Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Aug 23, 2010 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon
There is an eruption of anger in the WPA and a mutiny inside the mind of Dr. David Hinds over the organized visit of Mr. Jagdeo to Buxton. Three dimensions of the analysis need to be focused on. One is the psychological chagrin of Hinds himself. He is from Buxton and as someone who fought for Guyana’s freedom and was jailed for three years for his bravery, his rage is understood but it should not take centre stage. More important are the other two aspects of the event.
One is the direct involvement of Buxtonians in the success of Mr. Jagdeo’s presence. I believe the word, “success” is appropriate because there were no visible manifestation of protest in the village. The crucial argument in this entire affair is the accusation of David Hinds, the WPA and African rights activists of the insult of the presence of power-holders in a village that symbolizes the historical role of African Guyanese in the evolution of this country. It comes at a time when those very power-holders have designed and pursued an agenda of discrimination and marginalization of the African political economy in this land.
The theme of those who resent the projection of state power in Buxton as represented by the Jagdeo visit is that African Guyanese are betraying themselves and the African community. As both a political activist and a political analyst, I fail to see the reason for this recent accusation of African betrayal of their community. This has been going on for years now and its most pathetic expression can be found at the University of Guyana. David Hinds is a dear friend of mine, someone I respect and admire but I failed to see the reason for the present passion.
The outburst from African rights activist over the Jagdeo visit to Buxton should not be downplayed but at the same time, the bold fact of African betrayal and African self-destruction should not be obfuscated by this genuine hurt of the African people in Guyana. This writer is being honest when he says that he can identify only three African Guyanese who understand the dynamics that are pushing African betrayal – Mark Benschop, Barrington Braithwaite and Tacuma Ogenseye. The rest of the African leadership need to come to grips with their own silence over the past eight years, over African betrayal and African self-destruction in Guyana, particularly manifested at the University of Guyana.
I honestly cannot treat David’s feelings with the concern it deserves when I know that I have written countless times over the same African self-erasure that I saw playing out at UG. Fate plays strange tricks on us. Fate sometimes intervenes and makes us see the things we hide from ourselves. The chairman of the proceedings in Buxton, who sat next to Mr. Jagdeo and called his visit historic, is a lecturer at UG. Was this accidental? No, it was not. This was fate coming to the rescue of Frederick Kissoon. This is fate coming to the rescue of the African people.
There had to be a UG content in the visit of Mr. Jagdeo to Buxton because it is at UG, the African self-destruction began. When the PPP came to power, it accepted the realization that UG was not going to be a PPP enclave because the PPP constituencies were not in the majority at that institution. The PPP set about to humiliate, downgrade and de-fund UG. In this configuration, Mr. Jagdeo played a phenomenal master stroke. If there is anything I would give Mr. Jagdeo credit for is his devastating success at realpolitik in dealing with non-PPP constituencies at UG.
I still think political commentators have not studied carefully the brilliant strategies of Mr. Jagdeo in his dealing with non-PPP enclaves that he thought should be minimized. When his presidency is over, I will continue to write about this aspect of his politics because its climax resides in his visit to Buxton. My point is that the path of realpolitik that Mr. Jagdeo embarked upon has reached its logical conclusion in Buxton. Mr. Jagdeo went into Buxton knowing fully well, he had won.
I will conclude with the biggest joke in Caribbean politics. The PPP Government told African Guyanese, “Yuh want a Blackman to rule over UG, well alright, we will give you a Blackman.” And indeed the PPP gave UG a Blackman. And never mind the Blackman was not politically a Blackman and never mind the Blackman wasn’t serving the interests of African Guyanese, he was still a Blackman, and African Guyanese, including PNC leaders at UG, embraced him. This is self-betrayal and self-destruction. Will it stop now?
Where is the BETTER MANAGEMENT/RENEGOTIATION OF THE OIL CONTRACTS you promised Jagdeo?
Apr 19, 2024
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