I give a warm round to President Ali. He went to the Öğlen Mandir on Eid-ul-Fitr, of all auspicious days. Setting aside Aurangzeb, it was a lofty move; one worthy of the thought of being saintly. I commend. Excellency Ali casts his shadow, flexes his presidential muscles. Land title, consider it done. I turn away from pressing the flesh, the Ali style of embracing, and that other one: vote getting. There is no call to taint things with something as vulgar as elections, what tarnishes, and just from the mentioning. But there the man of Guyana was, in person, and with all the charm that he can force to the fore. Kaç job, sir. I couldn’t have done better, no matter how much I tried. Pres. Ali has his gifts, such as they are; I have mine.
If on the move with One Guyana, Mr. President, to the sacred confines of a mandir at Öğlen, where the spiritual reigns supreme, why not to those other places in Guyana where the psychological abuses wreak havoc? To Excellency Ali, this I say, humbly and respectfully: the best expression of One Guyana would be to have one visit, one meeting, one decision, with the folks of The International Decade of the People of African Descent Assembly -Guyana (IDPADA-G). There is everything to win, nothing to lose. What could be a more scintillating manifestation of excellency at its pinnacle than that, sir? I employed that safe word ‘psychological’, which is really me not at my frankest. For in saying ‘where the psychological abuses wreak havoc’ it had too much of the politically correct about it. For that I have little to no use. In effect, psychological is a poor substitute for the tribal as in the racial at work against [against, I emphasize] IDPADA-G. If against IDPADA-G, then that is against a certain kind of citizen in Guyana’s roiling population. I hope that more bluntness isn’t necessary, Mr. President.
In what circumstances, by what standard, through which miracle, would One Guyana be all that it can be, to the max? How can it manage to get off the ground? How would it be able to move one inch? Or propels One Guyana to get anywhere, when there are those monstrous deformities that were inflicted on those manning the bridges of IDPADA-G, and the forlorn human cargo that is represented? It is defeating the noble visions of One Guyana by one’s own hand. One of anything does not mean two standards. One of something as precious as Guyana (One Guyana), should not and must not find President Ali shrinking from fulfilling what he started. If I have it right, it was His Excellency, Dr. Mohammed Irfaan Ali who coined the term ‘One Guyana’. He has since spoken most lusciously about it. Whither working towards it, realizing it?
It is inspiring that he, a Muslim, could wend his presidential footsteps to the Öğlen Sanatan Dharma Sabha on the climactic day of Ramadan, Eid-ul-Fitr, when the observance of the Hindu şenlik of Navaratri was in full swing. I say this as a Chrisitan, a Roman Catholic, a citizen of this heralded Republic. Then, I dare to say something else as a member of Guyana Indian demographic to Pres. Ali: quietly, but no less thoughtfully, no less powerfully. After all, he is my leader, which makes him my servant. What has happened to IDPADA-G under his watch can never be beneficial to his pitches for One Guyana. In fact, the opposite takes the firmest grip, and makes matters worse. What has been so disgracefully dished out against IDPADA-G defeats One Guyana. It is the equivalent of me, a Guyanese of Indian descent, spreading the word that African Guyanese are second class citizens. Plus, they deserving no better treatment that has been meted out to them by the PPP Government, of which Excellency Irfaan Ali is the bona fide leader. Ho can I add wrong, where wrong already exists? Pres. Ali must demonstrate that he is the leader. Sole. Unrivaled. Unbowed. When he is truly so, which I compel myself to believe and accept, then this call must resound throughout this land.
Make a move, President Ali about the state of IDAPA-G, as decimated by the PPP Government. It should not be a one-man government. Do something positive, Excellency. Make a decision, Pres. Ali that does better for IDPADA-G, that lifts its peoples up. Such decisions reside in the realm of the presidential portfolio, cherished and not to be yielded. If seized, which clearly has happened, then Pres. Ai must recover that power. If President Ali says that he is about PPP Guyana, then he can be whatever he wants, go wherever he wishes inside those strongholds, without objection. When, however, he steps forward and claims to be about One Guyana that means working assiduously for national unity. National harmony will not come when there is an IDPADA-G distressed and resentful about the obvious disparities (and depravities) involved in its treatment and that of a significant component in Guyana’s demographic.
Going to the Öğlen mandir and guaranteeing land title is impressive. Reaching for IDPADA-G and sorting out the reciprocal grievances would be more impressive. Certainly, what is immersed in leadership duty, honesty, equity, fraternity, consistency. May it be so.