era.
Please excuse your nonsense from this thread, your drank too much cool aid.
yuji22 posted:Django posted:yuji22 posted:Drugb posted:Jagdeo would be up there as a national hero. During the worst onslaught against Indians, he led the nations to some semblance of normalcy even as PNC bandits killed and slaughtered, street protests, mo fiah slow fiah, Hoyte draping Blackie coffin with Guyana flag, Hoyte marching with the prison escapees, Bartica and Lusignan massacre, Buxton uprising. Let us not forget those dark days that shadowed the land and eventually the freedom fighters were eliminated and the PNC lost their teeth as Jagdeo led the nation.
Hence my first pick for Jagdeo as our National Hero.
I will reveal my second pick later.
His governance is tainted,no concoction can cleanse that era.
Please excuse your nonsense from this thread, your drank too much cool aid.
You may see it as nonsense,unfortunately history can't be re-written.
Your myopic views are noted on the web.
yuji22 posted:Drugb posted:Jagdeo would be up there as a national hero. During the worst onslaught against Indians, he led the nations to some semblance of normalcy even as PNC bandits killed and slaughtered, street protests, mo fiah slow fiah, Hoyte draping Blackie coffin with Guyana flag, Hoyte marching with the prison escapees, Bartica and Lusignan massacre, Buxton uprising. Let us not forget those dark days that shadowed the land and eventually the freedom fighters were eliminated and the PNC lost their teeth as Jagdeo led the nation.
Hence my first pick for Jagdeo as our National Hero.
I will reveal my second pick later.
Good God, please don't!!
yuji22 posted:Django posted:yuji22 posted:Drugb posted:Jagdeo would be up there as a national hero. During the worst onslaught against Indians, he led the nations to some semblance of normalcy even as PNC bandits killed and slaughtered, street protests, mo fiah slow fiah, Hoyte draping Blackie coffin with Guyana flag, Hoyte marching with the prison escapees, Bartica and Lusignan massacre, Buxton uprising. Let us not forget those dark days that shadowed the land and eventually the freedom fighters were eliminated and the PNC lost their teeth as Jagdeo led the nation.
Hence my first pick for Jagdeo as our National Hero.
I will reveal my second pick later.
His governance is tainted,no concoction can cleanse that era.
Please excuse your nonsense from this thread, your drank too much cool aid.
You do know that the kool-aid analogy is for blind fanatics who cannot think independently .... right?
D2 posted:Zed posted:The question underlies basic issues. Is there a national consensus about what constitute a national consciousness or a national understanding? Another issue is how was Cuffy selected as the National Hero? Was there national consensus on his selection? Is Cuffy's stature as a national hero tied up in some way with the Burnham dictatorship and what it meant for a significant section of the population?
before D2 gents into a rant, no, I do not believe in having national heroes based on ethnic requirements. Nor do I believe that Balram Singh Rai could be a likely candidate.
Kofi was selected as a liberation symbol. Compared to him no other person so successfully motivated the entire society to resist the might of a empire.
Balram Singh Rai was a segregationist and colonial pawn not a national hero. His position to head a party was to act as a wedge to resistance against the colonials.
Compared to him no other person so successfully motivated the entire society to resist the might of a empire.
To be fair...there were no other races (except Amerindians and whites) in Guyana at the time..NO?
Cuffy (Kofi..same person??) was a hero to Africans because he liberated them from slavery. He is a symbol...just as Walter Rodney was a symbol of resistance to all Guyanese.
However, when ethnic groups consider people like Jagan and Baliram Singh as their heroes but others tell them NO, that is where the problems develop.
Who is making the judgment call? AND, who are we to tell others that the person they consider a hero is NOT a hero. By the same token, there are people who want to revive Burnham, the Kabaka, to revise history and make him a hero to all. You and others should not have a problem with this except to point out Burnham's fallacies.
Gandhi is a hero to most Indians (1 billion plus) but there are Africans removing his statues throughout Africa because they have some issues with him. Should Indians not condemn Gandhi and reevaluate his weaknesses and strengths?
My point: We need to be sensitive how we define our heroes. By this logic, if most Indians (the largest ethnic group) continue to see Jagdeo as a champion of their cause at this time, who are we to tell Indians that they are misguided?
Drugb posted:Jagdeo would be up there as a national hero.
Brilliant man, I am inclined to agree with you if you add Roger Khan and Ronald Gajraj. Those three Indian heroes wasted no time to humble those irascible black people and even orchestrated the killing of 400+ blacks to emphasize their point. It wuk, right? The only contradiction I see in your sentence is that a few weeks ago you told me you're not here in GNI to represent Jagdeo. Anyway, de best heroes fo awee matee coolie is dem boys who can kill out blackman, right?
VishMahabir posted:D2 posted:Zed posted:The question underlies basic issues. Is there a national consensus about what constitute a national consciousness or a national understanding? Another issue is how was Cuffy selected as the National Hero? Was there national consensus on his selection? Is Cuffy's stature as a national hero tied up in some way with the Burnham dictatorship and what it meant for a significant section of the population?
before D2 gents into a rant, no, I do not believe in having national heroes based on ethnic requirements. Nor do I believe that Balram Singh Rai could be a likely candidate.
Kofi was selected as a liberation symbol. Compared to him no other person so successfully motivated the entire society to resist the might of a empire.
Balram Singh Rai was a segregationist and colonial pawn not a national hero. His position to head a party was to act as a wedge to resistance against the colonials.
Compared to him no other person so successfully motivated the entire society to resist the might of a empire.
To be fair...there were no other races (except Amerindians and whites) in Guyana at the time..NO?
Cuffy (Kofi..same person??) was a hero to Africans because he liberated them from slavery. He is a symbol...just as Walter Rodney was a symbol of resistance to all Guyanese.
However, when ethnic groups consider people like Jagan and Baliram Singh as their heroes but others tell them NO, that is where the problems develop.
Who is making the judgment call? AND, who are we to tell others that the person they consider a hero is NOT a hero. By the same token, there are people who want to revive Burnham, the Kabaka, to revise history and make him a hero to all. You and others should not have a problem with this except to point out Burnham's fallacies.
Gandhi is a hero to most Indians (1 billion plus) but there are Africans removing his statues throughout Africa because they have some issues with him. Should Indians not condemn Gandhi and reevaluate his weaknesses and strengths?
My point: We need to be sensitive how we define our heroes. By this logic, if most Indians (the largest ethnic group) continue to see Jagdeo as a champion of their cause at this time, who are we to tell Indians that they are misguided?
I said person not race. The criteria by which I judge another as worthy is their humanity. We would not know how Kofi would have fared with Indians in the mix but that is another story. He did fight to the death.
No one cares if others have heroes. You discounted nationality and went for ethnicity when you said he is only and African hero. Well, he is in our nations past and his resistance was seminal into the forming the nation since he help to break the dutch monopoly.
I do not mind a statue of Cheddi or any of the people who died struggling against colonialism. I just do not think some people, because of their particularistic political view. Rai fits here. Burnham fits here for me. Others may disagree but I have a right to my views.
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