MASH HAS BEEN KEPT ALIVE BY THE PPPC

February 23, 2013, By KNews, Filed Under Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom, Source

Mashramami is far bigger, far better and far more diverse than it ever has been. And yet there were many who felt that under the Peoples Progressive Party there would have been a deemphasizing of Republic Day celebrations.

Had the PPPC government abandoned Mashramni it would have withered away just like cooperative socialism did.

Admittedly there is still a far way to go. The costumes that are on parade can be much more elaborate and the tea shirt bands need to be retired; they are from a bygone age when revellers could not have afforded to buy the materials for elaborate costumes and therefore settled for a colorful jersey as their costume.

The floats can also be much improved. Those behind this quest must make a greater commitment towards higher standards. This in turn means spending more money on individual floats.

Revellers also have to understand that the days of freeness will eventually grind to a halt and if you want to Mash and look good , money will have to be spent to purchase costumes from the bands.

While Mashramani has grown and blossomed under the PPPC government, it is time that this celebration be handed over exclusively to the private sector. There will always be a limit to state-funding of such events and also a limit to what can be achieved by State funding.

If Mashramani is to become an authentic expression of the cultures of Guyana, it has to continue to grow and diversify for it to be sustained after it would have achieved these things, require greater private sector participation.

Major corporate companies have in fact come on board many of the events that are being held and this is a sign that the entire festival can now be handed over to the private sector and can thus be driven by private enterprise.

When this happens, Mashramani will find authentic expression and allow for greater public participation directly in events that are hosted for Mashramani.

The government for its part has ensured the celebrations have become more diverse. There is now a Chutney competition and there are now educational lectures. The steelband competition once a marquee event is being resuscitated and the Schools Mash Day celebrations continue to attract a great deal of support and participation.

But more importantly under the PPPC a number of side events are now being held and these can become institutionalized as part of Mashramani observances. This weekend there are a number of entertainment activities that will be staged, including mega concerts. Even the PNCR has something going down. This allows for greater options for the public.

But these options are still not enough. There is a need for more family-styled entertainment as part of the Mashramani observances.

The Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce needs to be commended for the remaking of the Main Big Lime. While it was not as big last year as in previous years, it did offer something that the entire family could enjoy and this is what Mashramani needs- more events in which the entire family can be involved.

Providing this diversity should be the responsibility of the private sector. There are tremendous business opportunities in having more family-styled events and it is for the private sector to take up that challenge and allow for the organization of events that is wholesome for the entire family.

Mash Day itself is a day in which many families go out to admire the floats and the revellers. But not all families want their children to see the semi- nudity, the lewdness and the heavy consumption of alcohol which has come to characterize Mash Day activities.

There is also the need for more regional events. Each region should eventually be able to host their own Mash Day celebrations and compete for attendance from outside of their region.

For these things to be successful however, what is required is less government involvement and more private sector participation. There is therefore no reason why the entire gamut of activities for Mashramani cannot be hosted and funded exclusively by the private sector.

The government has helped to keep these festivities alive at a time when the private sector was now emerging from a difficult period of economic stagnation. Now that there is a vibrant private sector and given all the signs that the private sector is now stronger and more involved now than ever before, there is no reason why the entire Mash Day activities should not be handed over to them.