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Indo Caribbean
World October 9, 2002
Reader's
Response
Jagdeo
should act with firmness, or resign
The Editor:
This is a
call from a concerned expatriate Guyanese in the U.K. We abroad must all speak
out with one voice and combine our efforts to bring pressure on Bharat Jagdeo to
act now or step down from office. We are fed with a daily dose of carnage in
Guyana perpetrated by criminals with political backing. Nothing is done to bring
those who incite mayhem, to justice. Enough is not done to pursue to the bitter
end the criminals who target people of Indian descent. Nothing is
done to
eradicate injustice on the whole in
Guyana.
Bharat Jagdeo is a
nice person who prefers the 'softly, softly' approach who wants dialogue, all
good principles, but what good has it brought the ever suffering people of
Guyana? Your paper has cited the many known cases of murder, rape, arson, and
countless other crimes against our Indian brothers and sisters in
Guyana.
Guyana wants a fair but
Firm leader, a no nonsense President that leads from the front. One who is not
going to be dictated to by the opposition, one who is not going to succumb to
blackmail, or threats from anyone
. A person in the mould of Rudy Guliani of New York. One who
confronts all criminals face on, talk tough and get the job done, not begging
for compromises. Bharat's government won the mandate of the people at a free and
fair democratic election on policies that were put to the people. The forum for
discussions is Parliament; all debates must be open and done in the public
arena. If Hoyte and his Party want to boycott Parliament, then tough! The
Government must get on with the business and govern. The stumbling block is the
absence of a trusting police force and army to maintain law and order. I suggest
this problem must be targeted now. You either move the seat of government to a
safer environment, say in Berbice, or tackle the/attitude of the law enforcement
bodies with a firm hand.
Bharat Jagdeo has
tried the conciliatory route without any significant success. He is unable to
look Desmond Hoyte in the eyes and call his bluff. Take it from me - come the
next general elections in Guyana, if the PPP/ Civic were to win - Georgetown
will again be torched - history will repeat itself unless the criminal
fraternity is pursued to the bitter end, the Police Force is cleansed of
corruption, dunce police officers off loaded, racial imbalance is addressed, and
professionalism returned to the Police Force once again.
Bharat Jagdeo must ask members of Caricom/USA/UK to loan Police or
Army personnel to help Guyana with cleansing of the Police force, and putting it
back on a professional level. I have seen the President's recent statement on
the initiatives to help the police force fight crime. How or why should anybody
provide more training and more equipment to a body that you cannot trust? I
suggest that Jagdeo dense the police force, remove corruption, racial imbalance,
and the attitude problem, then by all means assist their effectiveness. Jagdeo
should not settle for a short term, cosmetic job. He should act now, ask for
help. Positive discrimination or affirmative action is necessary to redress the
racial imbalance. Offer a good salary to attract educated and well intentioned
candidates to the force, and have confidence in our Indian people to head the
Police Force and Army. I was a Police Officer in the Guyana Police Force, I was
a serving member of the Special Branch, I am now a Criminal Lawyer in the U.K.
and the Chairman of the Caribbean Indian Social and Cultural Association here in
the U.K. I am prepared to give whatever help or advice is deemed necessary to
put the Guyana. Police Force on a well balanced professional level and bring
back respect for law and order once again in Guyana.
Guyana will not
progress as long as fear continues - fear for one's life, fear for the lives of
innocent Guyanese still in that country, for one's businesses, fear to walk the
streets of Guyana unmolested, fear to sleep soundly at nights, fear for our
women folks being attacked and molested, fear to speak up for one's rights, fear
of corrupt Police Officers. Fear must be stamped out now...or Jagdeo should do
the honourable thing and step down and give someone else within his party the
chance to stamp his authority - a fearless leader, who has the confidence in
confronting
the problems in Guyana head on. Delay is detrimental.
I
call on all Guyanese Organisations in Canada and USA not to sit idly by whilst
our brothers and sisters, the unfortunate ones still in Guyana are being killed,
raped, or have their properties destroyed or stolen. They are deprived of many
luxuries that we enjoy overseas, they need our help as there is no one else to
turn to during this hour of darkness. Bharat has failed to provide them with the
necessary protection every Guyanese deserves. They go to bed not knowing if they
will see the next day alive. The loss of one life, is one too many. I do not
have any animosity towards Bharat Jagdeo, he is a good person, but he is not
made of the sturdy material that is needed to lead Guyana out of this crisis.
All Indo Guyanese are in the clutches of fear. Let us try to save the next life
in Guyana, now. By organisations acting together with one voice, we can surely
persuade Bharat Jagdeo to step down and give another candidate within the PPP,
the task of making
Guyana a safer place to live.
Taij Ramnarace (U.K)
