Monday 23 March 2020

LETTER TWO

An Open Letter.

To My Brother-in-Christ, David Arthur Granger.

My formative years were in a wonderful progressive village, Rosignol. Those years molded principles of life upon a solid foundation. "Doing the right thing", stressed by village mentors.

Be principled.

Events of 1955, brought to the forefornt of daily living, race issues throughout the colony. In that wonderful place of Negroes, Indians, three Chinese families, a Frenchman, a Portuguese family, Mulatto, Dougla, Mixed People of Chinese, Indians and Negroes, people shared. And to everyone, the people of African decent were referred to as Cousins, out of respect.

Kind and wonderful villagers became suspicious of their neighbours on the issue of race.

The Distrust that followed has always be troubling to me. Words, hateful thoughts and the actions of unconscionable men and women resulted in the loss of lives and property.

We failed to treat our neighours as we would hope for them to treat us.

Time gives us unique moments and we have had a few over the decades.

When Forbes, took over the country, he failed to govern in the interest of all the people. Instead, he failed the principles of the state of one people one nation one destiny. Many departed. Those that remained faced prejudices from the ardent supporters of Forbes. The first failed opportunity

After twenty eight years, in nineteen ninty two, came Cheddie. Years in opposition, he learn't nothing and so he brought nothing to the country to ease the Distrust when he took over. He too failed-the second failed opportunity.

The Janet and Jagdeo years only further more Distrust. They both presented Sam Hinds to the Afro-Guyanese seriously as someone who will never be the President of Guyana because he had no clout in the Peoples Progressive Party. The third failed opportunity.

The organization of the PPP squandered twenty three years of time to heal the most important division in the nation. That affects stability and progress.

The emergence of David Arthur Granger.

The Peoples National Congress, an organization known for moderates and extremists in relation to Guyanese of Indian decent. Whether mystical, pre-destined or prophetical, the PNC gave you David, their Mantle to stand in arena of Guyanese politics and present your principles and vision to every Guyanese.

In your wisdom , APNU to bridge the divide.

My prayers for decades, like so many other Guyanese all over the world, "Please Lord, let my country find Your Peace."

I saw on Social Media, your prayerful position seeking the Lord on your knees. Your words were silent. And I prayed that the Lord favors you. Because He knows your heart. Men and women felt your honesty, home and abroad. I prayed, we should meet to share the zeal for the Lord and to encourage your efforts to do the right things for Guyana.

How was I to meet you.

Some weeks later, I received word that you were coming to Toronto on a Breakfast Meeting. Living seventy miles away required me to leave home early for the journey to Toronto. So, I made my plans but there were continual efforts not to sell me a ticket for the Breakfast Meeting. First, there were lots of interest from people in Toronto and I was living too far away.  I said to the Lord, "I am entrusting all of this to you O'Lord." Then, there was caution that if I were to be late I would not be allowed in. After a week, I gave up not receiving the ticket. I received a call from one of the organizers, that I am  guaranteed a ticket when I arrived at the venue.

On that day, we briefly met, shaking hands. We started to chat. Suddenly, there was a commotion in the hall. The entourage of Moses Nagamootoo had arrived. We were interrupted.

I listened to your words. There was a vision for every man, woman and child for several generations. You were the leader, the Statesman, the Builder of a Nation with Justice on your mind. A man with the Wisdom of Solomon to serve a troubled country.

After the elections, on social media I saw your attendance at worship services.

After victory, I saw the swearing in ceremonies at Parliament Buildings. The event had the tones of a Righteous Man taking the oath to do Honor and Justice in the Sight of God 

That was all on track for the groundwork to fulfilling your vision.

News of your decisions and actions were contrary to the audible words you made in public. Nothing that seems to heal a nation. You were in the counsel of the ungodly.

I asked myself, how could I have been so wrong.

You became a mole in the APNU for the PNC when you should have risen to the challenge of a Shepherd to the troubled six races of people of Guyana.

Both, you and I, knows that God never makes a mistake. He is sure to leave remnants as reminders to prayerful requests. He left Noah for a new world in Enoch's request. He saved Moses to lead the Jewish people as a promise to Abraham.

Once again, Guyana is in the throes of racial conflicts and disturbances.

I am the remnant to you, not for Guyana. Your words of righteousness and the good life to the people of Guyana came from you. And the electorate gave you the opportunity to do right by them.

The godly men that surrounds you should uphold you in righteousness.

Your words to the people of Linden, " For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."


It is said, when a God-fearing person receives the words from God, he hear the words in the voice of his mentor. In the case of Samuel, he heard Eli's voice when God called him. For me, immediately my thoughts goes back to my youthful days of the village mentors..

When you seek God, examine your immediate thoughts.   


There isn't an easy solution for the current situation Guyana. You need to ask for the wisdom of Solomon. Not the PNC, for they will not  give you the answers to please the nation.

For the Afro-Guyanese, I understand their fears and distrust of the Jagdeo cabal. Likewise the fears of Indo-Guyanese are real believing that rights and justice lies with their vote. Good leadership quells all fears, doubts and distrust. And Guyana lacks that.

These are trying times for the entire world and God in His word tells us of these time, Isaiah 26, verses 20 and 21.

God Bless you my Brother.

Sincerely.
Velutha Kuttapen
timehri@golden.net

www.timehritoday.blogspot.com



Sunday 8 March 2020

Letter One


Fellow Citizens.
It is time we take issues with the Indo thing –the Afro thing – and the Amerind thing.  Governments we’ve had, failed miserably in taking the country in the direction of Nationalism –the pride of belonging to a country. Every government fostered their relationship with the citizens as communities within a community. Be it race or religion. They played the game of quiet division – priding themselves with photo opportunities giving meager handouts – house lots, boat, gifts for cultural events, etc, etc, etc,. The citizens of this country own all the lands and all the resources on it.
Why must we grovel for what is ours?
Guyanese of every race whether at home or abroad would say, “If only the people could see beyond race, Guyana could be a paradise to live in.” One would believe that we never in our life or history ever transcend racism. But we have. Seldom, but we have for moments forgotten our racism.  Think of the times at Bourda, where together, we cheered our cricketing heroes throughout the decades when the scourge of divisional politics came upon us. Similar to the curses of Pandora’s Chest.
In this decade, think of the times when Shivnarine Chandrapaul - at the wicket with his bat. Strokes and blows to the leather chasing a century at a fast pace. The crowds roar with excitement, swept away in the magic of the moment. Everyone at the stadium, television or radio knows, that’s a Guyanese on glory’s trail. The proud moment exclaimed in chants of his name. Not, “Shivnarine Chandrapaul”, instead it is “Chanders”. A name coined by all races of Guyana for their cricketing hero.
For an on-looker, familiar with the reasons of our hatefulness, moistness must come to his or her eyes. Not so much for Chanders’ glory, but to actually see our countrymen and women, for a brief moment forget about their difference.
I want to capture that moment with you. I want to get you to listen to the promise of the future - a glorious future of a better standard of living. And a just society.
I call on all who want to voice, but are quiet. I call on all those who have religiously written in the letter columns of the newsprint – GHK Lall, Leon Suseran, Maxwell, Kissoon, Chris Ram, Golsarran and the many others who have etched their pains, sorrows and dismays with ink on paper. I have read many of my countrymen comments over decades. I call on Tacuma Ogunseye. I call on ACDA.  Mr. Norton you cannot be idle. Karen De Souza and Clarissa Reihl your previous efforts must not be discounted in a movement that seeks a unified opposition. Many of you have been there in the past. Clinton Urling and the Blue Caps movement. The women whose works are beneficial to the abused in our society. Your desires for a better country that cares.
It is time again.
Our country needs a turning back. It has been heading the wrong way since 1953.
I am extending my hand to you, I ask you to take it. When you take it, I will not walk ahead of you. I shall join your ranks. Side by side we will walk – together we will forge our future. And you will be an active part of it.  It is not impossible for such an effort.
 And the deliverer of the Israelites enquired from God and He answered, “Is there anything too hard for Me to do.”      
We cannot escape the Racism that exists in this country. And to say, it is not there, is to fool one self. In particular, we have Guyanese who write continually on the marginalization of Afro-Guyanese. At the current trend, I cannot predict when this nation will be able to embrace itself with the races of people we proudly say we have in our midst. But we must do what we must do to develop a country for all.  We have seen political parties that have trampled on the civil rights of ethnic groups in our history. And we never know when again such men would come out of the woodwork and receive approval of their constituents.
If you have no political affiliations or disillusioned with the current state of this country or you have abandoned a current political party because of indifference to its leadership. This is an invitation to you.
This is a call to every Guyanese.
At no time in our history has this country been so ready for a change. Our representatives still toy with communism, socialism and cronyism or whatever suits their fancies. Failing miserably at providing a system of government that do good for the citizens. Instead of speaking to the needs of the citizens, these Guyanese international speakers glorify the achievements of other nations-not realizing that it was men and women with vision that charted the rise of such countries. In Guyana, our government on all occasions do everything possible to drown out the voices of citizens who want to make their country a better place. Perhaps, it is only lip service they peddle at home and abroad.
Two question needs to be asked. Is there anyone coming to rescue Guyana from the sixty four years of divisional and opportunistic politics? The other question. Will you the multitude of impoverished citizens be willing to change from the inside? Setting aside physical appearance. Choosing the correct path for a country that you will leave behind for your children and the children yet to come after you have departed this life. Our lives are interwoven, yet as Guyanese we live as communities within a community. It is the culture we fashioned for ourselves and culture is in the mind.  When the mind is changed, then the culture will change.
This is your moment to stop the wholesale giving away of your inheritance. Our own takes advantage of our indifferences.
Choose well.
For we are a people given the blessed inheritance of fertile ground- rich with minerals, vast forests and water ways teeming with life. Our forefathers had arrived here by different boats from continents and cultures we can only read about. But today, we are all in this boat we proudly call Guyana - the same boat. Unknowingly, a unique culture was fashioned for us and every verse of our National Anthem reminds us of it. The colours on our national flag display our diversity.
And from time to time, we are told by those who govern us, we are One People, One Nation with One Destiny. Those who say so, have not demonstrated the true meaning of those words. As an impoverished people, you are busy trying to survive in a country that cares less about poverty and caring of the aged. Lacking the desires of offering a better standard of living to the citizens.
For five of the races - our presence on this land is fairly recent in comparison to the Native People-first to arrive out of the Old World into this New World. Living uninterrupted for thousands of years before adventurous Europeans imposed themselves among them. Later, Gold, Greed and God mingled in their midst-inflicting severe hardships for those who were brought here from West Africa, The Azores, China, Calcutta, Madras and Bombay.
As a nation, you overcame adversities by conscientious action-Slave Rebellions, Emancipation, Labour Unrest, Independence and many more trials.
Political Independence was never about the end of adversities - instead of foreign, we now have to contend with our own homebred elites.
So, my fellow countrymen.
This is just another adversity we have to overcome. Remove an old political system riddled with careless and doan care individuals.
Once, not so many years ago I boarded a flight out of Timehri. Thirty thousand feet in the air, I opened the BWIA magazine. There, I read of a man who lived in England that had travelled the Hinterlands of British Guiana. I did not read twice. For it is true for every Guyanese, no matter where we live. I would learn the meaning of the Amerindian word “Timehri”-the mark of the hand. The writer reflected on the drawings etched into the rocks, depicting the way of life of the native people of Guiana. Our history is incomplete without theirs - for they have treasured these lands for thousands of years. They are not a culture. They are a civilization.
The writer continued, “For the produce of the ground (Guyana) nourished my body and my thirst quenched by its streams.”
Reflections on that article caused me to be grateful for growing up in Guyana.
I remembered the countless individuals of my village, they were role models with encouraging words.
Many gone from this life.
I cannot drown that article out of my head. Neither can I surrender the goodness and kindness of those who have invested in me and others like me in the multitudes of village that make up Guyana. That was a time in Guyana when we had something of value.
It is time to care again.

Sincerely,
Velutha Kuttapen.
www.timehritoday.blogspot.com