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May 26 should be redesignated in the Guyanese
calendar
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Dear Editor:
Rudy Lochan’s letter (Memories associated with
Guyana's Independence, ICW May 25/05) about the Wismar
rape and massacre of Indo-Guyanese on May 24-26, 1964
and the Burnham-PNC’s choice of the date, May 26,
for Guyana’s independence, indeed, brought back many
bitter memories. How we forget these significant
atrocities and the Burnham-PNC’s machinations and
their salt-in-wound date alignment, as time passes and
once we are removed from the location!
Mrs. Jagan resigned as Home Affairs minister following
the said massacre because the Commissioner of Police
and British troops’ commander in Guyana failed to
heed her warnings of the imminent pogrom on Indians
and to send neutral British troops.
The fact that Wismar-type atrocities continue today,
mainly along the East Coast of Demerara under a PPP
government, is a sad reflection on the effectiveness
of the current administration.
What can Indians expect if there is a change in
administration?
Look at T&T where another form of predatory ethnic
cleansing is taking place.
So, structural changes are required in the Guyana
security forces to avoid escalation. In other parts of
the world, some of these corrections are called
“affirmative action”.
Another critical affirmative step that the PPP
administration needs to take is to expunge the May 26
genocidal date from the Guyana Constitution and, with
time, from the minds of Guyanese as Guyana’s
Independence Day. The PPP should forthwith promulgate
a Bill to change the de jure independence date to
another date. If PNC resistance subverts the needed
66%, the government can always declare the alternative
de facto date on which actual commemorations are held.
Finally, the May 26 date should be set aside as a
grievous Remembrance Day to recognize the Indo-Guyanese
children, women and men who suffered simply for their
ethnicity. This should also help serve as a deterrent
to the continual current Wismar-like atrocities on
Indo-Guyanese.
Veda Nath Mohabir, Toronto
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Dear
Editor: I am a Guyanese studying overseas and have been
following the news in Guyana recently. Everyday I ask myself
if I am going to return to Guyana or not. If and when I
graduate I will decide.
I
never dreamt that Guyana would have become the war zone it
is today. It is beyond my comprehension what is happening.
When
I left Guyana on the 1st of April last year everything was
relatively normal. I never thought that I would read of
killings of people who I dwelt with.
I
have a question for all Guyanese - are we going to sit and
let politicians guide us into the fire of destruction? Or
are we going stand up and do something?
We
have an opposition party whose main aim seems to be to wreak
havoc in our country and a government which does not seem to
be able to function. Plus criminals, who some people now see
as heroes. Man, Guyanese make the wild west seem calm.
Buxton has become the haven for criminals. What are the
police and soldiers doing?
When
Indo-Guyanese are targeted on the streets and in their
homes, there are certain sectors of the population that
remain quiet. But when an Afro-Guyanese gets killed there
are protests and mayhem all around. I thought we were all
Guyanese.
Remember
one thing fellow Guyanese, the world is round and when you
stand for injustice it will be your downfall.
To
all, just put the politicians aside and think. Do you want a
war zone or do you want peace? God help us all, for we seem
unable to lead or follow or to decide what we want. Power is
with the people and not the government. Every Guyanese can
make a change.
Dalchand
Lakhan
