Latest update April 24th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jan 01, 2011 AFC Column, Features / Columnists
From Khemraj Ramjattan
AFC Chairman and Presidential
Candidate (2011)
My Fellow Guyanese,
May this new year, 2011, bring to all of us the happiness and prosperity we seek in this fair, green land of ours.
Previous years have seen this clichéd wish not being truly fulfilled for whatever reasons. However, let us together make it happen this time around notwithstanding the severe constraints and challenging hurdles we will face and which often times we self-impose.
The story of our Guyana reminds us of the dilemma of the character Akakavich, who the great Russian writer, Nicolai Gogol, portrayed in his masterful tale called “The Overcoat”.
Akakavich, the owner of an old shabby coat which makes him the butt of many jokes, decides to buy a new one despite his tremendous predicament as to which one is the best to buy, and although he can hardly afford it. Almost immediately after the purchase of the new coat, it is stolen from him. This theft leads to countless misfortunes.
Today, most Guyanese, like the unfortunate Akakavich seem to agree on the need for a new overcoat but not on its size, length, colour, where to buy it, the price to be paid, or even the urgency of the acquisition.
We have been indeed divided as to how to move forward. We have suffered the misfortune of being stolen from. Additionally, there has been fear of what will become of us and our property if we behave in a proper and principled manner.
There has been hesitation to speak out at wrongdoing. Utter silence is the rule these days. There has been a total ignorance as to the direction to be taken.
We must appreciate and accept the true state we are in like this report informs us from AL JAZEERA by correspondent John Terret reporting from Georgetown just on Christmas day 11:19 GMT – “While the populations of many developing countries are rapidly rising, the same cannot be said for the South American nation of Guyana. A large migration of teachers, skilled people, and persons with tertiary education have moved to the United States. The massive outflow of human capital from Guyana is partly due to domestic policies, low salaries, and lack of opportunities. The brain drain has been going on for many years as people emigrate in search of a better life”.
This report, from a network which is the pride of the Government of Guyana, must cause all to pause a while.
2011 must see us being the masters of our individual destinies, doing that which is right and just and befitting our human dignity and morality. Only when we Guyanese jointly and individually pursue such an exercise will we lift ourselves out of the morass we have been dithering in for some five decades.
We must distance ourselves from those who practice discrimination and exploit racism, preach violent politics, perpetuate profligacy with the contents of the public purse, indulge in crushing corruption, and create no space for others through their maximalist leadership styles.
I suppose there is no need to be explicit here as to who I speak of.
Let me end by sharing this other message with you. There was this cynical old man who had done much travel. Eric was his name.
And he was determined to discredit the sage, younger than him, who wanted to improve the town’s circumstances.
The cynic decided to summon the townspeople, and holding a bird in his hand questioned the sage: “Wise one is the bird dead or alive?” If the sage responded that the bird was dead, he would release and let it fly. If the sage responded it was alive, he would crush it to death.
With all the people assembled, he asked again of the wise one. And the sage responded: “The fate of that bird is in your hands”.
The fate of us Guyanese is in our hands. Especially those of us who feel we are not to be involved and are mere bystanders in a country full of atrocities.
We can and must have a hand in transforming the future that awaits us in 2011.
As President Obama said, we must be the change we want! Let 2011 not be another year where that promise remains unfulfilled!
LISTEN HOW JAGDEO WILL MAKE ALL GUYANESE RICH!!!
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