Latest update April 18th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jan 22, 2022 Letters
Dear Editor,
Kaieteur News – In the beginning of the fantastic words in the Book titled, “Not for Sale,” by the Ghanian Koranteng Pipim, Ph.D, it begins, “ You believed that it’s possible to change the world – by being changed.
You challenged the status quo – by putting quo in the status. You inspired a generation of youth – by your excellence, sacrifice and commitment. You still believe. You still challenge. And you still inspire! To God be the Glory.”
I pen this letter on the holiday in the USA in honour of Civil Rights Leader, Martin Luther King (Jnr) who noted – “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
Privately and publicly, I was critical of the Coalition Government I support, PNC/APNU in their handling of new discoveries of massive gas and oil resources. In one of the series of talks held in my compound in Lodge, I reminded young and old that unless our political leaders on both sides of the political divide exercise prudence, purity and nationalistic fervour, this bounty of oil could turn out to be a burden and bane to be endured by my children and their children’s children, and that I was very concerned that so many of our citizens seem unable, unwilling or afraid to speak up for wherever reason.
My mantra was and remains to educate by sharing information and knowledge. This will allow us to agitate against wrongs and therefore, as a people, be truly liberated. A vibrant democracy is where citizens are free to examine issues and express their views within the boundaries of propriety.
This allows those who govern to listen and not ignore the views of concerned citizens and patriots. Last Thursday, January 13, 2022, Mr. Glenn Lall moved to the Courts to seek justice for Guyanese populace in what appears to be a lopsided arrangement put in place by the pre-2020 Governments and this march of folly continued by a post August 2, 2020 Government.
The details of the case brought by Glenn Lall thru his Attorney is a step in the right direction to emancipate a democracy, which is now threatened. Set apart, the clumsy pernicious Natural Resources Bill, a few weeks ago, citizens of Guyana are being offered a raw deal and we face a re-worked system of imperialist re-colonisation being imposed on the descendants of our earliest inhabitants, the Amerindians, descendants of slaves and the descendants of immigrants.
We urge all of our political leaders to be true to the wisdom of a united front in dealing with the mighty conglomerates. Guyanese of every walk of life, I urge you, whatever your political and religious beliefs, to read the petition published in Friday’s Kaieteur News, dealing with the above stated matter and share it with family and friends. Over the past several generations, the ideas and courage of citizens made a difference and we must never underestimate the power and influence of the voices of the people. The examples abound in alphabetical order “-Afghanistan 1979-2001, America 1776, China 1911-1949, England 1642-9, France 1789, Germany 1933, Iran 1978-9, The Netherlands 1585, and Russia 1917.”
To those of you and I know there are quite a few, who feel oppressed, weak, and that we can’t make a difference, hold on to the hope that a pen is mightier than the sword, and that the major changes in the world emerge from the power of the populace exercising their rights to speak up for justice and decency. Guyanese need to be reminded that we must be grateful to Exxon and others for bringing oil and gas out of the bowels of the ocean within our economic zone. As a youngster, in the political arena, we heard and believed that we had oil, but before and after Independence, for a number of complex reasons, this hope for oil wealth was never realised. As a member of the Cabinet, we were shown samples of Crude Oil taken from the Takutu area by Home Oil. The reason given for not pursuing further extraction and piping it to the Coast was that the oil produced was too heavy and therefore not feasible.
End of story, and I emphasize story. We must however, as we say thanks, not allow what appears to be naked exploitation, to go without Guyana demanding a better deal. It is here that we should likewise give thanks to the likes of Glenn Lall whose courage and patriotism is helping to open our eyes to what appears to be a lopsided arrangement. Too many of our political leaders seem to possess no form of ancestral piety disregarding sacrifices and humiliation of our noble forebearers and lack the vision to ensure that the Guyanese receive optimum benefit from this God-given natural resource.
Some friends are afraid to speak up because we have sections of our Police Force, behaving like a typical State Police holding the sword of Damocles over the heads of people, whose only crime is to analyse a situation and speak the truth. A complete contradiction of freedom of speech and a breach of what we are taught to be a democracy – this is the challenge facing us today. To those I say, “Fear is man’s worst enemy and a hindrance to progress. Fear is met and destroyed with courage.”
James Belle noted, “Again and again when the struggle seems hopeless and all opportunity lost, some man or woman with a little more courage, a little more effort brings victory.” I look forward to the day when from Pakariama’ s peak of power to Corentyne’s lust sands, from the North West to the source of our rivers, children of Amerindian, African, East Indian, Chinese, Portuguese descent and those delightful mixed races can share equally in the bounty of our forest, marine resources and minerals or agricultural lands and together raise their heads as the roses raise their crowns to greet the dawn of a new day. A Guyana blessed with brilliant sunshine, rainfall with no snow, no sleet, no storms.
That we thank the Creator, for his bounteous gifts and when the gap between the haves and have nots is no longer. A country where benefits accrue to those who study, work hard and are diligent. A country where people are judged only by their morals and spirituality, children and our people, based on their hard work, and they are judged only by their morals and spirituality. Glenn Lall and others deserve the highest award in bringing light and hope where darkness and gloom existed. I can do no better than to remind us of the words of the Late Dr. Yesu Persaud, who passed away a few days ago, who said, “We came in different ships, but we are now in the same boat.”
Regards
Hamilton Green
JAGDEO ADDING MORE DANGER TO GUYANA AND THE REGION
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