Strength in our diversity

Dear Editor,
The defeat of the APNU+AFC Coalition by the hands of the PPP/C at the March 2, 2020 elections has brought out all manner of ridiculous and bizarre conspiracies by supporters of the Coalition, who are trying to explain away their defeat.

However, the most obnoxious, vilest and racist conspiracy theory has come from Eric Phillips, in a press release on June 11, 2020 on behalf of Commissioners of the Guyana Reparations Committee. In that press release, the Commissioners made some ridiculous claims and assertions. They also tried to draw various parallels with situations in other countries to what is currently taking place here.

An examination of this press release exposes a series of fallacies being promoted by these unnamed Commissioners – outside of Eric Phillips – and recommendations that seek to divide us as a nation, instead of trying to bring us together. It is, however, obvious where these individuals are coming from, and it is not out of concern for the black population here in Guyana, but springs from a wish to protect and preserve the good life that a select group has enjoyed under the coalition.

Eric Phillips and others like him have shown no real interest in assisting the black community in Guyana. They’re only vocal when their own interests are threatened.
Where were these voices when the Coalition increased the hardships of Guyanese, putting their livelihoods under threat? Where were they when farmers in West Berbice had their leases for agricultural lands revoked? Of course, Guyanese found out that thousands of acres in that area were reassigned in a less-than-transparent manner.

Those farmers are mainly of African descent. Where were they when the APNU+AFC Coalition cruelly took away the cash grants from our school children? Those cash grants were of great help to the Afro-Guyanese community; however, that didn’t affect these favoured few in any way, so they could not have been bothered. And these are only the least of the questions.

In the mentioned press release, they highlighted the same allegations being made by the APNU+AFC Coalition – claims about electoral fraud perpetuated by the PPP. These accusations have been debunked time and time again, and only serve to demonstrate that, for their own narrow purposes, they, like the Coalition, are more than willing to discredit the same persons whom they claim to defend.

It was APNU+AFC agents, most of African descent, who oversaw the election day’s activities on behalf of the Coalition, and not one of those individuals made any accusation of any suspicious activity on the day. Yet we are now told to believe that those persons, who are loyal to the Coalition, were working in concert with the PPP. Not forgetting also all the GECOM staff.

Eric Phillips and the other unnamed Commissioners, who support the contents of the press release, should be ashamed of the baseless allegations they are making against these mostly young Afro-Guyanese persons.
Also, to somehow try to equate Guyana with the terrible genocide that took place in Rawanda is beyond the pale. It is not only disrespectful to all those Rawandans who lost close to 800,000 of their population, but is a downright lie. Time and time again, the claim of black males being killed during the PPP term in office has been debunked. One would have thought that the 35-page Stabroek News expose would have killed this absurdity, but those with a narrow racist agenda persist with the absurdity.

In the Eric Phillips press release, there was also a suggestion that we divide up the country and live separately from each other. A few years back, Ravi Dev suggested a similar division. Fortunately, patriotic Guyanese, including the then PPP government, dismissed that suggestion outrightly.

We all recognise that our strength lies in our diversity. No one who truly loves this country and its people would make such a suggestion.
The press release also drew on other racist stereotypes, like suicide and family conflicts. These are social ills that do not recognise race, but these individuals would have us believe that they are distinct to one race only.

The Commissioners of the Committee are also pushing a dangerous agenda. Their not-so-subtle message to the disciplined services cannot be ignored. Fortunately, this was tried before, and failed. Desmond Hoyte, with his infamous suggestion about kith and kin, did not stop our servicemen and women from performing their duties professionally. I suspect the same will once again apply.

In the press release, we clearly see what the main issue is. It is not about protecting and promoting the black population in Guyana; it is about protecting the actual and anticipated wealth of a few. It is no accident that there was a suggestion of dividing up the oil wealth. For the Coalition and those who benefit from them, everything is about oil.

Those who pen this diatribe are beneficiaries of lucrative real estate directly linked to the oil and gas industry. It is these investments that they are seeking to protect, and their rantings have nothing to do with the ordinary Afro- Guyanese persons who have suffered immensely under the Coalition regime.

An examination of the votes at the last elections would show that the PPP/C were able to gain substantial votes from the black community, who recognise that their lives are much better under the PPP. As an Afro-Guyanese, I wish to state clearly that the authors of this missive do not speak for me, and do not speak for many Afro-Guyanese who are willing to live their lives based upon the same values of the Old and New Testament that was mentioned in the release.

We do not see everything through the narrow prism of race; we enjoy our cultural differences, and we enjoy partaking in those cultural activities as we learn and appreciate each other more.
We will never support anyone or any group that seeks to divide us, as we know fully well that those persons do not have our interests at heart.

It may be difficult for some to accept that the Coalition lost the elections. However, it has lost, and it is now time to move on. Nothing will change the results, and any attempt to defy the will of the people will see all of us suffering; and unfortunately, the Afro-Guyanese population will suffer more.

Anyone who truly cares about our race will do everything in their power not to let that happen.

Yours truly,
Sherwyn Greaves

Editor’s note: Ravi Dev proposed a federal structure to a unified Guyanese state, such as in the US.