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Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 3203

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Sunday, May 7, 2017

PRICE

‘Economic mission’ trips

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Release expense details in interest of transparency – PPP

GDP growth not reflective of economic development – Ali P3

Page 9

… says citizens must know benefits, expenses from presidential tours

Bandits kill bread vendor during robbery Page 2

$120 vat included

Cops raid popular night Page spots in 2 Georgetown

… trafficking victims, gun, ammo unearthed

5 busted with gun, ammo, wig, crowbar in Berbice P8

Police seize 1.2kg ganja in Berbice P16

Govt warns against sidelining Private Sector, trade unions P7

Guyoil P15 launches environment -friendly diesel

President David Granger and First Lady Sandra Granger interacting with some of the exhibitors at Pushpanjali 17, held at the Indian Monument Gardens, Georgetown in celebration of Arrival Day 2017 on Friday

Carvil Duncan trial

PM pushes for Justice Holder to recuse self from case

Page 3

Canada cautions citizens about travel to Guyana P10

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news

SUnDAY, may 7, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

Bandits kill bread vendor during robbery A

father of two was on Friday evening shot dead by two motorcycle bandits at ‘C’ Field Sophia, Greater Georgetown, after which they escaped with an undisclosed sum of money.

Dead is 42-year-old Andre Alexander of Lot 394 Section 4, C Field Sophia, Greater Georgetown.

He was reportedly shot once to the chest and succumbed while receiving medical attention at the Georgetown Public Hospital. Reports received revealed that the now dead man and his wife were in the shop when the two men approached on a motorcycle and requested three loaves of bread.

The pillion rider took out a $5000 bill to pay and while Alexander was in the process of making change, he whipped out a gun and demanded cash. Upon seeing this, the man’s wife, Beverly Alexander ran towards their home which is a stone’s

Dead: Andre Alexander

throw away and raised an alarm.

However, her husband refused to cooperate and the suspect grabbed the money he had in his hand and discharged several rounds in the process. One of the bullets reportedly struck the bread vendor to the chest.

Upon realising that the man was shot, the two young men escaped on the motor-

cycle. At the home of the dead man, his wife was too distraught to speak to this publication but her brother-in-law, Olton Brotherson, explained that he spoke to his now dead brother 15 minutes before to the shooting incident.

He noted that he was at home when he received a telephone call informing him that his brother was shot and was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

According to the distraught brother, as he arrived at the medical facility, he was told that his brother was nursing a gunshot injury to his chest and the doctors were attending to him.

He added that while the full details of the shooting was not at his disposal, he noted that his brother was robbed and killed by two men who later escaped on a motorcycle.

Brotherson further stated that his brother and his sister-in-law have been in the business for the past six

The bread stand where Andre Alexander was shot

years. “Well they work and when they come home they would sell until like 8:30 (20:30h) in the night and then come in,” the brother added.

His brother, he added, worked at Banks DIH and his sister-in-law works at the Georgetown Public Hospital. With respect to Police investigations, the aggrieved man stated that

the Police were at the scene on Friday evening following the shooting incident and returned to the area early Saturday morning but they are still to make an arrest.

He remembers his brother for his kind and helpful attitude to his family and friends but more so, the people in the community.

“He was a very, very, helpful person,” he reiterated.

Meanwhile, the dead man’s

mother, who is a former matron at the GPHC, was in a state of shock and was in tears when Guyana Times visited.

She noted that she was standing on the platform of her home when she heard what sounded like gunshots but thought it was squibs.

Within a few minutes, she received news that her son was shot and injured during a robbery.

“I got the call from a neighbour who told me that two men shot at Andre and took away his money… then they say that he was shot and taken to the hospital,” the woman said. Soon after, she received the devastating news that her second son was dead.

Alexander leaves to mourn his wife, two daughters and one brother among other relatives. His body is at the GPHC mortuary awaiting a post-mortem examination. Police are continuing their investigations.

Cops raid popular night spots in Georgetown …trafficking victims, gun, ammo unearthed

Police raided two popular night spots

R

anks of the Major Crime and Trafficking in Persons Units of the Guyana Police Force swooped down on two popular business establishments in Werk-enRust, Georgetown, and conducted a raid.

Guyana Times understands that at approximately 02:00h on Friday, the ranks went to the businesses, located obliquely opposite each other at George and Princes Streets, Werken-Rust, and conducted a search, during which several persons were arrested.

Among those detained were four adult female Venezuelans said to be employees, along with the two male proprietors, one of whom was found in possession of an unlicensed firearm with 15 live rounds.

The females are sus-

pected to be victims of human trafficking, and have since been placed into the care of the Social Protection Ministry pending completion of the investigation.

This newspaper was told that at least two busloads of police officers pulled up in front of the establishments and barged inside, shutting down the party. The ranks then began search the premises of the club before stripping and searching the party-goers, who mostly were males.

During the hour-long raid, the officers also searched several vehicles parked around the area, including hire cars and privately registered vehicles.

This publication was told that a few of the party-goers were found with small quantities of narcotics and were taken into custody.

NEWS

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Sunday, May 7 – night retraction at 03:00h and a day retraction between 14:30h-16:00h and Monday, May 8 – night retraction at 03:30h and a day retraction between 14:30h-16:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Sunday, May 7 – 14:15h-15:45h and Monday, May 8 – 14:55h-16:25h.

FERRY SCHEDULE Parika and Supenaam departure times - 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h daily

WEATHER TODAY Weather: Thundery to heavy rain showers can be expected throughout the day, while light cloud cover and light rain showers can be expected in the evening.

Temperatures are expected to range between 24 degrees and 28 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-easterly to Easterly between 2.68 metres and 4.47 metres.

High Tide: 02:13h and 14:35h reaching maximum heights of 2.40 metres and 2.41 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 08:10h and 20:27h reaching minimum heights of 0.80 metres and 0.77 metre respectively.

3

SunDAY, May 7, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

GDP growth not reflective of economic development – Ali

E

conomist Irfaan Ali has assessed that economic development is stagnant regardless of the recorded growth in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2016.

Ali on Saturday said as most contemporary macroeconomists would concur, a growth in GDP merely reflects economic growth but not economic development.

The latter, he pointed out, “is the ultimate achievement and would determine if we would benefit from improved access to health care, education, housing etc.”

Given what he described as the “starry-eyed” feature of the current Administration, Ali noted that economic development will be more of a longing desire than an imminent achievement.

He pointed too that the 3.6 per cent growth last year was mainly attributed to the windfall gain in gold through higher prices, as all other productive sectors were failing.

“Tepid is what characterised our key traditional sectors, with the exception of gold. As anticipated, the agriculture, fishing and for-

estry sector contracted by 10.5 per cent, with sugar, rice and forestry being the biggest looser with 20.5 per cent, 22.4 per cent and 27.4 per cent respectively. Had the Government not tried to reinvent the wheel and proceed with policies similar to that of the [People’s Progressive Party] PPP for the sugar, rice and forestry sector, overall GDP would have increase by 5.7 per cent instead of a meager 3.6 per cent at the end of 2016,” the parliamentarian expressed.

The former Housing Minister argued that the counterintuitive policies have cost the nation approximately US$40.4 million, revenues that would have expanded the foreign exchange reserve by approximately 6.7 per cent and help stabilise the exchange rate.

He further posited that the aftermath of the failed amorphous policies is visible and ubiquitous through the nation. Ali referred to the production of logs and sawn lumber in cubic meters at the end of 2016 which dropped by 19.7 per cent and 40.8 per cent respectively in comparison to 2015.

“This underperformance

PPP parliamentarian, Irfaan Ali

would spell disaster for our loggers, truck drivers, lumber dealers, and most importantly to our Amerindian brothers and sisters who rely heavily on the timber industry as a means of income to sustain their livelihood. Hence, this dreary performance will inevitable spell disaster and increase hardship.

Endogenous shocks of higher commodity prices will curtail demand and cripple private investment,” he stated.

The politician noted that these economic consequences will touch every Guyanese, concatenated through depreciation in

purchasing power, reduced disposable income and increased hardship.

“Not only will savings be wiped out through depreciation in exchange rates, but compounding this phenomenon will be a surge in inflation, an inevitable outcome of the additional tax measures introduced this year,” Ali stated.

Furthermore, he said the sloth implementation of the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP) is another calamity that is directly linked to the lack of enthusiasm of the public servants.

“The quixotic approach towards work is attributed to low wages and growing economic burden.

The [A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change] APNU/AFC Government, upon occupying office, slaked their desire for immediate wealth with a humungous 50 per cent increase in salary while public servant received a smidgeon five per cent.

Moreover, interminable selection by intrinsic motivation will continue to hamper the implementation of the PSIP,” he stated.

Carvil Duncan trial

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PM pushes for Justice Holder to recuse self from case

P

rime Minister Moses Nagamootoo has asked Attorney General Basil Williams to put forward a request for High Court Justice Franklin Holder to recuse himself from the Carvil Duncan case in light of the brewing tension between the two over an incident at the last hearing back in March.

Duncan had moved to the court to block the work of a Presidential Tribunal that was set up to determine whether he should be removed from his post as Chairman of the Public Service Commission (PSC) in light of criminal charges proffered against him, one of which has since been dismissed at the Magistrate’s Court.

Justice Holder has complained to acting Chancellor Yonette CummingsEdwards that during the March 23rd hearing of the case, he abruptly walked out of the courtroom as a result of statements made by the Attorney General.

He quoted the AG as saying, “I could say what I want to say and however I want to say it, I have always been like that… The last magistrate who (told me what to do) was later found dead.”

Justice Holder has judge said in his complaint that he felt disrespected by the Attorney General’s behaviour. He has called for an apology to be proffered him in open court before he would proceed with the case.

However, the State’s chief legal advisor is holding out that he is not to be

ing the matter.” A copy of the petition was forwarded to both the Chancellor of the Judiciary and Chief Justice, as well as President David Granger.

No response

Justice Franklin Holder

blamed for causing the High Court judge to walk out of the courtroom. He has also insisted that his comment had not been a threat, even though the defence lawyer at the time, Anil Nandlall, has described it as one.

In a letter dated May 4, 2017 and addressed to the Attorney General, Prime Minister Nagamootoo raised concerns about having a fair trial in light of the incident.

“I am a respondent in the matter at caption, and I am writing you in your capacity as my attorney-at-Law herein. Due to an alleged between yourincident self and Justice Franklyn Holder in his Honour’s court on March 23, 2017 in the above mentioned suit, and His Honour’s subsequent petition to the Honourable Chancellor against the Attorney General on the issue of the alleged incident, I am of the opinion that neither the State nor l will receive fair hearing in the matter…,” the Prime Minister

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo

stated.

His concern is based on the following grounds outlined in the letter: That the Judge had the power to handle the alleged incident between himself and the State’s Attorney General amicably in court, instead of retiring to his Chambers without the formal rising of the Court; the petition to Madam Chancellor requiring the State’s Attorney General to compulsorily apologise in open Court before continuation of the State’s matter; and forwarding by the Honourable Chancellor of the petition aforesaid to the President, who is also a party to the suit.

“Based on all the above mentioned grounds, I am of the opinion that I would be prejudiced in the suit because my attorney is barred from being heard in the matter. In view of the foregoing, therefore, I authorise you to request that the Honourable Mr Justice Holder recuse himself from further hear-

On Thursday last, the Office of the Chancellor had revealed that despite calling on AG Williams to officially explain his conduct, he is yet to respond.

A statement from the Chancellor’s Office said that a copy of Justice Holder’s letter of complaint was sent to Attorney General Williams for him to respond and explain. But, to date, the Attorney General, who has been visibly engaged in ceremonial occasions since the incident, has not responded.

“Since Mr Williams holds the executive positions of Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, a copy of Justice Holder’s letter was sent to the Head of State purely as a matter of information and courtesy.

No complaint was made to His Excellency,” the statement said. It did, however, announce that the date for continuation of the Carvil Duncan trial has been set as May 8.

Meanwhile, the AttorneyGeneral on Friday disclosed that the acting Chancellor never asked him to respond to Justice Holder’s complaint about his conduct. In a brief statement, Williams noted that she must have been “mistaken” if she thought that she had asked him to respond to the judge’s letter.

4

guyanatimesgy.com

sunDAY, may 7, 2017

Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544 223-7230,223-7231,231-0544, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707 Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

Editorial

Acknowledging Arrivals

I

n 2003, a “Special Select Committee to Review the Public Holidays Act” was established to consider May 5 and May 26th being declared public holidays. The rationale offered for the first was: “Guyanese of Indian origin, who form a large portion of the country’s population, had, for a period of in excess of the past forty years, been calling for 5th May to be declared a statutory public holiday, in observance of the arrival of the first batch of Indian indentured labourers, who came to the then British Guiana in 1838.”

Yet when, on 14th April, 2003, a Resolution (No.12 of 2003) was drafted and proposed by the Government, it asked for May 5 to be declared as “Arrival Day”, and not “Indian Arrival Day”. The rationale offered on the floor of the National Assembly was the Government wanted to acknowledge the arrival of all the other groups that were brought to Guyana after the abolition of slavery in 1834.

The subsequent advertisements in all of the national newspapers were all phrased as asking for submissions on “Arrival Day”.

However, when the Committee finally made its recommendations on May 5th, after summarising all written and oral submissions, it stated as the “rationale”: “The proposals and counter proposals supporting 5th May must be seen in the context of Guyana’s realities. Having regards, therefore, that:- • the call to designate 5th May as a National Holiday was made over 40 years ago with increased support over time; • Indians constitute the majority of the population of Guyana; • they have made significant contribution towards the development of Guyana; • while there were different assessments as to the nature of or meaning of Indian Arrival, all respondents accepted its landmark status as a seminal event that had permanent consequences for all Guyana.”

In accordance with its mandate, the Committee recommended however: “Arrival Day, that is to say, the 5th May, or, if that day is a Sunday, the following day, be included in the Public Holidays Act, Chapter 19:07 as a public holiday.”

But it felt compelled to issue an explicit “caveat”: “While the aforesaid recommendation is in keeping with our mandate, the Committee wishes to note that all the submissions favouring 5th May as a Public Holiday recommended that it be designated “Indian Arrival Day”, as is the case in Trinidad and Tobago.”

In a very ethnically divided polity, the PPP Government was obviously bending backwards not to validate accusations that it was pandering to “Indian” sentiments.

The testimonies offered to the Committee supported the PPP concern. The Committee received a total of fifteen (15) written submissions from nine organisations and six private individuals, but was forced to concede: “What is significant is that the majority of the organisations supporting 5th May and 26th May are all Indo-Guyanese.” In fact, it was ONLY Indian-based organisations that supported May 5th as a Holiday, and all asked it be designated “Indian Arrival Day”.

However, as in Trinidad, where the day when Indians first arrived, May 30, was also initially designated “Arrival Day” but was later changed to “Indian Arrival Day”, it appears that President Granger has decided to designate the holiday as “Indian Arrival Day”.

The commemorations of the event since 2004 have shown that the fears of the day being used in a “triumphalist” fashion and causing further divisions were unfounded. In fact, the Day is gradually evolving where other ethnic groups are also becoming involved.

With his Government being primarily grounded in the African Guyanese community, President Granger has less to fear of being accused of “pandering” to his “constituents” in designating May 5 “Indian Arrival Day”. He is also to be commended for recognising the “Arrival Days” of the Portuguese and Chinese.

One columnist of this newspaper pointed out that some 39,059 immigrants from the West Indies and also 13,355 from Africa came to these shores after 1834, and “Days” for them should also be designated. Along with Emancipation Day and Amerindian Heritage Month, the mosaic formed after the immigrants joined would then be complete.

Known for a long history of music, Indians have made a significant contribution to the musical landscape and the shaping of Guyanese culture. On display at Pushpanjali 17 at the Indian Monument Gardens in Georgetown is a series of traditional musical instruments and artifacts which came across with the Indian indentured immigrates (Carl Croker photo)

Manipulators of news Dear Editor, The social, economic and political situation has been steadily deteriorating since the PNC-led APNU regime took power. Almost all sections of the population have been complaining bitterly about the rapid decline in economic activities and the fall in standards of social services.

Moreover, there has been noticeable decline in our politics, as the regime has reverted to the use of old, undemocratic methods that the PNC used while in government up to 1992.

The atmosphere of great freedom that existed under the PPP/C Administration has almost disappeared.

More and more people are expressing fear of the loss of freedom, and a feeling of trepidation is gripping the population. Even some of the civilian members of this regime caution some of their friends to be careful how they speak on the phone.

The institution that was established to fight organized crime – the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) – is now being used to harass political opponents of the regime. The

arrest of former Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, has been the most recent in a long list of political and racial witch-hunting.

The sharp deterioration is so glaring that it is impossible to deny. As a result, the defenders of the regime, government spokespersons, have changed their tactics.

While being forced to admit that things are tough due to the regime’s poor performance – like the rampant corruption taking place, etc – the apologists are now saying, “Yes, this is true, but it was worse under the PPP/C Government”.

This is a desperate attempt to manipulate the views and distort our most recent history.

On Sunday, April 30, 2017, Adam Harris spoke about corruption. To prove his point, he alluded to the more than forty forensic audits done, and went on to say about how it unearthed mammoth corruption.

No massive corruption was found. Indeed, the audits have actually exposed the APNU and AFC’s lies and their exaggeration of massive corruption. It is

that embarrassment that is now fuelling the regime’s attack by using the arms of the state and their propaganda machine to attack the officials of the PPP/C Government.

As an example, let me point out that they sensationally made public via the media that former Permanent Secretary at the Office of the President, Omar Shariff, had billions in the bank. Yet the worst they could do was charge his wife with the frivolous offence of not submitting several documents to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).

Harris also spoke about crime, and pointed out that the rate is falling. Well, that is very debatable. Most people on the Corentyne and West Demerara feel that crime is escalating.

Harris, in pointing to the crime wave that occurred in 2002, studiously avoided to say that the criminal gangs were given direct support by the PNC/APNU leaders, and several others in the AFC. Indeed, it was only those leaders of the PNC/APNU who could have moved freely in Buxton after the 2002 jail break, when five murderers

were politically protected by the PNC/APNU clique.

We must not forget that one of the candidates on the PNC/R list for 2001 elections had joined the gang as well.

How can we forget that PNC helped to organize the funerals of those criminals?

In one case, they even draped the coffin with the Guyana flag – a clear act of desecration of our national flag.

To prove the direct links with the PNC/APNU, let me refer you to the infamous conversation between Winston Felix, then Commissioner of Police and now Minister of Citizenship, and Basil Williams, now Attorney General, immediately after the ‘Fine Man’ gang had killed eight persons on the East Bank of Demerara and created terror in the Agricola/Eccles area. In the exposed conversation, Williams was thanking Felix for diverting attention from the PNC, which is a clear indication of the political links. No one can now harbour any doubt about the political links to criminal gangs.

Dear Editor, Is anyone at City Hall in Georgetown aware how difficult they make the jobs of those employed at the Ministry of Tourism, the Guyana Tourism Authority, and the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana?

Day and night, all over Georgetown, there is crime; but the City Constabulary turns a Nelson’s eye to it.

Using public transportation is a harrowing experience,

with touts pulling you from left to right and buses driving with little regard for law and order whilst on the ‘hot plate’; and Council’s response is to move them further away whenever there is a national event, like Independence celebrations.

Mosquitoes are everywhere, but rather than constantly fogging the city, they prefer to have hat shows and health fairs. There is stinking water from the clogged drains, and garbage is

strewn everywhere, and the Council’s reaction is to raise garbage collection fees paid by business owners. Beggars and street urchins are at every corner, but senior city officials just ride around in their fancy SUVs, paid for by the citizens, with their noses in the air.

And then they superficially and insincerely pretend that they are supporting the Government’s efforts at boosting tourism by calling Georgetown the Garden

City of the Caribbean. What a joke. How much longer will the City Council pretend that present conditions in our city, Georgetown, are okay and do not affect the citizenry? Can’t the Minister of Tourism call on the Minister of Communities to remove those square pegs in round holes at City Hall before appropriating more sums of scarce money into the tourism drive?

continues on page 5

Square pegs in round holes

Best regards, Samby Jacobus

guyanatimesgy.com

SunDAY, may 7, 2017

5

You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

Revamp West Demerara An opportunity to broaden respect for life Regional Hospital Dear Editor, As a citizen of Region Three, it is alarming to read about the poor state of affairs of healthcare within the region, and management of our hospitals, specifically West Demerara Regional Hospital.

Consequently, poor management and impositions of inadequate services at the said hospital continue to make headlines, raising serious concerns of a longterm negative social impact.

The Government has thus far proven reluctant to engender appropriate changes that would see this hospital return to its glory days.

Perhaps it is time to review the intellectual capacity of senior management at this

hospital and the Regional Administration. Do they have the intellectual capacity, proficiency, experience and expertise to manage this hospital relative to its accredited level of care? Is it time for a policy change?

The answer is yes.

While there were tremendous efforts in the past to put the needs of the patients first, the performance and governance of this hospital today is unacceptable.

Reactions from the public and statutory body continue to be highlighted; specifically, the perennial shortages of medication and medical supplies, allegations of patients being required to pay for services, and inadequate diagnostic

and therapeutic means necessary for doctors to perform their duties. These are compelling evidence to indicate that healthcare access and delivery at this hospital are having a deleterious impact, both on the healthcare professional, on patients, and on the Region as a whole.

The lack of management’s capability was most obvious in the cases of alleged fraud and money being demanded for health services from subordinate staff.

Why does it take the intervention of the Ministry of Public Health, and not the Hospital Administration/ Regional Administration, who are directly responsible? Isn’t this tantamount to poor governance, account-

ability and leadership of the hospital?

To those who wish to disagree, the problem of poor performance is not all due to inadequate allocation of resources, but is clearly evidence that a management problem exists. It is therefore logical to conclude that the discipline of Public Health in Region 3 has reached its lowest, with both levels of administration being incapable of managing the WDRH. It is time for our Government to make hard decisions, and get qualified professionals to manage this hospital.

Yours faithfully, Name withheld

Abel Seetaram has no credibility to judge me or anyone else

Dear Editor, No one takes seriously a person of whom credibility is not part of their DNA. And anyone with an ounce of brain or self-respect would know it is not wise to draw attention to oneself.

In a letter published on May 6, 2017, Abel Seetaram wrote, “MP Gill not fit enough to talk about Region Five”.

This is funny coming from a person who has a reputation of being dishonest, drunk and disorderly. This is the dilemma that the AFC activist Abel Seetaram faces every time he voices his opinion publicly.

In May last year, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo terminated Seetaram’s services as his Regional Representative for Region Five after Seetaram had crashed an expensive Government SUV into a fence at Bath, West Coast Berbice. This occurred soon after he had left a wedding

house, where he had been seen drinking heavily.

He was taken to the New Amsterdam Hospital, and was later charged with dangerous driving and fined $30,000 with an alternative of 32 days in jail; $25,000 or 21 days in jail for being an unlicensed driver, and $15,000 or 21 days in jail for breach of insurance. And had he not pretended to be asleep when the police visited his bedside at the hospital to take a breathalyzer test, he may have been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.

Recently, it was reported that he, along with Carol Joseph, were taken into police custody to answer charges of fraudulently taking millions of dollars from the Mahaicony/Abary Rice Development Scheme (MARDS).

Abel Seetaram has no credibility to judge me or

Manipulators of...

It should also be noted that while the PNC (now APNU) gave full support to the gangs, they were at the same time merciless in their attacks on the police.

When Leon Fraser was brutally murdered, they wore red and were rejoicing at his funeral.

Harris also tried to belittle and distort the expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, a PPP/C-initiated project. In so doing, he is hiding the fact that this regime has changed what was a turnkey project to facilitate the contractor.

Now we will get an inferior product than what was originally contracted for.

Maybe a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) is needed to find out why a turn-key contract was broken to facilitate the contractor, and not the country.

It is not just sad, but downright dangerous for such distortions to be taking place. This behaviour will accelerate the drift towards authoritarian rule.

And the Kaieteur News will eventually regret this dangerous role that they are playing.

Already we see the Police Force being de-professionalized and being used as a political tool of the APNU. We are also witnessing attempts to undermine the independence of the Judiciary, as the regime constantly attacks the courts.

There has not been a word said in the Kaieteur News about all the innocent public servants who have been dismissed only because of their race. Instead, the Government media and the Kaieteur News are being used to pursue person-

anyone else. While it is true that I have lived many years of my life overseas, I returned to Guyana, at great sacrifice to my personal income and being away from my children, to give back something to the land of my birth and, hopefully, make a meaningful contribution by doing so. I am grateful to Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo and the People’s Progressive Party/Civic for giving me this opportunity. Whatever “benefits” Seetaram believes I now receive as a Member of Parliament are insignificant to what I enjoyed in the United States for over 23 years.

In an effort to discredit me as a Member of the National Assembly, Abel Seetaram said I was chosen as an MP from the “leftover” and “scrape up votes”.

Ironically, his name was on the APNU+AFC List of Candidates that contested the 2015 election, and the co-

alition selected another person to represent Region Five and rejected him. Doesn’t that send a message?

I am proud of the impeccable character I have built over the years. I have never been accused of misappropriating money from sports clubs across Region 5, nor have I ever been arrested for fraud. And no one can ever accuse me of being drunk and making a fool of myself in public. I doubt Abel Seetaram can say the same about himself with a straight face.

Sadly, I must decline Abel Seetaram’s challenge to walk with him in Region Five. He is trying desperately to gain some form of recognition as a “somebody”. I will not help his cause by being seen in his company.

Sincerely, Harry Gill, MP (PPP/C)

from page 4

al vendettas -- throw mud at people; provide no proof of corruption and wrong-doings. In the process, they are destroying lives, but they seem to get a maniacal delight in committing these nasty acts.

This behaviour, while in the immediate and short runs may give the authors and owners some satisfaction, in the long run, it would do us no good. It is facilitating the abuse of power and fuelling massive cor-

ruption, which -- under this regime as it was in an earlier PNC regime -- is becoming a way of life.

We know where this is heading. We have seen it all before. It is history repeating itself. It spells a falling economy, dwindling social services, and a growing dictatorship with fear as a tool of rule. This is my view. What is yours?

Sincerely, Donald Ramotar

Dear Editor, The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) wishes to commend the Ministry of Natural Resources for its prompt action in issuing five ceaseand-desist orders against gold-mining dredges on the Puruni River, with the promise that similar actions would be taken against others in the coming weeks.

The accompanying announcement that a “multi-dimensional solution to a complex problem” will be developed in the coming weeks opens up opportunities for development of a more sustained response to protecting the life of Guyana’s major river systems. Indications that the Ministry intends to include relevant civil society representation in this response are equally welcome.

While mining is the most urgent danger posed to fresh water resources in Guyana, it is not the only source of concern in a country whose future has been defined by water since its inception. Aquifers – the underground source of water for coastal communities – are also shrinking, and need to be supplemented.

The scale of the response must match the scale of the problem.

Rather than being the object of respect, the prevailing Guyanese attitude to nature is that it is something to possess, dominate, and cast aside when no longer useful. Other societies have manifested much more imagination and purposefulness, their starting-point being to recognize nature as a living being in need of legal

protection similar to the respect afforded to human life.

Evidence of other approaches include New Zealand, which in 2012 declared the Whanganui River to be a legal entity, “having the status of a legal person with all corresponding rights, duties and liabilities”. The Whanganui Agreement aims “to ensure that all stakeholders and the river community as a whole are actively engaged in developing the long-term future of the river and ensuring its wellbeing.” Two years later, an Indian court appointed three officials to act as legal custodians responsible for conserving and protecting the Ganges and Yamuna rivers and their tributaries.

Guyanese society has been too complacent in failing to appreciate that our proudest boast -- namely, of being the ‘Land of Many Waters’ -- is in danger of becoming a historical footnote.

The transformational energies required to address this situation need to take many forms.

In addition to the initiative announced by the Ministry of Natural Resources referred to earlier, the GHRA is encouraging more purposeful climate action in Guyana. For example, the proposed constitutional reform process provides opportunity for a stronger and more explicit constitutional protection for non-human and bio-diverse forms of life.

Sincerely, Executive Committee Guyana Human Rights Association

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Anu Dev

ext Sunday, the second Sunday of May, has been set aside as Mother’s Day. Kids all over the world will try to do whatever they can to make their mothers feel special. Some will give their mother flowers or cards. Some might even prepare a home-cooked meal, or take their moms out for dinner.

When Mother’s Day became a recognized holiday in the US in 1914, it quickly spread to the rest of the world. And just as quickly, by the 1920s, it had become as commercialized as any other holiday. Say "Hip! Hip! Hooray for commodification of even being thankful for mother's love!!

The world soon plunged into the Great Depression, and mothers really had to become mothers!

But why should you only honour your mother on the second Sunday of

Foundation

May? It's just a date chosen arbitrarily. It could've been any other date; or, better yet, it doesn't just have to be one date. Why can't people show their love for their mothers ev-

ative. Be spontaneous -show your love every day in all of the little ways that count much, much more.

Let’s hear it for those wonderful women who had to put up with our wail-

“A mother’s arms are made of tenderness and children sleep soundly in them” – Victor Hugo ery day? Or rather, why don't they? Your mother should be important enough to you that you would have no problem with showing her that you love her every day; whether you want to show your love by just saying 'I love you' or by showering her with gifts, it's your prerog-

ing in the middle of the night as babies, our whining about going to school, our teenage angst, and everything else. The women who, all too often, are our shoulders to cry on, the persons we share our hopes and fears with, the persons who worry about us more than we ever wor-

ry about ourselves.

And when we become mothers, we often pattern our behaviours after our own mothers. And my mom has certainly set the bar pretty high: ten years from now, I’ll have some big shoes to fill. But the good thing is that your mom would be there to help you get through your own journey through motherhood.

She’ll teach you how to hold your newborn child, and of course she’ll spoil your kids rotten, so they’re always more excited to see their grandmother than you.

And this Mother’s Day isn’t just limited to celebrating your biological mother. It’s a time to honour all of those great women who were mothers to you, who at some point treated you like you were their own child.

And even though you should be showing your love every day, it IS a nice gesture to go that extra mile on Mother’s Day. Happy (early) Mothers’ Day!

guyanatimesgy.com

Pre-teen and teenage mental health (Continued from Saturday) Talking with your child about mental health

If you’re concerned about your child’s mental health, start by talking to your child. This might feel uncomfortable – you might even be waiting for the problem to go away. But talking to your child about how she’s feeling shows her she’s not alone and that you care. Also, your child will need your help to get professional support.

Here are some ideas to encourage your child to talk to you about how he’s feeling: Say that even adults have problems they can’t sort out on their own. Point out that it’s easier to get help when you have someone else’s support.

Tell your child that it’s not unusual for young people to feel worried, stressed or sad. Also tell her that opening up about personal thoughts and feelings can be scary.

Tell your child that talking about a problem can often help put things into perspective and make feelings clearer. Someone with more or different experience – like an adult – might be able to suggest options your child hasn’t thought of.

Suggest some other people your child could talk to if he doesn’t want to talk to you – for example, aunts or uncles, close family friends, a trusted sports coach or religious leader, or your GP. Let your child know that talking with a GP or other health professional is confidential. They can’t tell anyone else, unless they’re worried about your child’s safety or someone else’s safety.

Emphasise that your child isn’t alone. You’ll be there whenever she’s ready to talk.

If you raise your concerns with your child, he might refuse any help or say there’s nothing wrong. Many young people won’t seek help themselves. So you might need to say that you’re worried about him and you’ll be trying to get professional advice. It’s a good idea to encourage your child to come with you. If he won’t, you might need to go on your own.

If you’re not sure what to do, a GP or school counsellor is a good place to start.

Getting help for your child’s mental health problems

Mental health problems are unlikely to get better on their own, so you need to get professional help as soon as possible. Poor mental health or unmanaged mental health problems can affect your child’s quality of life, physical health, schoolwork, relationships and development – social, physical, educational and vocational.

There are many professional support options, including: • your GP • school counsellors • psychologists and counsellors • social workers • your local community health centre • local mental health services.

Supporting a child with mental health issues can be hard. It’s important to look after yourself too. You can find support options on our mental health links and resources page. You could also call Parentline on 1800 301 300 or visit the Parentline web counselling page.

If you don’t know where to go, your GP will be able to guide you to the most appropriate services for your family. (raisingchildren.net.au)

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sunDAY, may 7, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Govt warns against sidelining Private Sector, trade unions

T

he unwise developmental initiatives advanced by “the political novices at the helm of the administration” have proven to be disastrous for the Guyana economy, says International Financial Analyst Sasenarine Singh.

Low private sector investments, poor export performance, declining remittances, poor implementation of the public sector investment programme, and low business confidence issues, among other things, have been the resultant effects, he said.

A former Executive Member of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Sasenarine Singh has this past week presented a pre mid-term analysis of the coalition Government’s performance after now two years in office.

During an exclusive interview with Guyana Times, Singh, who has since resigned from the AFC, one of the larger parties in the coalition government, told Guyana Times that Finance Minister Winston Jordan should be replaced with alacrity, since “what we have been getting from Minister Winston Jordan is uncoordinated and ultimately, ineffective responses to the broad set of macroeconomic challenges facing Guyana.”

Lost in fog

Dismissing the bulk of the

Former AFC Executive Member, Sasenarine Singh

key players in the administration as political novices in office, Singh told Guyana Times, “We have to appreciate that when one has never managed any uncertainty of this magnitude, it can leave some people lost in the fog.”

The financial analyst said the private sector and trade union bodies are key stakeholders in the development of any nation, and the David Granger Administration would do well to repair the widening rifts between these bodies and their relationship with Government.

According to Singh, “This bulldog aloft attitude from the key players in the Granger Administration has to stop pronto. They must

know their place; they are developmental novices compared to some of the key players in the private sector, in civil society, and even compared to some members on the Opposition benches.”

The former AFC Executive was adamant, “You cannot bully and bamboozle your way into respectability; you must earn it.”

Workers across the country celebrated Workers Day on May 1st, and in unison called on Government to come back to the bargaining table in regard to increases in wages, salaries and other remuneration for public servants.

During that unified May Day Rally held at the National Park, Latoya Drakes, Executive member of the Guyana Labour Union (GLU), castigated the administration for its handling of the economy and its ever-increasing taxes.

Drakes said young people are being confronted with increasing levels of unemployment and under-employment, and this “sad state of affairs has its origin in the steadily deteriorating economic circumstances which have gripped our country recently.”

Shades of mediocrity

In his exclusive interview with Guyana Times for a pre

provision of fiscal and regulatory incentives to motivate all of the six key drivers of the Guyana economy: gold, rice, sugar, timber, bauxite and seafoods, in order for these products to move up the value chain ahead of exports from Guyana.

IMF/Power

President David Granger

mid-term assessment of the APNU/AFC Government, Singh suggested the only two persons in the Granger Cabinet “I have confidence in to move the economy forward is Carl Greenidge and Raphael Trotman…everyone else exhibits various shades of mediocrity, and have to earn their stripes in the society, especially Minister Jordan.”

Turning his attention to solutions, the financial analyst said the tasks of any Ministry of Finance are to overcome economic paralysis, which dooms a country, and present economic policies to begin to shape the future.

According to Singh, what is required now more than ever from that Ministry is the

On the matter of energy and its link to Guyana’s woes and development alike, Singh told Guyana Times the President needs to pull together a new Amaila Falls Hydro Power negotiating team to re-engage the investors to put this project back on the front burner.

“What this project will do is immediately start adding new foreign investments to the economy as soon as the first truck rolls into Guyana,” he explained.

The financial analyst told Guyana Times, “By the completion of construction, this project will add new investments that aggregate to an average of 30 per cent of the GDP of Guyana in any one year… That is a lot of new US dollars in the economy.” According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), such an investment would likely convert to cumulative GDP growth of 6 per cent over the life of the project.

Finance Minister Winston Jordan

“But the real beauty of this deal is 10 months of 165MW of lower cost and reliable green energy, which will shave some US$90 million from the national fuel import bill...

That means US$90 million that were shipped off to Trinidad for fuel purchases for GPL will now remain in the Bank of Guyana to fund more relevant imports to drive economic expansion.”

Singh is suggesting that immediate approval of the Power Purchase Agreement should be granted, so that the nation can benefit from some 26MW of lower cost and more reliable green energy into the national grid within the next 12 months.

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SunDAY, may 7, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

5 busted with gun, ammo, wig and crowbar in Berbice

F

ive men were in the wee hours of Saturday morning busted with an unlicensed pistol with 13 live rounds of ammunition, a rope, a crowbar and a wig, among other items after Police intercepted the car in which they were travelling at Glasgow, East Bank Berbice.

For weeks the Police have travelled to Glasgow New Housing Scheme following several break and enter and larceny reports and on at least two occasions, they had had gone to the community following reports that suspicious vehicles were seen in the area.

On both occasions, the occupants and the vehicles managed to evade lawmen.

However, a patrol from Central Police Station joined forces with a unit from the Reliance Police Station to conduct routine checks in the area.

According to information received, at about 01:30h ranks on the mobile patrol intercepted a motor car and subsequently conducted a search.

At the time, five men with the aforementioned items, along with other items that were hidden were found in the car.

The occupants of the vehicle are between the ages of 22 and 33 and were all arrested.

Three of the men are from New Amsterdam while the other two are from Fort Ordnance, Canje and Dazzle Housing Scheme on the East Coast Demerara.

Following the arrest, residents claim that the youngest man is known to the

Forked tongue…

S …on Indian Arrival

The wig, rope, and crowbar that were found in the car

community of Glasgow.

There are reports that one on the suspects is a former Policeman, who was placed before the court for allegedly accepting a $6 million bribe in September last year.

Meanwhile, Divisional Commander, Assistant Police Commissioner Ian Amsterdam when contacted told Guyana Times that the Police initially responded with one patrol and sought back up from Reliance after there were reports that a white car was seen driving around in the housing scheme.

When the car was stopped, two of its occupants attempted to escape but they were apprehended, the commander added.

According to Amsterdam, on

Thursday evening, a car fitting the same description was in the vicinity and several men attempted to enter a house but were deterred by Police ranks who responded. It was in the same location, the car was intercepted on Saturday morning.

Police are now trying to ascertain whether the men who were apprehended on Saturday morning are the same people who were attempting to break into the house on Thursday evening.

In recent months, several break and entering cases at Glasgow and surrounding communities have gone unsolved. The commander had told reporters that there was a gang operating out of that community. The men in custody are being grilled and processed for court.

nakes, not surprisingly, have given rise to a slew of expressions connoting duplicitousness and betrayal.

Just look how they slither unsuspectingly up to folks and then strike!! We all know we need to keep away from “a snake in the grass”.

In the US, the indigenous peoples who welcomed the Europeans with open arms – remember Pocahontas? – later accused them of speaking with “forked tongue” when they smiled and expressed friendship, then snatched their lands and herded them into reservations.

Well the forked tongues were out in their multitudes from the APNU/AFC officials who showed up to speak at Friday’s celebrations. The KN Muckraker mentioned that Khemraj Ramjattan showed up at one event at Diamond EBD and actually wished the participants “Happy Indian Arrival Day”!! Imagine that!! “INDIAN Arrival Day”. For 13 years, he’d slithered around talking about “Arrival Day”, but now that Pressie tells him it’s okay to say “Indian Arrival Day”, he jumps aboard the Whitby??!!

He should forever thank Pressie for saving him from “Mental Slavery”!!

For Moses Nagamootoo, it was even more shameful.

A couple of years ago, he’d declared in New York he was “not an Indian”. But on Friday, he, too, said “Happy Indian Arrival Day” with Pressie at Highbury!! Hallelujah!!

Did Pressie explain that his excuse about “Indian” being someone who’s presently a CITIZEN of India was just plain doltishness?? EVERYONE knew what he was doing in New York: Brown nosing!!

But, this year, forked tongues were made so much starker with the acknowledgement that May 5th was INDIAN Arrival Day. This was the smile and handshakes.

This was the praising of ancestors for saving the sugar industry, and thus saving Guyana. This was acknowledging the struggles of the Indians in the cane fields for their rights against the bullets of the colonial police force.

This was praising the diversity the Indians added to the culture, food, religions etc to Guyana.

But the other side were the 1700 sugar workers thrown out on to the streets at Wales, and the 6000 at least – from Enmore/LBI, Rose Hall and Skeldon -- about to join them on the starvation lines. This is a return to the famines that drove the foreparents of the Indians from India.

How can Moses Nagamootoo, Khemraj Ramjattan and others join with the PNC to destroy the livelihoods of so many Indians? For the PNC – as Burnham did – they’ll say it’s not “racial”, it’s just “political”. What’ll the AFC say in 2020 to get the 11% they promised the PNC? For them and the others who “skin teeth” with the PNC on Indian Arrival Day, they aren’t just “dead meat”; they’re rotten dead meat”!!

…by Williams

Basil Williams, who bears several titles – Senior Counsel, Attorney General, Minister of Legal Affairs, and not to mention “Chairman of the PNC – seems determined to prove “the law is an ass”. But, up to now, all he’s done is prove over and over again he’s the one who’s the?

Let’s not mention all the times he’s put his size thirteen in his mouth in court as the AG, but go to his sordid performance in front of Justice Holder. When all is said and done, all of that drama was occasioned by Anil Nandlall making it obvious what a buffoon he was -- in front of Justice Holder, a law school classmate of his. He wanted to show Justice Holder that he’d overcome his reputation from law school!!

The Chancellor (ag) shouldn’t have tried to be diplomatic with Williams’s contempt, but defend the rule of law, which declares even a king must bow to it.

Tomorrow, if Williams doesn’t apologise, Judge Holder must jail him for contempt.

…on GHPC

GHPC’s Board Chair has claimed the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee violated its request to “observe the conditions/facilities under which patients are cared for”.

Is she confirming GHPC’s Pharmacy doesn’t “care” for patients, because of drug shortages???

Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com

NEWS

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SunDAY, may 7, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

‘Economic mission’ trips

Release details of expenses in interest of transparency – PPP

… says citizens must know benefits, expenses from presidential tours

A

representative of the Government was quoted in sections of the media saying a private plane was chartered for President David Granger to fly to The Bahamas in March, on the grounds that it was the most “feasible option.”

But details about what was spent in total for the Trans Guyana Beechcraft airplane and also what benefits Guyana secured from the trip are yet to be shared.

According to Opposition parliamentarian and former Junior Finance Minister, Juan Edghill, a President’s trip overseas on behalf of the State is certainly not a private matter. As such, details should be made available to taxpayers.

The Government, he noted, in the interest of transparency and accountability to the people of Guyana, should release all the details. According to Edghill, “when the President travels, (it) is not a private matter. He is representing the state of Guyana.”

“He is being funded by the State and the citizens of the State must at all times be fully aware of what it is costing the State for the President to represent the State,” Edghill said in a recent interview.

The President arrived in The Bahamas on March 2, as part of a three-day State visit which has been dubbed an ‘economic mission’. According to a report in a Bahamian newspaper, the President was expected to pay a courtesy call on the Governor General and then meet with the Guyanese Diaspora.

But reports are the char-

ment.

“So this is an important lesson for us in Guyana and for the other states in the Caribbean Community… So I’m very happy to be here.

It’s a learning lesson for us.

It’s a learning mission for us … (we’re) looking, listening and I think we have a lot of good lessons to take back to Guyana and to the rest of the Caribbean,” Granger was quoted saying.

Economic hardships

PPP Member of Parliament, Juan Edghill

tered plane and the trip all together cost Guyanese taxpayers some $18 million, as the President was accompanied by an entourage which included Ministers and other personnel for whom accommodation was provided.

There has been no word on whether any bi-lateral trade agreements, prospective or otherwise, were secured in Guyana’s interest.

Edghill was thus adamant that the State should officially make known what tangible benefits Guyana gained.

“The President must be able to show the country what benefits would have accrued to Guyana in the short-medium term as a result of this expenditure and spending,” Edghill said.

In a Government news report, it was related that the President visited and toured several industrial sites in Freeport, Bahamas, including the Grand Bahama Shipyard, where he said the visit to that country has been a learning lesson for Guyana for its future growth and develop-

The millions of dollars reportedly spent on this trip come against the backdrop of an economic slowdown gripping the country. It is a slowdown even Finance Minister Winston Jordan has acknowledged.

Businesses have for some time been complaining of this economic slowdown, one which has forced some to lay off staff. In addition, there have been mass protests on an almost weekly basis against Government actions and policies deemed by many to be oppressive.

While these protests have been held by differing groups, they have all been linked to economic hardships these stakeholders are facing. Some of the most vociferous protests have been against Value Added Tax (VAT), 14 per cent of which has been imposed on private education fees.

While parents and teachers have taken to the streets on a number of occasions to voice their displeasure with the additional burden and petitions have been signed, Government has already indicated that the measure will not be reviewed until 2018.

This does not include the

President David Granger upon arriving in the Bahamas

protests which greeted the decision to impose the 14 per cent VAT on water and electricity bills above a certain threshold; a first in recent history. Stakeholders have called on the Government to remove tax on such essential services.

Then there is the Guyana

Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA), which has for some time been calling, in vain, for a meeting with the President to discuss the problems afflicting the mining industry.

In a recent statement, it again expressed frustration

about the tax regulations and the effect it is having on small- and medium-scale miners. The Association spoke of the fact that while they are publicly recognised for their economical contributions, the ‘bread and butter’ issues affecting them are ignored. Among these are the unavailability of concessions on fuel and other materials.

Other aggrieved groups include sugar workers, who have for months been protesting against the social effects caused by the Government downsizing the industry by closing estates.

The moves have put many out of work, as alternate options offered to them were not feasible.

Following a recent ban on the importation of used tyres, members of the Guyana Used Tyres Association (GUTA) protested and called on the Government to reconsider.

10 news

sunDAY, may 7, 2017| guyanatimesgy.com

Canada cautions citizens about travel to Guyana

C

anadians are being cautioned against travelling to several Caribbean nations, including Guyana over the high instances of crime.

The Canadian Government updated its travel warnings on May 2 and warned nationals to exercise a high degree of caution when travelling to eight Caribbean countries.

Visitors were told to beware of assaults, pickpocketing, purse snatching, break-ins, armed robberies, car theft and carjackings as they are common occurrences in Georgetown, Guyana.

The travel warning said the seawall – East of the Pegasus Hotel extending to Sheriff Street and adjacent areas – has been the site of several crimes and should be avoided after dark.

“Other dangerous areas include the East Coast Demerara region, the East Bank Demerara region and the New Amsterdam area,” the advisory added.

Violent attacks have also occurred on the road to and from the Cheddi Jagan

Canada has issued a warning to its Citizens about travel to eight Caribbean nations

International Airport and on the Linden Highway, especially at night, the warning said.

It also noted that foreigners and returning Guyanese citizens are favourite targets for criminals.

“Canadians have been injured while being robbed at gunpoint, and some have reported being attacked after withdrawing money at financial institutions. Avoid carrying large amounts of cash,” the notice alerted.

Canadians were also warned to pay attention to their surroundings, especially when entering or leaving vehicles, residences and

public places.

“Ensure that your personal belongings, passports and other travel documents are secure at all times. Do not show signs of affluence. When approached by a Police Officer, always ask to see identification,” the travel warning outlined.

Driving

Canadians were also warned about poor road conditions, inadequate lighting, roaming animals and poor driving habits are constant hazards in Guyana.

“Be extremely cautious when driving, keep windows closed and doors locked at

all times, and avoid being on the road unnecessarily after dark,” the warning said.

They were particularly advised to exercise caution along the road from the Cheddi Jagan Airport to Georgetown and on the Timehri/Linden Highway.

They were also warned to avoid public minibuses, as they tend to be “overloaded, poorly maintained and badly driven.”

“Taxis are the safest means of transportation. Do not hail taxis from the roadside. Only use taxis that are connected to major hotels or are painted yellow.

All yellow taxies are registered with the Government of Guyana’s licencing office. Exercise constant vigilance and make note of the vehicle’s licence plate before entering, in order to track down the driver in the event of overcharging or lost luggage,” the advisory stated.

Meanwhile, other flagged Caribbean nations are The Bahamas, Belize, The Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Suriname.

Arrival of identity

Dear Diary, Ah me, Nagga Man, again. Me feel real good, an’ me na even tek wan drink yet; me guh wait till ten a’clack today. And na beca’se a wan laang weekend me feel good; ah beca’se me come home, Dear Diary. Yes, me come home!!

Eva since Rum Jhaat aks me fuh jine up wid Pee-an’-See, me bin t’ink me gat fuh play like me na Indian. But yuh know me a wan real Indian, right, Dear Diary? Ev’ry day me use fuh drink wan half battle Bush Rum, but now me stap; me a drink wan battle whiskey now!! An’ na beca’se me gat nuff money - dem a pay me fuh drink!! Dem call am “enta-tain-ment”!! But me ah only enta-tain me-self!!

Yes, me come home. An’ yuh know who mek me come home, Dear Diary? Me leadah, Grain Ja!! ‘E tell me nothin’ wrang if me seh me a wan Indian!! Yes, me can admit me a wan Indian!!

Yesta-day abee bin a Berbice an’ Grain Ja call de Haliday “Indian Arrival Day”!!

Da man pawah-ful!! ‘E mo pawah-ful dan da chap fram de Bible - Moses. Moses bin pa’t de Red Sea suh ‘e people could crass ova to de odda side; but yuh know wha’ Pressie do?? ‘E mek wan call to de Berbice Bridge people and dem had to keep the Bridge open fuh all abee fram town fuh crass ova!!

De only problem, Dear Diary, Rum Jhaat prappa vex wid me. ‘E na even tek wan drink wid me. Now yuh know da serious, right? An’ yuh know wha mek? Just beca’se Pressie na tell ‘e fuh guh wid abee to Berbice!! …But HOL’ IT, DEAR DIARY. AH 10 A’CLAK NOW. ME GAT FUH TEK ME DRINK. ME AH WAN INDIAN!!

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SunDAY, may 7, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

GPSU elections

Members still in dark over official winner

… elections officer yet to address contestants The foreign currency debacle (Part III): Foreign Exchange Reserve Management – IMF revised guidelines, capital controls and macroprudential regulations

B

efore I delve into today’s area of focus on this issue, I wish to make another critical point, which I did not highlight last week to corroborate my arguments.

I found it difficult to fathom the rationale behind the assumptions put forward on the matter, in which the Minister of Finance had posited that some exporters are hoarding foreign currency in their retention accounts, and are buying up foreign currency in the local foreign currency market instead, thereby causing the shortage.

First and foremost, I haven’t seen any solid evidence cited to substantiate these assertions, though I am cognisant that the Central Bank Governor referred to the high balances held in those retention accounts as evidence.

While this may be correct, it does not necessarily mean that exporters haven’t utilised these balances, as you would have to examine the movements of balances in these accounts to ascertain such an outcome.

Suffice it to say that this, therefore, is a critical element of the Governor’s statement which was ignored, hence it would be safe for me to presume such claims are rather speculative in nature. If one were to make any reasonable inference, however, putting this idea into perspective, I am sure anyone would agree with me that there is no logic behind the idea of hoarding foreign currency and having to pay more in the local market. It is not financially and economically sensible. Why would I pay GY $218 to G$230 for US$1 when I have US currency sitting in an account? Put another way: why would you want to pay more money for something that you already have?

Assuming that this turned out to be true for whatever unknown and absurd reason, then surely something is wrong with the intellectual faculty of reasoning of the financial managers of these companies, or they perhaps have an agenda to deliberately weaken the financial footing of their companies, which in turn would translate into a contracting economy. In fact, the economy is already in a declining state, so I should say further contribute to a declining economy. Might I mention at this point that this is a different topic altogether, which I will surely deal with in forthcoming articles?

Recall that, in the previous weeks, I have ascertained the primary cause in which the commercial banks have been investing more heavily abroad, thus leading to the shortage in the local market. This is an example of -- or a practise rather -- akin to that of ‘financial arbitrage’, and is being exploited in the absence of sound macroprudential regulations and capital controls aimed at restricting such practices.

Reflecting on the most recent global financial crisis of 2008/2009, one of the many contributory factors to the financial crisis was the inability of the relevant regulatory bodies to keep up with the rapid pace of innovative developments which the global financial system had undergone – financial instruments coupled with developments in technology that enabled cross border financial transactions among other features. With the benefit of hindsight, excessive risk-taking was also deemed a norm; all of these interacting together, among many other causes, led to the financial crisis.

Point to note, however, in light of the 2008/2009 financial crisis and against the backdrop of the lessons learned therein, the increasing need to engage a new paradigm is necessary – a shift in focus from micro prudential perspective on financial regulation to macroprudential policies and their relationship with monetary policy, and not exclusive of their implementation and effectiveness.

Within this respect, I will now turn my attention on capital controls and macroprudential regulations. International capital flows can create significant financial instability in emerging economies, because of pecuniary externalities associated with exchange rate movements (IMF Working Paper, 2015).

This aspect of the discussion I will continue next week, when I would examine the Bank of Guyana’s current regulations, macroprudential tools, and reserve management practices before attempting to summarise the revised foreign exchange reserve management guidelines developed by the IMF, capital controls and macroprudential policies.

M

embers of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) remain in the dark about the official outcome of the recently held elections. This comes against the backdrop of incumbent President Patrick Yarde’s May Day message where he asserted that he would be victorious.

It has been close to a week since the elections were completed and votes were reportedly tallied.

When contacted on Friday, however, presidential candidate in the election, Gregory Gaspar, stated he also remains in the dark.

According to Gaspar, the GPSU hierarchy has so far failed to communicate with him and fellow members the official winner of the elections. On Tuesday, the GPSU had released what it referred to as the results of its general election for office bearers.

It showed Yarde as having received 1024 votes, while Gaspar, who was named twice, received a total of 1318. The document was signed by Elections Officer Herman DeSouza.

However, the release took members of the Union by surprise and a faction calling itself “Team Change” called a press conference on Tuesday evening last at the Demerara Cricket Ground.

Once there, they had called for members to reject any continuation of Yarde’s role as President of GPSU. It was only on May 4 that Yarde was sworn in as acting Chairman of the Public Service Commission.

He took the oath before President David Granger at the Ministry of the Presidency.

In April, a High Court injunction was granted preventing the holding of elections until an audit of GPSU’s accounts was done dating back over 10 years.

Yarde has been at the helm of GPSU for a staggering 30 years. The discharge of the injunction allowed for the elections to be held.

But the GPSU election itself was filled with drama.

Police had to be called in on April 29 over the standoff stemming from the refusal of election officials to provide the voters list to supporters of Gaspar and other members.

In a strongly worded letter addressed to Elections Officer Herman DeSouza, Gaspar had complained that the list was requested on April 23, 26, 27, 28 and 29, but was never provided.

In the letter, he also complained about ballot boxes being delivered without the elections or Assistant Elections Officers present.

The letter also raised the issue of no statement of polls for outlying regions such as Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); Three (Essequibo Islands-

Incumbent President Patrick Yarde during his swearing in as PSC Chairman

West Demerara); Five (Mahaica-Berbice); Six (East Berbice-Corentyne);

Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice) being made avail-

able to members.

Gaspar had also expressed concern about the condition in which some of the boxes arrived. In his letter, Gaspar referenced a Region Three ballot box which he stated was allegedly tampered with. He said that allegations that votes from non-eligible voters were placed in the box should be reviewed before finalising the elections.

He stated that in one case, four ballot boxes from Linden, Region 10 arrived with three seals broken.

Gaspar related that he approached the Elections Officer earlier, but was told that they were given three seals for each box.

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SunDAY, may 7, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Deeds and Commercial Registry

AG appeals High Court loss to Nandlall … claims Judges breached separation of powers doctrine

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ttorney General (AG) Basil Williams, along with top officials from the Deeds and Commercial Registries Authority (DCRA), are moving to the Court of Appeal to challenge a recent High Court ruling which was made against him in his predecessor, Anil Nandlall’s favour.

On April 19, 2017, High Court Judge, Justice Nareshwar Harnanan had upheld an Order Rule Nisi of Mandamus that was granted in March, compelling Williams to appoint the Governing Board of the DCRA. Williams was also ordered to pay Nandlall $100,000 in costs.

But the AG is fighting back, naming Nandlall as a respondent in his appeal which seeks to reverse Justice Harnanan’s ruling on the grounds that he “erred and misdirected himself in law.” The appeal also claims that Justice Harnanan and Justice Brassington Reynolds, who granted the order nisi, committed specific illegalities.

According to the appeal, Harnanan “erred and misdirected himself in law when he refused to attach any weight to the fact that (Williams) was pro-

“Harnanan erred when he failed to consider that despite the presence of the Board and the Respondent/ Applicant there was a failure to unearth the fraudulent acts that were discovered occurring under their watch, by the Minister of Legal Affairs, after they left office.”

Illegal?

Former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall

active in seeking to have a more efficacious Board by seeking to strengthen and widen it, by the Deeds and Commercial Registries Authority (Amendment) Bill No 3 of 2017 awaiting passage through the National Assembly.” The appeal also claimed Justice Harnanan blundered in not acknowledging that Cabinet decided to take the proposed amendments to the National Assembly. In addition, the appeal said Justice Harnanan erred by not considering that Nandlall concealed from Reynolds that proposals pertaining to the Board were in bill.

The appeal claimed that

Williams, in his appeal, also stated that Justices Reynolds and Harnanan both acted illegally when, by their rulings, they “purported to dictate to (Williams), Cabinet and Government their own timelines to constitute the (DCRA) Board. The basis for this statement, according to Williams, was that this breached the separation of powers doctrine.

The Attorney General also cited the new civil procedure rules, saying that Harnanan failed to apply these rules to use his discretion judiciously. Williams claimed in the appeal that Harnanan failed to direct himself and Nandlall to cooperate to pass the DCRA bill through the National Assembly.

Williams said that Harnanan also failed to consider “that on the expiration of the Board in June 2016, two months were lost

Attorney General Basil Williams

for the parliamentary recess August to October, 2016, the reduced sittings because of the one seat majority and the Christmas season, to effectively make it about eight months since the Board expired and not a year as claimed by the respondent.”

The appeal also claimed Harnanan, breaching the separation of powers doctrine, failed to exercise judicial restraint since the matter was before the National Assembly. The appeal faulted Justice Reynolds for granting the order nisi Mandamus and Harnanan for making it absolute.

It stated that Reynolds

should, in the first place, have considered the burden was on Nandlall to prove that Williams had wilfully failed to reappoint the Board. In addition, the appeal claimed that both justices did not consider that Williams was not obligated to reappoint members of the DCRA Board, including the ministerial members.

Williams is thus seeking for Harnanan’s ruling to be set aside and Nandlall to be ordered to pay costs.

This move by the AG comes days before the Monday, May 8, sitting of the National Assembly, where the DCRA Bill 2017 is scheduled to be debated.

The Governing DCRA Board is non-functional, as the members of the Board whose tenure had expired, were not replaced by the Minister in accordance with Section 6 of the Deeds and Commercial Registries Authority Act. The delay in appointing the DCRA Board has been a matter of concern, with Nandlall raising the topic on several occasions. He had also made written requests to his successor to make the appointment.

Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams explained at

a previous press conference that Government recognises the need for the Board to be broadened to include representatives from entities such as the Business Ministry and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).

But Nandlall had pointed out that the amendment seeks to empower the Legal Affairs Minister to act in place of a Governing Board of the Deeds and Commercial Registries Authority when that Board has not been appointed. He noted that this Authority was specifically created to insulate the operations of the Deeds and Commercial Registries from ministerial interference, and to vest in the Governing Board the powers and responsibilities for the overall management, as well as the day-to-day activities of the Authority. Nandlall had moved to the courts and when the matter was first heard on March 8, Justice Reynolds granted an Order Rule Nisi of Mandamus, compelling Williams to appoint the Governing Board of the DCRA, and to show cause why the order should not be made absolute. It was Harnanan who subsequently upheld Nandlall’s arguments and made the order absolute.

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Essequibo ‘suicide’ case

Why we Family members suspect foul play must speak F

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t is more than just a democratic right. The right to speak embraces every reason: from the basic need to explain, inform and communicate to that of demanding rights and justice; and to expressing creativity through art forms.

There is a situation in Guyana, however, where the Indian Guyanese voice is expected to be silent; and communication, discussion and debate from our perspective are often viewed as racist and supremacist. An environment that discourages open debate – especially in a Ryhaan Shah country where the racial divide is an overarching issue that affects our politics and society as a whole – can only be to everyone’s detriment.

The African Guyanese leadership has been speaking continually about the many wrongs done to their people by the PPP/C Administration. Facts and data do not matter in what is more of an emotional reaction to perceived wrongs.

The omission in their narrative of the atrocities perpetrated on PPP supporters, Indian Guyanese – which include arson, rape, robbery, assault and murder – does appear to justify the violations, or dismiss them as a matter of no consequence.

Indian Guyanese are actually placed in the position of having to support the cries of marginalisation that are used to justify the atrocities committed on our community. And Africans find widespread support for such cries.

There is a universal acceptance that Africans are victims, and their victimhood appears to provide them with immunity from all criticism. That Africans still suffer racial prejudice and injustices in many societies is not in question. They do. But in a world that unconditionally accepts African victimhood as a fact, making the case for African Guyanese violence against Indian Guyanese is an uphill task.

Africans can always bring to bear the cases of racism that exist elsewhere, and which at times erupt into violence. Race riots in America and Britain are not uncommon occurrences.

That pan-African condition resonates here as well, and provides a good measure of inbuilt justification whenever African leadership speak about the wrongs done to their people.

The allegations of being disempowered and that their majority numbers in the disciplined forces are meaningless, since there has never been a military coup, ignore all references to former President Desmond Hoyte’s public assurances to PNC supporters that the police and army are their “kith and kin”, and will therefore provide them with cover for the party’s then “slow fyah, more fyah” campaign.

That cover has been evident since the 1960s, and the public inquiry into the 1964 Wismar Massacre noted the very same collusion between the police and the African Guyanese perpetrators of that horror. That majority number is hardly meaningless.

Through their ethnic lenses, African Guyanese leadership conveniently ignore their attacks on Indian Guyanese; and this strategy of violence, learned in the 1960s from CIA operatives on how to grab power, continues to be the PNC’s modus operandi.

In the days following the May 2015 general elections, GECOM Chairman Steve Surujbally spoke publicly about the threats made in his hearing about “matches being lit”. Had the PNC not won, Georgetown would likely have gone up in flames – again – and African Guyanese leaders would have justified the violence before moving to erase it from their narrative of Guyana’s political history; just as the Wismar Massacre, the kick-down-the-door banditry of the Burnham era, and the more recent atrocities committed on Indian Guyanese by Buxtoncentred “freedom fighters” never figure in their accounts.

As in the cultural sphere, it is as if Indian Guyanese lives do not matter, or that we must be continually apologetic for our presence. But if African Guyanese insist on presenting their case through ethnic lenses, they must accept that Indian Guyanese can do the same; especially since we have facts, figures and data that support our narrative of the violations inflicted on our community.

A few African Guyanese leaders attempt to gain credibility by denouncing Burnham’s many wrongs before pursuing the very same blame game that Burnham engaged in. Responsibility for every ill in their community belongs to the PPP, and their own actions are never factored in to their equation as to who and what could possibly be responsible for Guyana’s deep ethnic divide.

Indian Guyanese must continue to speak in order to ensure that the history being told is whole. Partisan narratives might bring comfort, but healing requires that everyone must be prepared to listen and understand that there are other points of view, others hurt, and there are accounts of other injustices done.

If current wrongs are justified in the name of past wrongs, Guyana will never move forward. A pathway to truth and reconciliation has never been more urgent.

Readers are invited to send their comments by email to shah@guyanatimesgy.com

amily members of Shendel George, the Special Constable who is alleged to have shot herself in the throat at the Caricom Rice Mills at Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast, suspect a case of homicide, although police in ‘G’ Division are treating the matter of her death as suicide.

According to reports reaching Guyana Times, George’s relatives are convinced that was murdered. They say the incident follows several threats she had received in the events leading up to the May 4th discovery.

Contrary to reported statements made by fellow security guard George Bisnauth, Bridget Alphonso (mother of the deceased) alleges that there was no gun next to George’s body, and she (mother) was the second person to visit the scene.

A bereaved Alphanso suspects foul play was involved in her daughter’s death. She related that when she had visited her daughter on May 4, she had known something was amiss.

"I does normally check on her when she working. I would carry snacks and ask her what time she coming off. So me going and buy something for my daughter to eat, and something urged me to go to Caricom.

Sometimes I would see her looking through the window when I get there, but on the afternoon in question, I didn’t see her,” Alphonso told this newspaper.

The mother said she then thrice asked the other security guard where her daughter was, and was given a different response each time.

“I stand up for like 5-9 minutes when I asked first where my daughter was. He said she gone out. The second time (I asked), he said she gone somewhere around the compound.

After 15 minutes, I ask he the third time where ma daughter!

He said, ‘She mussy deh toilet, leh me go check’. This got me wondering,” the woman related.

Alphonso said she was then told that her daughter had fallen down.

“The man followed me up to a certain distance, and then he send me up a step. Then he walk back to the gate without rendering any assistance or calling anyone. When me reach the door, me saw my daughter with her hands out.”

The distraught mother related that she first looked for the gun, but there was none in sight. This, she is contending, indicates that SC George did

Dead: Shendal George not take her life, as was reported.

Alphanso related that she had asked this other guard about the gun, but the security had responded that he did not know where it was. She said she then immediately made her way to the police station to file a report, but on her return to the scene, she was surprised to find that a gun had been planted on the scene.

George’s aunt, “Ruxie”, had been the last known person to have spent quality time with her niece. According to Ruxie, “Shendel isn’t the suicide type.

Normally, if something is wrong, she brings it forth immediately".

Everyone in the home circle

attested that the deceased had no reason to end her life, negating the possibility of suicide.

A relative, however, recalled that Shendel George had been threatened by a colleague sometime in the past. That relative said the threat had been to the effect that if the late Shendel George did not leave her employment, she would leave the same way her cousin had left. Her cousin had been killed on the job about a year ago.

Guyana Times had previously reported that at about 17:00h on the day of the incident, Shendel George had left the guard hut and had gone for a walk around the compound.

At about 17:45h, her mother had come to the gate and had enquired about her. The other guard had left in search of her, and had found her motionless body lying on her back in the toilet area with a suspected gunshot wound to her throat.

She was fully dressed in her uniform.

Shendel George’s body is presently at the Suddie Public Hospital mortuary awaiting a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of her death. Meanwhile, police are continuing to investigate the incident.

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SunDAY, may 7, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Essequibo Coast pensioner hangs self Younge’s Take … 3 suicides recorded in 10 days

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olice investigations are currently ongoing following the recent discovery of a 63-year-old labourer hanging from the ceiling of a dwelling house at La Belle Alliance on the Essequibo Coast.

Based on reports reaching this publication, the incident occurred on May 1, 2017 at about 19:00 hours, and the dead man has been identified as Govin Narine.

Narine’s neighbour, Geeta Ramesh, related that she used to cook for the deceased, and she had not been aware that he was battling problems of any kind.

The woman said she called for the deceased when heading home at about 19:00 hrs. She went to the backyard after she did not receive a response, and then she saw the ghastly sight

of Narine hanging from the roof of the shed. Shaken, she then raised an alarm and alerted the police.

The body is presently at the Suddie Hospital mortuary awaiting post-mortem.

This episode follows two other incidents of suicide occurring within a short span of 10 days. Chovindra Lall of Pomona Housing Scheme succumbed reportedly from injecting poison

to his hands, while Shalini Danpat ingested a carbon tablet. Both victims were 22 years old.

A security guard attached to the Caricom Rice Mill shot herself to the throat only a few days ago.

The body of Special Constable #15117 Shendal George of Lima, Essequibo was discovered on May 4 in the washroom of the business entity.

Wanted man busted with ganja

A

21-year-old miner of Puruni Landing, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), who was wanted by police for allegedly stealing his mother’s laptop, was arrested with a quantity of narcotics in his possession.

The suspect was detained sometime around 11:30hrs on Saturday at the Itaballi Checkpoint. At the time he was in possession of a bag, and during an examination of his possessions, police ranks unearthed 530 grams of cannabis.

However, shortly after his arrest, the suspect bolt-

ed to freedom after he managed to free himself from

the ranks. But this attempt to freedom was short-lived, since he was recaptured shortly after.

As a result of that incident, an additional charge of escaping from lawful custody will now be added to those expected to be instituted against him. Thus he is expected to face a simple larceny charge, and possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking charges besides the escaping from lawful custody charge.

Nevertheless, investigations are continuing.

The State, prosecution and persecution

O

ver the past two years, a sickening pattern has resurfaced. It sees the Government utilising legitimate state agencies to intimidate, suppress, embarrass, and charge its political opponents with the aim of securing cheap political points ahead of the next General and Regional Elections.

It does so, too, in order to justify its existence and legitimacy, which are constantly under threat because of the continued and, no doubt, unprecedented levels of activism of the Opposition People’s Progressive Party within the halls of Parliament Michael Younge and among the general populace on a number of troubling as well as sensitive issues.

The APNU/AFC Government is also conscious of the fact that it has to live up to all of the promises it made to a changehungry electorate during the 2011 and 2015 campaigns. It knows only too well that it is duty bound to “charge and jail” all of those PPP officials and public officers who were victims of the APNU/AFC’s diabolical plot to grab power in this country so that they, too, could enjoy the spoils of the Executive.

The thinking, therefore, is that the ministries of Legal Affairs, the Presidency and the Attorney General’s Office must devote all of their energies and resources towards the prosecution of those who have been identified as sacrificial lambs, or examples. They must put aside their traditional mandate and focus on achieving the desired outcome in these areas, in order to please the APNU/AFC constituencies whom they belief are still interested in witnessing the downfall of the PPP, as opposed to assessing their own advancement and wellbeing under the current Government.

And the Government’s plan is in full swing. It has already commissioned partisan State-audits, which were undertaken in every instance by personalities who despise the PPP because of their own personal experiences with that party.

After all, their professional reputations were at stake, given their public commentaries and scholarly works on the PPP’s alleged mismanagement of state assets, lack of integrity, systemic racism, and misuse of the public purse while in office.

The Government has also retained the services of six “non-cooperative” special prosecutors, who are being paid millions of dollars to secure convictions in a number of SOCU cases which appear weak and baseless.

It has gone a step further, too, by spending millions more to recruit for the Legal Affairs Ministry the services of ministerial advisors who no doubt will be dealing with special cases in which the actions of the Government and State are being firmly challenged by the political Opposition and the citizenry. This move is most interesting, given the fact that the Government has already recruited scores of official and unofficial advisors in almost every area under its remit. These officials are very connected to the Working People’s Alliance party, the AFC and the PNC; but little or nothing is being said about it.

The Government is also employing special mechanisms within the regions and at the local level to recruit party loyalists to serve throughout the local Government System, to combat the work and activism of the PPP as its plot to prosecute and persecute key politicians ripens.

After all, the coalition Government is concerned about securing its long term governance of the country, regardless of the avenues that will have to be taken. It is therefore willing to sacrifice the country’s economic bill of health in order to secure its political objectives and a victory over the PPP. It is not concerned about its legacy, or even the fact that it still does not appear to have any coherent and sensible plan to further improve the lives of the populace by engaging in a robust infrastructural and human development programme.

In short, this was the very same posture adopted by Forbes Burnham when he came to power in the 1970s and 1980s. He believed that power could be held eternally by driving fear into the minds of the people and dividing them ethnically. He believed that the military and public service were instruments which should, above all, pledge allegiance to the Executive, and be ready whenever the time came to prove its allegiance.

If the Government does not change its philosophical and ideological outlook, it will see its decline, and the populace will once again start to yearn for change. And no amount of name-change will be able to deliver a victory to Granger’s party in 2020 because, for the first time, it would have had a track record that could be contrasted with that of the PPP side by side. This Government must learn that real and ultimate power belongs to the people, and resides solely with them.

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sunDAY, may 7, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Woman arrested with US$44,000 released on bail

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he 36-year-old South Ruimveldt, Georgetown woman who was taken into the custody of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) for failing to declare more than US$44,000 at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) has been placed on self-bail.

According to Police Public Relations Officer Jairam Ramlakhan, the woman was released on her own recognizance and will have to return to the SOCU office on Monday.

Based on reports received, the woman arrived on a St Lucian flight at Guyana’s main port of entry with some US$44,688 in her

possession. It is not clear how the woman passed security checkpoints in St Lucia with that amount of money.

Guyana Times understands that upon arrival at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, she

was asked if she had anything to declare and she responded in the negative.

However, customs officials discovered the foreign currency stashed in two parcels in her hand luggage during a routine check on her lug-

Guyoil launches environmentfriendly diesel

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he Guyana Oil Company (Guyoil) has launched a new environmentally friendly product – the ultra-low sulphur diesel (ULSD).

ULSD is a clean fuel which is environmentally friendly and is recommended by vehicle manufacturers for diesel vehicles produced from the year 2000.

Additionally, ULSD is currently the only diesel/gas oil currently on the market with a sulphur content of 0.0003 per cent.

The benefits of ULSD include reduced emissions, aids in decreased corrosion and help to maintain engines, is more environmentally friendly, eliminates exhaust blockage, reduces black smoke, reduces exhaust odour, recommend-

Guyoil launches new environmentally-friendly diesel

ed by engine manufacturers and results in better engine performance.

Due to these benefits, many developed countries around the world have adopted this type of diesel.

Guyoil in a statement to the media noted that the introduction of this diesel to the Guyana market coin-

cides with the Government of Guyana’s “Green Initiative” and is in line with the company’s corporate social responsibility strategy towards a greener, cleaner environment.

ULSD is currently available at Guyoil’s Regent Street and Kitty Service Stations.

Caribbean Voice hosts youth workshop

organization (NGO) that focuses on issues such as anti-violence and suicide prevention in the Caribbean and its diaspora.

T

Some of the participants at the workshop

he entity “Caribbean Voice”, in collaboration with the Guyana Pandits’ Council, has hosted a workshop to enlighten youths on self-esteem and alcohol and substance abuse.

The workshop was conducted at the late Pandit Gowkarran Sharma’s Bhavan building, located behind the Diamond & Grove Vishnu Mandir on the East Bank of Demerara.

The workshop saw the attendance of 31 participants ranging in age from six years to 56 years.

National Youth Coordinator Keshni Chandanie Rooplall graced the event with a presentation on self-esteem. Sub-

group member and Trainer Ibi-Mina Edwards, of East Bank Demerara, highlighted the meaning of “empathy”, and why persons should all practise emphatic communication.

Meena Baljit made a submission on substance abuse based on scientific research conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, U.S.A; while Surendra Bipiah did an impactful overview on alcohol abuse. Moreover, Regional Coordinator for the East Bank of Demerara, Dan Ali, engaged the audience on the fundamental concepts and definitions of drug abuse.

The Caribbean Voice is a voluntary non-governmental

gage.

She was immediately pulled aside and questioned, and SOCU was quickly involved. The law stipulates that once any passenger is carrying in excess of US$10,000, the money must be declared to the relevant authorities for clearance.

In January 2016, jewellery belonging to a Better Hope, East Coast Demerara gold smith and valued at more than G$10 million was confiscated by ranks of

the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

The man, Richard Ramjit, was accused by security officers of smuggling gold, but he had denied the allegation. At the time, he was then told that the jewellery was seized because it was valued at approximately $4 million, which is in excess of US$10,000 – the threshold at which seizures can be

made under amended anti-money laundering laws if there is no declaration to customs.

The CANU ranks worked in accordance with the mandate of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) which was set up to detect crimes related to money laundering and terrorism. Ramjit has since sued the state for $10 million on the contention that his fundamental rights and freedoms were breached.

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SunDAY, may 7, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

Bourda Market stabbing

Suspect nabbed with cocaine

U

pon his arrest on Friday, the prime suspect in the murder of a labourer at Bourda Market was found with a quantity of cocaine.

The police said that at the time of his arrest – around 22:30h – the suspect, known as “Symptoms”, was found with six grams of cocaine in his possession. He is therefore expected to face a narcotics trafficking charge in addition to the capital offence.

According to reports, 40-year-old Jerome Cumberbatch, also called ‘Kunta’ and ‘Crekateh’, a labourer of 159 Half Mile Wismar, Linden, was stabbed to death on Thursday afternoon.

The incident occurred

at Bourda Market following a dispute between the two men over money.

Cumberbatch was reportedly stabbed by the suspect at least five times with a broken bottle, and subsequently a knife.

It has been reported that on the day in question, Cumberbatch, who did odd jobs in the market, became involved in an argument with the suspect, who became annoyed, broke a bottle and stabbed the man. Not satisfied with the injuries he had inflicted on his victim, the suspect whipped out a knife and inflicted several other wounds on the victim.

The victim, who was differently-abled, reportedly fell out of his wheelchair and was lying in a pool of

blood in one of the isles of the market.

Although the victim was stabbed in plain view of several persons, no one had gone to his assistance, and by the time medical personnel from the Georgetown Public Hospital had responded, he was already dead.

After committing the heinous act, the suspect fled the scene, but as a result of diligent work by the police, he was arrested on Friday. The now dead man’s body is presently at the Lyken Funeral Parlour awaiting a post-mortem examination, which is expected to be done on Monday morning. If all goes well, the suspect will be placed before the court for his arraignment that same day.

Police seize 1.2kg ganja in Berbice

D

iligent work by ranks in ‘B’ Division has resulted in the seizure of some 1.248 kilograms of cannabis in two separate searches in Berbice on Friday.

In the first instance, ranks conducted random searches for illegal items on passengers travelling to Suriname via the back track route at Number 78 Village, Corentyne, but came up empty-handed.

However, shortly after the departure of a vessel enroute to Suriname, the ranks found three abandoned boxes nearby; and upon examination, a total of 894 grams of cannabis was discovered.

No arrest was made, but the cannabis has been lodged and an investigation has commenced.

Meanwhile, one person has been taken into custody after ranks intercepted a

car en-route to Georgetown from New Amsterdam and unearthed a quantity of cannabis.

According to reports, at about 16:00h on Friday, police stopped the hire car on the Profit Public Road, West Coast Berbice and conducted a search, during which 354 grams of cannabis were found in a bag belonging to a male passenger.

He is currently being processed for court.

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Anna's

Indigenous land rights: let not your silence be your demise

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he recent statement by the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples Affairs issued against the National Toshaos' Council (NTC) calls for worry.

As expected, political bias is the best and sole argument the Coalition could afford to justify the lack of majority consensus from indigenous leaders and the National Toshaos’ Council regarding its presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) launched into both African land reparation and indigenous land Anna Correia claims.

Unfortunately for the Sydney Allicock team, the NTC is a democratically constituted body of almost 200 Amerindian leaders, led by an Executive body of 20, in which majority consensus guides decision-making.

Mandated by the Amerindian Act 6-2006, the NTC is tasked with, among other things, guiding Allicock in his policy-making, but always in the greater interest of Amerindians. It is therefore natural that, excluded from the discussions which birthed the said CoI, and considering the context in which the CoI was launched -overtly bypassing protocol and indigenous rights -- the NTC should sternly object to its establishment. It is equally comprehensible that the NTC should want no part to play in the establishment of a CoI which defies more than a century’s worth of struggle for Amerindian rights in Guyana.

This horrendous accusation by team Allicock, however, comes despite the minister being fully cognizant of the fact that, since 2014, Amerindians continue to benefit from a multi-stakeholder Amerindian Land Titling Project (ALT) funded by LCDS revenues (consequentially exempt from Guyanese tax dollars). ALT was designed to address all land encumbrances, including mining, forestry and lease claims, through active stakeholder engagement and in strict respect for procedures detailed in the AA6-2006.

The aforementioned project was launched after 3 years of active consultation with stakeholders. Three years.

By its mandate alone, ALT not only annuls this presidential CoI, but also provides much wider scope and transparency for the resolution of Amerindian land claims. What’s more spurious than Allicock trying to legitimize the CoI against the backdrop of an already functional, UN-partnered land titling programme is the fact that, to date, his Government has failed to produce evidence of similar nationwide consultation with Guyana’s First Peoples; that the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) of Amerindians was obtained by majority consensus.

Yet Allicock demands that NTC Chairman, Toshao Joel Fredericks, produce evidence of the Government’s violation of FPIC, without realising that his administration has no proof to justify that a nationwide inclusive decision-making, consultative process was conducted. Unsurprisingly, when questioned by the media 3 days ago, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, indicated that he was unaware of whether the NTC was consulted over the establishment of the CoI and the drafting of its ToR. Harmon then fallaciously defended that Allicock provided ample details to a section of the NTC during a recent confab in the Rupununi, despite a recording of the minutes of that meeting indicating otherwise.

Hardly has anyone seen such abusive treatment meted to Amerindians by the Government of Guyana. Allicock’s grotesque efforts to discredit the NTC merely reinforce the plausibility of him being a mere marionette, instrumental in the African land reparations agenda which piggybacks on Amerindian land titling in a desperate attempt to equate its cause to indigenous land rights.

In establishing this CoI without the Free, Prior and Informed Consent of Amerindians and their elected leaders, represented through the body of the NTC, the Coalition has stampeded the indigenous land rights guaranteed and protected inter-alia by the Independence Act Cap 14 S 17, the AA 6-2006 and the UNDRIP. Subsequently, the Coalition is the real instigator of the ethnic tensions it claims have risen from the NTC’s efforts to protect Amerindian land rights, it hinders the formation of a socially cohesive society much necessary for nation-building.

Despite the threats and attempts to intimidate and dissuade the NTC from procuring help from international actors, all indigenous organisations and representatives of indigenous peoples must stand tall against this unabashed bullyism. Minister Harmon confirmed that the CoI is a presidential directive, and that the President has absolute power over the issuance of titles.

When it comes to Amerindian land rights, any such autocratic comportment by President Granger is a violation of the internationally recognized founding principles of indigenous rights (including Art. 11, 19 and 32 of the UNDRIP).

But in modern-day Guyana, no President, especially any who fancies historical revisionism, must be allowed to promulgate party agenda at the detriment of citizens.

Contact sundayarrow@gmail.com

School concert stabbing

Suspects slapped with murder charge …for court on Monday

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he two suspects who are in custody for the murder of a 16-year-old Covent Garden Secondary School student are scheduled to be arraigned in court on Monday.

According to the Police Public Relations Department, the two young men, respectively aged 17 and 20, have already been charged with the capital offence, and will be arraigned before a city magistrate at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

The dead teen, Brian Charles Yearwood of Lot 69 Grove Public Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD), was fatally stabbed in the region of his chest, allegedly by a 17-year-old resident of Kaneville, EBD. The incident occurred in the compound of the Covent Garden Nursery School, EBD, where the lad

Dead teen: Brian Yearwood

had gone to attend a concert held by the Covent Garden Secondary School.

Initial police reports had disclosed that a policeman who had attended the concert with a relative responded immediately to the incident, and with the assistance of other persons, had rushed Yearwood to the Diamond hospital,

where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Investigators have since arrested the two suspects, who currently in custody.

Guyana Times was told that police have recovered the suspected murder weapon at the home of one of the suspects.

When this publication visited the dead lad’s family, his grieving mother, Beverley, related that she was told that her son was sitting on a bench with a few other boys, and another group of boys sitting opposite them was teasing them. She said the boys with whom Brian was sitting subsequently got up and moved away, but he remained seated.

Upon seeing him alone, the other group of boys went over to his bench and began teasing him as well. The mother said she was not told exactly what happened af-

ter – whether or not her son had retaliated and angered the group of boys -- but the group allegedly began pelting him with bottles, and so he escaped.

“He got away from them and run up to the guard hut. There were some teachers standing there, so he run and he stop in front of the teachers. Maybe he was thinking that he was safe, but in the presence of the teachers, these boys just run up and one of them stab him. He plunge the knife into my son’s heart and pull it out. Brian then run from there and he fall down at the fence,” the grieving mother informed this publication.

Yearwood had been a former Central High School student, and had only transferred to the Covent Garden Secondary School in September last year.

18 News

SunDAY, may 7, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

End discrimination, stereotype against addicts – social work students

BY DEVINA SAMAROO

C

assandra Trotman told the taxi driver she was going to the Salvation Army Headquarters in Kingston. He looked at her with distaste and remarked most condescendingly, “Oh, that place for junkies.”

Trotman is a part of a group of seven social work students attached to the University of Guyana who are working on their fourth year project.

As they were required for their assignment, the group of women established an organisation called “Stepping Stones Foundation” which was intended to help reintegrate recovering addicts into society by rebuilding connections with their families through various training sessions.

The aspiring social workers were astounded by the experiences they gained working with nine recovering male addicts during the eight-week course.

More so, they were disheartened by the high level of discrimination meted out against addicts in light of the adverse stereotype cast upon them.

They were also particularly worried about the impact of such negativity on the addicts’ journey to recovery and called on the relevant agencies in the Government to lead a rigorous educational campaign to end the discrimination and stereotyping.

“We cannot stay outside

and judge a person… these men have a lot of courage to come here, even in light of the stigma attached,” Trotman emphasised during an interview with Guyana Times on Saturday.

Stereotype

She explained that the taxi driver, despite talking down the persons in the rehab centre, admitted he

up in the morning; they will move from job to job or be unemployable; they will engage in domestic violence; they become physically or verbally aggressive in public when they are intoxicated; they are likely to be estranged from their family; among others.

Stereotypes are dangerous because most addicts do not fit the stereotype so they can fool themselves into be-

graduates and university students.

Help

Tamika Noel, one of the social work students, underscored the need for addicts to ignore the judgemental figures in society, and focus their thoughts on their life and families, and realise that they need to seek help.

“In order for someone to

The group of social work students attached to the University of Guyana

drinks every night before he goes to bed but insisted that he does not have a problem.

Stereotypes can be dangerous for a number of reasons. The word addict is associated with quite a number of different negative stereotypes. The subscribed characteristics can differ slightly depending on whether the person is an alcohol addict or a drug addict.

The stereotypical image of an alcoholic is a person who drinks every day and is never really sober; they have to drink as soon as they wake

lieving that they don’t have a problem, and because the individual will feel ashamed about admitting that they have a problem, they do not want to be viewed as an addict.

Trotman further noted that there is a wide stereotype that only uneducated persons are enrolled in the drug rehab centre but she posited that such a notion is far from reality.

The student disclosed that among the patients they worked with were businessmen, fathers, university

get help, they must first acknowledge that they have a problem and they need help.

So put aside what the public has to say about you and your addiction. You must first think about yourself,” she explained.

She acknowledged that persons who may be seeking help may not always find a conducive environment to recover and may relapse.

However, she stressed that help is always available and encouraged that addicts desirous of getting clean can reach out to the Salvation Army or to the Stepping Stones Foundation.

Relapse

Noel also noted that a major flaw in the rehabilitation

system in Guyana is the absence of a follow-up system to ensure recovered addicts do not relapse.

“During our short period here, some of the addicts were only here for two or three months (it’s a six-month rehab programme) and they were already feeling that they were ready to go back into society,” she explained.

She also highlighted that because the programme does not want to treat persons like criminals, they cannot stop them from leaving if they do desire before the period is over.

“But one of the problems is that there is no follow-up.

Let’s say they complete the programme and they are back into society, then they are at risk,” she explained, noting that these individuals may still require guidance to ignore the temptations.

“That is why we often encourage them to move away from the community or environment that causes them to be in the situation in the first place. Many in the institution said that because of their addiction, they lost everything.

So it’s easy for them to start afresh and move away from the toxic environment,” she said.

Hope and belonging

One of the recovering addicts who was under the guidance of the UG students was most grateful for their role in his journey to overcome his alcoholism.

He told Guyana Times that he was drowning in alcohol for approximately 14 years.

“My life was out of control and I was ashamed of who I was becoming. So I asked my

parents to send me to this institution because I wanted my life to become more productive,” he stated.

John (not real name) said he found a sense of hope and belonging at the institution as the programme has helped tremendously in him being able to retake control of his life.

Like the other persons whom the group works with, John underwent training in anger management, self-esteem booster, morals and values, communication, family life, nutrition, music therapy and skills training.

The drug rehab centre in Guyana has been transforming lives since its establishment in 1996.

For 2016 alone, nearly 100 addicts were enrolled in the programme.

Administrator of the Salvation Army Guyana, Ulrick Thibaud told Guyana Times that the success rate of the rehabilitation programme is about 50 per cent.

Thibaud said children from as young as 13 years are enrolled in the programme, in some cases students come from prominent high schools.

According to the administrator, addicts in the younger age range are hooked on marijuana whereas the older ones are into cocaine and alcohol.

The programme is very simple: patients participate in counselling, educational forums, spiritual activities and sometimes anger management, with classes hosted by the Men’s Affairs Bureau. It usually lasts for six months but patients are encouraged to stay at the halfway house upon completion of the programme for monitoring purposes.

sunDAY, may 7, 2017

Taylor hopes Windies selectors take note of Sussex stint

J

erome Taylor still wants to bowl a cricket ball for the West Indies over five consecutive days and hopes his stint with Sussex will prove he's to do so.

“When I sit at home and watch, I just want to get back out on the park and play for the West Indies again. I want to give back to West Indies cricket. That is what I always wanted to do growing up and hopefully I can do it again,” Taylor told Argus newpaper, indicating that his retirement from Test cricket was premature.

"I think I might have jumped the gun retiring from international cricket," he said.

To get back there, Taylor is hoping that a stint with Sussex where he is replacing injured South African, Vernon Philander, will do the trick.

Taylor's Digicel Regional Four-Day Tournament statistics, where he took eight wickets at 28.62 in four games, did not do the trick for the selectors, but the 32-yearold needs more.

His Test career to date spans 46 Tests in which he has claimed 130 scalps at an average of 34.46.

19

STAG/WDFA Derrick Josiah KO Football…

Eagles hunting win against Young Achievers

Taylor did not start well for Sussex, ending with figures of 1-54 from eight overs in his first game, however, he was only in the country 24 hours and could claim jet lag for his performance.

"There is a lot of room for improvement, and hopefully, I can give some very good performances for Sussex while I am here. It is only a couple of weeks, but I will try to adapt as quickly as possible,” he said.

“I’m loving every minute of it so far and the lads in the dressing room have made it a lot easier for me to settle in. But my body needs to acclimatise to the different temperature over here and the pitches are different.

“It was also a bit strange bowling down the hill, but after the first three or four overs, you know you have to pull yourself up a bit. This is home for the next two to three weeks so I need to get used to it.

“I’ve been in England before, but a long while ago, so it is about learning all over again. I am willing to do that and I’m sure it won’t take me long to hit top form.”

(Sportsmax)

S

Eagles FC Coach Keron Schmidt

ara Lodge based Eagles FC will today be looking for a win against Young Achievers in the feature match of the STAG West Demerara Football Association (WDFDA) Derrick Josiah Knockout Football tournament which kicks-off at the Den Amstel Community Centre Ground at 19:00 hrs.

Coach of the youthful line up Keron Schmidt in speaking with Guyana Times Sport expressed his confidence in a win and is looking forward to showcase his players to another tournament.

‘Our players are now knitting as a unit and we will be taking each match to our op-

ponents since we have evaluated ourselves and our objective is to win this tournament”, Schmidt added.

With the likes of Daniel Clarke, Orette Stephenson, Orlando Henry, Colin Williams, Stephon Bentick and Chris Macey, Schmidt is excited that the other members of the starting team will gel to create a complete unit.

Young achievers on the other hand will not leave any stone unturned as they too will be entering the field looking for a win.

The composition of the likes of Julius Chilchott, Deon Terrence, Adio Wright, Hakeem Scott, Stephon Jupiter and Marvin Josiah the others will joint to capture Eagles who has been flying high in previous tournaments.

The supporting matches will feature an exhibition game involving a West Demerara Police lineup making their first appearance when they face Jetty Gunners FC. This will follow with Den Amstel coming up against Stewartville in the opener of the tournament. This tournament is held in honor of the late Assistant Commissioner of Police Derrick Josiah who was a footballer, administrator of the game and an ardent patron to the WDFA. The Divisional Commander, senior officers and other ranks is expected to be present at the event.

The tournament will see the winners receiving $200,000 while second to fourth will receive $100,000, $75,000 and $50,000 respectively.

Sunrisers Hyderabad v Rising Pune Supergiant, IPL…

R

Stokes, Unadkat lift Pune to No. 2

ising Pune Supergiant are joint top of the Indian Premier League after a lastover hat-trick maiden from Jaydev Unadkat.

Jaydev Unadkat produced a hat-trick in the last over as his five-for sent Rising Pune Supergiant level on points at the top of the Indian Premier League with victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Pune were put into bat

by Sunrisers and, despite a 60-run partnership between Ben Stokes and Steve Smith, were kept in check and held to 148-8.

A 34-ball 40 from David Warner and Yuvraj Singh's 47 seemingly had Sunrisers in position to chase that down, needing just 13 off the last over.

But Unadkat delivered in stunning fashion in a maiden final over, dismissing Bipul Sharma, Rashid Khan and Bhuvneshwar

Ben Stokes removed Shikhar Dhawan and Kane Williamson in his first over © BCCI

Kumar in succession to ensure a 12-run triumph.

Stokes blasted three sixes in a 25-ball 39 to help Pune recover from 39-2 and MS Dhoni also contributed by hitting 31 in 21 deliveries.

Those efforts made sure Supergiant at least post-

ed a defendable total, but Siddarth Kaul's 4-29 made sure it was target Sunrisers could be confident in chasing.

England all-rounder Stokes claimed the key early wickets of Shikhar Dhawan (19) and Kane Williamson (4) early in Hyderabad's re-

ply.

Though Warner was not quite able to find his destructive best, the Australia batsman steadied the ship until he became Stokes' third victim when he skied a short delivery outside off.

Yuvraj was more patient for his 43-ball 47, but his departure at the hands of Unadkat marked the start of a rapid five-for.

He and Naman Ojha each fell to slower balls, although victory still seemed well within in Sunrisers' reach going into the final six balls.

But Bipul skewed to Stokes at deep midwicket, Rashid toe-ended back to Unadkat and the hattrick was completed when Bhuvneshwar's pull ended up in the hands of Manoj Tiwary just to the right of cover, bringing up Unadkat's 100th IPL wicket in memorable fashion.

(Sportsmax)

SCOREBOARD Rising Pune Supergiant innings (20 overs maximum) A Rahane c Yuvraj Singh b Bipul Sharma 22 R Tripathi run out (Bipul Sharma) 1 S Smith* c Bipul Sharma b Kaul34 39 B Stokes b Rashid Khan M Dhoni† c †Ojha b Kaul 31 D Christian c Rashid Khan b Kaul4 M Tiwary run out (Warner/ Kumar) 9 Washington Sundar not out 1 S Thakur c Warner b Kaul 0 J Unadkat not out 0 Extras (b 1, lb 2, w 4)7 Total (8 wickets; 20 overs)148(7.40 runs per over) Did not bat: Imran Tahir Fall of wickets: 1-6 (Tripathi, 1.5 ov), 2-39 (Rahane, 6.4 ov), 3-99 (Stokes, 14.3 ov), 4-101 (Smith, 15.4 ov), 5-105 (Christian, 15.6 ov), 6-142 (Tiwary, 18.6 ov), 7-147 (Dhoni, 19.3 ov), 8-147 (Thakur, 19.4 ov) Bowling: B Kumar 4-0-39-0 (2w), A Nehra 1.1-0-5-0 (1w) Kaul 4-0-29-4 (1w), Rashid Khan 0-18-1, MC Henriques 2.50-15, Bipul Sharma 4-0-39

Sunrisers Hyderabad innings (target: 149 runs from 20 overs) DA Warner* c Thakur b Stokes 40 19 S Dhawan b Stokes KS Williamson c †Dhoni b Stokes4 Yuvraj Singh c Tripathi b Unadkat 47 MC Henriques b Imran Tahir 4 NV Ojha† c Stokes b Unadkat 9 Bipul Sharma c Stokes b Unadkat 8 Rashid Khan c & b Unadkat 3 B Kumar c Tiwary b Unadkat 0 S Kaul not out 0 A Nehra not out 0 Extras (w 2)2 Total (9 wickets; 20 overs136 Fall of wickets 1-25 (Dhawan, 4.1 ov), 2-29 (Williamson, 4.3 ov), 3-83 (Warner, 12.2 ov), 4-96 (Henriques, 13.6 ov), 5-117 (Yuvraj Singh, 17.1 ov), 6-127 (Ojha, 17.6 ov), 7-136 (Bipul Sharma, 19.2 ov), 8-136 (Rashid Khan, 19.3 ov), 9-136 (Kumar, 19.4 ov) Bowling: JD Unadkat 4-1-30, Washington Sundar 3-0-19, BA Stokes 4-0-30 (w-1), Imran Tahir 4-0-24 (w-1), SN Thakur 2-0-12, DT Christian 3-0-21

20

Kieron Pollard

M

guyanatimesGY.com

sunDAY, may 7, 2017

umbai Indians showed why they top the IPL table as they trounced Delhi Daredevils by a scarcely believable margin of 146 runs.

Indian Premier League leaders Mumbai Indians confirmed their play-off place in style on Saturday, recording the competition's

Simmons, Pollard seal Mumbai’s play-off spot

biggest winning margin in a stunning demolition of Delhi Daredevils.

Fans at the Feroz Shah Kotla were left stunned as Delhi, whose hopes of making the top four are now extremely slim, slumped to 66 all out in reply to a mammoth total of 212-3, to lose by a humiliating margin of 146 runs.

Spinners Harbhajan Singh and Karn Sharma shared six wickets after Mumbai's seamers had dismantled the Daredevils' top order, while West Indians Lendl Simmons (66 from 43 balls) and (63 not out from

35) were chiefly responsible for such a stiff target being set.

Delhi remain sixth, five points off fourth with three games to play, while Mumbai have won nine from 11 this term.

Simmons certainly took his opportunity after being selected for the first time this season, in place of Jos Buttler.

The opener struck five fours and four sixes, a feat that was subsequently matched by Pollard, and shared 79 with Parthiv Patel (25) for the first wicket as Mumbai started strongly after being inserted.

Either side of Simmons departing to Corey

Anderson, Pollard took a liking to Amit Mishra, twice crashing the leg-spinner for two maximums in an over.

Rohit Sharma fell cheaply, but Hardik Pandya (29 not out from 14 balls) took advantage of being dropped

by Shreyas Iyer to thump the hugely expensive Pat Cummins (0-59) for three boundaries in a final over that went for 23.

Needing a good start in reply, Delhi instead saw Sanju Samson fall first ball to Mitchell McClenaghan.

That set the tone for the innings as the Daredevils slumped to 35-5 inside six overs, Lasith Malinga claiming two of the wickets.

Harbhajan (3-22) and

James and Morata at the double in easy Madrid win

R

eal Madrid are back level on point with Barcelona at the top of LaLiga after James Rodriguez and Alvaro Morata hit braces against Granada.

James Rodriguez and Alvaro Morata scored two apiece as Real Madrid stayed on track to be LaLiga champions with a 4-0 win at relegated Granada.

James' brace came inside the first 11 minutes, with Zinedine Zidane's men barely breaking sweat against wholly overmatched opponents.

Morata's double was also the fruit of a quickfire effort after the half-hour, from which point Madrid were able to take their foot off the gas with far more testing assignments ahead.

Atletico are up next in midweek, with the European champions' 3-0 advantage from the first leg of the all-Madrid Champions League semi-final likely to be ample insurance.

Madrid remain behind Barcelona in LaLiga by virtue of an inferior head-to-head record, but have a game in hand, meaning matches at home to Sevilla and away at Celta Vigo – both teams who have beaten Zidane's men this season – are likely to be pivotal to the outcome of the title race.

Barcelona were 4-1 winners against Villarreal earlier on Saturday and their rivals went ahead within three minutes at Nuevo Los Carmenes, picking the hosts apart with inevitable ease.

Morata threaded a pass through an inviting gap on the left-hand side of the Granada backline and Lucas Vazquez charged into the box.

Lucas fired across goal and James wheeled away in celebration, although the decisive touch arguably came off Granada centre-back Sverrir Ingason.

There were no doubts over James' claims to Madrid's second eight minutes later.

Vazquez overhit a cross but Fabio Coentrao was allowed to retrieve the ball on the left and send it back towards the area, where the Colombia playmaker was given similarly ample room to head home.

The dire start persuaded Granada boss Tony Adams to make a tactical switch in the 18th minute, with defensive midfielder Uche replacing winger and fellow Watford loanee Aly Malle.

That stemmed the tide to an extend but Morata got himself on the scoresheet with half an hour played, crashing in via the underside of the crossbar after full-back Danilo streamed clear down the right flank.

It was two in five minutes for the Spain striker – Marco Asensio sauntering towards the Granada area to find his team-mate in the box, where Morata twisted Martin Hongla to distraction before blasting past Guillermo Ochoa.

Lucas cut in from the right to fire against the top of

the crossbar in the 42nd minute and forced a one-on-one stop from Ochoa, with Casemiro lifting the rebound over.

Despite that relative damage limitation, Granada departed to predictable boos at the interval.

Adams sent out his players with relatively renewed purpose after the break, Lucas firing into the side netting as his quest for a goal continued.

Karim Benzema was introduced in place of Asensio before the hour and he almost scored on the end o f Vazquez's re- t u r n pass in the 61st minute, with Danilo drilling the rebound against the base of the post.

Madrid captain Sergio Ramos was denied by Guillermo from a James corner and prodded wide at the near post in the 66th minute after Lucas again shot goalwards in vain.

Martin Hongla blazed over 10 minutes from time and onloan Borussia Dortmund forward Adrian Ramos forced Kiko Casilla into a rare save at his near post as Granada sought consolation on a night in keeping with a shambolic season on and off the field.

(Sportsmax)

Karn (3-11) took over thereafter, with only three batsmen reaching double figures in a dismal showing from the hosts. (Sportsmax)

Lendl Simmons

SCOREBOARD Mumbai Indians innings (20 overs maximum) L Simmons c Samuels b Anderson 66 P Patel† st †Pant b Mishra 25 63 K Pollard not out R Sharma* c Mishra b Rabada 10 H Pandya not out 29 Extras (lb 9, w 10)19 Total (3 wickets; 20 overs)212 Did not bat: N Rana, KV Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, MJ McClenaghan, SL Malinga, JJ Bumrah Fall of wickets: 1-79 (Patel, 8.4 ov), 2-116 (Simmons, 12.3 ov), 3-153 (RG Sharma, 15.3 ov) Bowling: Z Khan 4-029-0, K Rabada 4-0-331 (3w), Cummins 4-0-590 (4w), Mishra 4-0-37-1, Mohammed Shami 2-0-160, Anderson 2-0-29-1 (1w) Delhi Daredevils innings (target: 213 runs from 20 overs) S Samson c Simmons b McClenaghan K Nair c RG Sharma b Harbhajan Singh

0 21

S Iyer c Harbhajan Singh b Malinga 3 R Pant† c Simmons b Bumrah 0 C Anderson c KV Sharma b Malinga 10 M Samuels c RG Sharma b KV Sharma 1 P Cummins c †Patel b Harbhajan Singh 10 View dismissal K Rabada c RG Sharma b KV Sharma 0 A Mishra not out 9 Mohammed Shami c Pollard b Harbhajan Singh 7 Z Khan* c Rana b KV Sharma2 Extras (b 1, lb 1, w 1)3 Total (all out; 13.4 overs)66 Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Samson, 0.1 ov), 2-6 (Iyer, 1.5 ov), 3-20 (Pant, 3.2 ov), 4-31 (Nair, 4.4 ov), 5-35 (Anderson, 5.5 ov), 6-40 (Samuels, 7.4 ov), 7-46 (Cummins, 8.2 ov), 8-48 (Rabada, 9.4 ov), 9-57 (Mohammed Shami, 10.4 ov), 10-66 (Khan, 13.4 ov) Bowling: McClenaghan2-0-18-1, Malinga 2-0-5-2, Bumrah 1-0-6-1, Harbhajan Singh 4-0-22-3, Sharma 3.4-011-3 (1w)Pandya1-0-2-0

Guardiola expects Premier League top 4 battle

M

anchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes the race to finish in the Premier League's top four will go to the last day of the season.

City moved above Liverpool and into third place on goal difference thanks to Saturday's 5-0 win over Crystal Palace.

Manchester United and Arsenal, who are fifth and sixth, meet on Sunday.

"There are four amazing teams fighting for the last two Champions League places," the Catalan boss said.

"It will be a big, big battle until the last game.

"Hopefully United can focus on the Europa League and forget a little bit about the Premier League and then next season we can have five English teams in the Champions League, which would be amazing," he added.

United will qualify for next season's Champions League if they win the Europa League, giving the Premier League an extra spot in the competition. Jose

Mourinho's men lead Celta Vigo 1-0 from the first leg of their semi-final.

Although City can still mathematically catch second-placed Tottenham, this season will almost certainly be the first in Guardiola's managerial career where he has not achieved at least a top-two finish.

His Barcelona side finished runners-up to Real Madrid in La Liga in 2012, but he won the title in his other three seasons there - while his Bayern Munich team were Bundesliga champions in each of the three years he was in charge.

"There is not another competition in the world with six strong teams fighting for one position - not in Spain nor Germany," Guardiola added.

"It is so clear that here, every season will be tougher and tougher to qualify for the Champions League.

"It is important to be in it for many reasons, to grow and to enjoy the big moments. We have got three games left and it is in our hands. (BBC)

YELLOW PAGES

21

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guyanatimesgy.com

sundAY, may 7, 2017

Hinds advocates for more funding at FIBA Congress G

uyana Amateur B a s k e t b a l l Federation (GABF) President, Nigel Hinds, while participating in the National Federation Development Workshop as part of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) congress noted the need for direct funding from FIBA to the National Federations, as is done by all the major International Federations and some of the smaller International Federations.

The President was at the time speaking during the May 4-5 congress held in Hong Kong, responding to questions from the Chair of the National Federations’ Development Workshop.

He informed the grouping that the hosting of the Caribbean Basketball Federation Under 16 Male and Female Championships

in Guyana during July of 2016 saw the Government of Guyana donate US$200,000 to the GABF while the private sector donated US$50,000, along with additional support from other organizations.

Hinds made a clear call for direct funding to National Federations by FIBA, especially for lesser developed countries, where basic basketball facilities are not up to international standards and where core funding is absolutely needed from FIBA for the development of National Championships, Coaching and Refereeing.

The President stated that FIBA should consider it obligatory to fund the National Federations and not have the National Federations solely depend on Government and the private sector for funding towards Basketball Development.

Patrick Haynes, GABF General Secretary and FIBA Governance Commissioner when presenting the workshop summary - noted that the general consensus of the National Development Workshop was that direct financial grants should be provided by FIBA to the National Federations.

Meanwhile, the twoday event brought together delegates from 146 national federations who voted unanimously in favor of implementing a new headgear rule. They also received updates and approved the activity report which reflects the progress made in furthering FIBA’s four pillars - National Federations Development, New Competition System, New Governance and 3x3 since the previous congress in August 2014.

The delegates took

part in workshops covering the following themes: 'Maximizing opportunities of the FIBA Qualifiers', 'Building the standard development pathway', 'Basketball & media in the digital age' and 'Everybody can be successful with 3x3'.

FIBA President, Horacio Muratore thanked the Hong Kong Basketball Association for its hospitality for organizing the MidTerm Congress and noted that FIBA is definitely a lot closer to our National Member Federations and represents a more united basketball family, with FIBA looking forward to the next two years, especially for the launch of the New Competition System, the Road to China 2019 both of which present great opportunities for our members."

IOC Vice President, Yu Zaiqing noted that engag-

GABF President Nigel Hinds (right) strikes a pose with retired Chinese Professional Basketball player Yao Ming (center) and GABF Secretary Patrick Haynes

ing with the youths is another major cornerstone of Olympic Agenda 2020 and in this respect FIBA is leading the way by promoting an innovative new game format

that has great youth appeal, which is exemplified by the unique 3x3 competition format that clearly resonates with young people everywhere.

GFF Elite League impasse…

A

t the beginning of the second edition of the Stag Elite league, there was and seemingly still is a conflict of interest between the Wayne Forde headed Guyana Football Federation (GFF) and four Elite clubs ( Slingerz, Alpha United , Pele FC and Georgetown Football Club) over the expansion of the league and other related issues.

The four aforementioned clubs decided not play in the league which began the infractions between the clubs

and the federation.

In this regard, the Disciplinary Committee comprising of Attorneys Sanjeev Datadin (Chairman) and Natasha Vieira, along with Dr. Clement McEwan ruled that the executive committee’s decision to move the STAG Elite League from eight to ten teams was ultra vires their powers and unconstitutional and that the GFF Constitution can only be amended by Congress and the Executive Committee had no authori-

GFF President Wayne Forde (centre) along with members of his executive committee and the Federation’s Attorney-at-Law Juman-Yassin at the press briefing on Saturday

Girls’ u-11 Football Academy slated for July I

n the month of July 50 young aspiring female footballers are set to benefit from a football training programme, The Guyana Girls Academy (GGA) holds its inaugural camp under the guidance of Guyanese-American Coach Colin Wilson.

The GGA inaugural camp will take place from July 25 – July 28th from 9:30h to 17:00h each day; the four-day camp is aimed at targeting girls ages 7 to 11 years old.

According to Wilson, the idea behind the program is to create a football academy that develops, trains, and educate girls to compete at a collegiate, professional, and international level, as well as to ignite a strong women’s football culture that will continuously fuel the Guyana Women’s National Team programme.

The camp will show young girls the technical, tactical, physical, and mental aspects of the game of football.

Each girl will receive a camp uniform as well. Parents are encouraged to reg-

ister this month to reserve their place at the camp.

The GGA is working with the support and collaboration of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), the National Sports Commission (NSC), and the Alex Bunbury Sports and Academic Academy (ABSAA).

Wilson played competitive football for 10 years. He has been coaching women’s football for nine years and was a certified referee for five years.

Coach Colin has coached girls from ages three all the way up to semi-professional women.

He currently holds a United States Soccer Federation National C Coaching License and a United States Soccer Federation National Youth License.

Coach Colin also holds a National Soccer Coaches of Association of America Advanced National Diploma and Level 2 Goalkeeper Diploma.

Otis James, one of the coordinators here, is urging parents to register their children. He said the programme is a

Colin Wilson

first and it would be a great opportunity for the young females.

Persons interested in getting their children involve could contact James on 668-2014, Junior Foster or ask questions on the Guyana Girls Academy (GGA) facebook page.

ty to unilaterally amend the Constitution in any manner whatsoever.

However, Forde with the support of FIFA is adamant that the committee had no such powers rule on the matter.

“Despite overwhelming national support for this move, four clubs [Alpha United, Slingerz FC, Pele and GFC] opposed this decision, deliberately breaching the GFF Constitution by refusing to participate in this season’s Elite League, which they are constitutionally mandated to do as members of the GFF according to Art. 13 1c. The clubs actions were unconstitutional, unprofessional, completely misguided and against the interest of the overall development of football in Guyana and the players of each club”. Forde stated.

He went unto to say, “The Executive Committee wishes to reiterate that the Disciplinary Committee has no constitutional remit to deal with this matter”. This position was confirmed by FIFA in its correspondence to the President of the GFF, dated May 3rd 2017.

Additionally the executive is of the firm conviction that the process engaged by the Disciplinary Committee was thoroughly flawed.

“We have stated clearly from the outset that this issue did not fall within the remit or competence of the Disciplinary Committee.

The Executive Committee has received no response to this from the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, despite formally requesting that he prove on what authority he seized this matter. “As the Disciplinary Committee does not have the right to hear this matter, the Executive Committee did not take part in any proceedings and we questioned the motivation and rationale behind such proceedings”, Forde emphasised.

The President is hopeful that the issue can come to a close permanently since matters like these can become a hindrance to the development of Football.

As for the clubs, they will have to rebuild by planning in their various association leagues until they can qualify for the Elite league once again.

guyanatimesgy.com

sundAY, may 7, 2017

Goodluck returns unopposed as GLTA President

Gabriel thanks former T&T allrounder for improvement

– aims to host international tournaments

o man is an island and West Indies paceman Shannon Gabriel's improvement with the cricket ball is not just down to his effort.

According to the pacer, much of what he has achieved has been brought about by the investment of others.

His recent 5-11 against Pakistan at the Kensington Oval in Barbados where the West Indies skittled out their opposition for 81 to earn an unlikely 106-run victory on the final day was not down to just him either.

According to Gabriel Trinidad and Tobago all rounder, Kelvin Williams deserves much gratitude for the achievements.

"Since my under-19 days I have worked with Kelvin and even up to now I do work with him. I would really like to thank him today for what he has done for me. I would also like to thank our fast bowling coach Roddy Estwick because I have been working with him to get my bowling up to scratch,” Gabriel had said in his postmatch interview. (Sportsmax)

J

amal Goodluck was on Saturday re-elected as President of the Guyana Tennis Association (GLTA) when the sport entity held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the National Racquet Centre.

After a budding year at the helm, Goodluck was given the green light to continue at the top of the association by its member clubs.

He returned unopposed along with the other members who formed the executives.

Treasure Leroy Chapman was also re-elected to his post.

Grace McCalman will serve as first Vice President, Samuel Barakat as second Vice President, Treasurer Leroy Chapman,

GLTA President Jamal Goodluck

Oswin Coggin Secretary and Cristi Campbell Assistant Sec./ Treasurer.

The four committee members are; Robert Bostwick, Fadil Ahmad, Nicholas Glasgow and Nigel Niles.

At the top of Goodluck’s agenda for his second term is to make sure there is a facility that reaches professional standard to host international competition.

Past executive member Ramesh Seecharran was rewarded with life membership within the sport entity for his exemplary commitment developmental initiatives, which continues to be the pillar of the associations’ financial policies.

23

N

Shannon Gabriel

GFF/Stag Elite League…

Shivraj tops field at Heineken Golf Tournament GDF scold Monedderlust to consolidate top spot –Victoria Kings crush Top XX

T

Heineken Brand Manager Darshanie Yussuf hands over the top prize to Lakeram Shivraj

W

ith a gross of 90 and a net of 66, Lakeram Shivraj, who played with a 24 handicap copped the Heneiken Golf Tournament on Arrival Day at the Lusignan Golf Course.

Soggy conditions failed to deter golfers who came out for the event which saw golf competitive golf return to the course for the first time in more than a month.

Following Shivraj in second was Aleem Hussein (17) with a gross 85 net 68, and third place went to Gavin Todd (20): gross 88 net 68.

Mike Mangal took best gross prize with 79 while Nearest to the Pin went to Mark Lashley and longest drive to Troy Cadogan.

In brief remarks Club President Hilbert Shields thanked brand manager Darshanie Yussuf for Ansa McAl's generous sponsorship which has been ongoing for several years.

Included in the sponsorship were several well received cases of Heineken and Heineken LIGHT.

he Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Stage Elite League continued on Friday night, at the Tucville, Ground and it was Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and Victoria Kings being the teams inflict sound thrashings.

GDF steamrolled Monedderlust 4-0 to further cement their grasp at the top of the table with 24 points while Kings thumped Top XX 5-1.

It was GDF’s Sherwyn Caesar who came off the bench in the second half against Monedderlust and bagged a brace to take his tally to 8 for the season; he is currently the leading goal scorer in the league.

Earlier Delroy Ferdinand had opened the scoring for GDF in the first half when he scored in the 14th minute. The Monedderlust defence managed to shut out GDF for the remainder of the first half, however, as play resumed after the break, Carlos Adams scored in the 54th minute to make 2-0.

Caesar who came on for Adams shortly after, only took two minutes

to make an impact as he scored in the 67th and 84th to heap further misery on Monedderlust.

Meanwhile , Aubrey Gibson opened Kings’ account after 38 minutes in the first half, however Travis Waterton scored on the stroke of halftime to briefly bring Top XX level with the Kings.

GDF’s Hit men , (L-R) As play re- Fraser sumed in the second half a flurry of goals from Samuel Blackett (55th), Kemron Alfred (73rd), Akeem Holder (89 minutes) and Ruel Williams (92th ) ensured that Victoria Kings eased to Victory.

Earlier in the second half Trenton

Sherwyn Caesar, Delroy Fraser and Delwin

Lashley was shown a red card in the 70th minute to leave Top XX a man short.

Action will resume at 16:00hrs today as GDF clash with Top XX, while Fruta Conquerors take on Buxton at aforementioned venue.

2nd Boyce & Jefford Relay & Fun-day…

Action on today at Eve Leary regardless of weather

O

rganisers of the 2nd Boyce & Jefford Relay & Fun Day have said that the event will go ahead even if there is inclement weather today at the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary.

After last week’s postponement due to rain, Co-organiser Edison Jefford had stated that they remain optimistic as today’s activities will provide eagerly anticipated excitement.

He noted that with the addition of events such as cycling and races for the Differently-abled athletes, this year’s edition is expected to easily eclipse last year’s, both in terms of support and thrill.

Jefford pointed to the increased interest in the football segment

Five-a-side football is expected to attract a large crowd at the Boyce & Jefford Funday

and the inclusion of the wheelchair races and cycling as testimony to

the growing interest in the annual extravaganza.

“We’ve decided to add cycling, wheelchair racing as well as increasing the number of teams for the football competition and these developments are as a result of appeals made by the fans and some sponsors to add some more flavour to the day’s activities.”

According to Jefford, dominoes which have become a very popular sport in Guyana also have a great pull among the event’s supporters and a large turnout of teams for this aspect of the Fun Day is expected.

However, the 5-a-side format of football has been enjoying great success and this event is enjoying huge support from residents within the respective neighbourhoods as

there are a number of community based teams.

“Sparta Boss” is one of the teams that were invited to compete and they will face teams of the likes of arch-nemesis Back Circle, Agricola Champion Boys, Bent Street, West Front Road ‘Gold is Money’, Camp Street All Stars, the Guyana Police Force, The Guyana Defence Force, Sophia, Kanaimas and Broad Street Bullies.

The Organisers have set 09:30hrs as the deadline for registration as they are looking for a prompt start at 10:00hrs and are urging teams to be on time.

Sports is no longer our game, it’s our business

SUNDAY, MAY 7, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

Hinds advocates for more funding at FIBA Congress If the suggestions of Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) President Nigel Hinds are implemented,

Pg 22

the sport could be in-line for an influx of funding

Goodluck returns unopposed as GLTA President Pg 23

– aims to host international tournaments

Executives and Committee members of the GLTA; L-R sitting Grace McCalman First Vice President, President Jamal Goodluck, Second Vice President Samuel Barakat. Standing L-R Committee member Robert Bostwick, Treasurer Leroy Chapman, Assistant Secretary/ Treasurer Cristi Campbell, Committee Member Nigel Niles and Secretary Oswin Coggins

GUYANA TIMES - www.guyanatimesgy.com, email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, News Hotliine: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230,223-7231,231-0544, 225-7761 Sport: sport@guyanatimesgy.com Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707 SALES AND MARKETING - lezas@guyanatimesgy.com - PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY GUYANA TIMES INC.

May 7, 2017

Star Times Bollywood:

‘Dangal’ to release in over 9,000 screens in China See story on page 14

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Cherished

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MAY 7, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

Times Feature

I

Connecting with ancestral roots

n 1902, Mahesh Ahir sailed on the Arno ship from India to British Guiana to work on the sugar plantation as an indentured labourer. Mahesh, who was 27 years old when he arrived in British Guiana, adapted to the local culture and learned the new language in that foreign land. Sadly, he never got the chance to return to his homeland. Knowing this, his descendants were prompted to trace their ancestral roots.

Rosie Rohini Prem, a Canadian born to Guyanese parents, was moved to search for her ancestors after her ‘aji’ Baichnee

In 2011, Rosie managed to get copies of immigration passes of her ancestors from the National Archives in Guyana. The immigration passes gave the name of her great grandfather, his caste, his father's name (Bhikhari) and his home address in the village of Bibipur, Thana Karimuddinpur, District Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh, India.

Rosie then made three trips to India to find her relatives and ancestral village, but failed to do so. It was only after she sought the help of Faiyaz Shafique Ansari, a total stranger who eventually became her “good friend”, and a resident of Darjeeling in India, that she was able to find the village and was reunited with her long lost kin Prabhunath Yadav, Laxminia and Maturni, including cousRosie Rohini Prem (right) and relatives at the Babatpur airport in Varanasi, ins.

Uttar Pradesh When Rosie initially visited Bibipur, she said she faced nuher relatives in Bibipur. It was, after all, the fulfilment of her merous challenges. The people there long cherished dream - something she had been chasing after were not so welcoming. Despite these for a very long time. challenges, Rosie was determined in Rosie mentioned that Bibipur is a very small, remote vilher search. She recollected offering lage that is populated mostly by the people of the Ahir caste. them “pocket money for sweets” and (The Ahirs, or Aheers, are said to have ruled over different they eventually divulged informa- parts of India and Nepal.) tion about Bhikari (Mahesh’s father).

Upon her arrival in the village, a ‘havan’ ritual was perThe people told her that Bhikari’s formed in the home of Mahesh. Rosie then placed a memorial name is chanted in the Hindu ritual of plaque in memory of her great grandfather in the presence of Pind Daan. She also learned that “one her fourth generation relatives. young man in his thirties from their After much celebration in Bibipur and touring scenic sites, family had left with the British and Rosie travelled to Kolkata to visit the port where Mahesh had never returned again to his home”. embarked from in 1902.

Hearing this, Rosie felt reassured and Meeting her ancestral relatives in the village of Bibipur Rosie mentioned that “the descendants of the girmitiya (in“gained strength” that she was on the dentured) workers are aware of the hardships of their ancesright path. tors as well as their roots”. She added that her “forefathers had When Rosie and her husband finally arrived at Babatpur taken Uttar Pradesh and India in their hearts after they were (grandmother) told her stories of her ancestors from India. She was told that her great grandfather, Mahesh, and great grand- airport in India, they received a warm welcome by both her lured away to British Guiana in the name of a better life”. mother, Rampatia, were on board the Arno together. They fell “near and far relatives”. She then travelled to Bibipur, where According to her, the process of trying to find an ancestral in love and got married on arrival to British Guiana. They had she met Prabhunath Yadav, his wife Laxminia and a “senior village is not a simple search. However, with “determination three sons together. lady” named Maturni. They offered Rosie a place to stay in and God’s favour”, her prayers were answered.

Bibipur and a portion of their “I was so overwhelmed when I connected with my Indian land so that she can build a roots for the first time. This prompted me to return to the vilhome in the village. Tears lage in December 2013, this time with my sister. My journey flowed down Rosie’s cheeks has shown me that with determination and faith are integral when she finally got to meet in being successful,” Rosie expressed.

Visiting the depot in Kolkata from where her ancestors set sail

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MAY 7, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine

3

Times Feature

By Ashraf Dabie

W

hile history books tell the tales of the arrival and presence of Indian indentureds to British Guiana (BG), the great majority of IndoGuyanese are still unaware of their direct links to the motherland.

However, there are some families who are fortunate to have in possession immigration documents of their ancestors, which have helped them to trace their roots to ancestral villages and connect with relatives in India.

Then there are some who cherish stories of their ancestors passed down from generation to generation. One such family is the Rambhrose family.

Arriving on the last ship, the SS Ganges, in 1917 to British Guiana was Rambhrose Gopi, who was only three years old at the time of his arrival here.

Rambhrose journeyed to the New World with his mother, leaving behind a father who refused to board the ship.

Upon arrival, Rambhrose’s mother was deployed to the plantation in Albion, Corentyne, Berbice, where she worked as a midwife.

Rambhrose worked on the plantation all his life. He got married to the daughter, named Sukhia, of another Indian immigrant. Rambhrose Gopi died in 1996.

In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, Mahadeo Rambhrose, the youngest son of Rambhrose’s six children who is currently attached to the Guyana Post Office, said he has a faint recollection of his father and grandparents. However,

Rambhrose in earlier years Rambhrose Gopi

er, but as a “watchman”.

“I am grateful to have inherited the stories, traditions and beliefs of my ancestors from India. I feel a direct connection to the historical artefacts and stories from the time of indentureship, given that it chronicles the experiences of my family,” expressed Mahadeo.

The Last Ship The SS Ganges was the last ship to bring Indian indentured labourers to British Guiana. It arrived in Georgetown on April 18, 1917 with 437 men, women and children destined for various plantations.

The ship had left India just four days

SS Ganges

the 50-year-old said he is proud of the fact that he is a direct descendant of Indian indentured labourers, who contributed to the building of our nation.

Mahadeo mentioned that he and his siblings (four sisters and one brother) grew up on the plantation, which was later called an estate, where his father worked as a labourer. Notably, his father continued to work on the estate, not as a labour-

before the Abolition Act was signed in the Indian Parliament on March 12, 1917.

After sailing from Calcutta with 124 persons, or just over a third of the labour contingent, it then docked in Madras to pick up the rest of the indentured workers before setting sail for the Caribbean.

Among the last arrivals there were 39 children, 22 of whom were boys; and of the

adults, there were 268 men and 130 women.

The largest contingent of 218 (includ-

ing their children) was contracted to 11 Demerara plantations stretching from Cane Grove to De Kinderen. The largest batch – 28 persons — went to work at Non Pareil; and just two persons, most likely a married couple, were contracted to Diamond Estate.

Nine Berbice plantations received 150 of the last arrivals, with the majority — a group of 26 — being contracted to the Port Mourant Estate; and 69 of the labourers were assigned to four estates in Essequibo.

The SS Ganges sailed on to Port-ofSpain, Trinidad, where 389 adults and 32 children disembarked. With this final stop, the transportation of Indian indentured labourers to the British colonies ceased.

Interestingly, this last group of labourers served a shortened period of indentureship. An Act in the British Parliament brought the scheme to an official end, and all indenture contracts were cancelled on January 1, 1920. (Text on ‘the last ship’ by Ryhaan Shah)

4

Sunday Times Magazine

MAY 7, 2017

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Times Feature

A

s we today go about our daily chores and routines, so too did the people who came before us in an era vastly different in many ways to our times. Past newspapers and gazettes are some of the earliest records of history that today are all that is left to offer us a glimpse of early Guyana.

This week, Sunday Times Magazine provides a look at a few advertisements and notices from the “Stark's Guide-book and History of British Guiana� by James Rodway and James H. Stark (1848-1926).

These ads and notices highlight how far we have come over the centuries and proffer tantalising clues and questions about lifetimes ago.

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MAY 7, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 5

Times Women

By Indrawattie Natram

T

hrough “folk dance”, the Dharmic Swarswatti Dance Academy, located on the Essequibo Coast, has been preserving their Indian heritage.

Founder of the dance group, Sursattie Singh, said that traditional folk dance is a feature of her Indian ancestry. It is a dance genre she has been teaching and practising to keep her “Indian culture alive”.

Singh, a classical dancer for over 20 years, explained that she has been using folk dance to help build her students’ confidence and to encourage them to learn more

about their Indian heritage.

“The opportunity to express oneself and keep the culture through the medium of dance holds the benefit of keeping the culture alive. It’s a true blessing to be able to preserve and promote the culture we inherited from our ancestors,” Singh mentioned.

The professional dancer pointed out that dancing not only encourages the preservation of culture, but aids in being physically fit.

“Dancing makes you feel alive, like you’re young again. I don’t know anything else that can have that effect on you,” Singh declared.

Singh noted that classi-

Sursattie (in blue) teaching a classical dance class

cal dance is an art, because the bodily movements - such as hand gestures, facial expressions and postures – have different meanings.

She also stated that emotions expressed in classical dance are known as rasas, which literally means “juice, essence or taste”.

Rasa connotes an ancient concept in Indian arts about the aesthetic flavour of any visual, literary or musical work, that evokes an emotion or feeling in the reader or audience, but that cannot be described.

Singh recalled her journey as a dancer, which began years ago at the Reliance Mandir. She remembered being inspired by notable Guyanese dancer, Premie Naipaul, to pursue dance. Initially, Singh’s parents were not too keen on her pursuing dance as a career, but seeing their daughter’s passion for the art form encouraged their support.

“My journey in dancing began at age ten. Little did I know that one day dance would become my life and the springboard for my other interests. My journey thus far has been both rewarding and humbling,” Singh expressed.Singh recollected “freezing up” during her first performance on stage. But instead of allowing that moment of stage fright to deter her, Singh

used it as a propeller to always be better in every performance. Today, that determination she passes on to her students. She even gave up a lucrative job to dedicate more time teaching dance for free. Singh currently teaches over 30 youths, including children.

In 2003, Singh started Annie Dance Troupe, which was later renamed Dharmic Swarswattie Dance Academy. Her classes are taught at the Anna Regina Kendra. Notably, Singh designs all her dancers’ costumes for stage shows.

The dance group also represents the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha at various cultural shows in Region Two. “Dancing can be challenging, but also rewarding. It requires commitment and hard work.

However, seeing how dance helps youths to

be fit and disciplined h a s encouraged me to keep teaching. My advice to those pursuing dance is to stay focus and keep doing what you love,” Singh encouraged.

Swarsawattie Dance Troupe performing at the Diwali Nagar in Essequibo

6 Sunday Times Magazine

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MAY 7, 2017

Times Book World The Shaping of Guyanese Literature

By Petamber Persaud

E

xtract of interview with Dr Vindhya Vasini Persaud, Guyana, March 2017. Dr Persaud is a rights and cultural activist, dramatist, choreographer and television producer, among other ‘rumals’ she wears.

PP: Magazine production is precarious business.

In spite of and despite that, magazine production continues mainly because the magazine plays an important role in dissemination of information and entertainment, falling, as it were, between the dailies and the book.

Of the hundreds of magazine produced in Guyana, there is only one that is still around and surviving, and I am proud of The Guyana Annual, of which I am now the editor. This magazine is celebrating its centenary – 100 years of existence!

I said earlier that magazine production is a pre-

carious business. Editing a magazine is very demanding task. Why have you taken on this demanding task of editing a magazine when you are involved in so many other demanding projects?

VP: Thank for giving me the opportunity of looking back 100 years after the end of indentureship to talk about a magazine that is very close to my heart.

About ten years ago, the publisher of this magazine, Horizons, asked me if I would be willing to make time to put together enough articles of interest to capture snapshots of the past, to laud the accomplishments of present day generation and to project into the future. I was intrigued and I also realised that, as you rightly said, the magazine has a special place in the world. The good thing about the magazine is that it allows you to use a lot of

Dr Vindhya Vasini Persaud

pictures, and as you know pictures capture so much and can relate so much, so the magazine allows you to blend words with images.

One of the things I was interested in when we were

talking about the magazine was it must be appealing to all, all peoples of all ages, all different generations and we wanted it to be free, to be distributed free of cost, so it can get into as many homes as possible. Also, in Guyana, enough of our own history is not dealt with in a way that it ought to be dealt with – we are not preserving all the facts, all the statistics, all the stories…

So I wanted to bridge that gap and bridge it in an interesting way that it is relevant to today’s generation, gives nostalgia to the older generation and pretty much gives the world an idea of Guyana’s history and culture.

So that’s the genesis of the Horizons magazine.

One other thing I wanted to do with the magazine was to highlight unsung heroes.

PP: This is the tenth year for the magazine, congratulations!

What are some of the more important issues you have explored in this magazine?

VP: Thanks. Well Petamber, we have a team of young writers from across the country who are going into the field interviewing people getting the real stories, real images, real artefacts and so on, highlighting the unsung stories of achievement. This is an Indian heritage magazine and one of the things I feel strongly about if you talk about social cohesion then it must be genuine in what it wants to achieve. Much

would be achieved if we understand what our ancestors really experienced and what they were ‘given’ in today’s world.

History is very critical to any country, teaching us where our people came from and what they went through and how they survived. And they managed to retain and maintain certain tradition and culture without having anything, sometimes without a penny to their name. So I think we should be proud of our ancestors and forebearers whether they came through slavery or indentureship. And having been given all of that, we should ask ourselves what have we done with it, have we lost it, have we protected it. Guyana’s culture it is a melting of all the contribution of all the people who came and that’s what made Guyana’s cultural land-

Horizons is doing.

I would love to see aside from this been an Indian heritage magazine that comes out around Indian Arrival Day or Arrival Day as we call it. I would love to see others come up with similar magazines.

PP: There are a few.

VP: I know they are a few, but we need to have more because children in school need to focus on Guyanese history some more.

PP: We have a rich and varied history.

VP: Yes. Young people and students need to have material which they would read and gain information.

So although Horizons is an annual magazine and its content limited, I think it is making and important contribution to education and to Guyana.

Responses to this author telephone (592) 226-0065 or

Horizon's cover in 2013

scape so beautiful. And we should not look at anyone who is trying to preserve his/her culture with suspicion; understand and respect it.

PP: I agree; we need to understand where we came from, what we have and what we will do with what we have, and importantly, how we are going to pass on that legacy for succeeding generations.

VP: This is what

email: oraltradition2002@ yahoo.com What’s Happening: It is here – a new book, “Guyanese Writers of Indian Ancestry” commemorates the centennial end to indentureship and (Indian) Arrival Day. It is available at Austin’s Book Service and directly from the author. The book will soon be at other locations, including the National Library, hotels and airports.

guyanatimesgy.com

MAY 7, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 7

Times Heritage

S

tate House, once known as Government House, has been the official residence of several colonial governors and Guyanese presidents over the years.

It is said to have had its origins in the 1820s, when the building was originally owned by William Percy Austin, the first Anglican Bishop of Guyana.

Ordinances were passed in 1852 and 1863 allowing the purchase of the property to establish an official residence for the governor of what was then British Guiana.

After independence, the country’s first president, Arthur Chung chose State House as his official residence in the 1970s.

It would be decades later, in the 1990s, that the building was again used by a sitting president when the fourth president, Cheddi Jagan, chose the building for his official residence.

It remains the official presidential residence today.

With a lush, green landscape and treelined driveway, State House is located from Main Street at the front to Carmichael Street along New Market Street. It has over the years undergone several additions and changes.

The original building faced Carmichael Street but by 1894, its main entrance was on Main Street.

The building is often described as the house with its 100 windows, and is said to have once been called “The Grande Dame of Main Street� for its graceful interior and exterior wooden architectural elements and design, some of which are credited to Caesar Castellani, an architect known for designing several buildings in Guyana.

State House. (Photo courtesy National Trust of Guyana)

State House dining room where meetings are sometimes conducted Detail showing grand columns in State House. (Photo courtesy National Trust of Guyana)

Detail of decorative ceiling in the State House dining room. (Photo courtesy National Trust of Guyana)

East Indian Market, Plantation Farm, East Bank Demerara n.d

Typical range (logie) housing indentured immigrants

Living room area at State House. (Photo courtesy National Trust of Guyana)

8 Sunday Times Magazine

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MAY 7, 2017

Times Travel & Tourism

T

Scenic creek in Rockstone (Photo by Kester Clarke)

Rockstone Landing (Photo by Deon Thomas)

Rockstone is an ideal adventure for nature lovers

View of the Essequibo river from Rockstone

he community of Rockstone, tucked away in the heart of Region Ten (Upper Demerara-Berbice), is a scenic tourist destination with its flowing creeks, lush forest and welcoming residents.

Rockstone is situated on the right bank of the Essequibo river, approximately 22 kilometres or 14 miles away from Linden.

Upon arriving at this remote farming community, tourists are greeted by the friendly people living there.

But the ultimate experience begins on the trail to the community. When travelling to Rockstone by road, which is highly recommended because of the adventure the trip offers, tourists get a chance to admire the flora and fauna of the area. Venturing further into the community, an amazing view of the mighty Essequibo river can be seen just off the Rockstone Landing. Visitors to the community are welcomed to stay at the Arawana Lodge, an accommodating guesthouse - one of the prides of the community. For nature lovers, camping outside the Rockstone Landing is idyllic.

In Rockstone, tours of the picturesque community, nature walks and river trips via canoes are provided by trained and knowledgeable tour guides. A trip to Gluck Island is the ultimate adventure for families. Notably, the community is a birding paradise, with several species of birds inhabiting the area.

Rockstone is also known to be the home of the world's largest fresh water fish, the Arapaima.

Apart from its exciting adventures, tourists flock to the community annually for the Rockstone Fish Festival, a fun-filled nature event hosted by the Rockstone Tourism Association and the Guyana Tourism Authority. The festival is usually held for two days in October. Patrons participate in exciting activities such as fishing, cooking, roasting, scaling and deboning competitions, nature walks, river tours and camping.

For nature lovers and those seeking a getaway from the ‘concrete jungle’, Rockstone is sure to be an unforgettable adventure.

(Photos and information by Utamu Belle)

Enjoy a tour of Rockstone in a canoe

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MAY 7, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 9

Times Healthy Living

I

f you ever feel guilty about reaching for a glass of wine every now and then, don't, because one scientist is adamant that wine can actually give our brains more of a workout than doing a math equation — which sounds like more than enough reason to drink it as far as we're concerned.

According to The Times, neuroscientist Dr. Gordon Shepherd, from the Yale School of Medicine says that drinking wine engag-

es more working parts of the brain than any other human activity.

In Dr. Shepherd's book, “Neuroenology: How The Brain Creates The Taste of Wine”, he states that the process of swirling a glass of wine in our mouths, and the tongue muscles and taste receptors that this triggers, engages more of the brain than listening to music or even solving a math problem.

Dr. Shepherd states: "The taste is not in the

wine; the taste is created by the brain of the wine taster.

"The molecules in wine don't have taste or flavor, but when they stimulate our brains, the brain creates flavorthe same way it creates color."

So next time you reach for the bottle, take the time to swirl that wine in your mouth a little bit and you're basically taking your brain to the gym. (www.goodhousekeeping. com)

How healthy is green tea, really? who frequently drink unsweetened green tea are less likely to develop cardiovascular disease later in life. That said, many of these population studies are specific to region and genetics. For example: Studies conducted in Taiwan and Japan, where green tea is consumed regularly and consistently, may have a genetic predisposition to the positive effects of green tea. Regardless, population studies conducted in the U.S. and abroad consistently link drinking unsweetened versions of any type of tea as an alternative to sugary beverages with improved heart-health and reduced risk of developing other types of chronic diseases — especially ones related to obesity — so keep on chugging!

Claim #6: Green tea is anti-aging.

The truth: Green tea's antioxidants also do their "dirty work" by scavenging for freeradicals in the cells of your body, protecting and preventing damage to tissues (like skin!). But just as no single food or beverage can cure cancer, so too can green tea

dressings, which can be loaded with sugar.

Claim #8: Green tea is caffeine-free.

The truth: Not always, but some versions are. Many people who find coffeedrinking to be a bit too much of a jolt may tolerate the lower caffeine content of tea much better (one cup of home-brewed coffee is about 100mg of caffeine; tea is between 25-50mg, depending on type and brew strength). If you're tea-totaling before you hit the hay, look for versions that are clearly labeled "caffeine free" on the front of the pack, or check Nutrition Facts labels closely for 0mg caffeine per serving.

All of that being said: The USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest caffeinating at around 300-400mg per day from coffee and tea to reduce risk of cognitive decline, boost memory and improve energy — so for those who aren't as sensitive to the jolt, don't be afraid to drink up.

Claim #9: Green tea is calming.

The truth: This depends on your definition of "calm." Green tea is a source of the Green tea leaves

L

et’s debunk the most common myths — and exposing some important truths — about green tea's best attri-

butes.

Claim #1: Drinking green tea burns belly fat.

The truth: Sadly, this one's super-false.

Any time you change your diet to start a new plan in which you burn more energy than you consume, you'll likely "burn" off some additional fat mass (for many of us, that's stored around the tummy area, so you may notice a little tightening-up!). That said, no one food or drink can "spot train" any body parts! Keep in mind that green tea beverages (like sugary lattes, sparkling green teas with added sugar, and green tea "flavored" drinks) are often still sugary beverages, which has been linked both to weight gain over time (specifically, abdominal fat), so just make sure that you're choosing versions with "0g" of sugar and "0 calories" per serving.

Claim #2: Green tea boosts metabolism.

The truth: While a few small-scale studies have linked an increased metabolic rate to drinking green tea (when sipping about four caffeinated cups per day!), the only truly variable factor in your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is increasing your lean body mass, a.k.a. building muscle. That's why strength training is key to keeping your metabolism up for the long-term, and crucial to bone, muscle and immune function, which ultimately helps to support metabolism over time. The only real, tried-andtrue way drinking green tea will help boost your metabolism? By helping you wake up to get to the gym.

Claim #3: Green tea can help you lose weight.

The truth: If you're a regular soda, juice, energy-drink or sweetened-coffee-and-tea drinker and you switch to unsweetened green tea: Absolutely! That's because the number one source of added sugar (and therefore, added calories) is from sugarsweetened beverages, so opting for a calorie-free alternative is always best. But if you're already sipping on water flavored with fresh fruit, sparkling water, unsweetened coffee and tea, or the occasional diet beverage, then chances are you'll have to do more than simply switch up your hydration habits to lose weight for the long-term.

Claim #4: Green tea reduces risk of cancer.

The truth: The antioxidant-compounds found in green tea have certainly been touted with cancer-fighting properties — and research supports this in full! But plantbased diets are always linked to a reduced risk of cancer — plus other chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes.

Among the myriad of benefits to eating tons o' veggies (and drinking unsweetened tea), plants are chock-full of polyphenolic compounds, a type of antioxidant that reduces risk of chronic disease by improving cellular function of tissues, leaving less "room" for cancer cells to develop. So if you're not a green tea lover, never fear! Choosing coffee as an alternative, or simply loading up on veggie and fruit-based meals and snacks, can help to reduce chronic disease risk when consumed consistently.

Claim #5: Green tea prevents heart disease.

The truth: In population studies, people

not behave like Botox in a bottle. According to the experts in the GH Health, Beauty and Environmental Labs: "Green tea catechins may help protect skin from UV damage, but more research needs to be done with longer studies to show the benefits of topically applying green tea extract.

Claim #7: Green tea helps to lower blood sugar.

The truth: If you're drinking unsweetened versions, then again, it's certainly a blood sugar-lowering beverage! But lately, green tea has been used as an ingredient in everything from sugary juices, "tonics" and "elixirs" to frozen yogurt, pasta sauce and

amino acid, L-theanine, a compound that's linked to alertness and mood-enhancement. Research has linked L-theanine consumption to reduced anxiety and improved focus — but if you're drinking caffeinecontaining green tea (and you're sensitive to caffeine), you may not find guzzling the green stuff to be all that soothing. This one's highly based on personal tolerance, so if you know you're easily ruffled by caffeine of your favorite beverages, you may want to avoid the caffeinated varieties of all tea and coffee beverages in the afternoon through bedtime. (www.goodhousekeeping.com)

10 Sunday Times Magazine Times Fashion

L

orane Sears, owner and designer at Sears Styles, has become one of the more prominent local designers since her showing at the Women in Business 2017 Expo.

Sears Styles is a homebased operated business that retails unique pieces for children and adults.

It specialises in evening and ‘summer’ dresses, African wear, and school uniforms – just to name a few.

Women in Business Expo is organised by the Sonia Noel Foundation for Creative Arts in collaboration with the Women’s Association for Sustainable Development.

MAY 7, 2017

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MAY 7, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 11

Star Times Hollywood

N

athalie Emmanuel, born March 2, 1989, is an English actress. Emmanuel began her acting career appearing in theatre in the late 1990s, accruing roles in various West End productions such as the musical “The Lion King”. In 2006, she began her on-screen career by starring as Sasha Valentine in soap opera “Hollyoaks”, after which she appeared in various British television series until her debut film appearance in “Twenty8k”. Emmanuel gained public recognition by starring as Missandei in the fantasy series “Game of Thrones”, before achieving international fame with supporting roles in action films “Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials” (2015), “Furious 7” (2015) and its sequel, “The Fate of the Furious” (2017). FHM magazine ranked Emmanuel as 99th in their 100 Sexiest Women of 2013, and 75th in their Sexiest Women of 2015. In 2015, she also appeared in the April issue of InStyle and GQ magazines.

12 Sunday Times Magazine

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MAY 7, 2017

Times Hollywood

K

aty Perry has been criticised by followers on Instagram because of a photo she posted after attending the Met Gala.

She shared a photo of the cover of the New York Times, which featured Katy at the fashion event.

But it was a second photo on the image of the newspaper that upset many followers.

The cover showed an image of a French policeman who had been set on fire during recent protests in Paris.

Katy shared the photo with the caption: "All the

news that's fit to print."

But many followers considered the post insensitive.

"Disgusting. Are you really so selfish Katy? Is your dress really so important that you think this is at all acceptable? I hope that police officer makes it home to his family," wrote one user.

"There's obviously much more worthy news than yours. You should have cropped the pic or whatever if you really can’t help yourself. Very insensitive of you to be honest," wrote another.

"Just lost a fan. Someone is on fire but yes let's adore the dress," said a follower.

(BBC Newsbeat)

K

im Kardashian and Kanye West are teaming up to create their very own kids’ clothing line.

The superstar husband and wife have collaborated on a collection called The Kids Supply which will be launched in the Kardashians’ hometown of Calabasas, California on Friday.

And they’ve apparently been getting practice in when it comes to kids’ design by creating most of the clothes worn by their children North, three, and Saint, one.

An excited Kim announced the big news via Twitter on Thursday, telling fans: “For the past few years Kanye and I have made almost all of our kids’ clothes and we have collaborated on a new kids line!

“The Kids Supply has been what we've been working on for a long time. I'm so excited about this!

“All of my friends would ask where we get our kids clothes so now they will be available! Tomorrow's drop is so sick! Just a hint...

Calabasas.”

Of course, rapper Kanye is no stranger to the world

of design – he’s already got a series of hugely successful collaborations with Adidas under his belt.

Kim, meanwhile, had a kids’ clothing line called Kardashian Kids with her sisters Kourtney and Khloe.

Kim and Kanye had teased a clothing collaboration earlier this year, when Kim took to Snapchat to share some shots of their daughter North modelling a yellow dress and jacket presumably from the collection.

She said: "Northie picked out the colours and fabric."

(Mirror)

Duchess of Cambridge takes all official portraits of her kids

B

rad Pitt has opened up for the first time about his divorce from Angelina Jolie, admitting to heavy drinking and pot smoking and a lifetime of cutting himself off emotionally from others.

The 53-year-old actor told GQ Style in an extensive interview released on Wednesday that he had quit drinking, was undergoing therapy, and that he and Jolie were committed to resolving matters amicably and privately.

"I just started therapy," the "Moneyball" star said in the interview for the summer issue of GQ Style. "I love

W it. I love it. I went through two therapists to get to the right one."

Pitt said the split with Jolie, 41, had been a "huge generator for change."

"I can't remember a day since I got out of college when I wasn't boozing or had a spliff, or something...

"I'm really, really happy to be done with all of that. I mean I stopped everything except boozing when I started my family. But even this last year, you know — things I wasn't dealing with. I was boozing too much," he said.

Pitt said he loved wine, adding "truthfully I could drink a Russian under the

table with his own vodka.

I was a professional. I was good."

He said he has quit drinking, replacing alcohol with cranberry juice and fizzy water.

Regarding the divorce, Pitt said he and Jolie had decided to abandon the path of "vitriolic hatred" and work together to sort out their issues.

Pitt said he was finding solace in working creatively with his hands. "I'm making everything. I'm working with clay, plaster, rebar, wood." (Reuters)

hen it comes to family photos, the Middletons have form for keeping it in the family.

The second ever glimpse of baby Prince George was taken at family home in Berkshire

by Michael Middleton himself.

Since then, apart from the images taken at rare public appearances, Kate and Williams' adorable offspring have been captured on camera by their proud mum.

The Duchess of Cambridge has made no secret of her love of photography and last year was given honorary lifetime membership of the prestigious Royal Photographic Society in recognition of her 'talent and enthusiasm'.

While this raised a few eyebrows, Kate's enthusiasm remains undimmed and the world went all starry-eyed over her portrait of Princess Charlotte, released for the toddler's second birthday.

However, it's not just her keen interest in photography which has led to her being chief snapper.

Nor is it entirely down to her and William's desire to protect their kids.

According to Gina Jones from Bumpkins, The Baby Show’s lead experts in baby photography, there's in fact a surprising reason why Kate does all the children's pictures herself.

Normally, the Royals rely on the services of the official "Royal photographer." This was Lord Lichfield, who passed away in 2005.

Kate decided to branch out and took the first official photographs of Princess Charlotte in 2015 as well as pictures of Prince George on his first day at nursery. (Mirror)

F

S

elena Gomez and Abel Tesfaye, a.k.a. The Weeknd, have earned an approval from Selena's mother, Mandy Teefey. She commented on a photo of her daughter and the "I Feel It Coming" hitmaker that Abel posted on Instagram on Monday, May 1.

Selena and Abel made their relationship red carpet official as they attended the Met Gala as a couple.

Abel took to Instagram to share a photo taken during the event. Mandy commented on the photo, writing,

"Glowing, smiling, looking health and equal love.

Mama is happy XO." Her message was very sweet, but it attracted haters to bash the couple. Mandy later posted a lengthy message on Instagram, telling haters to stop saying nonsense. "@selenagomez @ theweeknd enjoy the ball... yes, I am happy my daughter is happy. Turning off comments because they are vile and I was so unaware how many people know these people personally. My page is not for hate, name

calling and uneducated opinions. XO," she wrote in the caption.

Selena and Abel started dating earlier this year following Abel's split from Bella Hadid last November.

It was reported that Mandy wasn't impressed with the 27-year-old singer. "Mandy has met Abel and thinks he is respectful in person, but she doesn't think he's a good influence on Selena," a source revealed, before adding that she didn't approve Abel's "dirty and drug-related lyrics." (AceShowbiz)

ollowing her self-imposed “media blackout”, Miley Cyrus has spoken for the first time in months about her relationship with fiancé Liam Hemsworth.

The couple split in 2013, as Miley revamped her image from Disney star to the girl who infamously twerked on Robin Thicke at the VMAs. They were first seen back together in January 2016.

“I needed to change so much. And changing with someone else not changing like that is too hard,” she told Billboard. “We had to re-fall for each other.”

She’s even written a new single about their relationship. It's called ‘Malibu’ and will be released on May 11. Lyrics include, “I never would’ve believed you if three years ago you told me I’d be here writing this song.”

Speaking of the track, she said: “They’re going to talk about me if I come out of a restaurant with Liam. So why not put the power back in my relationship and say, 'This is how I feel'?”

Miley, 24, also opened up to Billboard about her drug use: “This is crazy, I haven’t smoked weed in three weeks!"

"I like to surround myself with people that make me want to get better, more evolved, open,” she added. “I was noticing, it’s not the people that are stoned. I want to be super clear and sharp, because I know exactly where I want to be.”

Her new album is due for release later this year.

Since rekindling their relationship, Miley and Liam have appeared happier than ever, with Miley even getting a tattoo dedicated to him. (Glamour)

guyanatimesgy.com

MAY 7, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 13

Star Times Bollywood

V

ir Das is an Indian Bollywood actor and comedian. Vir has lived in Africa and studied in Indian Language School in Lagos, Nigeria, Shimla and Delhi.

He obtained a Bachelor's degree from Knox College in the U.S.A. in Economics & Theatre with a concentration in Performance. Vir was cast as the comic relief by winning one of the principal characters in “The Curse of King Tut's Tomb”, a Hallmark mini-series filmed in India. He can also be seen in Vipul Shah's hit movie “Namastey London” – among other hit Bollywood movies. The Indian Express dubbed him “a comedian to watch out for” and “India's Answer to Jay Leno”.

14 Sunday Times Magazine

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MAY 7, 2017

Times Bollywood

A

fter unprecedented response to Aamir Khan’s “PK”, China is welcoming the actor-producer’s latest Bollywood blockbuster “Dangal” in a record-breaking number of screens on Friday, the producers have said.

The number of screens showing the movie would be larger than all the screens put together in India.

“Dangal will release in China in over 9,000 screens -- which is the widest ever release for an Indian film in any territory,” Amrita Pandey, Vice President, Studios, Disney India - the movie’s co-producer told IANS. “We are very excited to release ‘Dangal’ in China. The film is very special and with a story which has the potential to travel the world and transcend geographies,” Pandey added.

In China, which has nearly 40,000 screens, “Dangal” will release as “Shuai Jiao Baba”, which means “Let’s Wrestle, Dad”.

It is a biopic of former Indian wrestler Mahavir Phogat who trains his daughters to become world-class wrestlers -- a story which resonated well with the Indian audience.

According to the KPMG-Ficci Indian Media and Entertainment Industry Report 2016, the screen count in India currently stands at 8,500, including single screens and multiplexes. And this low screen density is said to be one of the biggest deterrents in the growth of the Indian film industry, which produces one of the maximum number of

J

A

movies in a year.

Just last month, Aamir and “Dangal” director Nitesh Tiwari were in China to promote the film, which officially opened this year’s edition of the Beijing International Film Festival.

“They received a tremendously positive response from the audience, press and trade there,” Pandey said. (IANS)

ohn Palmer, who designed the space suits for Matt Damon-starrer “The Martian”, will be creating the same for Sushant Singh Rajput’s upcoming sci-fi movie “Chandamama Door Ke”.

The 31-year-old actor took Twitter to announce Palmer’s involvement in the project.

“Special space suit designed by John Palmer of #Martian fame for Chandamama. Can’t wait to get in it and start training @sanjaypchauhan (sic)” Sushant wrote alongside a picture of the suit’s design. (PTI)

kshay Kumar received the National Film Award for Best Actor from the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee. The moment set aside over 26 years of trials and tribulations that he may have faced in Hindi cinema.

Notwithstanding the huge box-office success that most of the 49-year-old actor’s 135 films have seen, the absence of recognition in the form of awards nagged somewhere.

“Not anymore,” says a triumphant Akshay, moments after receiving Indian cinema’s most coveted honour at Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan on Wednesday evening.

Dressed in Indian attire, Akshay was accompanied by his very proud spouse, author Twinkle Khanna, and their 14-year-old son Aarav, who got as much attention as his award-winning dad.

“To finally take my last few steps towards the President of India to receive my National Award felt almost unreal,” says Akshay.

“I’ve never felt so light and so humbled at the same time.

When one works day in and day out, as I do, something like this isn’t just an honour,

K

angana Ranaut launched the 20-feet tall poster of her film “Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi” recently.

Kangana, who will be seen in the role of Rani Laxmibai in the film, said she hoped that she would live up to the rebellious legacy of the famous warriorqueen.

To be directed by Krish, the film will hit the theatres on April 27 next year.

“I’m so blessed to be here.

With the blessings of Lord Shiva, we have launched it here. After coming on board

it’s a moment in time where everything makes sense. No matter how hard the journey may have been, to stand here now, in front of my family, is the cherry on this almighty cake we call life.”

The announcement of the award last month was followed by much brouhaha on social media over Akshay’s deservedness for it, especially when his films “Rustom” and “Airlift” were preferred by the jury over the popular favourite, Aamir Khan-starrer “Dangal”, and the critically acclaimed “Aligarh”.

“Nothing can taint this moment. Our country and its people deserve their voice and their opinion. Just like I

know I deserve this award.

I’ve never felt more proud of my efforts than I do today.

No amount of cyber bashing will ever change this day for me. In fact, it has been quite entertaining listening to people get their knickers in such a twist about something over which I had no control.

“But that’s also the power of your true fans. They will always want their own Idol to be honoured the most.

I will never disrespect the love people have for their favourite star. Whether they are with me or against me, I’m happy with what I’ve got and how I’ve got here,” he expressed. (Hindustan Times)

for this project, I feel like I’ve achieved something very big in my life,” said Kangana.

Laxmibai, whose maiden name was Manikarnika, was born in Varanasi in 1828 to a Brahmin family. This is why the makers decided to unveil the film’s first official poster in the city.

Kangana, who looked every inch the fiery queen on the film’s poster, hoped that people would love Manikarnika the way they have appreciated her previous roles.

“I feel that Rani of Jhansi is very relatable for women

like us. Life without respect was equivalent to death for her. I think that is something I completely identified with.”

Veteran writer V Vijendra Prasad, the writer of “Baahubali” and “Bajrangi Bhaijaan”, has teamed up with Prasoon Joshi for the script of the film.

Kangana also performed the famous ‘Ganga aarti’ with the film’s team, which also includes music composers Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and producer Kamal Jain.

(PTI)

S

onam Kapoor was conferred with her first ever National Award as she was presented with a ‘Special Mention’ at the 64th National Film Awards held in New Delhi.

Apart from Sonam and her rumoured boyfriend, Anand Ahuja, who was also present at the event, her father, Anil Kapoor, was seemingly beaming with joy.

Seen clicking pictures as Sonam received her award, Anil surely made for an adorable moment.

“Nothing can be bigger than this award. President Pranab Mukherjee and the Government of India have given this award to Sonam, so this day is really big and important for me, my family

and Sonam. It is a very well deserved award for ‘Neerja’,” said the 60-year-old.

“Neerja”, released last year, narrates the story of Neerja Bhanot, a Pan Am

purser, who lost her life while saving the passengers when the Pan Am was hijacked at Karachi airport on September 5, 1986. (Hindustan

Times)

guyanatimesgy.com

MAY 7, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 15

Times Trends

Star of the week

M

aria Fletcher is a 19-yearold who is passionate about making a difference in the lives of youths. She graduated from Leonora Secondary School as “Best Graduate of 2015”, obtaining passes in ten subjects at the CSEC examinations. She was also a participant in the very first National Spelling Bee competition in 2008. This aspiring paediatrician plans to establish a modern paediatric clinic. Currently, Maria is one of 14 semi-finalists in the Miss World Guyana 2017 pageant. She is working tediously to make her Beauty with a Purpose campaign a complete success. The focus of her campaign for the competition is to raise awareness on the impact of cyber bullying on youths. Apart from the pageant, Maria’s interests include traveling, cooking, caring for her pet dogs and belly dancing.

Follow Maria on her journey to cop the Miss World Guyana 2017 crown at Maria Pinto Fletcher on Facebook and @iam_mariapinto on Instagram. (Photo from Miss World Guyana Org on Facebook)

Trending Now Clear backpacks

W

hether you’re catching some sun by the pool in slides before the day's festivities begin, or rocking a star-studded transparent choker, this new style trend is the edgy nod to the '90s.

Below are some favourite transparent styles, both festival-approved and if you're looking to spice up your everyday look.

Transparent 'bubble' umbrella

Clear waist belt

Transparent raincoat

'Jelly' pool sandals

Clear plastic chokers

16 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

MAY 7, 2017

Times Art

M

att & Annie Arts - Turning Ideas into Reality is a business started by Courtney and Aneeza Douglas, both of whom graduated from E. R. Burrowes School of Arts with diplomas in 2011 and 2012, respectively.

Together, they have won five National Arts Awards and numerous art competitions. They were married in August 2013 and have a son, Lucas Myles. Courtney is currently working at Tinninben Animation Studio, and Aneeza does commissioned artworks at home.

Art plays a significant role in the lives of the Douglases. Courtney states that their “gift is from God” and they believe that “whatever they do with it is their gift back to God”. Courtney and Aneeza love what they do and, through their creations, want to share that love with their clients.

“When someone purchases a piece of art, we want them to take the love from our home to their home. We want to leave a legacy. Part of it is, ‘Don’t try to be better than anyone, try to be better than the person you were yesterday.’ Only then we can see changes in all aspects of life,” expressed Courtney.

Courtney Matt Douglas graduated from Burrowes with a diploma in Fine Arts and was awarded “Best Student in Painting, Drawing and Graphic Designs”. He is the winner of the National Coin Design Competition, which was held to commemorate the 175th anniversary of Indian immigration. Additionally, he won the National Drawing Competition 2013 with the piece of Guyana’s master batsman, Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

Matt and Annie’s artworks are showcased at Dis Is De Place exhibitions held at the end of each month at the Courtyard Mall, Robb Street, Georgetown. Their craft includes leather jewellery of the finest quality.

Colouring Book illustrated

by Courtney

"Lee vs Ali"

The artist mentioned that his daily Facebook sketches (Sketch A Day) are for the benefit of his fans and to demonstrate his ingenuity and dexterity with the pen and to further develop his technique.

Courtney’s “Inspirational Arts Series” feature famous persons who inspire the rest of the world, including poets (such as Maya Angelou), sportsmen and women (such as

Muhammed Ali, Lionel Messi and others), humanitarians (Mother Theresa), civic leaders (Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King), and literary geniuses (Derek Walcott and others).

For more information, visit Matt & Annie Arts - Turning Ideas into Reality on Facebook.

Courtney and Annie with their son

"Parrot"

"Kaieteur Falls"

"Rooster"

"Toucan"

guyanatimesgy.com

MAY 7, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 17

Times Tech

Apple CEO says Apple Watch helped him lose 30 pounds A pple CEO Tim Cook said during an interview on CNBC on Wednesday that the Apple Watch helped him lose weight.

"You know, the watch has been an incredible move into health, in the wellness and fitness piece," Cook told CNBC's Jim Cramer.

"For you, too?" Cramer

Tech BYTE

asked.

"Yes, for me too. I've lost 30 pounds— partly to my watch," Cook said.

Cook has always been a fit and slim guy. He wakes up at 4am every morning to hit the gym.

But Apple is lately keen to emphasize the health and fitness aspects of its wearable gadget.

GE's Alexa Lamp

I

t's been almost six months to the day since GE announced plans to pack Amazon's voice assistant Alexa into a unique-looking table lamp. Now, there’s finally an update.

Originally pitched as the C by GE lamp (the same branding as GE's low-cost Bluetooth smart bulbs), the fixture is now the C by GE Sol -- a solar nod to the lamp's eye-catching circular design.

The Sol is said to retail at US$200.

Anyone who pre-orders the Sol will get it

Tech news

Late last year, Apple refocused the marketing for the Apple Watch around health and fitness, and Apple said last quarter that the sales of its smartwatch had doubled since the year-ago quarter.

And there are rumours that the Apple Watch might go even farther into the medical world, possibly with a built-in glucose monitor.

at a 20 percent discount, bringing the price down to US$160.

With a small speaker and microphone setup in its base, the Sol is basically an Amazon Echo Dot with two rings of light growing out of its head. You can ask the lamp to stream some music, give you a weather update, set a timer, tell you a joke, or access any of the more than 10,000 skills in Alexa's database. You can also ask it to dim the light up and down, or to switch it between yellowy soft white and bluish-white daylight tones. GE said that you can pair visual light cues with everyday tasks -- light that mimics the hands of a clock when you ask the time, for instance.

Another tidbit: the C by GE smart bulbs will soon be adding compatibility with both Alexa and Apple HomeKit this summer.

The addition of HomeKit support means that you'll be able to control them alongside other HomeKit-compatible gadgets in Apple's Home app for iOS, or control them using Siri voice commands.

A spokesperson said that GE was "proud to launch Sol with Amazon Alexa," though they added that, "in the future, it could be expanded to other voice services."

GE now expects the Sol to ship this September from Amazon.com and from CbyGE.com. Preorders are live now.

(CNET)

Cook

Tech news

how

the Apple Watch helped

Google Docs users hit by phishing scam

Facebook nears two billion monthly users

G

F

explained

him personally lose weight: “Because it motivates you, and it constantly gives you feedback, it constantly gives you rewards. And this makes a difference over time. And I'm getting calls and letters from so many people where the watch has made a difference in their life. And this is why we are in business.

We're in business to help people achieve their objectives, to empower them to do great things.”

You can't argue with results. "You're looking good," Cramer told Cook. (Business Insider)

acebook's profits have jumped in the first three months of the year, as the social network closes in on two billion users, according to its latest results.

The number of people using Facebook each month increased to 1.94 billion, of which nearly 1.3 billion use it daily, the company said.

The US tech giant reported profits of just over US$3bn (£2.4bn) in the first quarter, a 76% rise year-on-year.

However, it warned that growth in ad revenues would slow down.

The company has also come under sustained pressure in recent weeks over its handling of hate speech, child abuse and

self-harm on the social network.

On Wednesday, Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg announced it was hiring 3,000 extra people to moderate content on the site.

A quarter of the world's population now uses Facebook every month, with most of the new users coming from outside of Europe and North America.

Speaking after the results, Mr Zuckerberg said the size of its user base gave Facebook an opportunity to expand the site's role, moving into TV, health care and politics.

"With that foundation our next focus will be building community," he said.

"There's a lot to do there." (BBC)

oogle says it has stopped a phishing email that reached about a million of its users.

The scam claimed to come from Google Docs - a service that allows people to share and edit documents online.

Users, who clicked a link and followed instructions, risked giving the hackers access to their email accounts.

Google said it had stopped the attack "within approximately one hour", including through "removing fake pages and applications".

"While contact information was accessed and used by the campaign, our investigations show that no other data was exposed," Google said in an updated statement.

"There's no further action users need to take regarding this event; users who want to review third party apps connected to their account can visit Google Security Checkup."

During the attack, users were sent a deceptive invitation to edit a Google Doc, with

a subject line stating a contact "has shared a document on Google Docs with you".

The email address hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh@mailinator[.]com was also copied in to the message; Mailinator, a free email service provider has denied any involvement.

If users clicked on the "Open in Docs" button in the email, they were then taken to a real Google-hosted page and asked to allow a seemingly real service, called "Google Docs", to access their email account data.

By granting permission, users unwittingly allowed hackers to potentially access to their email account, contacts and online documents.

The malware then e-mailed everyone in the victim's contacts list in order to spread itself.

"This is a very serious situation for anybody who is infected because the victims have their accounts controlled by a malicious party," Justin Cappos, a cyber security professor at NYU, told Reuters.

18 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

MAY 7, 2017

Times Home & Cooking

Recipe of the Week

By Jehan Powell

Coconut Pasta

Ingredients

¾ lb pasta 1 tsp olive oil 1 red bell pepper cut into thin strips 1 carrot, julienned 1 tsp crushed ginger 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

A

sacred animal in some cultures, the elephant is said to symbolise good luck, wisdom and protection of the home. With that in mind, it’s no wonder why elephant motifs are so popular in home decor.

Here are some simple ways to use elephants in your decor.

1 13oz can coconut milk 2 chicken bouillon (omit to make dish vegan) ¼ tsp black pepper ¼ tsp red pepper flakes Salt to taste 3 scallion, thinly sliced Avocado (optional)

Method

Cook pasta according to directions on the package.

While the pasta cooks, in a wide pot over medium fire heat oil. When oil is hot, add red bell pepper, carrot, ginger and garlic and cook for about 2 minutes until the vegetables soften.

Add coconut milk, chicken bouillon, black pepper, red pepper flakes and bring to a boil. Cook until coconut milk thickens, about 5 minutes.

Add cooked and drained pasta and salt to taste then toss to coat. Cook for an additional minute.

Remove from heat and add fresh chopped scallion.

Serve with sliced avocado. (www. jehancancook.com)

Intertwined trunks signify love and friendship. Instead of using overwhelming decor, incorporate simple pieces like these cute salt and pepper shakers

T In feng shui — the ancient Chinese art of placement — the position of the elephant’s trunk is significant: a trunk pointed upward represents a showering of good fortune – like this elegant table top accessory

o avoid masala from sticking to the pan, use sufficient oil.

Adding a little water to a pan of bacon would not only keep it from splattering fat as it cooks and you would get better cooked bacon on the stovetop.

For good gravies, fry the ground masala in reduced flame, so that it retains its colour and taste.

Store raisins in an airtight container in the refrigerator, they will stay fresh for much longer. Pour very hot water over them if they have hardened; after that drain them immediately, and spread on a paper towel to dry.

Potatoes soaked in salt water for 20 minutes will bake more rapidly.

Don't salt meat before you cook it. The salt forces the juices out and impedes browning. Instead, salt meat halfway through cooking, then taste when the meat is done and adjust the salt as needed.

T A trunk pointed downward accumulates energy. These elephant parade window shades add a colourful hue to this room

Greatest Cooking Tips

Home Help

o remove turmeric stains, wash the stained clothes or kitchen linen immediately in cool water and soap. Dry in the sun and the stain will fade to a very pale pink. Wash the article again and the stain will be gone.

Cut a lemon in half, squeeze juice into a small bowl of water, add both lemon halves and place in the microwave for five minutes. The fresh scent eliminates cooking odours, and condensation from the steam loosens random splatters that have hardened. Wipe away the loose stains with a damp cloth.

Fill a spray bottle with white vinegar to clean chrome and stainlesssteel fixtures, and to remove scum, grime and mildew from your bathtub, tile or shower curtain.

guyanatimesgy.com

MAY 7, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine19

Family Times

PARENTING

Child Safety Principles Every Parent Needs to Know

w

(Continued from last week)

M

JOKES

ike and Rob were on the roof laying tile when a sudden gust of wind came and knocked down their ladder.

"I have an idea," said Mike. "We'll throw you down, and then you can pick up the ladder."

"What, do you think I'm stupid? I have an idea. I'll shine my flashlight, and you can climb down on the beam of light."

"What, do you think I'm stupid? You'll just turn off the flashlight when I'm halfway there."

B

ob was in trouble. He forgot his wedding anniversary. His wife was really upset.

She told him: "Tomorrow morning, I expect to find a gift in the driveway that goes from 0 to 200 in 6 seconds AND IT BETTER BE THERE!!”

The next morning he got up early and left for work.

When his wife woke up, she looked out the window and sure enough there was a box gift-wrapped in the middle of the driveway.

Confused, the wife put on her robe and ran out to the driveway, brought the box back in the house.

She opened it and found a brand new bathroom scale.

Bob has been missing since Friday.

A

police officer in a small town stopped a motorist who was speeding down Main Street.

“But officer,” the man began, “I can explain.”

“Just be quiet,” snapped the officer. “I'm going to let you cool your heels in jail until the chief gets back.”

“But, officer, I just wanted to say...” the man continued.

“And I said to keep quiet! You're going to jail!” shouted the officer.

A few hours later the officer looked in on his prisoner and said, “Lucky for you the chief's at his daughter's wedding. He'll be in a good mood when he gets back.”

“Don't count on it,” answered the fellow in the cell. “I'm the groom.”

A

farm boy accidentally overturned his wagonload of corn. The farmer who lived nearby heard the noise and yelled over to the boy, "Hey Willis, forget your troubles! Come in and visit with us. I'll help you get the wagon up later."

"That's mighty nice of you," Willis answered, "but I don't think Pa would like me to."

"Aw come on boy," the farmer insisted.

"Well okay," the boy finally agreed, and added, "but Pa won't like it."

After a hearty dinner, Willis thanked his host. "I feel a lot better now, but I know Pa is going to be real upset."

"Don't be foolish!" the neighbour said with a smile. "By the way, where is he?"

"Under the wagon," Willis answered.

A

wealthy man decided to go on a safari in Africa. He took his faithful pet dachshund along for company. One day, the dachshund starts chasing butterflies and before long the dachshund discovers that he is lost.

So wandering about he notices a leopard heading rapidly in his direction with the obvious intention of having him for lunch. The dachshund thinks, "OK, I'm in deep trouble now!" Then he noticed some bones on the ground close by, and immediately settles down to chew on the bones with his back to the approaching cat.

Just as the leopard is about to leap, the dachshund exclaims loudly, "Boy, that was one delicious leopard. I wonder if there are any more around here." Hearing this, the leopard halts his attack in mid-stride, as a look of terror comes over him, and slinks away into the trees. "Whew," says the leopard. "That was close. That dachshund nearly had me."

Meanwhile, a monkey, who had been watching the whole scene from a nearby tree, figures he can put this knowledge to good use and trade it for protection from the leopard. So, off he goes.

But the dachshund saw him heading after the leopard with great speed, and figured that something must be up.

The monkey soon catches up with the leopard, spills the beans and strikes a deal for himself with the leopard. The leopard is furious at being made a fool of and says, "Here monkey, hop on my back and see what's going to happen to that conniving canine."

Now the dachshund sees the leopard coming with the monkey on his back, and thinks, "What am I going to do now?" But instead of running, the dog sits down with his back to his attackers, pretending he hasn't seen them yet. Just when they get close enough to hear, the dachshund says, "Where's that darn monkey? I sent him off half an hour ago to bring me another leopard."

B

umps and bruises are an inescapable part of childhood. Yet a light injury is only one step away from a dangerous fracture. To help a child avoid serious injury, parents need to follow some simple rules.

Asphyxiation prevention

Ensure toys don’t contain small parts your child can tear off and try to swallow.

The diet of children under the age of 5 shouldn’t contain round-shaped solid foods, such as sliced sausage, nut kernels, hard candies, grapes, and maize.

Keep wires and cords out of your child’s reach. Move cribs, playpens, toys, and children’s furniture away from these objects.

From time to time, walk on all fours — you’ll soon notice things your child can put in their mouth.

Go to chest compression and artificial respiration courses to perform CPR if necessary.

Fire safety

Hide matches and lighters from your children. Don’t keep lighters and other fire sources that look like toys in the house.

Don’t hold a baby while cooking.

Watch irons and hair dryers, unplug them after use, and put them in a safe place.

‘W’ sitting position may increase the risk of several health issues

Cook on the back burners, and keep hot food out of a child’s reach. Turn long handles of pans away from the edge.

Reduce the time your child spends next to a hot stove, and install a protective barrier around the stove if possible.

Install a smoke alarm at home — it helps to reduce the risk of death in emergencies by half.

Poison prevention

If you suspect that your child has swallowed any dangerous substance, don’t try to induce vomiting or make the child wash down what they swallowed without consulting a doctor.

More than half of all childhood intoxications are provoked by accidental medication intake. Keep all drugs (even vitamins) out of children’s reach.

Don’t call medicine "candy" — it may provoke the child’s interest in them.

Install special locks on the cabinet doors where you keep household detergents and medicines.

Keep small electronics and gadgets that contain lithium batteries away from children. These include car alarms, clocks, remote controls, flameless candles, laser pointers, flashlights, etc.

Include in your cell phone the number of the nearest clinic or doctor to get advice in the event of poisoning or oth-

er dangerous situations.

‘W’ sitting position

‘W’ sitting is one of the most common and comfortable sitting positions for many kids. However, this position may increase the risk of several health issues. It can cause serious orthopedic problems, delays in the development of postural control and stability, and motor skills.

The best and the most effective way to prevent your kids from W-sitting is to prevent it from becoming a habit. So, anticipate it and catch it before your child starts sitting in this position.

If you do see your little ones in ‘W’ position, consistently encourage them to adjust to a different position, e.g. they can either sit with their legs straight out or both knees bent to one side. This will have a positive effect on your kids’ growth and development!

STORY TIME

A Craftsman’s Tale

T

his story was told by Madonna Allicock at Surama Junction on a hot and sunny afternoon. It is the tale of a craftsman who lived long ago with his mother in the forest. Having no father or any other family member to help with money, the craftsman took it upon himself to take care of his mother’s financial needs by making crafts and selling them in the nearby village.

The craftsman collected base material – muna – with the idea to weave it into beautiful craft pieces. Having gathered enough material, he returned to his home in the forest and picked a spot where he sat to work. Every day, he would come back to the same spot, sitting down for hours, making crafts and throwing the waste or damaged material at his side. Eventually, the waste turned into a pile, which in turn got bigger and bigger. His mother, who had a farm nearby, offered her son to clean up, but the man refused, arguing that he would do it himself when the time was right.

In the meantime, a crappo (local name for the cane toad) came by the pile of waste and decided to make her home there. Every day, she would listen to the craftsman talking how much he wished he had a wife and someone to help him with the house. She then showed herself to the craftsman, and he said: “Look at you! Where did you come from?” He then went back to work. Day after day, the crappo would stare at the man. At some point, he turned and looked at the pile where he was throwing the waste and saw the crappo looking back at him.

He said again: “But look at you! Where did you come from?” After that time, the man started to regularly talk to the crappo for it was the only creature around that would listen to him.

One day, the crappo got really worried as she had not heard or seen the craftsman for a while. Her love and

willingness to help him got so intense that she changed into a beautiful young woman. She headed to the man’s house and decided to help clean up the place and cook food for him and his mother.

She also put on some of his mother’s clothes and eagerly waited for the man to return from the village and show him her new appearance. But on that day, the man did not return until late in the evening and found an empty house. The woman had waited the whole afternoon, but when the clock struck six, she began to change back into her original appearance. She then quickly hopped back to her pile of waste and started crying.

She spent the night in the waste pile and did not want to come out to see the craftsman. But when she woke up the next morning, to her surprise, she had changed again into the beautiful woman. The craftsman had just arrived to work when he heard noise coming from the pile next to him. He looked towards it and saw a beautiful woman rolling out from under the waste. He was so surprised that he could not speak for a moment. But it did not matter as their eyes met and that was enough. No words could describe the feelings they shared at that moment. The craftsman then stood up and walked towards her to help her up from the ground.

He asked her where she was from and what she was doing there without any clothes. The woman smiled and told the craftsman that she was the one who had helped him in the house the day before. She also told him about how she turned into a crappo at night and needed to spend the night in her nest.

Surprised, but happy to have found someone, the craftsman fell in love with the woman and decided to introduce this “strange woman” to his mother.

Unfortunately, his mother did not share the same feelings. She was very upset and furious with him for being with a crappo and tried to convince him to let her go. But she could not change his mind, for he was very much in love with

the woman.

One day, his mother came home early while the craftsman and the woman were still out selling his craft in the nearby village. She decided to use the opportunity of his absence to burn the pile of waste. When the craftsman and the woman returned, they could see the fire from the home. The young woman ran as fast as possible, but it was too late: the flames had destroyed her home.

She started crying and became very angry with the mother. But she kept her feelings to herself and did not say a word. She returned to the craftsman’s home and began cooking as if nothing had happened.

The woman then took some of her ears wax and put it into the older woman’s food. The craftsman’s mother took her plate outside and they all ate quietly. But suddenly the mother made a loud scream and fell to the ground. The craftsman and the woman rushed outside to assist her and realised that it was too late. Standing next to the craftsman, the woman said: “Good to be ridden of bad rubbish!” At the sound of this, he knew that the woman was behind his mother’s death, but he loved her too much that he could not resolve to quit her. They decided to leave the house, as she needed to build a new home for herself before she returned into a crappo or would die also.

The night was upon them and it was getting darker and darker, but she still had not found the right place. She began changing back into the crappo and got weaker and weaker as they went further into the forest. At one point, she was so weak that she could not go anymore, as she was dying. The craftsman looked relentlessly for the right place, but he had no luck and she died in his arms. He cried and screamed for hours.

He returned home very sad having lost both his mother and the love of his life in one day. It is said that the poor man never fell in love again. (www.pantaniblog.org)

20 Sunday Times Magazine

MAY 7, 2017

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Times Sunday Puzzle

Add a different set of three letters to each of the following words to create a list of new words. The threeletter additions all have something in common. What are the new words and how are the three-letter additions related?

GIN EASE HEM ICE ON OPUS RILE TIC see ANSWERS on page 23

see solution on page 23

see solution on page 23

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Sunday Times Magazine

21

Times Kids

Creature Corner

GEOZONE

Black howler monkey

T

hese South American monkeys are the loudest terrestrial animal in the Western Hemisphere, and are usually the largest and most abundant primate wherever they live. Blonde at birth, males turn black as they mature, while females stay blonde their entire lives.

Black howler monkeys have a prehensile tail without hair on the bottom side, which they use for grasping during locomotion. The upper molars have sharp, shearing crests that are used in grinding leaves. They move slowly using a quadrupedal mode of locomotion and they have five-toed, grasping feet. The large hyoid bone (Adam's apple) that allows for their loud call restricts arm movement, so howler monkeys rely heavily on their tail for locomotion.

Please see solution on page 23

Black howler monkeys can be found in southern Brazil, Paraguay, eastern Bolivia, and northern Argentina.

The low and guttural sound of howler monkeys is one of the loudest calls produced by any land animal. Under certain conditions, a howler's call can be heard from about 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) away. The male's call is typically louder than the female's and is produced by drawing air through a cavity in an enlarged hyoid bone in the throat, which is larger in males than in females.

These tree-dwelling herbivores mainly consume tree and vine leaves, flowers and tropical forest fruits.

In the wild, howlers live to be between 15 to 20 years old. In human care they often reach 20 years old.

The objective of the game is to fill all the blank squares in a game with the correct numbers. Every row of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order. Every column of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order. Every 3 by 3 subsection of the 9 by 9 square must include all digits 1 through 9.

T

he Central Suriname Nature Reserve was established in 1998 to link three pre-existing nature reserves named Raleighvallen, Eilerts de Haan and Tafelberg.

Through the addition of significant areas in the process, the property now forms an immense protected area covering around 11% of the national territory.

The 1,592,000 hectares are mostly comprised of primary tropical forest in westcentral Suriname, a part of the Guiana Shield within the phylogeographic limits of Amazonia.

The Reserve protects the upper watershed of the mighty Coppename River, as well as the headwaters of the Lucie, Oost, Zuid, Saramaccz, and Gran Rio rivers and covers a range of topography and ecosystems of notable conservation value due to its pristine state.

Its montane and lowland forests contain a high diversity of plant life with more than 5,000 vascular plant species collected to date. The Reserve's animals are typical of the region and include the jaguar, giant armadillo, giant river otter, tapir, sloths, eight species of primates and 400 bird species such as Harpy Eagle, Guiana Cock-Of-The-Rock, and Scarlet Macaw.

While large parts of the Guiana Shield and Amazon regions are rapidly being transformed by logging, hunting, mining and settlement, the Central Suriname Nature Reserve can still be characterised as an intact conservation of a large scale. It remains, for the most part, inaccessible, unaffected by human activity, keeping its variety of ecosystems and high diversity of plant and animal species well preserved.

22 Sunday Times Magazine

MAY 7, 2017

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Rare 'sprites' photographed beside Southern Lights

A

n Australian photographer has captured images of rare sprites, a meteor shower and the Southern Lights - all in a single night.

Sprites - flashes of electricity - can reach the Earth's upper atmosphere, often displaying as a brilliant light.

"It's an intense electrical discharge out of the very top of a thunderstorm," photographer David Finlay told the BBC. He took photos of the "space lightning" at Kiama, 120km (75 miles) south of Sydney.

"I've been looking for them for about 15 years," he said. "I didn't know if you could see them in New South Wales."

Mr Finlay was trying to shoot the Lyrid meteor shower and Aurora Australis at the same time, focusing his camera on a thunderstorm about 120km offshore.

He later realised he had shot a "trifecta" - a sort of triple whammy made possible by ideal weather conditions for time-lapse photography.

"Usually when you get a storm it messes up all the air around it," he said. "The sky was virtually crystal clear."

It was the first time Mr Finlay has seen images of sprites in Australia using an off-theshelf DSLR camera.

Dr Brett Carter, a physicist from RMIT University, said sprites reach the ionosphere a region of the Earth's upper atmosphere.

"Historically only pilots have seen sprites and there is a very good reason for that," he said.

"They are so faint that it is very difficult to see them with the naked eye."

He said photographers can start to have an impact on the scientific understanding of the near-Earth space environment.

"We don't have a good way of measuring these things all over the world routinely," he said.

"There's actually a large movement in our field towards citizen science. That includes Aurora as well."

After ticking off one item from his photographic bucket list, Mr Finlay has set his sights on an Australian icon.

"I would really love to film the Geminids meteor shower from Uluru," he said. (BBC)

Luxury nuclear bunkers in high demand

A

mid rising global tensions and the looming threat of a nuclear North Korea, at least one businessman is experiencing a silver lining.

Ron Hubbard, owner of Atlas Survival Shelters, has

seen a major uplift in enquiries from customers interested in his underground nuclear bunkers.

Mr Hubbard, 55, said: "The news tomorrow could be the US attacks North Korea. This is the first real-

Brain Teaser Answer DECEASE MARGIN MAYHEM NOVICE APRON OCTOPUS FEBRILE SEPTIC Each of the three-letter additions is the common three-letter abbreviation for the months of the year (DEC, MAR, MAY, etc)

SUDOKU

KID SUDOKU

CROSSWORD

istic threat I've seen.

"There's interest all over the world right now [in nuclear shelters] and calls to our center have more than tripled on a daily basis over the past few weeks.

"The defense industry is thriving right now because of unstable relations between the US and North Korea and what Kim Jongun might be capable of - he's crazy.

The Los Angeles-based, company, which has been operating for seven years, typically builds underground in new houses that are under construction, but will also excavate a backyard to install a bunker or built into a garage.

Its shelters range from the 3/4-man underground 'Backyard Bunker' priced at US$35,900 (ÂŁ28,000), to elaborate, multi-room facilities costing more than a million dollars.

"Our designs allow for the survival of your family in any sort of disaster with the ability to live in an underground shelter complete with sleeping quarters, kitchen, restroom, storage area and our trademark undetectable escape hatch in case intruders discover your main hatch," says the Atlas website.

All shelters come with Swiss-made air-filtration, suitable for protection from nuclear, biological, and chemical agents and fallout.

Mr Hubbard said he expects to sell 1,000 nuclear shelters this year and, thanks to rising demand, he plans to open plants in 11 territories by next year, including the UK, Europe, Dubai and Australia.

(Telegraph)

Sunday Times Magazine 23

Times World

Man creates 700-metre Koran by hand A

n Egyptian school drop-out is hoping to make history after spending three years painstakingly creating what he believes to be the world's largest Koran.

Saad Mohammed's intricately decorated, handdrawn scroll is 700 me-

set a record for the largest handwritten Koran.

But in order to achieve his dream and make it into the record book, he needs some help with the cost of entering.

"This Koran is 700 metres long, and of course that's a large amount of

Nowadays, its 705 remaining pages are kept safe in Uzbekistan Another contender for the largest handwritten Koran was unveiled in Afghanistan in 2012. It is more than 2.2 metres long and 1.55 metres wide, contains 218 pages of beauti-

tres long (2,296ft) - which means, when it is unrolled, it is almost twice as tall as the 381-metre-high Empire State Building.

And up until now, Mr Mohammed, who lives in the town of Belqina, north of Cairo, has funded every centimetre of his passion project.

But he has big hopes for the scroll.

He believes the scroll is long enough to make it into the Guinness World Records, which has yet to

paper," he told Reuters TV. "I self-funded this project for the past three years - and I'm an average person. I don't have assets or anything."

fully written text and is wrapped in a leather cover created from the skins of 21 goats. The 500kg (1,100lb) holy book took five years to create, but does not appear to have been officially entered in the Guinness Book of Records No-one has claimed the record for the smallest Koran. However, in 2012 a resident in the UAE claimed their copy - at just 5.1cm long, 8cm wide and 550 pages - boasted that title to Emirates247. (BBC)

Other record-breaking Korans

The oldest Koran in the world is officially - according to the Guinness World Records - the Holy Koran Mushaf of Othman, which was created in 655 and belonged to the Caliph Othman (c.AD 588-656).

24

Sunday Times Magazine

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Fun Times

Archie

Do something that you find relaxing and conducive to (March 21happiness. Making a physical April 19) change or spending time with someone you love will help relieve pent-up anxiety and stress.

ARIES

You have the fortitude TAURUS and insight to make things (April 20- happen. Taking short trips May 20) or sharing with someone who can shed some light on your situation will pay off.

Socialize, and enjoy GEMINI friends, children and loved (May 21- ones. A passionate encounJune 20) ter will improve your personal life, giving you a strong base on which you can build a brighter future.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Too much of anything will lead to disaster. Limit how much you spend, eat or drink. Excess won't reduce your troubles.

Don't let guilt set in and ruin a good time. Make the most of your day by surrounding yourself with the people you love and doing what you enjoy doing most.

You can have fun on a shoestring with someone you love. Taking a hike or just relaxing at home will give you time to discuss your plans and a new budget.

LIBRA You'll tend to overreact or (Sept. 23- be excessive when dealing with Oct. 23) personal partners and domestic issues or spending money. Curb your emotions before trouble sets in.

Peanuts

An idea you have or that SCORPIO (Oct. 24- someone suggests may be inNov. 22) teresting, but check out the cost involved before you advance. You'll tend to overspend, indulge and overdo.

Share your ideas with SAGITTARIUS someone who will have some(Nov. 23thing interesting to add.

Dec. 21) Collaboration will result in a long-term plan and a welcome partnership. Celebrate with someone you love.

Calvin and Hobbes

Travel may entice you, CAPRICORN but if you cannot afford a (Dec. 22- fancy trip, settle for someJan. 19) thing entertaining and within your budget. You can't buy love, so don't spend to impress.

Getting together with old AQUARIUS friends or colleagues will be (Jan. 20- enlightening. The opportuniFeb. 19) ties that transpire will have an impact on what you do or how much you earn in the future.

Err on the side of caution PISCES (Feb. 20- when dealing with someone Mar. 20) who is unpredictable, excessive or overly emotional. Let the dust settle before you take on a personal challenge.

Time is on your side.