Friday December 06, 2013
Kaieteur News
Page 5
Letters... Where your views make the news Letters... Where your views make the news
THIS IS NOT THE LEGUAN I KNEW AS A CHILD DEAR EDITOR, One of the oldest, most likeable and popular priests in Leguan, Pt Jairam Maharaj (Bata)passed away on Deepavali night Nov 2nd at the age of 71. The late Pt. Deonarine Sharma was his Cha Cha. Pt. Mukesh, who follows in his father ’s footsteps, was instrumental in ensuring that at the “wake” only appropriate Bhajans and discourses were rendered by the various Satsang Groups and sympathisers. The community, families and friends, many of whom travelled from abroad, turned in in large numbers to offer their respects. Even President Ramotar was in attendance one evening and offered his condolences. There was absolutely no card or domino games, a refreshing break from the norm. That this trend continues is the dream of many. The passing of Pt.Bata has left a large void on the
island where there is a shortage of Hindu Priests and little co-operation to stop the forces of conversion which are so rampant in the country. On the island there is a great urgency for families to regularly attend and support their temples and make a commitment for their young ones to practice the teachings of our Dharma. We seem to forget verse Ch 3 v 35 of the Bhagavad Gita which states: Sreyansvadharmovigunah, paradharmatsvanusthitat Svadharmenidhanamsreyah, paradharmobhayavahah Better to perform one’s own duty even though imperfectly than to perform the duties of others in a perfect manner. Destruction in the course of performing one’s own duty is better than engaging in another’s duties, for to follow another path is dangerous. Pt. Deodat (Munesh )Dhanrajh, my nephew, performed the final funeral rites at Uniform beach. Hundreds attended, myself
included as I happen to be visiting the island at the time. Soon after the funeral rites were completed it started to rain very heavily. Mourners, children and elders were slipping and sliding on the mud dam as they left to seek shelter. Gigantic holes and ditches were left by heavy machinery and areas of the beautiful beach were strewn by all sorts of garbage, empty bottles, household items etc. certainly not a good impression to visitors and foreigners visiting for the first time. Some clean up and maintenance needs to be done. A lot of the debris can be easily burnt at home as an alternative. I was so disappointed with the condition of the area that I attended the local council office and asked what can be done. I was told that there is abundant supply of free sand in the area, people just had to co-operate and transport it a
Voters should choose Presidential Candidates like America DEAR EDITOR, The process of choosing executives to run the parties and or selecting candidates to contest elections in Guyana is broken. An election is imminent but democratic reforms empowering people are lacking. Urgent reform in choosing party leaders is needed or better yet a complete replacement of the system is most apt. What we have had in Guyana since independence is what existed in America for a long time and was referred to as Tammany Hall machine politics, when a few party leaders met behind closed doors and selected executives to run the party and selected candidates for office through a corrupt process that excluded supporters of the party. It is most undemocratic and the Americans, the bastion of racism and imperialism, according to our nationalist leaders, replaced the system, giving voters the power to run the party and select candidates for office. Democracy for the poor and the working class in America did not come easy. American voters went to court and successfully challenged the system that was against them. The court ruled in favor of the voters and mandated that all voters must be allowed to join a party and must have the right to elect party leaders as well as nominate candidates in Primary elections. If we are so much interested
in democracy and rights of the people, then we should emulate the American model of democratic governance. Our political leaders in Guyana used to refer to America as the greatest imperialist nation. This imperialist nation is now home to more Guyanese than Guyana itself – clearly showing that Guyanese prefer to live under imperialist rule than socialist rule. America allows Guyanese Americans to join a party and to select a candidate to represent them for any elective office. When will our democratic working class, socialist leaders in the AFC, PNC (APNU), and PPP allow Guyanese to choose executives and leaders of their parties or to vote to nominate a candidate seeking elective office (Parliament, Regional, Local Council, etc)? When will we do away with this fraudulent process of a small number of people selecting delegates to a convention who meet behind closed and vote for the executives of parties? When will we end the undemocratic process of small committees in the three parties choosing Presidential candidates behind closed doors – not even allowing debates and discussions? Imperialists give Guyanese Americans a free choice. It is time the leaders of the socialist working class paradise of Guyana allow the workers to choose Presidential candidates and those wanting to run for
office. Who within any of the parties has the courage to condemn the undemocratic process? Who among them has the testicular fortitude, as the American working class, to go to court and challenge the undemocratic process? If the leaders in Guyana are true democrats and have faith and confidence in voters, then they should emulate the American model – give all voters a choice to become member of a party and hold primary elections for the voters (members of a party) to chose their leaders and candidates. I conducted NACTA opinion polls in 2010 and 2011 on the issue and almost everyone supported the idea. Everyone feels the members of the parties should choose their Presidential and Prime Ministerial candidates, among other positions up for grabs, and that the positions should be opened to all members of the party not just a small handful in an elite committee. When will the Opposition, that controls a majority, introduce a bill to empower voters allowing them to vote for their party leaders, Presidential and parliamentary candidates? Give us one-personone-vote so that deals are not made among a select few. The people have the ability to determine the best person to lead the party into general election. Vishnu Bisram
few hundred feet to fill the holes. Assurance was given that the office has no objection for locals to use the sand to do the necessary work. This was not the LEGUAN I remember as a child and wonder what has happened over the years to a society where people survived with minimal government involvement. We in Canada have always helped the island. We were the first to adopt our schools after 1992 and ensure that at least they have basic educational and sports equipment. We sent funds to repair the buildings and also contributed to the needs of the hospital. We participated in the establishment of the first library on the island, an initiative of Canadian Organisation for Development through Education. We supplied free Bhagavad-Gitas by Mahatma Gandhi to each of the six temples on the islands for distribution to every person who wanted a copy of this book of universal ethics , irrespective of their religion. Yet we seem to be missing an essential ingredient to get
people to work together. The island has a long history and has laid the foundation for countless successful scholars, business people and professionals who now reside all over the globe. One of them , Ramnarine Sahadeo, a lawyer, recently published his book Mohandas K. Gandhi, thoughts, words, and deeds in which is mentioned his place of birth. As this inspiring work on a saint of international repute is being circulated ,people from various countries are now asking where is Leguan, Guyana and some of our friends from India and elsewhere are hoping to see the country one day. We have impressed them with our knowledge and practice of a culture that is one of the oldest in the world but they would surely be disappointed if they were present to observe the be downward trend legacy and
culture that our forefathers , who came as indentured servants left for us. This letter is to appeal to the people to clean up their surroundings, use the materials that nature has provided in abundance and work together with government to ensure that the island regains it past glory where all can live and die with dignity. We will continue to help financially and otherwise but the initiative and cooperation must now come from the residents of the island. Omesh Sharma, Canada