Jagdeo to Jordan: Apologise for misleading public
– threatens nationwide campaign to expose Govt’s lies – says Project would have saved GPL billions of US dollars
Head of UG Law Department dies
Linden farmers cry for help Harmon refuses to hand over computers for Opposition Leader’s office – claims it is to protect “sensitive” information
Confusion reigns over inauguration spending
Woman fined for slashing neighbour’s face
Baby injured as GPHC staff drops her after delivery
Democracy postponed Govt defers next parliamentary sitting due to “external commitments”
friday, november 6, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com
Baby injured as GPHC staff drops her after delivery
The Georgetown Public Hospital has launched an investigation into an incident during which a baby fell from a cot just one hour after he was born.
According to reports, the newborn male was delivered on November 3, at the Hospital and within an hour of his birth, fell from the cot on which he was placed.
The Hospital in a statement on Thursday said that the newborn was examined and tests were conducted. According to the Hospital, the child sustained injuries and his condition was being “closely” monitored, should a situation develop.
According to a report on The Independent Guyana (TIG) online news network, the mother of the baby has been identified as 27-yearold Poulmattie Ramjattan of Unity Village, East Coast Demerara.
The report stated that the mother went to the medical institution on Tuesday about 03:00h and delivered her baby at 07:30h. According to the report, the delivery was successful, but the mother was not allowed to touch the baby as was customary.
After a while, the woman reportedly made her way to the nursery where she noticed that her baby was wrapped in a piece of cloth
and as such, enquired why the baby was not dressed in the clothes she provided.
She was told, the report stated, that the baby had landed on a warmer and
Dr George Norton had visited the hospital where he met with the staff that delivered the baby on Tuesday morning and was seemingly upset.
had to undergo an X-Ray to determine if he had sustained any injuries.
The X-ray, the mother said, revealed that the infant suffered a concussion.
Part of the baby’s head is swollen and he is being monitored in the Intensive Care Unit of the medical facility.
As the parents sought answers from the hospital administration, they were told that the baby will have to undergo a surgery. This newspaper understands that the baby is scheduled for surgery at 08:00 hrs today.
It was further reported that the subject Minister,
Nevertheless, this newspaper was told that once the investigation is completed, the findings will be made know to the public. The investigation will also determine who is to be blamed for the unfortunate incident and if action would be taken.
A hospital source told Guyana Times that the baby was in stable condition and was being monitored on a regular basis. The source added that the report pertaining to the investigation is expected to be handed over to the hospital administration shortly.
Head of UG Law Department dies
Head of the University of Guyana Law Department, Sheldon Mc Donald has died.
Mc Donald died on Wednesday, five days after he was involved in an accident at Success, East Coast Demerara.
This newspaper understands that following the accident, Mc Donald suffered a
Democracy postponed
punctured lung and was admitted to a private city hospital. The Jamaica-born Professor was instrumental in the setting up of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).
He was also a legal consultant to the Caribbean Community Secretariat, located in Guyana.
Govt defers next parliamentary sitting due to “external commitments”
The Government of Guyana has requested that the sitting of the National Assembly scheduled for November 12, 2015, be rescheduled to a later date.
The request for the rescheduling was made by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo to the Speaker of the Parliament, Dr Barton Scotland.
The request for the rescheduling was on account of Guyana’s pending attendance at the Summit of South American-Arab Countries (ASPA) which will be held in Saudi Arabia from November 9 to 13. According to the Government, also during this period, several key Government functionaries, Members of Parliament and Clerk of the Assembly are likely to travel overseas to attend important conferences and training courses.
Parents of the injured baby at the Georgetown Public Hospital on Thursday (Photo by The Independent Guyana)
Parliament Building
Professor Sheldon Mc Donald
BRIDGE OPENINGS
The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:
Friday, November 6 – 14:00h-15:30h and Saturday, November 7 – 14:30h-16:00h
The Berbice River Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:
Friday, November 6 – 13:20h-14:50h and Saturday, November 7 – 14:00h-15:30h
FERRY SCHEDULE
Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h daily.
WEATHER TODAY
Weather: Light to heavy rain showers can be expected in the morning, while sunny weather can be expected in the afternoon. Clear to partly cloudy skies are expected in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 26 degrees and 30 degrees Celsius.
Winds: East to East North-easterly between 3.57 metres and 4.91 metres per second.
High Tide: 00:24h and 13:00h reaching maximum heights of 2.15 metres and 2.22 metres respectively.
Low Tide: 06:25h and 18:57h reaching minimum heights of 1.01 metres and 1.00 metres respectively.
Confusion reigns over inauguration spending
By Edward LaynE
There continues to be confusion over the amount spent and by whom to organise and execute the events preceding the inauguration ceremony of President David Granger who took office back in May this year.
Governance Minister Raphael Trotman, questioned by Guyana Times on Thursday about the continued confusion and apparent lack of transparency over the entire spending related to the inauguration, restated the earlier position of the Government that approximately $1 million was spent from the State coffers on the activities.
“During the Budget debates, the Minister had said that Government had spent approximately $1 million and all monies beyond that spent had come from private contributions and companies,” Trotman said.
Trotman made this comment despite the position of his colleague, Junior Education Minister with responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sport, Nicolette Henry that no State monies were spent to fund inauguration activities for President David Granger at the National Stadium Providence, the
Independence Arch and the Pegasus Hotel.
“The Ministry of Education Department of Culture, Youth and Sport was not required to provide any financial, technical, nor in-kind support in preparation for the presidential inauguration events held at Parliament Buildings, Independence Arch in Brickdam, Pegasus Hotel,
and elsewhere,” Henry said in her written response to parliamentary questions posed by the Opposition People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) in the eleventh session.
According to Henry, even the clean-up campaign that preceded those events was funded privately.
However, this position adopted by the Minister in her written response sharply contrasted with her oral response to similar enquiries made during the consideration of the 2015 Budget Estimates.
Flashback
The issue of the inauguration spending became a hot-button topic on the final day of the Consideration of Estimates for the 2015 National Budget when Minister Henry, in response
to a question from PPP/C Member of Parliament (MP) Charles Ramson Jr, disclosed that some $72 million was spent on the President’s inauguration and “T-20 cricket games” (presumably the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) games).
Ramson Jr went on to ask the Minister about a particular allocation under “subsidies and contributions to local organisations” under “Cultural Preservation and Conservation” within the Education Ministry and she disclosed that the $72.2 million was spent on the inauguration and the T20s.
But, after a media report was published detailing that the Minister just admitted that Government spent millions of dollars for the inauguration, she denied ever making the disclosure.
“This is inaccurate. I never said that… I would like for the purpose of the record to state very clearly that under national events, G$1 million Guyana was used for the purpose of maintenance at the Stadium, which coincided with the time we had the inauguration,” she said in an attempt to cover up her initial statements.
Private funds
However, Trotman, when asked about the Government’s seeming unwillingness to make public names of donors for these events and the quantum of their donations, revealed that the information regarding the hosting of the events on Independence Day, May 26, will be made public.
“We are now in the process of compiling that list and I see no reason why Government should not share, to the best of its abilities how that list is populated in terms of how much. Some persons have expressed a view that their donations of contributions
were to be anonymous, but I believe that in the best way as possible we will provide, once the tally is made,” Trotman said.
When asked whether this disclosure will take the form of an audited statement, Minister Trotman said that while an audit was likely, he was not in a position to say what form that audit would take.
“In terms of the reports, they of course have to be audited, I don’t know the extent to which they will be audited, whether internally or externally by independent agency. No doubt, you can’t just put any figure down, you have to be able to reconcile those figures with what you believe should be there,” Trotman said.
The President’s Inauguration Planning Committee was headed by Bobby Vieira and Colonel Larry London.
President David Granger
Governance Minister Raphael Trotman
Junior Education Minister with responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sport, Nicolette Henry
Editor(ag): Michael Younge
Tel: 225-5128, 231-0397, 226-9921, 226-2102, 223-7230 or 223-7231. Fax: 225-5134
Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown
Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com
Editorial
Transparent governance
It is quite ironic that some of the same accusations that are currently being levelled against the APNU/AFC Government are the same ones those parties made against the PPP/C while they (APNU/AFC) were in Opposition. It therefore begs the question why is it that when a party wins political power, it conveniently becomes blind, or ignores the concerns of ordinary citizens. The APNU/AFC saw many things wrong during the PPP/C’s tenure in office, but now that they are given a chance to govern and to correct all these “wrongs”, they are proving to be a disappointment.
Over recent weeks, the APNU/AFC Government has come under severe fire for its extravagant spending on certain events. And to make matters worse, the Administration has not been forthcoming at all on the details of these expenses; for example, the source of funding, the amount, justification of the expenditures, and what returns or benefits such expenditures would bring to the country, taking into consideration the trying economic times we are currently experiencing.
In fact several politicians from the opposite side, NGOs and even ordinary citizens have been voicing their concerns through various mediums for the Government to be more open and transparent when it comes to spending public money. The perception being created, justifiable or not, is that the Government does not feel it has an obligation to be accountable to the people.
It could be recalled that it was the APNU/AFC Coalition while on the campaign trail which blasted the PPP/C on numerous occasions for being corrupt and secretive in their management of the country’s financial resources. The Coalition had promised that this would be a thing of the past, and if they were to form the next government, they would be open, transparent and responsible in the way the affairs of the country are managed.
Journalists have been asking the relevant questions at various press conferences to get explanations from officials in terms of certain spending on overseas trips, Commission of Inquiries, Forensic Audits and social events by public officials, but the answers provided gives rise to the perception that the Administration is merely bluffing when it says its governance style will be “different” from the previous government.
As if there is no need to give account for tax payers’ dollars, officials just simply dismiss certain queries, or the answers supplied do not address the questions directly. The most recent example is the Government’s response to the PPP/C’s questions in relation to expenses incurred for the Presidential inauguration ceremonies. In August, the Opposition had submitted a list of questions about the inauguration spending to the Clerk of the National Assembly which were to be answered by the Finance Minister. But in a written reply, some of the responses provided completely contradicted what several government ministers had already publicly pronounced about the inauguration spending. To this date, it is still not clear about how the inauguration ceremonies were financed and how much was actually spent on the event or the activities preceding it.
Also, not very long after the Coalition took office, Government officials jetted to various parts of North America to meet and engage the Diaspora, but the details of these engagements and how they were funded were hardly made public.
Even if these expenses were covered by ‘friends’ of the APNU/AFC, the Administration had an obligation to disclose such details; ie if and how much was the State’s contribution, who the other funders were, and how much monies they contributed each. After all these were State activities and the public has a right to know.
Guyana will celebrate its 50th Independence Anniversary next year and already we are hearing of the millions of dollars that will be spent on making the occasion exceptional. All of this is happening against the backdrop of poor economic performance over the past six months or so. How do the Administration intend to fund these activities?
We believe that if the Government is really serious about inclusive and transparent governance, as promised during the elections campaign, it would serve it well by being more open and forthright about the manner in which it manages the affairs of State, especially when it comes to public finances.
The significance of time
Dear Editor, Time plays a vital role in the life of nearly all the major religious traditions of the world. Sacred events of each of these religions are all located in sacred versus profane time and have their specific moments of time when they are enacted, observed, or celebrated. The telling of a sacred myth or katha, the performance of rites of worship, life crisis rites, and the observance of festivals cannot happen arbitrarily at any time or in any manner one chooses.
Lest we give way to cynicism, ridicule and trivialization as we are now witnessing with several persons recommending multiple days for the observance of Diwali, for example, in Guyana, let it be remembered that Hanuman Jayanti is observed on full moon, not on new moon. Lord Rama’s birth is celebrated on naumi (ninth) tithi and even more specifically at noon and Lord Krishna’s appearance is on ashtami (eight) tithi during the night. Ekadashi (eleventh) fasting and prayer cannot be done on dwadashi (twelfth). Sankranti, when the sun moves into a new zodiac, has to be observed at the appointed time, and at no other time.
For Hindus there is a designated time to mark every significant aspect of life. After all, Krishna himself declares in the Bhagavad Gita, “I am Time.” For us there is to time to procreate, a time to be born, a time to be named, a time to be initiated, a time to marry, and, even more importantly, a time to die.
For example, Bhagavad Gita 8.24 tells us that, among other things, in dying during the bright lunar night or the bright fortnight and during the northern solstice or the sun’s six-month northern
source is more auspicious, one who meditates on supreme Brahman reaches infinite bliss.
To be sure, we have compromised almost every step of the way, and with every compromise there has been an inevitable degradation and loss of sacredness. As the cliché goes nothing seems sacred anymore.
Market forces rule everything and life has lost its meaning and in the absence of an orienting force we have become more spiritually disintegrated. Convenience is the new mantra and economic concerns the priority.
With the hundreds of sacred events that punctuate the Hindu calendar, Hindus do not treat time as homogeneous or continuous. It is broken up into segments with some sections and portions of time more auspicious and conducive to specific activities.
For example, we have the time known as brahma muhurta, about an hour or so before dawn, which we hold is best conducive for meditation.
We also know of those two segments of time in the course of the day, the morning and evening sandhya, one that comes at the end/beginning of the day and the other at dead centre. In the morning the sun is not yet above the horizon but the night is virtually over, and in the evening the sun disappears below the horizon, but darkness has not yet stepped in.
These are special moments endowed with power and sacredness and as such are recommended for prayer and meditation.
Similarly, with respect to the moon phases there are at least two in-between periods of time that are held to be extremely powerful.
As we know that moon has two cyclical phases with the full moon (purnima) and new moon (amavasya) as the periods of time that separate the waning and waxing cycles.
For example, looking at the Hindu full moon calendar we find that on each occasion there is a major event that we observe, and similarly a significant event for every new moon. While we all look forward to the beauty of the full moon, its power and influence lie in the fact that it stands at a juncture of the waxing and waning moon. This is exactly the case also with the new moon.
Apart from the mystic power that derives from moments like sandhyas, sankrantis, amavasyas, and purnimas, all of which are experienced as “time within time” in that each represents a moment at the juncture between larger portions of time, all “juncture” times derive their significance from their homology with cosmic time, sacred time, or great time.
This in effect is a transcendence of profane time that is equivalent to a revelation of ultimate reality. Through this homology historical time is abolished and with it the veil it creates is pierced. This transcendence of historical or profane time is achieved through the power of the logos, in Sanskrit the mantra which occurs in the larger context of katha or myth, festivals, rites such as life crisis rites and rituals such as worship or puja.
The sankalpa rite performed to announce the intention and resolution of the worshipper is one of the ritual strategies used to connect our local and historical time to cosmic time. When the local time in which the worshipper
is located merges with cosmic or mythic time, a process of regeneration and renewal ensues. The individual is transformed being projected into sacred time and for a moment symbolically transcends and abolishes the profane and historical time.
This aspect of the sankalpa begins with the reciter identifying the day of Brahma, as the beginning time, the primordial origin. The time corresponds to the beginning of the second half of the life of Brahma. It should be noted according to Hindu cosmology one day in the life of Brahma is equivalent to 4.32 billion years.
A full life time of Brahma is 100 years, or 311,400,000,000,000 years. According to the sankalpa we are now in the second half of the life of Brahma, that is, in the 51st year. The reciter then gradually and systematically mentions durations of time in descending order of magnitude until he arrives at the lunar month, the paksha (bright or dark half) and tithi, the phase of the moon. In some instances even the muhurta, a fragment of time within the tithi is mentioned. In this way the sankalpa, a mandatory aspect of any ritual, serves as a conduit to connect the present moment of historical time to the great time, the time of Brahma and as such achieves a correspondence between these two times.
In what may appear to us as a brief moment of time, transcendence is reached, for in that moment the worshipper is reintegrated in time at the beginning. Present time is established in cosmic time, and time in its everyday historical sense is abolished.
Swami Aksharananda
Road Safety Month: This Traffic Police Officer briefing these students on road safety tips and pedestrian crossing rules. Road Safety Month is being observed under the theme, “Be wise, stay alive, stop speeding, don’t drink and drive”
An open letter to President Granger to rescue rice farmers
Dear President Granger,
Your administration needs to take measures to alleviate the plight of the rice farmers that will in turn save the rice industry. Paddy and rice prices have been collapsing resulting in huge losses to farmers. In short, it does not pay to grow rice anymore and the government needs to take actions to help the farmers. The issue price for paddy and rice as a result of lack of markets caused by the conflict with Venezuela. It has been obvious to people in rural areas and the farming communities in particular that we are neglected. For years, we have been shouting very loudly for Georgetown to hear or to begin noticing us. The rural areas needing attention to grow rice and other crops will affect ail of the country, not just the farming communities.
Putting aside the promises made by your coalition parties about rice prices to get elected, the time for regret is past, now is the time for action. And, the farming country looks to you for action. You have an opportunity to make your administration look competent (you said we bought more than competence with the recent 50% increase in salary). It is not enough to say or give the impression that you are “looking into the problem,” or you are “seeking other markets” for rice.
President, we are not like the patient with a headache; we are like the victim of a labaria bite and you are supposed to be the attending doctor. While I am on that examination table, I do not want to hear that you are looking into it, I want to hear that you have used the anti-venom, calling for the anti-toxin, have used the tourniquet, bled the wound and sucked out what was there. That you had ALL the doctors in the hospital looking at me and you have two obeah men as back-up looking over your shoulder. The rice producers in this country want to know that you are making rice markets a priority and that you have committed to helping them. Find the markets!
This surely did not seem that way when the rice farmers, in trying to be heard in Georgetown, had the pickets up 4 weeks ago. The problems today are so much worse than they were when my parents farmed the soil.
I was in Black Bush Polder just a few months ago and I saw first-hand how the farmers were being treated
today. The farmer does his job of spraying, flooding the fields, planting, tending, harvesting and hoping. He finally goes to the miller who is not ready for him. I saw truck after truck waiting in line at the mill to take the paddy. If the rain falls, and the tarpaulin does not cover the paddy properly, all labour can be lost. When the miller is finally ready, he declares the rice “substandard” and cuts the price 20%. Today, the millers rate everyone’s paddy as substandard.
After the miller processes his paddy, the miller gives the farmer a part of the money to be paid for the rice and he has to wait for the remainder owed till the miller gets his money from his buyer. There were instances where the miller still owes the farmers for rice milled more than two years.
This situation results in the miller getting an interest-free loan at the farmers’ expense. And the miller holds monopoly over the farmer as the farmers cannot process their rice elsewhere -- a situation that prevails all over the country. Now four weeks ago, you, our leader, told farmers on the picket line to go back and talk to the miller. You indicated that the government was not getting involved. That is not an acceptable answer to national crisis facing farmers. Is that how much care and love you have for farmers?
Sir, need I remind you that you were elected to help and protect all of us? Sir, you have to do a better job than present. Please make this your priority and act urgently.
Yours truly,
Vishnu Bandhu Son of and a Rice Farmer
Page Foundation
12
By EllEn Sturm niz
basic life skills every child should know by high school
–
ease up on the overparenting and teach your children these basic skills so they’ll be prepared for life outside the nest
(Continued from Thursday)
7. Pack their own bag
“We’re always putting their stuff in their backpacks,” Lythcott-Haims says. “’Oh, don’t want you to forget your homework!’ And then that backpack becomes a bag or a briefcase one day in the workplace, and they haven’t learned that skill of being responsible for remembering their own stuff, doing that inventory every morning, ‘What do I need? Wallet, keys, lunch, work, laptop.’”
with a girlfriend or boyfriend, and they’re going to want to have that skill to not only order food, but to do so respectfully – and not look like a jerk who’s an entitled child with a credit card, who can pay for it, but can’t really treat the server respectfully,” Lythcott-Haims says.
9. Talk to strangers
“Their life will be full of strangers, if we think about it, but we have this blanket rule, ‘Don’t talk to strangers,’ which isn’t the right rule,” Lythcott-Haims says. “The right rule would be, ‘Let me teach you how to discern the very few, creepy strangers
8. Order at restaurants
While this skill should be taught sooner than high school, if that’s where parents find themselves, it’s not too late. If they’ve never ordered for themselves, say, “Hey, guys, it’s time you started ordering for yourselves. I realised it’s not for me to decide what you’re going to eat, or me to assume you’re going to have your usual order, or for me to order for the whole family,’” she says.
Remind them to look the server in the eye, be polite, communicate their request, and say, “thank you.” “One day before long, they’re going to be out with friends or out
from the vast, vast majority of normal strangers.’ That’s a skill.”
Then, send your children out in the world to talk to strangers – safe ones. Lythcott-Haims taught her own children this skill by sending them to a store within walking distance of their suburban home to run a small errand and ask the sales clerk for help. She handed them a $20 bill and off they went. “They come back with a spring in their step,” she says.
10. Go grocery shopping
Has your child ever even noticed that the grocery store aisles are nicely labelled
with signs hanging from the ceiling? They should know how to navigate a supermarket on their own, Lythcott-Haims says. “Send them off on their own with one of those little hand-held baskets to go get five or six things,” she says.
11. Plan an outing
“Whenever the peer group is old enough and ready to plan an outing, let them do it,” Lythcott-Haims says. “I’m the parent who’s very comfortable with my 12-year-old girl going to a matinee movie with friends where she arranged it – you know, one parent’s going to do the dropoff, one’s doing the pickup, but the girls are getting the tickets, bringing money for snacks.”
While you should ask them to walk you through the plan so you know they are not setting off willy-nilly, don’t let your fears for them make them fearful of the world. “Making their way out into the world’ to go to the movie, or to go to a mall, or to go walk up and down the big street in town and then get some food somewhere, whatever it is – they want that,” LythcottHaims says. “This is them trying to spread their wings.”
12. Take public transportation
When I travel around the country, people say, ‘Oh, my gosh. I wouldn’t let my 17-year-old daughter ride the metro alone,’” Lythcott-Haims says. “And I’m like, ‘What’s your long-term plan here? Would you let your 25-year-old daughter? Is it even up to you when she’s 25?’”
“Of course, [17 is] old enough! People join the Marines and the Army and the Air Force and the Navy at 18,” Lythcott-Haims points out. “This is just a lovely example of how far we’ve strayed, because no one is yet saying at 18 they’re too young to sign up to go fight for our country. So, we’re fine when [children choose the military], but the children who choose a four-year college? Oh, no, no. They need their mom or dad there all the time. It’s a reminder of how absurd it is.” (www.parenting.com)
The age-by-age guide to raising a child who cares
– It’s never too early to teach children to see the significance of giving to people in need
By BEtSy StEphEnS
Iremember the first time my daughter noticed someone who was homeless. She was four years old at the time; we were leaving an airport, and she spotted him sleeping in a cardboard box by the side of the building. She wanted to know if he was making a fort and whether she could ask him to share. It was tempting to tell her that he was just playing. I didn’t want her to know that some people don’t have a comfortable home with a bed, air-conditioning, and a family. Instead, I decided to parent up: I took a deep breath and told her the man in the box wasn’t playing. The box was where he lived.
I expected her to recoil in horror. Instead, she pelted me with questions: Where does he keep his toys? Where are his snacks? Does he have a toothbrush? A mom? A dad? And where does he go to the bathroom? For a short time afterward, my daughter became hyperaware of homelessness. She played
“homeless” with her dolls, and at dinner she asked whether homeless people ate broccoli or chicken or whatever else was on her plate. I wish I could say that the next thing I did was show her how to help the homeless. Rather, I answered her questions and let the phase pass. At the time it didn’t occur to me that a fouryear-old could do anything to help a homeless person. It’s understandable that I wanted the whole episode to blow over so that we could get back to feeling like the world is a safe place, notes George Scarlett, PhD, Deputy Chair in the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development at Tufts University, in Medford, Massachusetts: “We should help our children feel like there’s someone in charge who can keep anything really bad from happening to them,” he says. And yet that doesn’t mean we should protect them from all of the harsh realities of life. An important part of parenting is about finding the right balance between protection and exposure. These are the best ways to strike that balance at every age – and instill a solid sense of philanthropy in the process.
Up to 18 months
Coddle: When you care for your young child, you’re teaching her to care for others, says Susan Damico, assistant director at the Devereux Centre for Resilient Children, in Villanova, Pennsylvania. “When she’s hungry, you feed her. When she’s scared, you cuddle her. You’re showing her how you respond when you see a need,” she says. At its core, this is what philanthropy is about.
18 months to 23 months
Encourage: Around 18 months, children become aware of the feelings of others. This may not be empathy yet, but they recognise signs of distress. For example, your child may show concern when he hears a baby cry, or he might try to give you some of his snack if you tell him you’re hungry. It’s important to give encouraging feedback during these times. Thank him if he offers you some of his food, or tell him it’s nice that he is worried about the baby who’s crying and ask why he thinks the baby is upset. (www. parents.com) TO BE CONTINUED
Amaila Falls Hydropower Project
Jagdeo to Jordan: Apologise for misleading public
– threatens nationwide campaign to expose Govt’s lies – says Project would have saved GPL billions of US dollars
In continuing to represent and underscore the merit and deservedness of the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Opposition is once again urging the A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance for Change (APNU/ AFC) administration to put politics aside, accept that the initiative would indeed significantly benefit the entire Guyanese populace, and to now act fast to capitalise on the prevailingly low oil prices on the international market to pursue the development of this project.
If government continues to remain steadfast to its stance that the project is too expensive to embark upon, the PPP/C Opposition is challenging the administration to a face to face discussion about Amaila Falls where each party will present its contentions, based on reason and globally credible analysis.
Finance Minister Winston Jordan had asserted it would be “criminal” to pursue the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project as it would be too costly a venture for the government to embark upon. The Minister stated that Amaila Falls will cost GPL US$2.6 billion over 20 years (US$130 million per year) and that this was too unreasonable.
On the other hand, the PPP/C maintains the Minister is absolutely inaccurate in his calculations.
In exposing the facts and offering clarification, the PPP/C pointed out that in actuality GPL will be saving billions of dollars:
First of all, GPL would have been required to pay US$100 million and not US$130 million per year. Secondly, that money would have bought about 50 per cent more power than GPL’s entire generation in 2012. Therefore, to generate that amount of power without Amaila Falls would have cost GPL far more money, almost US$200 million using 2012 costs.
So rather than Amaila costing GPL US$130 million per year, it would be saving GPL US$100 million per year - or put in another way, Amaila Falls will generate 50 per cent more electricity than was gen-
erated in 2012 for almost half the cost.
“In short: Instead of Amaila Falls costing GPL US$2.6 billion over 20 years, GPL would actually be saving almost US$2 billion, or G$400 billion, at 2012 prices,” the PPP/C highlighted.
If government confirms its willingness to participate in the conversational forum on Amaila, the PPP/C said it will explain in detail how these savings can enable the costs of electricity to be dramatically reduced for Guyanese, and we will explain how after 20 years, the Amaila Falls Hydropower facility will be wholly owned by the citizens of Guyana without any debt being incurred.
The PPP/C explained that this discussion on Amaila Falls would truly help Guyanese to understand the project for themselves and form their own
conclusions of the nature of the initiative.
The PPP/C is also offering the government assistance in improving their understanding of the project.
If, on the other hand, government refuses to join with the PPP/C in this forum, the Party will take its discussion on electricity prices, the cost of living, and the benefits of Amaila Falls to the people of Guyana, village by village.
Set the record straight
Meanwhile, the PPP/C insisted that the Finance Minister should come clean and set the record straight by apologising for his erroneous remarks on the cost of Amaila on GPL (whether or not it was a genuine or deliberate error).
The Party is calling on the government to publicly state the net gains to GPL over the
first 20 years of its operations and to accept his claim that Amaila Falls would cost GPL US$2.6 billion was wrong.
Additionally, the Finance Minister had disclosed that government’s plan to not proceed with Amaila Falls was “strongly supported by the experts at the Inter-American Development Bank, who had considered the project to be too risky to attract the Bank’s financing.”
The Opposition is contending that this is also incorrect and is calling on Cabinet to confirm that they did not in fact receive any communications from the IDB confirming that the project was not feasible.
The PPP/C made it clear that it will not stand idly by while lies are being spread about the best chance Guyanese will have for generations to come to access affordable, clean and reliable electricity.
“It is not the Amaila Falls Project which is the “criminal deception”. It is the Government’s willingness to mislead the public in pursuit of dubious political ends. This deception will condemn Guyanese to many more years of expensive electricity prices, and is already damaging the competiveness of our private sector and our overall economy. It must be viewed against the backdrop of APNU and AFC Government
Ministers awarding themselves a 50 per cent pay rise while also receiving free electricity,” PPP/C stated.
Amaila The Amaila Falls Hydropower Project is the flagship of Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS). The project was expected to deliver electricity to Guyana’s capital, Georgetown, and its second largest town, Linden, by an electric transmission line. Guyana currently relies on imported fuel oil and diesel for its electricity generation, which is both expensive and carbon-intensive. The Amaila Hydropower plant was expected to shift Guyana’s reliance on thermal generation to renewable energy, eliminate over 90 per cent of the country’s energyrelated greenhouse gas emissions, provide energy production for approximately 90 per cent of Guyana’s population. In addition, it would improve Guyana’s balance of payments by significantly reducing the importation of fuel, significantly reduce end-user costs for electricity, and improve reliability of energy supply and generation of clean energy, which would help to encourage economic growth and development by improving regional competitiveness, private sector investment, and foreign direct investment.
An artist's impression of the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project
friday, november 6, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com
Woman fined for slashing neighbour’s face
AJohn and Leopold Streets resident was on Thursday fined $80,000 when she appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts charged with unlawful and malicious wounding.
Forty-five-year-old Elizabeth Roach of John and Leopold Street, Georgetown, pleaded guilty to the charge which stated that on November 1, 2015
with intent to maim, disfigure and disable, she unlawfully and maliciously wounded Natasha Pier, the Virtual Complainant.
According to the facts presented by Police Prosecutor, Corporal Deniro Jones, both Roach and Pier live in the same yard. He stated that on the day in question, the VC accused the defendant of stealing her sanitary napkins and an argument ensued between
the two. In a fit of anger, the defendant pushed the VC to the ground, picked up a beer bottle and dealt the VC a slash to the face.
The Prosecution further explained that the victim suffered major injuries to the face and was yet to receive further facial surgery and evaluation.
Speaking in her defence, Roach alleged that she usually babysat the VC’s child, and as a result requested
payment. She claimed that the VC initiated the argument over the issue and slapped her. She stated that in defence, she hit the VC, who fell onto a hydrant and injured herself.
After reviewing the facts, the Chief Magistrate fined Roach $80,000 and informed her that failure to pay the fine would result in three months’ imprisonment.
GT resident busted with cocaine in milk
Days after ranks of the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit (CANU) intercepted a 46-year-old man with 4.5 kilograms of cocaine in the false walls of his suitcase, the ranks busted a Guyanese woman as she was trying to smuggle out
the illegal substance via the Cheddi Jagan International Airport on Thursday.
According to information received, Odessa Pollard, of East La Penitence, Georgetown, was about to board a Caribbean Airlines flight destined for Trinidad and Tobago when the ranks
discovered the cocaine in packets of milk powder.
Based on reports received, the ranks thought something was amiss when they uncovered several packets of the milk powder and decided to carry out tests on its contents.
The substance was test-
ed and it was found to be cocaine and not milk powder. The packets, along with Pollard, were taken to the CANU headquarters. The weight of the cocaine was not immediately available.
The woman is assisting with investigations.
Mother of two freed of drug trafficking charge
Amother of two was on Thursday freed of a drug trafficking charge when she appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
Magistrate McLennan upheld the no-case submission made by her Attorney, Glen Hanoman. Thirtyyear-old Nadira Persaud, of Lot 15 Norton Street, Werken-Rust, was previously slapped with the charge which stated that on July 11, 2015 at Lot 15 Norton
Street, she was found in possession of 25 grams of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.
Police Prosecutor Neville Jeffers said Police Officers had gone to the woman’s house based on a tip. He had related that during the search of Persaud’s house the drug was found in a bedroom. However, Attorney Hanoman had argued that the drugs were found concealed in a house that the defendant shared with six other persons. He also argued that his client
informed the Police that the illegal substance did not belong to her, but rather to another occupant, but she was nevertheless arrested and charged.
During the Preliminary Inquiry into the case, the Attorney had raised the issue that the Prosecutor did not have enough evidence to support his case. He also made reference to the fact that on the day in question, the ranks forcefully entered his client’s home without her permission or a warrant. He also men-
tioned that the other occupants of the house were not charged, specifically the defendant’s husband who is a Rastafarian that uses the illicit substance ceremoniously.
The defence counsel then made a no-case submission. Magistrate McLennan stated that after reviewing the presentations made by the Prosecutor, it was quite evident that he had failed to lead a prima facie case against the defendant and as such, the case was dismissed.
Eyew tness The Sheriff speaks…
…on rum!
Seems that the Minister of National Security had an epiphany on the way to his new Ministerial office on Brickdam. The fella who earned such a reputation as a “lush” is waging a holy war on “demon alcohol”! But then they say, the best thief would make the best policeman, no? But the problem is, Ramjattan isn’t condemning “thiefing” –just equating boozing with it – yet is claiming to be fulfilling his mandate to fight crime!
Right now, the Business Community (notice the “capitals” your Eyewitness used to designate those worthies?) dared to suggest to the New Sheriff in (George)town that perchance he may deign to move the curfew on rum sales from 2:am to 4:am? Just on weekends and holidays, pretty pleeeeease! And quick as ever on the draw, Sheriff Ramjattan blazed away about the clearly “slippery slope” the Business Worthies were placing the nation on.
“Absolutely not! It’s the law! The next thing they will ask me is they don’t want to pay taxes.” Didn’t you, dear reader, see the direct connection - nay! Nexus! – between loosening up on the incipient prohibition and tax cheating. The latter, of course, is a subject that the Minister, in his other life as a lawyer in private practice wouldn’t know anything about! The connection – since you’re scratching your head – is fellas and felines who get absolutely bombed by 4:am are the ones who DON’T pay their taxes. The moment you are halfway sober (at 2:am) they plead for the taxman to “cometh”.
But as usual, Ramjattan didn’t know when to stop. Verbal diarrhoea? He continued, “They (meaning those Business Worthies) just don’t understand the (correlation) between heavy drinking, domestic violence, traffic accidents…we drive badly when we drink.” Now while he may (was?) have been speaking from personal experience, that’s not good enough for running the country, is it? You gotta have studies to guide policies, Budday!
And the fact of the matter is there are no studies that will – or can – show that a 2 hour expansion of the happy hour between 2 to 4 am increases crime. Now if Ramjattan wasn’t the Security but the Health Minister, and he wanted to reduce the consumption of alcohol – this Eyewitness would’ve supported him. But as it is – this is plain shadow boxing to show he’s “doing something”.
And finally, did you catch the sneering, contemptuous tone the Minister used on the Business Worthies who’re supposed to be driving the “engine of growth” for the country? Serves them right. They’re just too darn pusillanimous when it comes on speaking truth to powerabout business.
Cowards will die a thousand deaths – and take a million insults!
…on road accidents
It’s “Road Safety” week – and of course, the Sheriff in charge of keeping law and order, had to weigh in with some inspirational gems to the (traffic) troops. The goodly Minister of National Security pointed out that 3,100 persons have been nabbed in Georgetown for committing traffic infractions – not by the hundreds of traffic cops that are all over the place – but by CCTV cameras.
The Minister didn’t say in what time period those slobs had been caught. But what the heck, lack of analytical rigour never fazed the Sheriff, did it? And the goodly Minister promised more CCTVs “all over the city”. Sounded good, no? Well, NO!!! During Budget presentation Ramjattan had flogged more CCTV cameras to catch “more criminals” in Georgetown – where, he declaimed, 50% of all crime are committed.
Well, the statistics haven’t shown a decline in crime in Gtown – in fact an increase…like in America St. But what the heck? The Sheriff will take the accident numbers.
It’s CYA (cover you a55) time, baby!!!
...but not about “dogs
and horses”
While he had waxed quite eloquently about bringing back dogs and horses into the “fight against crime”, during the budget debate, Minister Ramjattan hasn’t even let out a bark or neigh on the subject lately.
Cat got his tongue? Meow!!!
Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com
november 6, 2015 |
Favourable discussions underway – Trotman
While the Berbice Bridge Company Inc (BBCI) has already accepted Government’s $40 million subvention towards the reduction of the toll, Governance Minister Raphael Trotman on Thursday said that Cabinet was presently considering some additional considerations submitted by the company.
Trotman is, however, very optimistic that a favourable decision will be arrived at by Cabinet with respect to the additional aspects rasied by the BBCI.
Speaking to the media following his post-Cabinet press briefing, Trotman said that a “mutually agreeable position” was expected soon.
He said both sides were now at the negotiating table “talking…this is where we should have been many months ago.”
However, he did not address the issue of the $500 million bond principal that has to be paid to financiers at the end of 2015.
It is the payment of the $500 million bond principal debt that led to BBCI Directors requesting a meeting with its equity and debt investors, based on present cash flow projections including the subsidies.
Back in August, the BBCI had rejected Government’s offer of financial subsidies to cover loss of tolls that would result from the Government’s election promise being fulfilled, on the grounds that its shareholders were not consulted on the matter.
During its first Budget Presentation, the A Partnership for National Unity/
Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition had announced that effective September 1, it was reducing the bridge toll from $2200 to $1900 for passenger cars and buses, along with a 10 per cent reduction for other classes of vehicles. It was explained that the Bridge Company would not lose, as the losses created by the reduction would be borne by Government.
However, the BBCI insisted its current financial position was impeding the implementation of the reduction. The Company had said it continuously pointed out to the Administration that the subsidy being offered to facilitate the reduction was insufficient to offset its debts.
Consequently, it requested that Government extended the concession period from 21 to 50 years or increase the bridge tolls by 55 per cent before it implemented the new fare structure. But Government refused.
In an attempt to gain majority control of the Bridge Company in order to
fulfil the promise of implementing toll reductions, Prime Minister/First Vice President Moses Nagamootoo had announced last week that Cabinet has instructed the Finance Minister to buy out the shares the Demerara Distillers Limited has in the Bridge Company. DDL currently holds some 10 per cent of the shares.
There was, however, no need for the Government to go down this route since the two Directors of Queens Atlantic Investment Inc (QAII) and NEW GPC INC had resigned, giving the Government and the institutions it controlled such as the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), a majority vote on the Board of Directors. It could have then voted as the Government saw fit.
While the decision was made to subsidise the Bridge, any change in the Concession Agreement and the Toll Order which is made by the Government requires the approval of the trustee and the shareholders.
Linden to get oil refinery
Plans are in the pipeline to set up an oil refinery in Linden and provided all goes well officials are predicting a massive influx in jobs and other forms of development for the community.
This was announced by Region 10 Regional Democratic Council (RDC) Councillor Sandra Adams on Thursday during the November sitting of the RDC statutory meeting.
Adams who intimated to the Council she is presently in talks with a businessman and a team from Texas, said she was excited about what this means for the commu-
nity.
She stated she would not disclose the name of the company yet but said members of the team are in Guyana and is expected to meet with the Regional Administration where a plan will be presented.
“I was a part of a meeting yesterday (Wednesday), with a businessman and a team from Texas, who are interested in bringing to Guyana, oil refinery. They are seeking the necessary documentation... they’ve been in several meetings prior to now... and so there is interest in setting up a refinery in Linden... they are seeking all the con-
cessions that they will have to get and I think what we discussed on Tuesday at our Plan of Action for Regional Development (PARD), will help with us (in) seeking concessions...”, she noted. Adams further stated the move will initiate job creation in the community, provided all goes as well as planned.
In response, Regional Chairman Renis Morian said the Council will be seeking to make concessions available in an effort to have the project on stream. He added that some concessions belonging to the Region were held up by the previous Government a few years ago,
and as such it was a difficult task in terms of accessing it. However, he noted that the Council will nevertheless be pursuing same.
“...but I was told that once this concession came from the Office of the President, the documentation is there. So all we need to do now is revisit it and articulate it so it can become active again”, he told the Council.
According to Adams, the team which has expressed interest in Linden, is presently in the final stages of paperwork in a similar interest in the Takatu Basin.
Harmon refuses to hand over computers for Opposition Leader’s office – claims it is to protect “sensitive” information
By Edward LaynE
Minister of State, Joseph Harmon has refused to hand over the computers belonging to the Office of the Leader of the Opposition, which were used by President David Granger, while he was the Opposition Leader, on the basis that there may be information that can be retrieved, Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs has confirmed to Guyana Times Questioned on Thursday on the current status of the computers which were not handed over to the new Office of the Opposition Leader, Isaacs said he was informed by Minister Harmon that the computers would not be handed over.
“Mr Harmon said he will not hand over the computers because there is information in them which can be retrieved,” Isaacs said.
When asked about the replacement of the computers, the Clerk after confirming with the accountant at the Parliament Office, revealed that new computers will have to be purchased utilising the $3 million Capital Budget for 2015 under the Office of the Leader of the Opposition.
When quizzed further on the Executive taking control of the computers which are the property of the Legislative, the Clerk said he intended to write the Minister of State advising that these items would be removed from the Parliament Office’s inventory and would be added to the inventory of the Ministry of the Presidency.
Further, Isaacs said he intended to write Harmon requesting an increase in the 2016 budgetary allocation of either the Parliament Office or the Office of the Leader of the Opposition so as to facilitate the purchase of new computers.
It is unclear if any computers will be purchased from the 2015 budgetary allocation, since this was cited as one of the factors that is preventing the full operationalisation of the Leader of the Opposition’s Office.
Isaacs said he was awaiting a list from Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira on the needs of the Office, but could not confirm if computers would be one of the items on that list.
Building contract
Meanwhile, both Isaacs and the Finance Ministry have disputed a claim by Teixeira that getting the rental contract for the building to house the Opposition Leader’s Office was delaying the full establishment of the office.
Teixeira, during a news conference on Wednesday, stated, “The Ministry of Finance has put in some additional requirements to get a rental contract approved by their tender board. We are not familiar with rental contracts in the past in Government required to go to a tender board arrangement. So, although we are paying the exact amount as Mr Ganger’s office [as Leader of the Opposition] cost the Parliament Office in terms of budget, it is now almost six weeks and we have not been able to clear that. These are new – the requirements and I will call them hurdles or obstacles.”
However, Isaacs said that the taking of the rental contract to the tender board is nothing new, since by law any contracts above G$1 million must go through the tender board process.
He explained that the rental of the building has to be approved by the tender board of the Finance Ministry, because the deposit amount of $800,000 along with the first month’s rent of $400,000, amounted to a total of $1.2 million as requested by the landlord, which is above the limit that can be approved by Parliament Office’s Departmental Tender Board. Additionally, he said the requirement is for the landlord to submit his Taxpayer’s Identification Number (TIN), Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Compliance and his National Insurance Scheme (NIS) Compliance. The landlord is still to submit his NIS Compliance.
The Berbice River Bridge
friday, november 6, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com
Newborn suffers fractured shoulder, hand at Suddie Hospital
By IndrawattIe natram
Amother of Reliance Village, Essequibo Coast is calling on the Health Ministry to investigate an incident at the Suddie Public Hospital where her newborn baby suffered a fractured shoulder and right hand.
Speaking with Guyana Times , Parbatee Ramdat said that she delivered her baby boy at the hospital on October 26, but did not get to see him immediately.
According to the mother, she and family members kept inquiring about the baby, but were told that the baby was in critical condition.
She said that after demanding to see her child, the baby was brought to her with his right hand in a cast. She said that the nurses then requested to take the child to re-
cast the hand, since they claimed it was not “cast properly”.
The 29-year-old mother said she was discharged from the hospital on November 2 and when she
returned with the baby on Thursday, she was advised that the child needed another X-ray. Following this X-ray, she said, the doctors informed her that the child’s shoulder was fractured and they needed to cast both hands.
She said that she was very saddened by the entire situation and the scarcity of information about her child.
When this newspaper contacted Regional Medical Superintendent Sonia Grey, she said the family approached her and an investigation has been launched into the incident. She said that a medical report would be presented to family members on November 16.
GPF utilising anti-crime strategy – Police Commissioner
Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud on Wednesday said the Guyana Police Force is using the anti-crime strategy to combat the crime situation in the country.
The police chief was speaking to journalists in an invited comment at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre.
He said the strategy as set out by President David Granger is currently being utilised. Part of this strategy he said include capacity building, the street camera expansion programme and increased training activities.
According to him, by the end of next year, there should be at least 1200 more troops deployed in the system.
“We are constantly training. We just had the Justice Security programme training. So with more resource, better training, more professional standards being applied, we certainly will be in a better position to deal with crime and that is something that has been going on continuously and by continuously I mean, it’s happening all the time.
Persaud said currently the force is way above seven per cent in the robbery rate when compared to last year. His comment
came in light of the recent attack on a few money changers on America Street Tuesday evening.
He said crime is a big concern of the Guyana Police Force and each member is working to address the issue.
Earlier this year, following the regional and general elections, President Granger had summoned his top brass in the security sector, where special focus was placed on five areas of strategy that would be used to tackle crime.
Speaking on this issue on Wednesday, Granger said he has reconstituted the National Security Committee, and meets weekly with his top brass.
“We know some of the crimes are execution murders, disorderly murders and banditry. We are tack-
ling the issue from the point of view of transnational crime; a lot of illegal guns are coming into the country presumably from Brazil, including small arms. Some are related to transnational narcotics trade especially execution murders and other contraband activities. Some are just plain criminal activities”, the President said.
According to him the situation is a legacy that has trailed from the early 2000s when hundreds of persons were killed.
“We are still seeing the effects of that criminal violence. We have to deal with narco trafficking, gun running, money laundering and other forms of criminality. He said these things are not just happening but have causes.
Following the meeting with the security officials, government said it would be moving to beef up security at borders across the country, in what it called “a strategic attempt” to significantly reduce the spike in criminal activities.
Coupled with that move was the resuscitation of the Police’s marine wing to provide Police Officers with flexibility and greater access to inland waterways along with the use of animals, including horses and dogs, to go after crimi-
The Guru and Virtue Epistemology
Iattended the cremation rites for Swami Vidiyanandji on the grounds of the Cove and John Ashram. Swamiji had been initiated into the local branch of the Bharat Sevashram Sangh (which can be translated roughly into “Indian Organisation for Service”) by Swami Purananda in 1976. He was the first local Swami since Indians arrived in 1838.
Since Swamis are rather ubiquitous in India, this fact in itself demands explanation. While Hinduism prescribed a stage of renunciation (“sanyasin”) from its earliest days, it was not until the end of the 5th Century CE that the great Adi Shankaracharya introduced into orthodox Hinduism the practice of individuals renunciating directly from the youthful stage of Brahmachari without first becoming a householder and then a servant of society. A Brahmachari has to be directly initiated by another Swami into one of the 10 orders launched by Adi Shankaracharya.
nals.
It was announced too that focus would be placed on the Police administration itself and the requirement to identify criminal activities across thel 10 regions of Guyana, to determine where the activities are being committed and to decide on the strategy to deal with them nationally.
The next element of the security plan also has to do with Police organisation and training and the way the Police Force is organized.
The deployment of the Police Force itself, the response time to complaints by citizens, the operation of the 911 facility, all of these are part of the strategy and will be subject to serious review, Government had said
Yet another element of the strategy covers Police assets and equipment.
Government had also given a clear undertaking to the Guyana Police Force that it would provide assets to go after crime wherever it exists.
“These include the Police’s ability to go up in the air, to utilise aircraft and helicopter to overlook certain terrain, not only on land but on water where piracy takes place. The issue of illegal firearms in the country, and the way in which it is dealt with. Our zero tolerance to the use of illegal firearms is all part of the strategy, Minister of State Joseph Harmon had said
He said Police communications would be improved significantly with the use of computers, the Internet, and access to Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) network.
When the British brought Indians to labour in the cane fields in the 19th century, their net would definitely not have scooped up these renunciants. So while attempting to recreate the institutions of the society from which they originated, indentured Hindus with some knowledge of the life cycle rituals became “Pandits” – more properly “purohits”. There were no Swamis to initiate aspirants of renunciation to become new Swamis.
This initiation was not just an incantation of some mantra in secret, as some believe, but the Brahmachari had to have undergone a period of training as a “shishya” under the Swami, who became his “guru”. Very crucially, this is not the “teacherstudent” classroom relationship we are all familiar with in the west. It goes to the heart of Hindu position on how values and other life-knowledge - such as politics - can be transmitted.
The guru (literally “to remove darkness”) in this “gurushishya”’parampara (tradition) must transmit knowledge through his personal example. In Hindu epistemology, knowledge is not just a matter of listening (shrarvan) and cogitating (manan) but must be put into action to “in-form” the shishya (nidhidhyasan). True knowledge always has to be experientially verified knowledge. And the Guru is the living embodiment of the end process.
In western epistemology there has been a recent shaking up of the field to resolve the conundrum of what is “true” knowledge. If epistemology asks what is valid knowledge and ethics does the same for action, it was only a matter of time, in terms of “true or right knowledge”, that the individual acting in consonance with the knowledge, would be the test of the latter. In the 1990s there was the turn to “virtue ethics” and now, in the new millennium, “virtue epistemology”.
One philosopher, Ernest Sosa, who pioneered this move, distinguished virtue epistemology from “belief” as: “a state of knowing, unlike that of mere true believing. In which the truth is grasped in a way that is creditable or attributable to the subject’s own skills and virtues, and thus to the agent herself.” The ashram of the guru would be understood by Sosa who introduced the notion of “performance value”. In the epistemic realm, this would be “the value of a belief performance that would normally produce true beliefs when operating in a suitable environment.”
In Guyana, one can appreciate the attenuation of Hindu values in an environment bereft of this insistence that the teacher/guru must live the values he/she seeks to transmit to the student/shishya. While possibly well-meaning, in an age reminiscent of the dissoluteness that faced Adi Shankaracharya at the end of the Buddhist Era in India, it is very easy for Hindus to be cynical about values taught by those who insist “do as I say, and not by what I do”.
And we end up with the present sorry situation where Hindus are arguing about which night is best to make offerings to ensure the “removal of darkness”. Rather than how we can enlarge the atrophied guru-shishya papampara initiated by Swami Purnananda at the Cove and John Ashram, to produce more “gurus” - removers of darkness via virtue epistemology.
Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud
The newborn baby
Enterprise businessman, bandits trade bullets
It was a war zone in Enterprise, East Coast Demerara on Wednesday evening after three armed men and a shopkeeper traded bullets as they attempted to rob his businessplace. The incident occurred at about 20:00h.
According to information, Rosita Balram was in the shop attending customers when the men entered and presented a list of items they wanted to purchase.
Reports state that as the woman gathered the items on the list, her husband who is a licensed firearm holder realised something was amiss.
This newspaper understands that after observing the manner in which the men were behaving, the businessman concealed himself so that the men could not observe him.
The newspaper was told the businessman’s wife tal-
lied the cost of the items and informed the men. At that point one of the men pretended that he was taking out the money from his pocket but rather pulled out a handgun and discharged a round in the direction of the woman. Reports are that upon seeing the gun the woman and her son ran for cover.
The businessman upon hearing the first shot retaliated and discharged several rounds in the direction of the men who retreated and escaped in the nearby cane fields.
The police have since retrieved several .9mm spent shells from the scene.
When contacted Thursday, Roso, commonly called, of Ferdinand Street, Enterprise, stated that while putting together the items for the men, she noticed one of them walking in and out of the shop. From all indications she stated, he was mon-
itoring the area.
“When I done get up the things, I tell them it was $3400,”she told this newspaper, adding that the bandit appeared as if he was taking the money out of his pocket. She said in the meantime she was tending to other customers and after they left the shop, the bandit came up to the counter as if he was ready to pay.
As she was about to collect the money, it was then one of the men pulled out a gun and pointed it in her direction.
“The bullet passed by me face and I duck and hide and I tell me son to stay down,” the woman added.
By that time her husband returned fire and the three men, two of whom were armed with handguns, ran out the premises and into the nearby cane fields.
The police were called and an investigation has been launched.
Govt drags feet on Code of Conduct
...doesn’t deliver on promised “consultations”
Governance Minister Raphael Trotman explained that no extensive consultation exercises have begun on the Code of Conduct or Code of Service for parliamentarians, government ministers and other senior government officials.
Previously, Trotman had committed his government to releasing the draft code of conduct to the public for scrutiny and vetting as the public input would allow for Guyanese to determine the standards they need to see being set by those who hold public office.
This should have been done months ago as part of the government’s new mandate and 100-day plan. Additionally, the failure of the government to host consultations to update the document with the public is being seen as a slap in the face of democracy and until this is done, Ministers will be allowed to do as they please.
During a post-cabinet media briefing on Thursday,
Govt moves to establish witness protection programme
Key witnesses testifying before the courts of Guyana will soon be guaranteed protection by the State, once Parliament approves the passage of the Witness Protection Bill 2015, which is currently before a parliamentary subcommittee.
Governance Minister Raphael Trotman announced on Thursday that Cabinet has approved a draft Witness Protection Bill 2015 for submission to the National Assembly.
This legislation would
provide the legal framework for government to establish the Witness Protection Programme which would see persons having access to safe houses and new identities where and when necessary.
According to the Minister, this potential programme will be a part of a wider ongoing crime and security initiative under the Caribbean Community (Caricom). Countries like Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and Barbados are currently involved in the programme
which sees witnesses from one country being provided with a new lease of life in another country.
“This is really more of a Caricom crime and security initiative. Trinidad, Barbados and Jamaica already started working with each other where they move witnesses both before, during and after trials within each other’s countries and I have no doubt that Guyana will avail itself to the opportunity to do so,” Trotman stated.
The Minister noted too that once this programme comes
Linden farmers cry for help
Farmers from two prominent farming communities in West Watooka, Wismar and Dalawala, upper Demerara River, Region 10 are calling for intervention from the Agriculture Ministry into a number of issues affecting that sector in the region.
Julian Fortune a West Watooka farmer related that marketing his produce is currently an issue. Presently he said, he is cultivating mainly vegetables on about five acres of land.
“Finding market is definitely a problem, mainly for plantain and cassava,” he told this newspaper.
A frustrated Fortune added he would no longer harvest plantains on a large scale since it would be a waste of time with the unavailability of proper market.
Yogeshwar Rambharat a prominent farmer at Dalawala, said he believes the community has the potential to be the ‘bread basket’ of the capital city Georgetown, however it appears to be the opposite way round.
He further explained that farmers in the community need an opportunity and an avenue to develop, noting that this opportunity can only come from government and the
Regional Administration.
“We at Dalawala have been left to the mercy of God, because the previous administration, we have written to them about canals in the area and up to this day we haven’t gotten a response. We had even wrote Mr Mingo (Former Regional Chairman) in those days and up to now nothing”, Rambharat told Guyana Times
He noted too that one of the main issues of focus for farmers in the remote area is on the main drain, since using shovels to have them cleared become tedious at times.
Shade nets
“We need things like excavators for canals to drain out the water properly from the farmland... when the rainy season comes we have to get good drainage and that is what is hindering us right now.”
Rhambharat also related that with the present El Nino dry spell in effect, farmers are tasked with purchasing shade nets for their crops, however he noted that government can embark on an initiative to distribute same in an effort to assist.
“I think the government should seek ways to get cheaper shade nets and plastics...
because the prices right now are too extravagant.”
Many farmers have agreed they should be given easier access to land in the Region, which is also an issue. One farmer from West Watooka explained she would like to expand, however is waiting on the opportunity.
Additionally, she pointed out there are several abandoned farmlands in the area which should be “offered to farmers in need “. These sentiments were also echoed by Rambharat who stated that farmers need leases.
“A lot of farmers in Linden don’t have leases so they don’t have an opportunity to get finance... we need documentation and that is also hindering development for farmers here in Linden.
Also lacking, Rambharat explained, is access to technical farming advice for small-, medium- and large-scale farmers. He said since he has been a farmer — for over 40 years - he would assist in imparting knowledge to others who are interested, however he bemoaned the lack of expertise in the community.
“I’m calling on the Minister of Agriculture to let his staff come to Linden and look into these farming areas”, he noted.
Trotman admitted no consultations have begun, nevertheless, he stated the document was released to certain sections of the public for review and commentary.
Trotman said government is not sure how it will embark upon “public consultations” for the code of conduct, noting the administration is mulling town hall style meetings with the wider public for views to be shared.
Nonetheless, Trotman said government is currently focusing on receiving feedback at a bilateral level in terms of sharing the information with the public and getting critiques, comments, and/or suggestions.
on-stream, Guyana will eventually gain support from larger countries like the United Kingdom and United States. Such support would include the requisite training for officers, construction of facilities and altering the appearances of some witnesses where necessary.
After the review by the subcommittee, government will move to table the Bill in parliament.
In the same light, the Minister said government is trying to develop mechanisms to extensively publicise the document in order to receive feedback from a wider crosssection of people.
Trotman disclosed that thus far, the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) sent their feedback and that government is in the process of reviewing those suggestions.
“We are trying to see how we can incorporate those comments,” Trotman said.
Public input
President of Transparency Institute of Guyana Inc (TIGI) Calvin Bernard had underscored the importance of public input on the proposed government code of conduct.
“I think the document itself should be made available and beyond making the document available to the public they should engage the public in a meaningful way, perhaps through meetings or some discussions facilitated by a third party,” he had recommended.
According to reports, Bernard explained that a third party should facilitate the consultation rather than the government, which would logically seek to defend the code it crafted.
Bernard, in offering his suggestions, stated that a month of facilitated discussions among public officials would be an efficient mechanism to capture the views of a wider group of Guyanese which would ultimately result on their views being considered for integration into the Code of Conduct.
The code of conduct outlines actions that could result in ministers, parliamentarians or other senior government officials facing disciplinary actions. It is expected that officials will be bounded by the document and if found in breach, would be dealt with in accordance to the code.
Meanwhile, after the impending public scrutiny as was promised by government, the document will be refined and finalised.
Governance Minister Raphael Trotman
friday, november 6, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com
Diwali preparations
Cleaning tips for Diwali
The Festival of Lights brings joy and lots of colours into our lives. This Hindu festival is grand and the preparations start weeks before.
House cleaning, which comes first, is not something that all of us could be excited about; however, cleaning a house before Diwali is a ritual and whether you like it or not, you ought to do it (obviously for those who celebrate Diwali). Lights and diyas will sparkle only when we keep our home and surroundings clean.
Cleaning the entire house is not an easy task. It’s not about cleaning just one part. We are talking about cleaning the entire house, from kitchen to bedroom, living room to puja room. One of the easiest ways to get it right without getting tired is to divide your work into two to three different sessions. Like the bathroom can be cleaned one day and the kitchen the other day. Bedroom and living areas can be cleaned in one day and you can give final touches to overall cleaning on another day. Make a schedule as per your convenience.
Here are some tips on how to clean your home for Diwali:
First of all, throw away all the useless materials at home. They only occupy space and make an otherwise clean area look messy.
Give the old clothes or clothes that you don’t wear to the poor so that there is room for new clothes you would buy.
Tidy up your wardrobes and shelves.
Unnoticed corners are usually dusty. Do not miss them. Wipe them clean.
People tend to paint their homes for Diwali. If that’s your plan too, cover your furniture and usable property so they do not get stained with paint.
Then the normal cleaning is required. Like dusting, sweeping the floor, giving the old dusty show-pieces their lustre back, replacing the old bed-sheets with the new ones, etc.
Organise and rearrange the furniture. The key to a clean home is that there should be fixed places to keep everything. A room can be made to look appealing to the occupants by re-arranging the pieces of furniture, rugs, even wall hangings and paintings. So, get creative and change the setting of the room.
Get your tools ready
In order for you to start cleaning your house, you need certain tools and cleansers. Not all of us have everything in stock at all times. So get your cleaning materials, equipment and tools ready. You may have them in your house, but if not, arrange to get them to start your Diwali cleaning.
Some unique tips for cleaning the house for Diwali:
* Use white vinegar to clean.
* Put on gloves before you start cleaning.
* Use half a lemon dipped in vinegar to clean the fridge
* Use newspapers to clean glass surfaces and mirrors.
Now that you have these tips for cleaning the house for Diwali, half your job is done, so enjoy the best results of your hard work throughout the days of Diwali!
Remove Ramayya – Region 6 Councillors urge Govt
– as successful no-confidence motion passed
By AndreW cArMicHAel
The Region Six Regional Democratic Council has called on Government to immediately revoke the appointment of that Regional Executive Officer Dr Veerasammy Ramayya after a successful no-confidence motion on Thursday.
The Motion was tabled Councillor Haseef Yusuf at the RDC monthly statory meeting.
The motion which gained a 16-8 majority in favour said the office of the REO is a very important one in the administration of the region and requires a highly qualified and skilled person. Yusuf said the requirements to fill the post were advertised in the daily newspapers.
“All the previous REOs met those requirements. The Regional Executive Officer Dr Veerasammy Ramayya does not possess even the minimum prerequisite academic qualifications and experience for the post and is purely a political appointment.”
The motion also referred to Ramayya as a pensioner who has no experience or background in accounting, management or finance which are necessary for functioning in the post: “Mr Ramayya does not observe protocol and deliberately usurps the functions of the elected officials of the region.”
According to the motion Ramayya is the head Public Servant in the Region but breaches the public service rules by absenting himself without leave or excuse, being frequently late and leaving office before the scheduled departure time.
“Be it resolved that the Regional Democratic Council of Region Six has expressed no confidence in Veerasammy Ramayya as Regional Executive Officer of Region Six,” Yusuf concluded.
Commenting on the motion Regional Vice Chairman Dennis DeRoop said Region Six has now become a laughing stock for the other nine regions since the appointment of Ramayya in September: “There are many things too numerous to mention but I want to concentrate on where he is breaking the law.”
DeRoop said many of those laws are financial which will result in serious problems where the auditors are concerned.
“I have had cause to write the REO as an elected official of this region on his disregard for his office. He is not presenting himself as the head public servant of this region… Whenever he comes to the office he comes in late and leaves the office whenever he pleases. In the spate of one month he was absent more than ten days from the office without excuse and he has been late for the rest of days. As recent as Tuesday I was surprise to see the REO in his exercising suit exercising on the road when I was passing about 3:30 [15:30h] going to a meeting. This is ridiculous.”
Turning his attention to the shortcoming in financing, DeRoop noted that the REO as Chairman of the Works Committee called up a contractor and sent him to do a job without any tendering of engineer estimate. “That is a capital project and now he is trying to pay the contractor from under the current programme which is a breach of the financial regulations.”
Dr Veerasammy Ramayya
DeRoop also mentioned one instance where a contract was awarded to a contractor and Ramayya told another contractor to go and execute the said contract. Much to the amusement of the RDC, DeRoop reported that both contractors
were engaged in the project. He said he has been reliably informed that one of the contractors will be taking legal action against the RDC.
Councillor Zaman Husain opened his presentation by quoting a proverb. “When you give donkey mouth organ to blow he will chew it up.” That is what is happening to Region Six, while clarifying that he was in no means referring to the REO as a donkey.
Husain said the appointment of Ramayya as REO is an insult to the people of Region Six: “You put a person to manage a region and he cannot do it, so you are putting square pegs in round holes.”
He explained that on October 23, the tender board made a decision to give a contractor a job and seven days later the REO without consulting
the tender board gave the same contract to another contractor: “This is violation of the financial regulations. No Chairman of the tender board can award work by himself.”
Referring to a contract which Ramayya allegedly awarded for the construction of a sanitary block for the Number 36 Primary School without consulting the tender board, Husain declared that is corruption; something which the Coalition campaigned against.
When the motion was voted on none of the Coalition Councillors voted in favour, they also did not offer comments during the debate on the motion.
Ramayya who is the Clerk of the RDC was absent from the meeting.
By Hindus for selfless service (Hss)
friday, november 6, 2015| guyanatimesgy.com
In a matter of days, reigning Miss Guyana Universe, Niketa Barker will be handing over the crown to one of nine delegates vying for the spot to represent Guyana in Las Vegas, Navada, for the Miss Universe title.
The nine delegates were unveiled to the public on Sunday last at the Princess Hotel, East Bank Demerara and are all anxiously waiting pageant night, November 15 at the said venue.
The nine smart and beautiful young ladies will compete head
Age: 25 Platform: Positive parenting Sponsor: Modern Agri
Which part of Guyana are you from: Georgetown
Hobbies: Reading, cooking and playing Sudoku
Marie Quail
Age: 18 Platform: A safe haven for orphans Which part of Guyana are you from: Moruca, Santa Rosa, Region One
Hobbies: Reading, writing, modelling and swimming
Age: 25
Platform: Women empowerment with an emphasis on education
Which part of Guyana are you from: South Ruimveldt Park, Georgetown
Hobbies: Dancing, modelling and reading
on in several segments including swimwear, intelligence, evening gown and the final question.
The delegates competing this year are Shauna Ramdyhan, Babita Devi Seelall, Dianna Ahmad, Tricia Marie Quail, Malika Russell, Najuma Nelson,
Kiswana Abimola Jefford, Meleisa Celeine De Freitas and Zena Althea Bland.
The delegates are undergoing training in several aspects and are confident that they will be ready for pageant night. The crowned queen will walk away
Age: 18
Platform: Cyber bullying Sponsor: Neetu and Amrita Balgit Which part of Guyana are you from: Canje Berbice
Hobbies: Dancing, singing, fashion makeup, modelling
Age: 18
Platform: Agricultural development in rural areas in Guyana
Which part of Guyana are you from: Kwakwani, Region 10
Hobbies: Swimming, writing stories and deaf poetry
Age: 19
Platform: Women’s rights in today’s society Sponsor: Ajay’s Taxi Service
Which part of Guyana are you from: Uitvlugt, West Coast
Demerara
Hobbies: Swimming, reading and cooking
with over $4 million in cash and prizes.
These include three weeks in a major city ahead of the international pageant, and a twoyear scholarship in the field of Social Sciences or International Relations.
Age: 23
Platform: Hunger and homelessness in Guyana
Which part of Guyana are you from: Triumph, East Coast Demerara
Hobbies: Reading, watching movies, practicing make-up and volunteering
Age: 24
Platform: Health and wellness
Sponsor: Lion’s Club
Which part of Guyana are you from: Linden, Region 10
Hobbies: Reading horrors/thrillers, watching sports especially football and playing lawn tennis
Age: 24
Platform: Sexual abuse
Which part of Guyana are you from: Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara
Hobbies: Writing and reciting poetry, dancing, roller-skating and swimming
Shauna Ramdyhan
Tricia
Kiswana Abimola Jefford
Babita Devi Seelall
Malika Russell
Meleisa Celeine De Freitas
Dianna Ahmad
Najuma Nelson
Zena Althea Bland
King of the Dancehall, Jamaican Beenie Man is set to upturn Club 704 on Tuesday, November 10 where he is expected to perform several of his hit songs. The party dubbed “Unstoppable” will see the Jamaican artiste going back in time as he satisfies his fans in Guyana with his hits from yesteryear to present.
Over the past weeks, Club 704 has been promoting several shows with live performance and the patrons have all enjoyed to the max. This time will be no different, since Beenie Man will definitely make sure patrons are
well entertained. is no stranger to Guyana since he has performed several times here and is loved by all. Admission to the event is $2000 and tickets will be available at the
Jgate. The event is made possible
amaican dancehall artiste
Andrae Jay Sutherland, better known as “Popcaan”, is set to perform at the “Jail Time is Waste Time” concert billed for the Guyana National Stadium on November 21.
The event which is promoted by 007 Promotions, The Creator Family and Trinity Promotion are moving apace with preparations for the event that is expected to be grand.
Also in the lineup to perform at the event are Timeka Marshall, Kwasi “Ace” Edmondson, Jumo Primo, Calvin Burnette, Brandon Harding, Lil Million, Shelly G, Solutions, Flava, Remar and Jory Hector. The emcee for the evening will be Malcolm Ferreira, better known as ‘Mr Wickedee” and steaming up the event with the vibes will be Gully Ras, Magnum, Selector
Face and Deejay Puffy.
In addition to the main concert, the Jamaican artiste will be performing at a preconcert event at Palm Court, Main Street, Georgetown and he will also be a part of the after party at Club Next, Princess Hotel, Providence, East Bank Demerara.
“The Jail Time is Waste Time” concert is sponsored by the Ministries of Education,
Public Security, Social Protection; Palm Court; Corona Extra; E-Networks and National Hardware.
Part of the concert’s proceeds will go to the rebuilding of the Tiger Bay Community Centre and the commencement of the Hope Project’s Mechanical Engineering Programme for Inner City Youths.
Every Christmas, we hear repeatedly “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose”, “Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow” or “Santa Claus is coming to town” and it is time for a change, since we all know that there is no snow and Santa Claus.
Kross Kolor Records has produced an entire Christmas album of 15 tracks entitled “Christmas with Us” Volume II varying among all genres of music. Whatever genre you prefer, know that the genre is there, whether it is R&B, Reggae, Pop, Dancehall or Jazz among others.
This in an album comprising 14 newly composed tracks produced by Burchmore Simon, Simeon Browne and Drew Thoven and performed by talented individuals most of who are signed to Kross Kolor Records and a few others who collaborated with them to make this album a success.
The 15th track is a remake of Dave Martins’ “Not a Blade of Grass” and this was done to bring more awareness to the Guyana/ Venezuela border controversy.
“A Taste of Guyanese Christmas” is the official launch of the album which will be held on Sunday November 8, at Colgrain House at 19:00h.
There will be performances
from some of the artistes on the album and also steel pan renditions. What is Christmas in Guyana without a masquerade? So, of course there will be a masquerade performance.
The Tourism Ministry, Banks DIH, Quality Plus, Spicy Dish, Pam and Steves Bakery and Humphery’s Bakery all contributed to the possibility of this launch.
This album was created to showcase the talent Guyanese artistes possess and the work they can produce together. The album became a project to give the youths a sense of empowerment and for them to use their voices to make a difference in the way music is experienced when it comes to Christmas in Guyana.
Instead of hearing about how it is snowing and how Santa Claus will bring us gifts after creeping down the chimney, patrons will get a taste of what Christmas is really like in Guyana.
They will also hear about the hustling on Regent Street on Christmas Eve, spending time with family and friends, missing loved ones and of course the famous black cake.
“Christmas with Us” will be available at Gismos and Gadget at a cost of $1500. The album will also be downloaded on the Internet.
As Guyanese prepare to celebrate Diwali
2015, the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha (GHDS) will kick start eight spectacular Deepavali motorcades across the country.
The first motorcade will be held this evening at the Anna Regina Market Tarmac, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam). On Saturday November 7, motorcades will be held at the Ocean View Mandir compound, West Coast Demerara and at the Diamond Market Tarmac, East Bank Demerara, in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica).
On Sunday November 8, four motorcades will be held in Berbice. In West Coast Berbice, the motorcade will converge at the Bath Community Centre ground.
In East Berbice, the floats will assemble at Main and Vryheid Streets, opposite Church View Gift Shop and proceed to the Rose Hall Community Centre ground, at Canje, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).
and converge at the Port Mourant Community Centre ground.
All of the motorcades will culminate with grand cultural programmes and presentation of prizes beginning at 19:00h.
The spectacular Georgetown/East Coast Demerara motorcade will be held on Tuesday November 10 and is often described as the single largest event on the Guyanese calendar and this year’s motorcade promises to be exciting as ever.
In Upper Corentyne, floats will make their way from Crabwood Creek and Number 36 Village to the Tagore High School ground. The Central Corentyne Praant’s motorcade will move from Bush Lot, Corentyne and Number 1 Village
The floats will assemble at the Shri Krishna Mandir, Campbellville, Georgetown, from 18:00h and will make their way to the La Bonne Intention (LBI) Community Centre ground for a grand cultural presentation and prize giving ceremony.
There will be special performances by ZEETV’s Saregamapa finalists Bishakh Jyoti and Shreyasi Bhattacharjee.
In addition, the Dharmic Nritya Sangh, Sookrane Boodhoo, Rekha Singh, Artie Sookhai, Mona Gowkarran and others are slated to perform.
Admission to all motorcades is free and no alcohol is allowed.
Eighteen-year-old Raul Ian Leal is now dubbed the “King of the Road” following his recent accomplishment at the recently concluded Tour Guyana Five-Stage Cycle Race. The talented young man was born in Georgetown to Jackquline Campbell and Raul Andre Leal and is the third of four siblings.
As a young man, he grew up in Turkeit Street, South Ruimveldt Gardens. As the first grandchild of the Leal family, his early childhood days saw him and his family moving from place to place. At eight, he went to live with his grandmother in South Ruimveldt Gardens and would often visit his parents and siblings in Albouystown.
From an early age, he always enjoyed participating in sport activities. He is very athletic and would escape every afternoon from home to play football and cricket with his friends in the neighbourhood. His focus, however, was riding and performing stunts in the streets.
He attended West Ruimveldt Primary School and finally wrote his exams at the East Ruimveldt Secondary School.
He is presently a member of team Gillette Evolution and has been with the team for the past eight months. However, his riding career all started at the age of 11 when his uncle saw his talent in riding and decided to purchase a racing cycle along with the necessary gears for him. His uncle has been his support base from that day on.
As a cyclist, he understands what it is to win and to lose. He also understands that the sport requires discipline and patience. Leal recalled back in May 2013, when he almost lost his life after meeting in an accident which resulting in him sustaining a broken left arm and left leg. This however did not deter him from reaching his goals – to be the best cyclist Guyana has ever seen. Although he had injuries, this did not deter him from travelling and touring other countries.
As the winner of the Tour Guyana Five-Stage Race, he feels elated and thanked his wonderful team members who have displayed a string sense of determination and sacrifice.
During the tour, he realised that without a team, it is very difficult to win a race but praised his team members for their support. He however, feels that when competing in a race, there must be a level playing field, hence he supports the
anti-doping laws that were implemented during the recent five-stage. He thinks that this will eventually determine who is talented and who is not.
His greatest accomplishments thus far is surviving the horrific accident in 2013 and being able to get back on top of his game and being able to win races especially the recent five-stage. As he looks into the future, he sees himself owing his own house with a wonderful family, with a good and well paying job and possibly owning his own business. He also feels that he has the potential to become the best cyclist Guyana ever produced. Finally, he is optimistic in participating in the Olympics some day.
His advice to young people who want to become a professional cyclist – work hard towards what they want in life. “To become a professional cyclist is a lot of hard work with a lot of time set aside for training. In the cycling work, you need to always be smart in every move you make. Cycling is a very good sport and you will learn a lot because I have learnt over the past years”.
Apart from cycling, he works at Sol Guyana Inc on a full time basis and loves to spend time with his girlfriend. Training, he added is a must.
Leal’s favourite colour is green and he loves to eat chocolate. His favourite dish is curried chicken with rice, and spaghetti and chicken. He is a dog lover and is very jovial.
Jomel Warrican talks Test debut for WI
By Akeem Greene
West Indies’ newest Test debutant
Jomel Warrican has shown signs that a long and prosperous future is ahead. Speaking to Guyana Times Sport from Barbados as he prepares for the Professional Cricket League Four-Day Tournament, Warrican revealed that “playing my first Test match was extremely special feeling and I couldn’t ask for better conditions that suit my type of bowling. Also what made it so special is the fact the great Sir Garfield Sobers presented me with my cap.”
The left-arm spinner had to wait until the second Test match in Colombo, Sri Lanka, but did not disappoint as he picked up 4-67 which helped initiate a Sri Lankan batting collapse.
He returned in the second innings to pick up a further two wickets to end his debut Test with six wickets. The young spinner bowled with much flight and drew many of the batsmen forward. Warrican adjudged his selection to his hard work and past performances.
In assessing areas where he can improve, he said: “There is always room for improvement in anything you do. Things I can do to continue improving or to play long are work on my consistency while bowling, developing new arm balls and improving my batting and fielding.”
A product of the Combermere School, Warrican has devised a plan to conquer the stresses of bowling long spells. “The strains on your fingers are very difficult, so it is very important that you manage them well. I personally manage my fingers by icing them after a long spell and also use Krazy Glue on my spinning finger to help protect my skin from ripping.”
Warrican had a fantastic 2014-15 season as he finished with 49 wickets at an average of 14.97. In fact, he took eight wickets in an innings on two occasions. In what was a surprise call-up to many as the usual Test back spinner Veerasammy Permaul, who had just topped the wicket charts seemed to be the first choice, Warrican would have put many doubts to rest after his performance
in the Test.
As the next season is on the brink of its start, Warrican explained his plans were to perform with the ball and “help my team win the tournament and also improve my batting average as well”.
The Empire Cricket Club player in Barbados has every intention to play every format of the game, but remains focused at this point in time on maintaining high levels of performance in the Test format.
The young man credits his success to his coaches, family and close friends and the support given.
Warrican, who was born in St Vincent but grew up in Barbados, was a part of the West Indies Under-19 squad and has always been a steady performer, but never had a breakthrough season that attracted the eyes of the selectors.
After playing 16 FirstClass games, and picking up 72 wickets of which he has six five-wicket hauls and one match haul of 10 wickets, Warrican can become a lethal weapon for the West Indies in Test cricket. (akeemg@guyanatimesgy.com)
Maersk Guyana Golf Tourney on this Saturday
Local golfers will have another chance to compete against each other on Saturday in the Maersk Guyana sponsored Medal Play Tournament to be staged at Guyana’s lone golf course at Lusignan, East Coast Demerara.
The Danish company Maersk, considered the largest container shipping company in the world, is pleased
to sponsor its second tournament.
Club President Oncar Ramroop expressed his delight, on the part of the Lusignan Golf Club, at having this global shipping conglomerate on board. He noted that Maersk’s sponsorship was a significant and positive influence on the growth and development of the sport.
“Golf has risen in Guyana and it’s the support of business entities that has led to such expansion and allows us to make so much improvement at the Lusignan Golf Club,” he said.
The defending champion is Sam Harry. Maersk operates in over 135 countries and has over 25,000 employees and over 600 vessels in the shipping line alone.
Tendulkar-Warner All Star Cricket in America this weekend Letter to the Sports Editor
Dear Editor, All-star cricket comes to the US from this Saturday in three exhibition T20 matches featuring teams to be captained by legends Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne featuring players from Guyana, Trinidad, and the other major test playing nations. Cricket is very popular among immigrant communities from cricket playing nations like Guyana, India, etc. The objective behind the exhibition matches is to further promote cricket in America. It is being organized by a professional public relations firm and has drawn millions of dollars in sponsors.
The matches will be played in New York Mets Stadium (Nov 7), Houston Astros stadium (Nov 11) and Los Angeles Dodgers stadium (Nov 14). Large number of South Asian and West Indian expats are settled in these areas and are expected to patronize the game to see Sachin in action; he is the star attraction with the rivalry between himself and Warner added to the action. It is titled "Cricket All-Stars Series 2015", featuring more than 28 retired greats (in cluding Brian Lara) of the game. The exhibition is pitched as the Harlem Globetrotters.
India
Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Ajit Agarkar, Virendar Sehwag; Australia
Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden, Glenn McGrath
and Brad Haddin
South Africa - Jacques Kallis, Shaun Pollock, Lance Klusener, Jonty Rhodes, Allan Donald
England - Graeme Swann, Michael Vaughan
West Indies - Brian Lara, Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose, Carl Hooper
Sri Lanka- Kumar Sangakkara, Muttiah Muralitharan, Mahela Jayawardene
Pakistan- Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar, Saqlain Mushtaq, Moin Khan
New Zealand- Daniel Vettori
News of the matches have made the American mainstream media in addition to the international sports, entertainment and news media.
The first two games are slated to be played in the daytime while the final game at Dodger Stadium is scheduled to be played under the lights at the 56,000 capacity facility.
Warne told the Wall Street Journal that "To make history in America
fields also featured exhibition games of former greats including Rohan Kanhai and Alvin Kalicharran during the 1980s. Shivnarine Chanderpaul and other Guyanese cricketers recently played in American parks. Warne encouraged fans to come to the game in NY where the weather is expected to be warm (unseasonal for this time of the year at the onset of the winter).
The ICC has sanctioned the three games and will receive a portion of the proceeds. The ICC fee will be used to promote the game in America. Each player will also get a significant fee for their participation. Major corporations are sponsoring the games. TV and radio will be carrying the games.
New York hosted international cricket featuring India and Pakistan a dozen years ago in three one day internationals on Long Island that was broadcast live; Sachin played in those matches with Saurav Ganguly as captain. Two 20/20 Internationals were played in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida three years ago be-
Lusignan Golf Club President Oncar Ramroop with Maersk representatives Romona Arthur, Lianna Bisson and Rosana Lall
Warrican receives his Test cap on debut from Sir Garfield Sobers
friday, NOvember 6, 2015
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Top darts players to play in Barbados today
Guyana’s top two darts players will participate in the Barbados Darts Festival today which is sponsored by Harrows. Sudesh Fitzgerald and Lallchand Rambharose will represent Guyana at the event scheduled to run until November 9.
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Over the years they have both participated in this tournament and excelled; last year they combined yo win one first prize and two second prizes at the event.
BCCI to consider lifting sanctions on WICB
The BCCI in its annual general meeting on November 9 is set to deliberate whether to revoke the suspension imposed on bilateral tours with West Indies following their team’s pull-out midway through the India tour last October.
The BCCI had slapped punitive damages on the WICB amounting to $41.97 million, calling the abandonment of the India tour a “monumental disaster”. That notice was sent by former BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel, who served under the previous BCCI administration which was led by N Srinivasan. Subsequently, the WICB had communicated to the BCCI its inability to pay the damages thereby raising serious doubts over India’s tour of the West Indies, scheduled for next summer.
But hope has emerged for West Indies following the October 17 meeting between WICB president Dave Cameron and chief executive Michael Muirhead with the BCCI top brass in Mumbai, which took place a day before the
BCCI’s working committee meeting. The working committee on October 18 was briefed that the WICB, besides tendering several apologies, had conveyed to the BCCI its inability to compensate financially. Instead, the WICB expressed its desire to make
up for it by touring India for a series in 2017. If the AGM accepts the proposal, it will mean India will play four Tests in the West Indies in July-August next year as per schedule.
Muirhead confirmed that he along with Cameron met the BCCI president Shashank Manohar and secretary Anurag Thakur along with a few oth -
er BCCI officials at the Indian board’s headquarters in Mumbai. Muirhead said he and Cameron came out of that meeting with the feeling that a resolution could be worked out.
“We are certainly on the road to resolution,” Muirhead told ESPNcricinfo. “We had discussions on the resolution of the impasse that currently exists. It was very, very cordial. We discussed everything that would affect us at length. We were sure that a resolution would be forthcoming in the very near future. We are hoping that it will take root at the AGM.” Although Muirhead declined to divulge exact details, it is understood that West Indies are likely to tour India for limited-overs matches in 2017. As per the current FTP, India are supposed to play five ODIs and a T20 in the West Indies in JulyAugust 2017. “It is really in the hands of the BCCI whether they either ratify what we had discussed or propose any changes they might want,” Muirhead said. (Cricinfo)
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Sudesh Fitzgerald
National Schools’ Championships Defending champs North Georgetown confident of retaining title
Defending
Champions of the National Schools’ Championships, North Georgetown/District 11 is brimming with confidence ahead of the mega event set to start on November 23 at the Guyana National Stadium and the National Aquatic Centre.
District Manager, Mariska Williams related that North Georgetown is very confident of retaining their title.
“We are very much confident as we always are, we have submitted the team list already and we believe we have a strong team… we gave a few concerns with the female cycling it’s not as strong as it normally is and we have a new breed of
swimmers.
“Our track and field is very strong because of the incoming runners from other zones,” Williams who has always been a part of the management team for the most successful District in the Championships’ history.
However, Williams also revealed that preparations are in place for the squad of 101 athletes and six officials.
In addition, Williams shared that one of the major part of the district’s preparation will be an InterGeorgetown meet among South, North and East Georgetown as well as East Coast on November 15 at the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary.
Nevertheless, Williams noted that while the teachers are not as strong as she hopes it would have been,
she expects the teachers to put on a top performance when the event commences.
Meanwhile Williams shared a few concerns, highlighting that she hopes, uniforms arrive on-time compared to last year which forced the defending champions to participate in the march past with their bottoms only.
The long-time team manager also stressed that team officials are bombarded when some athletes are not chosen because of downsizing.
“We hope that the committee can look at Nationals and make a few adjustments because not all athletes that win a race might be chosen because we have to downsize and parents that might not understand process bombard us.
“So we hope that a few
ECCB/Elizabeth Styles quarter-finals set for Sunday
nament will take home
adjustments can be made so that every child that win an event an be chosen to represent,” Williams noted.
The Swimming Championships will be held on Monday, November 23 at the National Aquatic Centre at Liliendaal. In addition to the swimming competition, two field events, Long Jump and Shot Putt, along with the 10km road race, 40km and 25km cycle road race will also take place on November 23.
The Games Village will be established on Woolford Avenue. Tutorial High, North Georgetown Primary and Secondary Schools and Richard Ishmael Secondary will house the 16 Districts from across Guyana that will compete at the Championships.
The Games Secretariat has been officially opened at GTU Headquarters, Woolford Avenue, with Districts submitting their entries. The Opening Ceremony for the championship is scheduled for November 24 at 10:30h.
Quarter-final action in the East Coast Cricket Board (ECCB) sponsored Elizabeth Styles 40-over cricket competition is billed for Sunday.
According to a release from the ECCB, Buxton “Carl Hooper” Sports Club will host Better Hope Sports Club ‘A’, with Kenalyn Baker and Charles Gibbons overseeing the game, while Better Hope Sports Club ‘B’ play hosts to Golden Grove Cricket Club. Gavin D’Aguiar and Gyananand Sukhdeo are the umpires slated for that game.
All matches will be played strictly in accordance with the rules and regulations of the ECCB.
The Club of the tour-
$350,000, while there will be prizes and trophies for the second-place team and the Player of the Final.
Meanwhile, all Clubs/ teams affiliated with the ECCB are asked to make contact with the Competitions Committee of the Board regarding the launching of the annual ECCB sponsored T20 tournament.
For further information, contact can be made with Chairman of the Competitions Committee, Raymond Barton on 6260223 or executive member and President of the East Coast Umpires Association. Davteerth Anandjit on 6178502.
B y T reis T on J oseph
North Georgetown during the march past of last year’s National Schools’ Championships
Raymond Barton
Davteerth Anandjit
WICB/PCL 4-Day
Tournament
Guyana Jaguars begin title defence against WI Volcanoes – team set to utilise critical home field advantage
Reigning champions Guyana Jaguars will square-off with an equally balance Windward Islands Volcanoes team at theGuyana National Stadium, Providence in today's opening round of matches in the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Professional Cricket League (PCL) four-day tournament.
The game is scheduled to start at 09:30h.
With two wins against the visitors in their last two encounters, and with added motivation of been the defending champion, the Guyanese will again fancy their chances of another dominant performance.
Head coach Esaun
Crandon declared that his entire 13-man squad is fit and raring to go in the tournament opener.
"All the players are fit and waiting to start off the tournament. There are high expectations and I expect them to be looking for the chance to execute well," said the former national fast bowler.
However, Crandon, who is well aware of local conditions, said he expects a tough fight from their formidable opponents.
We expect a tough challenge from the Windward Islands Volcanoes, they have been a really competitive opposition for us over the last couple of years, I know that the last season we had the upper hand over them, but having said
Stag Elite League Richardson is Courts Player of the Month
Gregory “Jackie Chan” Richardson
Pele FC’s top striker Gregory “Jackie Chan” Richardson continues to impact his team in a positive way as his squad sits atop the Stag Elite League with 24 points.
Richardson who is the joint leading goal scorer in the league was named as the Courts Player of the Month on Thursday for the second consecutive month.
Richardson made his return to Pele for the Stag Elite League and his presence on the squad proved dividends as the Pele team has been the major surprise in the League which is be-
ing dubbed “The Genesis”. This is Richardson’s second consecutive time winning the award after claiming it last month with his stellar performances.
Richardson topped Alpha United’s Delon Lanferman for the award after receiving 205 votes out of 325 votes from fans through Text and Social Media.
Apart from the $25,000 voucher from Courts, Richardson will also receive $10,000, compliments of German's Restaurant, thanks to proprietor Clinton Urling.
that we will need to play better cricket than them to get the upper hand. But we are confident of doing well,” said Crandon.
Meanwhile, Windward Islands Volcanoes, once considered the Cinderella
side of the regional game, have started to trend upwards in recent years as a number of promising players have started to establish themselves.
They have at their disposal Devon Smith, a lefthander opener, who has been one of the most prolific run-getters in regional cricket and in the 2014/2015 PCL season he amassed 822 runs – the most by any batsman – at an average of 54.80 and struck two centuries and four half centuries.
They also have the likes of Tyrone Theophile, Keddy Lesporis, Sunil Ambris, Delorn Johnson, Shane Shillingford along with Barbadian Kyle Mayers and Kevin McClean.
The Guyana 13 fea-
tures veteran West Indies left-hander Shivnarine Chanderpaul, captain and rookie left-handed batsman Leon Johnson, the experienced left-hander Assad Fudadin, silky top-order player Rajendra Chandrika, the swashbuckling opener Shemron Hetymer and the in-form Vishual Singh.
Their bowling unit is without spins twins Devendra Bishoo and Veerasammy Permaul, but comprises long-limbed pace bowler Ronsford Beaton, left-armer Raymon Reifer, right-arm fast bowler Keon Joseph, bowling allrounder Christopher Barnwell, slow left-arm orthodox bowler, debutant Gudakesh Motie and off-spinner Steven Jacobs. Anthony Bramble
is the wicket-keeper.
In the other first round matches, Leeward Islands Hurricanes host Trinidad and Tobago Red Force at Warner Park in Basseterre, St. Kitts, and the Barbados Pride, last year’s second-placed team, welcome Jamaica Scorpions to Kensington Oval in Bridgetown.
The Tournament will again be contested under a round-robin format, featuring 10 rounds of matches, comprising five home and five away fixtures apiece for each of the six franchises, with the team accumulating the most points being declared the Champions.
The season also includes three breaks – following the third, fifth and eighth rounds.
Devon Smith is the Jaguars’ biggest threat
Guyana Jaguars begin title defence against WI Volcanoes
BCCI to consider lifting sanctions on WICB
Review panel recommends disbanding of WICB
An Independent Review Panel of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) established to examine the management of the game in the region by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has recommended the disbanding of the institution.
The panel, chaired by principal of the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies, Professor V Eudine Barriteau, included president of the Caribbean Court of Justice Sir Denis Byron, former Trinidad & Tobago and West Indies cricketer Deryck Murray, president of the Caribbean Development Bank Dr Warren Smith, and president of the Grenada Cricket Association Dwain Gill.
According to a Jamaica Observer report, the committee based their findings on the fact that among other things, the model was outdated.
“In the 21st century Caribbean, the sporting outcomes of the game of cricket will continue to dramatically affect the psyche of Caribbean people. The enduring and ongoing impact of the triumphs and tribulations of successive West Indies cricket teams on the cricketing public will continue to be well documented and researched,” the report stated.
“Yet, we maintain that the issues confronting the governance and administration of cricket exceed
the dynamics of the game on the field of play and its effect on the psyche of Caribbean people. There is an inherent and as yet unresolved tension between the evolution of the game of cricket into a powerful, professionally driven, entertainment and sporting industry and a system of governance predicated on an earlier, more simplified set of requirements,” the panel said.
“In this regard, the panel strongly recommends the immediate dissolution of the West Indies Cricket Board and the appointment of an Interim Board whose structure and composition will be radically different from the now proven, obsolete governance framework.”
The report went on to state that it believed the measure was the only credible solution in order to transform both the regional governing body and by extension, the game itself. (Digicel
Gudakesh Motie is set to make his First-class debut today
Leon Johnson
There is a possibility of the West Indies team touring India in 2017 for limited-overs matches. (BCCI photo)
President of the WICB Dave Cameron
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