BEYOND THE HORIZON-Ravi Dev and Vincent Alexander

 All leadership encourages their followers to aspire towards progress and in many cases coin the phrase, "Beyond the Horizon." meaning, in the effort of a better future.

Ravi Dev referred to the phrase pertaining to President Desmond Hugh Hoyte and Barama, the Korean Plyboard Company. The title of his speech to the nation of Guyana.

Pre-Independence British Guiana work force were held to the highest standards and those who worked for the Colonial government and Bookers undertook their tasks with diligence. And almost the entire colony worked in that discipline. 

All of that culture disappeared in just four years after independent Guyana.

By the time Barama set up in Guyana, the country was psychologically affected. Any and everything was in demand in Guyana, people stole anything. No matter what it was, there was money to be made. Because someone needed it. The purchasers did not care where it came from, clothes on clothe lines disappeared, pots, pans, bicycles, cutlasses and every item that wasn't anchored into concrete, at least couple of feet deep.

Cutlasses were considered a weapon, needed at least three signatures of PNC authorities to purchase one.

The moral of many Indians were low, they drank to the point of intoxication and danced away to the sounds of Babla and Kanchan. 

All the gifts of Chinese factories given to Guyana to maintain employment of its citizens eventually became derelict. Buses given to Guyana by the Indian Government, driven recklessly and discarded after a few years.

Certainly, Burnham did not work in those factories neither did he drive the buses. We the people did, the citizens. And the prejudices that prevailed then and now, initiated by we the people.

No politician can make citizens hate one another. As gods they live away from us, the common people.

Ravi Dev: 

Barama had problems in maintaining production on the weekend. Friday nights, Saturdays and Sundays, many workers were absent. That attitudes still exists today, in both racial groups. Weddings and partying would take preferences over work.

 During the twenty eight years of PNC governance, the Guyana Agricultural Bank did loan Afro-Guyanese sums of money to create venturers. The Bank at its closure reported huge losses. Money never repaid.

The Rice Industry was res-structured. Production fell due to the lack of incentives to grow the crop.

The Sugar Industry was indeed entirely managed by Afro-Guyanese. Many graduates from Bookers Training Centre. Educated as technicians and not managers. The industry almost collapsed until the managing group of Booker Tate took it over.

No manner of shout down will ever discard these historical events in Guyana. I think that is what two of the panelist is attempting to do. Don't want Black People to hear of it.

Vincent Alexander:

Indians did work at the Demerara Bauxite Company. In nineteen Sixty Four, close to 3000 Indians had to evacuated from Wismar and neighboring districts. Referring to the Wismar Massacre.

When PAYE was introduced in the country, every citizen working for a reputable company had the taxes deducted from their wages. Both coolie and black people. And both these races working in the underground economy never paid taxes, even unto dis day.

At emancipation, African villages had to pay taxes, that is true. But you claimed, Indians were living in nuclear villages and never paid taxes. I am sure you are aware of the history of that arrangement. Your discussions are well prepared, that tells me you know but some how not perceived the way an Indian would. So please indulge me.

Indians when they moved off the plantations, lived in many Black villages. Villages, close by Sugar Factories, they continued to work. On the Settlements, the Sugar Company developed, were ran by the Sugar Welfare Fund for their workers. And Bookers paid the government its taxes, colonial and  Independent Guyana Government. Services to these settlements were not administered by any government, done by the Sugar Welfare Fund. 

I worked at Blairmont Sugar Estate in 1960, the period when Bookers decided to treat its workers a little bit decent. My forefathers must have been happy, considering they worked for one shilling per day from 1838 to 1922. That was a paid sacrifice. Once for All Bonus was extra money to do the thing one hoped to do. I bought a blue tyrlene shirt and a pair of Classic shoe. If yuh old like me, you would know it wasn't cheap. 

On the topic of caste, many Indians are Christians and those who are Hindus doan even know or consider castes in their daily lives in Guyana. If anything, the privilege Indians have the mentality as of the Brahmins, similar to your Colored People of Guyana, a full blooded Negro would know of their contempt back then. 

On the topic of rice. The internet and YouTube can settle any difference of opinions. It is all right there for us to see. Sam Hinds on a Talk Program said, several Afro-Guyanese in Maichony planted rice and the crop was unpredictable as for yields.  

Burma was a plant setup by the PNC government to mill rice, paddy supplied by the rice farmers. And the Indians grumbled about the price of paddy. Eventually, the crop production reduced. The country had limited foreign exchange, so rice was sacrificed.

On the question of land. Nothing stays the same. At emancipation, things were one way and by 1917, the colony had arrived at a different plan, a colonial directive. Sugar increased production, more lands were cultivated. Independent plantations became fewer with larger conglomerates. The British were developing sugar since 1838 to be greater production. That is why there were 80, 000 Africans to 239,000 Indians in the colony. The British owned the place, dey duh wah dey want. Forbes nationalized Bookers and never separated the vast amounts of land owned. Onto this day the government has the lands. Forbes too busy ignoring the Indian People, he nice to dem alrite but his interest were with the Afro-sympathy for enslavement. Despite being overlooked, once the opportunity availed itself, Indians went about working the land without any malice. The world had changed but the British stayed the course and sold Amerindian lands as they wished. Since Ancient times, Indians worked the land in India. It is in their veins, it is what they hoped for. The upper castes are few in comparison to the underprivilege castes who are hundreds of millions whose lands were confiscated by the invading Hindus delegating them as Shudras, Chamars and untouchables. Many who came to British Guiana were slaving to the Brahmins who never held a plough in their hands

BEING SAD

Wished I was a creative writer so that I can transfer my sadness to you the reader, through words. 

But I am not prolific enough.

Social media in inundated with commentaries, Guyanese of all races, men and women. 

On every topic.

All of it very serious and interesting, some comedic.

There has been many commentaries on the progress of Black Guyanese, as the commentators puts it.

Overwhelmed with sadness, as it pervaded my inner being, after listening to David Hinds, Vincent Alexander, Nigel Hughes and Olive Sampson. What was said had no distortions or untruths. However, I gathered the panelists were not keen on solutions. 

The question begged to be asked, "Is it expected of the Indians to discipline Bharrat Jagdeo?"

If the panelist have been paying attention, since the Jagans coronate Bharrat Jagdeo, he has basically controlled the Peoples Progressive Party. He has dominated the Presidency of Sam Hinds, Donald Ramotar and Irfaan Ali. It is treasonous to pretend to be the President of Guyana. Even David Granger gave the honor to Joseph Harmon.

We've had men who are not politicians, not even opportunists, but simply lacks the will to do the right thing for the whole country. Instead, they feared a system that penalized.

Dominance by race seems to be an approval for Progressiveness.

The PPP is guilty of it, but the PNC has too. Forbes twenty eight years of it made it appeared Guyana had no Indians beyond those in his association. Then there was the APNU/AFC, at a meeting in Toronto, Indians welcome Granger and their high expectations. Granger smiled and made his speech. After elected, the administration did the worst. I look back and wondered if the thought was, "Typical Coolie Greed." 

So we appeared to be lost with only Bharrat Jagdeo as the most dominant force in the political landscape along with the crop of cronies.

No malice intended, I have followed these issues for a very long time.

Now, let  take David Hinds, he says, "only Black people muss talk bout Black people issues."

Then there is Vincent Alexander, highly theoretical on the history of Black people. Show some entrepreneurial initiative to the impoverished, they need the help, Show the way.

Mr, Nigel Hughes, has all the data for the transgressions of the State. I believe him. Coolie people can be very vindictive even to another Indian. How can there be a correction to a society, one that only acess the merits of a leadership? We have lost trust in Indian leadership and Black leadership likewise. The country needs need leadership. Perhaps, you should be a contender. But, I am concerned about the way you sound. It is wrong what the PPP is doing. Your commentary must be in a tone that is just regardless of the opponent.

Ms. Olive Sampson, Berbice and the Combined Colonies of Essequibo and Demerara have a history. British Guiana have a history. Unfortuneate, the PNC never bothered to implement history in schools. The PPP on other hand preferrs stage performances rather than building libraries stacked with books. PPP Presidents love to bump and grind on stage, they are on video doing it. Books is not their thing, but Books are a Black people thing. And Forbes, highly intelligent, did not impress the minds of our generation. We have a Guianese known for his intelligence, Ivan Van Sertima. In his novel of the 1930s, he gave us a glimpse of our history. He wrote of the coloreds mainly mulatto and creole, putagees, negroes and coolies. He painted a picture with words, prejudices of the city. Basically, coolies were treated as stray dogs, pelted with bricks as fun. I think WE GUYANESE are a hateful people. Our history demonstrates that behavior.

I PLAN TO ADD MORE from time to time.