Ram’s way just another opinion

Aug 07, 2025 Letters

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Dear Editor,

Kaieteur News – Mr. Christopher Ram wrote a letter the other day in S/S 3.8.’25 about ‘floor-crossing’. He dismissed the action as ‘solely a career strategy.’ Well, so much for just another opinion on that political phenomenon.

I won’t challenge Ram’s opinion. To me, floor crossing is strictly a personal matter. It attracts public interest depending on the party affected, length of membership of the floor crosser in that party; whether the person has a high profile in society; their exposure on TV, radio, mainstream media or social media outlets; degree of societal estimation of their profession; the extent to which they reflect the culture of ‘Dr. Politics;’ their reputation in and out of parliament, their ability to communicate effectively across the political and ethnic divide, as well as the spread of their circle of friends and associates.

Floor-crossers may have the ability to model, simulate, and ultimately anticipate the intentions and behaviors of their erstwhile colleagues as well as their adversaries and others, in the organization to which they belonged or wished to belong, using a combination of personal and political experience and interests.

To me, it is a question of behavior analytics or ‘mental ingenuity’ as Marcel Proust put it in his book; ‘Swann’s Way – ‘In Search of Lost Time.’ Aspects of Proust’s work bears some resemblance to those who may have consciously crossed over.

Who knows? Maybe the floor-crosser’s casus belli with his or her erstwhile confederates, was based on revenge; a feeling being marginalized or ignored when policy issues are to be discussed and with rumors and whispers maliciously being spread about them. As a consequence, what may have driven them outwards and towards was perhaps opportunism, seeking relevance, tactical or strategic, freedom from want and to want, mutual considerations or just outright and unhinged ambitiousness, As one of the many put it “I feel valued, I feel respected” having crossed over from his party to another.

Observers claim that in the world of political happenings crossing the floor is not unusual, it is a natural thing that blows through the humdrum and rumble and tumble of political life. But that’s just another opinion. For me, it’s a question of deep conviction. I take myself as an example and ask; where or to whom can I cross over to, other than to my grave or the cremation pyre and then to be saved or damned since neither I nor Ram cannot change our souls’ fate.

It is for these and other existential factors of life, that I disagree with Christopher Ram when he wrote that; ‘The PPP/C might have refined the practice of crossing the floor, but like so many things, it started under Forbes Burnham in the sixties. Back in those days, crossing the floor in Guyana was a matter of profound principle. It meant wrestling with conscience, confronting ideology, and severing bonds of personal and political loyalty nurtured over years of struggle. Whether in the era of black-and-white manifestos or red-fist revolutions, the decision to walk away from one’s political home came with risk, self-reflection, and often, sacrifice. It was not about contracts or comfort – it was about conviction. Not in the sense of criminal charges but ideological beliefs.’

To reinforce his case, Ram made reference to a number of persons who I would describe as turncoats, political grasshoppers and renegades. Their departure from the PPP had little or nothing to do with ideology nor conviction. Here’s why….‘Armchair socialists’ like Vincent Teekah, Ranji Chandisingh, Halim and Zahir Majeed fell victim to left ideological deviation and opportunism; having put themselves up for sale they were all bought by Burham and rewarded as VP, minister and advisers

Trade unionists like Harrylall, Leonard Durant, Patrick Allen and Lalbachan Lalbahadur were politically and ideologicall weaklings known to imbibe lots of rum combined with plenty talk, but no action. They were all bought by Burnham in keeping with his publicly stated belief “Everyman has a price.” They got nothing save the last one, who was sent to teach at Cuffy Ideological College.

Lilian Maud Branco, the business woman from New Amsterdam, was known to be weak, but glamorous. She never sought to read to uplift herself politically or ideologically, she was known to be susceptible to being played by the race card. Burnham dealt her a winning hand at the card game, he threatened to close down her business if she refused to crossover. She did.

Peter Scarce and Edgar Ambrose were both rice farmers from the Essequibo Island of Leguan, Burnham to seize their paddy and rice land if they did not cross over to the PNC. They did.

Yacoob Ally’s butcher shop at the corner of Vlissengen Road and Lamaha Street was threatened by Burnham to take away his butcher’s license after a raid on his shop where banned goods were found. Ally hurriedly closed shop and left the country Moses Bhagwan became uncontrollable and defiant to the party’s political line, His was one of political extremism prone to the use of violence as a means to an end. The Party’s leadership did look favourable upon Bhagwan’s line of march, his was inimical to the long term interest of the party. He was eased out.

As for Balram Singh, his ego was probably bigger that São Paulo and Manhattan combined, he was obsessed with replacing Chedddi Jagan as leader of the PPP; was financed by external sources to help his Justice Party contest elections in 1964 winning a miserable 1,334 votes. That was the last hurray for him.

I close this discussion with Proust once again, “We do not receive wisdom, we must discover it for ourselves, after a journey through the wilderness which no one else can make for us, which no one can spare.” -‘Swann’s Way’

Yours faithfully,
Clement James Rohee

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• Christopher Ram, Clement James Rohee, floor-crossing, opinion

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