Guyana times 15 october 2017 pt2

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

Issue No. 3362

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Sunday, October 15, 2017

Govt invokes laws to forcibly acquire private lands for new Demerara River bridge

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

MARAD probing sunken vessel at Pomeroon River P17 mouth

Page 3

GPL’s CEO P11 admits to company’s poor performance …says “GPL is not where we want it to be”

Sophia squatting area

Families to take protest action to President’s, CHPA offices P12 Guyanese were treated to a glimpse of the celebration of the Festival of Lights 2017 on Saturday night, when hundreds gathered at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara to enjoy the delights. The Guyana Divya Jyoti Association hosted its 10th annual Diwali motorcade, which showcased well illuminated vehicles depicting Mother Latchmee and her eight forms. The motorcade travelled along the East Bank Highway and assembled at the tarmac to be judged (Carl Croker photo)

Enmore Estate closure

Residents in despair over uncertain future Page 9

Opposition brings motion to reduce VAT to 12% ...but Teixeira fears Speaker will bury PPP proposal

AG vs former DSG

All case submissions first sent to AG for vetting – Kissoon … to challenge dismissal in court Page 10

Lindeners P15 decry high unemployment rate …call for reopening of call centre

Business Summit 2017

Event unmasks APNU/AFC shortage of development plans P2 – Ramsaroop …“all we heard was the same tired rhetoric”

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news

SUnDAY, october 15, 2017 guyanatimesGY.com

Business Summit 2017

Event unmasks APNU/AFC shortage of development plans – Ramsaroop …“all we heard was the same tired rhetoric”

P

resident David Granger on Wednesday demonstrated outright disdain for the Private Sector Commission (PSC) when that entity hosted ‘Guyana Business Summit 2017’ at the Guyana Marriott Hotel.

Instead of bringing some measure of hope to the busi-

ness community, he has in fact instilled more reasons to be wary.

This perspective was expressed by Economic Advisor to the Opposition, Peter Ramsaroop, who this week examined the hotly anticipated Business Summit which was touted as the premier fo-

rum to bring together stakeholders from across the spectrum, inclusive of the political divide, to brainstorm solutions to bring about meaningful changes in the business and economic landscapes.

Ramsaroop said this time around it can only be seen as a slap in the face of the Private

Sector for the President to not come prepared with any concrete proposals.

According to Ramsaroop, it is not as if the President was told the day before that he would have to make another speech at a business forum.

“All we heard was the same tired rhetoric from President Granger... The man

Economic Advisor to the Opposition, Peter Ramsaroop

hadn’t even got into the meat of his speech before parrot fashion regurgitating meaningless discredited catch phrases like ‘a good life’,” Ramsaroop expressed, adding, “The Private Sector wanted to hear what are the solutions, what are the policies that your Government intends to pursue to ensure the investment climate remains attractive.”

The business people are worried about the rampant lawlessness, robberies, and seemingly endless spate of murders which seem to be hallmarks of this Government, and which have significantly contributed to the rapid decline in the levels of foreign direct investment.

Ramsaroop observed that while the President speaks glowingly that Government

has been working to create an enabling environment, this is far from reality, as it is not being felt by the business community.

He said the President’s talk of courting investors “does not mean anything substantive to the business community, since none of the persons being courted to invest in Guyana have been coming.”

Telling this publication that the President has demonstrated clearly that he is out of ideas, Ramsaroop said, “Imagine, in 2017, the President comes to a Business Summit organised by the Private Sector to hear about plans for the future -- a future with an oil and gas industry -and he tells us instead about public administration, something he was elected to manage.”

The Opposition advisor has since predicted that the business community will react negatively to the utterances of the President, since his vision guides investment strategies. He told this publication, “The President cannot himself be creating a hostile environment and then go to the business community and chastise them.”

Ramsaroop maintains that the President has in fact wasted a golden opportunity to help shape a better future for Guyana.

news

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Sunday, October 15 – a night retraction at 01:00h and a day retraction from 14:30h-16:00h and Monday, October 16 – a night retraction at 02:00h and a day retraction from 14:30h-16:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, October 15 – 13:30h-15:00h and Monday, October 16 – 14:25h-15:55h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

WEATHER TODAY Thundery to light rain showers can be expected during the morning, while sunny weather can be expected in the afternoon. Clear to partly cloudy skies can be expected in the evening, with temperatures expected to range between 25 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Easterly to East North-easterly and East Southeasterly between 3.57 metres and 4.47 metres.

High Tide: 00:45h and 13:28h reaching maximum heights of 2.27 metres and 2.32 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 06:52h and 19:23h reaching minimum heights of 0.88 metre and 0.91 metre respectively.

SATURDAY, Ocotober 14, 2017

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FREE TICKET

DAILY MILLIONS 07 10 14 16

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LUCKY 3 2 7 9

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Govt invokes laws to forcibly acquire private lands for new Dem Bridge

By Jarryl Bryan

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

17 18 20

DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

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SunDAY, october 15, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

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he Government has taken a decisive step in the process towards building the new Demerara River bridge, with an order being issued that empowers officials to survey and acquire private land, regardless of whether the owners want to sell.

The order, dubbed the Acquisition of Lands for Public Purposes (New Demerara River Crossing and Connecting Roads) Order 2017, is dated August 23; long before the Ministry held consultations with those to be affected on October 10. It was signed

by Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson.

An advertisement appeared over the weekend in the State-owned Guyana Chronicle indicating that Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson has issued the order to commence the acquisition of lands.

According to the particulars of the Order, the land which will be targeted includes portions of Houston and Rome, East Bank Demerara. It sets out that a strip of land along and within the South half of Plantation Houston will be acquired, while strips of land in the North of Rome and in a westerly direction by the river would be in the cross hairs of Government.

The Ministry will also be acquiring land on the West Bank of Demerara; specifically, it will be acquiring land within the southern half of Versailles; by the river itself; by the northern cadastral boundary of Goed Fortuin and private lands.

In addition, a strip of land connecting New Road, Vreed-en-Hoop to the new La Parfaite Harmonie access road, will be appropriated by the Government.

This road passes through Schoonord, Murdocks

Land, Malgre Tout, Klien Pouderoyen and Vreed-enHoop.

According to Patterson in the order, “the Commissioner of Lands and Surveys, together with his agents, servants or work men, is hereby authorised to enter upon the said lands decided hereunder for the purposes of surveying or otherwise examining such lands with a view of acquiring the whole or part of such lands for the construction of a public work.”

Patterson in the advertisement also notes that the Order was made under Chapter 62:05 of

ly movement of a large numbers of vehicles, people and cargo.

The structure was built in the 1970s, but was opened in July 1978 with the expectation of lasting only 10 years.

However, some 37 years later, it is still floating. Under the previous Government, concerted efforts began at replacing the structure. The current Government signed a contract with a Dutch company, LievenseCSO, on December 9, 2016, to conduct a feasibility analysis.

This feasibility study determined the proposed location of Houston-Versailles as the most ideal. In the feasibility

ing the removal of several homes to facilitate construction of the crossing.

Following an article by this newspaper, officials from the Ministry visited the residents and assured them that the Attorney General’s Chambers will be negotiating with them a compensation package among other things.

Eminent domain

Diplomat and long-time People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) official, Clarissa Riehl, had fiercely resisted Government’s move to take control of a plot of land she owns at Middle and

The artist’s impression of the new Demerara River bridge

the Acquisition of Lands for Public Purposes Act. According to Section 5 (1) of the Act, “When any order aforesaid has been made the person authorised shall have the power to do all or any of the following acts.” “(a) to enter upon and survey and take levels of any land in any locality within which the public works are intended to be executed or to dig or bore into the sub-soil of that land (and) to do all other acts necessary to ascertain whether the land is adapted to that purpose.”

Floating at 1.25 miles, the Demerara Harbour Bridge is a strategic link between the eastern and western banks of the Demerara River. It facilitates the dai-

study, some four houses and a nursery school were cited for demolition.

Residents in the vicinity of the site for the new Demerara River bridge at Houston had indicated to this publication that they were in the dark over the Public Infrastructure Ministry’s plans regard-

Carmichael Streets, under the Acquisition of Lands for Public Purposes Act. The Official Gazette of September 24, which published the Order made

by Minister Patterson on September 22, 2016, identified the property as the East quarter of Lot 92 Middle and Carmichael Streets.

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sunDAY, october 15, 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

Strangling sugar workers

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he APNU/AFC government is clearly determined to execute its unilateral decision to close down the sugar industry and throw its 17,000 workers on the breadline.

Early in the 2015 elections campaign, the leader of the PNC, David Granger, had so declared, but he later confessed he was persuaded by his erstwhile coalition partner, AFC, and its Prime Ministerial candidate, Moses Nagamootoo, to change his mind. Upon accession to office, the PNC-led APNU/AFC coalition government immediately announced a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) to take stock of the condition of the sugar industry and make recommendations for the way forward.

A $52 million CoI was duly constituted, with GuySuCo Chairman Dr Clive Thomas as a member, and delivered its report in October 2016. Essentially, it recommended that GuySuCo be privatised in toto within three years, with no closure of estates. “In the interval, as the privatization process is awaited, the new management of GuySuCo must focus on basic essentials to rehabilitate the fields, factories and infrastructure of GuySuCo. There should be no accommodation for any projects which will demand limited funds. This is aimed at making the estates more saleable and attractive to investors, local and foreign.”

However, the ink had barely dried on the copy of the CoI given to Parliament and the public when this newspaper broke the news that the Government had decided to close the Wales factory on the West Bank of Demerara. After a period of denial, the Government conceded this was indeed the case. This closure of Wales without a word of warning to its 1700 workers, and its subsequent fate, is an object lesson to the workers at the two other estates -- Enmore on the East Coast of Demerara, and Rose Hall in Canje, Berbice -- which the Government announced will now be closed at the end of this year. These closures will bring the number of workers on the breadline at this time to some 5,000, with another 2,000 in limbo at Skeldon, which is supposed to be sold off ASAP. The Government has never explained why it ignored the recommendations of its CoI, and it is not surprising that the ordinary Guyanese believes the CoI was simply a subterfuge to have the AFC save face with the sugar workers, whose interests they has boasted of representing when they teamed up with the PNC. The total rejection of the CoI’s recommendations also demonstrate beyond a shadow of a doubt that, now that the PNC-dominated APNU had secured office, there was no need to keep any promises made to the AFC. At Wales, the Government declared that some of the lands would be allocated to workers, some diversified into fish farming, some sold off, and the cane from private cane farmers would be transported to the Uitvlugt, West Coast Demerara factory for processing. This, however, would necessitate the construction of roadways that would cost at least $1 billion, and two years later, nothing has been done.

How would farmers’ cane, which comprised 40% of the Wales intake, be transported to Uitvlugt?

No land, also, has been converted to fish farming or made available to workers; and even if it had been, the workers are not so ignorant as to invest in crops for which there are no markets domestically. For crops to be exported, there would be the need to identify these, coordinate production, locate and tie down markets etc, which are beyond the capabilities of the average ex-sugar workers. In other countries, for the offer of land to be meaningful, the Government would have at least organised a holding corporation to perform those ancillary, but crucial functions.

The Government has, unfortunately, chosen to enter the production of seed-paddy at Wales, which would only utilise approximately 600 of the available 8000 acres. The remainder of land would fast revert to being overgrown. This is the fate of the soon-to-be closed estates, as well as the others which will not survive with the basket they were given by the Government to fetch water.

The Festival of Lights: Hundreds gathered at Diamond Market tarmac to enjoy the delights as the East Bank Demerara Praant of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha hosted its Diwali motorcade on Friday evening

Guyana’s Gaming Authority: Blame shifting and known unknowns Dear Editor, The waffling pronouncements from the Gaming Authority over the last three weeks are logically inexplicable, defying legal specificity, and lacking cognitive clarity; thus taking us into former US Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld’s world of known unknowns and unknown unknowns.

One local media house, on September 25, 2017, captioned “Gaming Authority has every right to ensure the integrity of individuals seeking casino licenses”, quoted Roysdale Forde, Chairman of the Gaming Authority, as making the following preposterous assertion: “The Guyana Constitution dictates that any company that is to be granted a casino licence must be deemed wholly ‘fit and proper’.”

Deeper down the rabbit hole, we have a contorted article published on September 30, 2017, and captioned “SleepIn, directors asked to submit seven years of tax returns for casino application”. Reference was made in the article to Section 29A and Section 32(1) of the Gambling Prevention Act, stating that the Gaming Authority has the power to request directors’ income tax returns; then by an invisible or undocumented leap of logic, Forde notes that these amendments are contained in Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (Amendment) Act (AML/ CFT Act).

When did the Minister of Finance appoint the Gaming

Authority as the supervising authority for casinos, betting shops and lotteries -- an appointment required by the AML/CFT Act? Or can other statutory acts be inverted and subverted to provide legal permit for the Gaming Authority to utilize when assessing an application for casino licences?

Amazingly, no specific section of the AML/CFT Act was referenced in the hazy article; only an admixture of half-truths, outright nonsense, and mumbo jumbo, which naturally lacked specificity due to vague references, resulting in an altogether misleading and miseducating article.

Then we sally forth to October 10, 2017 for more breaking news that crystallized the lost-at-sea imagery of the Gaming Authority; in the local press, captioned “Lottery Company was advised not to operationalise gambling machines – Gaming Authority”, and in another article of the same date, captioned “Gambling machines at bars part of fiveyear Govt, lottery company deal”, it was revealed than an agreement (forget the meaningless detail of when the Gaming Authority knew of this deal/agreement) existing between the Guyana Lottery Commission and the Government of Guyana provides for slot machines at bars and restaurants. None of these “bars” have fifteen rooms, much less the one hundred and fifty rooms required by the Gambling Prevention Act that governs the Gaming Authority.

In one of the articles, the enlightened or newly empowered Chairman, Forde, seems to have seen the agreement and revealed to the public that the agreement made provision for the right of the Guyana Lottery Company to operate video lottery terminals in Guyana. What takes the nugget is the claim by the Gaming Authority that they advised the Guyana Lottery Commission that the Commission should await the enactment of legislation for the operation of the video lottery terminals, when even Joe Sixpack could have informed the Gaming Authority that the name of the legislation is the Gambling Prevention Act, which happens to govern the Gaming Authority; and the Act explicitly requires that a new hotel with at least one hundred and fifty rooms needs be built before slot machines, or video lottery terminals, or casino machines can be operated in the hotel and casino; subject to the approval of the Gaming Authority.

It seems to me that logical fallacy and circular reasoning are given full vent by the Gaming Authority, especially with the utterly and singularly most ridiculous claim that the Gambling Prevention Act (An oximorous name if ever there was one, considering the purpose of the Act is to licence gambling) does not provide sufficient legislation for the conditions under which casino machines or video lottery terminals can be operated in

Guyana.

To defend the indefensible is now the task ahead for the erudite and ineffable hirelings on the Gaming Authority Board. As the effort is made to justify the unjustifiable, we have subterfuge, obfuscation and quackery coming to the fore from the Gaming Authority during the period that the Gaming Authority is conducting its “review” of the casino licence application it received from Sleep-In International Hotel and Casino Inc. since April 4, 2017.

After six months of reviewing the application, the Gaming Authority examinations have resulted in sterile clichés; birthed agreements, or outing of previously unknown agreements; and further revealed inattention and disdain for the Gambling Prevention Act. All this happens as hundreds of millions in investment sit idle at 288-289, Church Street Georgetown. Further adding to the satire, we have a related article, dated October 11, 2017, wherein Chairman Forde is captioned in the article as saying “I did not give Sleep-In’s application to Attorney- General (AG). Is Forde suggesting that another member or representative of the Gaming Authority is responsible for the sordid deed?

The sad, gloomy and depressing truth is that the continued denial of the casino licence approval is part of a larger, ominous trend in Guyana!

Sincerely, Nigel Hinds

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SunDAY, october 15, 2017

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

Toroparu Mining and Development Consortium feels betrayed

Dear Editor, The Toroparu Mining and Development Consortium is made up of a group of small individual miners operating in the Toroparu, Upper Mazaruni in Region Seven, who have, for various reasons, been unable to work their dredges for the past two to three years.

In answer to the Government’s call for small individual miners to come together and form syndicates and apply for available land for gold mining purposes, the said syndicate was formed in March of this year.

In June this year, the group met with Minister Raphael Trotman, who stated at that meeting that the lands to be allocated to syndicates are in the closed areas; that upon completion of research and confirmation that the prospective land is available, application is to be made to the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission.

The aforementioned was done by the syndicate, and application and payment were made on June 21, 2017 for 29 blocks in the designated closed area.

On submission of the application, we were informed that based on the rules governing syndicates, the first allotment would be for 10 blocks, and a year after, the remainder would be granted after review of the operations.

From then to now, three applications have been submitted; and as of recent, we have been informed that the lands applied for are currently occu-

pied, and that approval was granted based on special orders from higher up.

Upon investigation, we have found that one Mr Serata Philips is now in possession of these blocks. What is troubling is that at meetings with both Ministers Trotman and Broomes, it was stated that no one or two persons would be granted approval and access to such lands, since closed areas were reserved for syndicates only.

In December 2016, Minister Trotman stated at Mahdia, while addressing the syndicate formed there, that “rather than dealing with individuals, it’s best if you come as a group. You get land as a group, and you look out for each other.”

The recent revelation contradicts the initiative, the process, and the expectations of syndicates. Over 450 persons will be affected by this decision. The members of the Toroparu Mining and Development Consortium feel betrayed by such a move, and call upon President Granger’s intervention to have the decision rescinded in the interest of the small miners, who have heeded his call, and whose sole interest is to participate meaningfully in our country’s development and enhance the life and well being of our families.

T Beharry Chief Executive Officer Toroparu Mining and Development Consortium

Royal marriage Reason for refuting between a this argument GRA? Guyanese and an Ethiopian prince Dear Editor, We recently saw that a beautiful young woman of Guyanese descent, Ms Ariana Austin, got married to an Ethiopian Prince, the great grandson of His Imperial Majesty Hailie Selassie-I, the last Emperor of Ethiopia.

This is the world’s oldest and most significant royal lineage; it dates back to the biblical King David, Solomon and Queen of Sheba. And if you look further, some may propose that this lineage goes all the way back to Moses, Noah and Enoch, as in the Book of Enoch and the fallen angels.

A beautiful daughter of Guyana has now done something so important for our country’s history that we may not know its impact for generations to come.

Guyana is now part of a history that created the foundation of the entire world civilizations, including that of Egypt.

A dynasty that ruled the world long before our history books became whitewashed.

From India to South and Central America, this Ethiopian dynasty built great cities and civilizations beyond our imagination, and enlightened the world.

This Royal lineage provided refuge and support for Islam in its infancy, where King Negus or Najashi protected the family of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) when they were being persecuted in Mecca.

The crowns of Europe

drew inspiration and support from this lineage, as they were merely barbarians with no clue of civility in those days. Thanks to Ethiopian Royalty, the Europeans learned to be kings and queens.

This Royal family is responsible for the rebirth of black consciousness in the form of Rastafari, and reverence is given to Emperor Haile Selassie-I for this great movement across the globe. His inspiration and vision led black people of the West to have something to hold on to in a time of white oppression from slavery to now.

Selassie-I predicted World War Two when Europe was still in denial, and established the African Union. He is known as the great peace maker of nations, since he had the ability to stop wars on the 11th hour through his negotiating skills.

Even though the Royal Family is no longer ruling Ethiopia today, history will show that this will only be a moment of exile, and this great family will return to their rightful place as rulers again.

Princess Mekennon, as she would now be called, has just linked Guyana to the only Royal Family that can claim their ancestry to being chosen by God, and that is something to be extremely inspired by.

Sincerely, Malcolm Watkins

Dear Editor, In reference to a letter from the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), published in the local press on October 14, 2017 under the caption “The Corporation Tax Rate for non-commercial companies was reduced in 2017”, I wish to quote from my letter on October 11, 2017, which stated: “With respect to corporation taxes (CTAX), according to the Ram & McRae website, there are three rates of CTAX in Guyana: a 30% rate that applies to non-commercial companies, a 40% rate that applies to commercial companies except telephone companies, and finally a 45% rate for the telephone companies.”

The last time I checked, as a subject of study, comprehension was still being taught in the schools of Guyana, and I am hoping that the GRA thinkers did benefit from that subject. I sourced my information from the tax experts in Guyana, and they said 30% and I accepted it; and yes, I am responsible.

To their credit, Ram & McRae did contact me to advise that their website was not updated, and acknowledged the inaccuracy. They subsequently updated their website, and thus the inaccuracy is acknowledged. So a good thing was done because of my letter -- the Ram & McRae website is fully updated as we speak. If one reads the Ram & McRae website today, it offers enough information for me to make the following statement, which I have cross-referenced with the GRA website: “there are three rates of CTAX in Guyana: a 27.5% rate that applies to non-commercial activities, a 40% rate

that applies to commercial activities except telephone companies, and finally a 45% rate for the telephone companies.”

But it is unfortunate that the GRA took the liberty to point out that there were “several inaccuracies” in my letter, but then only mentioned one, as discussed above. The last time I checked the Oxford dictionary, “several” meant: “more than two”. At a minimum, I expect from the GRA some level of honesty and integrity.

I want to make it very clear if the 27.5% rate is used for non-commercial activities, it does not negate the call for a reduction in the Corporation Tax. The progressive countries in the neighbourhood have an effective CTAX rate band that starts at 25% and thus Guyana’s band, which starts at 27.5%, is still uncompetitive regionally.

It is my understanding that when you refute a position, you offer an alternative position, but GRA offers none. Well, in democracies that I have lived (Guyana after 1992, UK and the USA), when you refute a position, you explain yourself and bring closure to your statement; not operate like you are in Zimbabwe or North Korea and refute a statement and then automatically expect all to bow and accept your position.

I am saying that 27.5% is greater than 25%, and thus the conditions still remain for tax avoidance, transfer pricing, and to discourage investment. What is your reason for refuting this argument GRA? Regards, Sase Singh

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SunDAY, october 15, 2017

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Foundation

teachers launch exhibition

to all Guyanese everywhere!

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Anu Dev

just returned from a visit to Divali Nagar in Trinidad. It was the perfect way to relax after some very stressful Ob/Gyn finals, thank you!!

Divali has always been one of my favourite festivals. And I guess what has always been its most attractive feature has been the air of tranquility that lingers in my memories as I remember my mom and I spending most of the day puttering about the kitchen, cooking up a multitude of dishes -- both "sweet and salt". My personal favourites were the samosas and "aloo balls".

But before the actual day of Diwali, the house would have been given a thorough cleaning -- both inside and out. I haven't been able to be home for Divali during these last two Divali occasions, but to be honest, I didn't miss the cleaning part! Most Hindus -- and this includes my Mom -- literally don't even leave a stone unturned when clean-

guyanatimesgy.com

“Diwali - A festival full of sweet memories, sky full of fireworks, mouth full of sweets, house full of diyas, and heart full of enjoyment.” ing up for Diwali, because we are symbolically welcoming God into our house, and who would want to welcome God into a house that’s less than spic-and-span?

By six o'clock, we would be in our pooja rooms, offering prayers to the deities, Mother Laxmi in particular. Mother Laxmi is the Goddess of Light, so we pray to her on Diwali, which is the darkest night of the year (Amaawas night).

Families praying together and singing bhajans to Mother Laxmi is one of the many wonderful ways that Diwali strengthens the family bond.

We would then carefully place a diya in every room of the house -- especially the ledges of the verandahs -- and then proceed outside, where the passageways, fences and bridges would be outlined with diyas. Because we live so close to the Ocean, the wind is invariably very strong, and it's always a challenge to keep the diya going. You evolve

strategies like placing them where two wicks touch and keep each other lit!

Divali is a harvest festival, and the underlying message - like with most Hindu festivals -- is the triumph of light over darkness (good over evil). Poverty is seen as one of the greatest obstacles to living a virtuous life; so, from this perspective, banishing it through a bountiful harvest is a powerful message.

The lighting of the millions of diyas every Diwali is significant; it means we are battling the odds and lighting up the world on the darkest night of the year.

Though the moon isn't out, we're making our own light.

We’re forging our own paths in this life. And that’s important: you can only build up good karma if YOU take action, not if someone else does it for you. And karma is an integral part of Hinduism- we believe that we can only achieve moksha (liberation) based on our actions in life.

Sure, lighting up fireworks and cooking are really, really fun, but the whole essence of Diwali is that every diya that you light you are making a conscious decision to end the darkness.

The darkness doesn't just mean external 'demons' like drugs, bad friends, poverty, sickness etc.; it also means tackling your own internal conflicts, like trying to fix that mean aspect of your personality, or cultivating better discipline.

On Diwali, family members across the globe reconnect. Whether they just call or even visit for the holiday is up to them, but the important thing is that the bond is being maintained.

This Divali, I will be shuttling between north and south Trinidad; but I still hope, as I did last year, I will be in the Pooja room with my family, singing our favourite Divali Bhajans via the magic of Skype!!

So go out there this Diwali, light a diya, keep on burning bright, and keep on shining.

T

The teachers participating in the exhibiton

he first ever exhibition staged by the Visual Arts Teachers of Guyana was launched on Thursday, October 12th at the Castellani House with some 30 teachers from the ten administrative regions of Guyana displaying art works.

The exhibition, officially launched by the Education Ministry’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Unit with the aim of fostering the practice of arts in schools countrywide, will run until October 28.

Art works on display included drawings, paintings, leather craft, textile designs, fibre arts, ceramics, and mixed media.

Visual Arts Education Officer Loriann Jacobs disclosed that because of the structure of the school sylla-

The scorpion table. Done

by Denise Bristol of Richard Ishmael Secondary

bus, visual arts is now mandatory for the Caribbean Secondary Education certification (CSEC). As such, the Education Ministry is using the event, which is to be made biannual to see the strengths of the teachers who teach this subject. Of the thousands of students countrywide who register for CSEC each year, less than 200 of them register for visual arts. For those who do

register for the subject, most are not successful.

According to Jacobs, visual arts teachers have also been complaining of having no opportunity to showcase their works, and as such, the exhibition will be providing that platform.

Portrait done by Michael Griffith of Brickdam Secondary School

At the launch, certificates for outstanding performances were awarded to a number of teachers. Michael John and Nyota Killikelly of North Georgetown school were awarded for outstanding performance of Visuals Arts.

Most improved performance certificate was awarded Katherine Henrico of Mae’s School. She was also awarded for having the most students sit Visual Arts at CSEC 2017.

Cleopatra Mentor of the Johanna Cecelia Secondary School in Region Two was awarded for successful transitioning of students from certificate programs into Visual Arts CSEC 2017.

Also in attendance at the launch was the Administrator of the Arts, Ivor Thom.

Assistant Chief Education Officer, Technical, Patrick Chinedu, who delivered the feature address, focused on the value of Arts towards education in Guyana.

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sunDAY, october 15, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Opposition brings motion to reduce VAT to 12% ...but Teixeira fears Speaker will bury PPP proposal

Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira

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he People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is worried that the Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Barton Scotland, will subvert a motion by the political Opposition, to among other things, reduce the rate of the Value Added Tax from 14 to 12 per cent.

The warning bell was sounded by the Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira, who was addressing members of the local business community at the Guyana Business Summit.

Teixeira, who was at the time delivering an address on behalf of Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, said while the PPP has already delivered its motion to the Clerk of the National Assembly, the members were not too optimistic.

She indicated that most of the 124 measures outlined as concerns by the business sector were in fact included in the motion sent to Parliament on Monday last – two days before the opening of the Business Summit.

Teixeira warned however that given the track record of the Speaker and Government in the National Assembly, the Opposition was not confident that the motion would even be heard

this year.

She told the business community that the next sitting of the National Assembly should be Private Members Day, often referred to as the ‘Opposition Day’.

According to Teixeira, should the Opposition business not be given priority at the next sitting, then it is very likely that the demands of the Opposition would not be heard until sometime next year.

Finance Minister Winston Jordan is slated to present to the National Assembly the Budget for 2018.

Teixeira was among the Opposition presenters to the Business Summit to highlight the machinations on the part of the PPP in order to bring some measure of relief to the Private Sector and by extension the average Guyanese.

The Finance Minister on Monday last announced that

According to a draft copy of the motion seen by Guyana Times, there has been a marked effect on the business community, “there is a marked reduction in the

Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Barton Scotland

there would be no new taxes in Budget 2018, but the Opposition members contended that the 200 new taxes alone that were imposed in the last budget were currently costing Guyanese $10 billion in disposable income.

overall demand for goods and services”.

The motion attributed this marked reduction to the reduced disposable income, “dwindling sugar and

forestry sectors that employ in excess of 40,000 persons directly, the downsizing of many businesses and reduction in investment in agriculture”.

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SunDAY, october 15, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

ASP denies threatening junior rank

…as trial winds down before court

A

senior rank of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has denied allegations of threatening behaviour and abusive language made against a junior Police rank, as the trial wraps up before the court of Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

A s s i s t a n t Superintendent of Police (ASP) Frank Thompson on Friday told the court that he was at no point in time informed by investigators of the offence or requested to provide a statement.

Thompson recounted to

Assistant Superintendent of Police Frank Thompson

the court that on the day in question; he was in his vehicle proceeding West along Broad Street, Georgetown where there was a heavy build-up in traffic.

According to the ASP, he was behind a blue motorcar when something on the road diverted his attention, causing his vehicle to graze the blue motor car.

An argument would soon ensue between the drivers of the vehicles – the Assistant Superintendent of Police and Harichand Boodhai – capturing the attention of Policemen on patrol in the area. He said

that he was instructed by Constable Leandre Gillis to drive to the Brickdam Police Station hereafter, an instruction which he complied with.

At the Police station, he related his version of the incident while Boodhai also made a report.

Thompson told the court that he did not observe the Complainant (Constable Gillis) during the course of the argument with the driver of the blue motorcar, nor was there any exchange of words with the Complainant. turn to page 9

True colours…

R

…of the PNC

emember that saying “nature will out”, from your schooldays? When Jupiter insisted folks can change? Venus disagreed and proved him wrong. Still don’t remember? She changed a cat into a girl who married a hunk of a fella and was as demure as could be. “Ha!” said Jupiter. But as soon as Venus introduced a mouse at the wedding buffet, the girl pounced on it! Nature will out!

Well it does look like the PNC’s nature has taken over, and is pouncing. The essence of the PNC’s rule was their fixed belief that Guyana was theirs to have and to possess (not just “hold”!). “Do wha’ yuh want wid me!” is what they heard as soon as they took control of the state. So you’re upset with all the “thiefin’” going on? The Pharma bond… Jubilee Wood Ants Park… pharma contract… secret oil contract… trips for Minister’s squeezes… jobs for the boys and girls? Why are you fretting? If the state is the PNC’s to begin with -- to do with as they want, it’s not REALLY stealing, is it? You can’t steal what’s already yours, can you?

So on to the latest escapade to raise eyebrows -Prezzie using State House to host a PNC event. In this case, to award bursaries for the kids of PNC members.

The former AG claims that all the expenses for the actual bursaries were also funded by the state. But we don’t need to even go there, do we? In any government in a modern democracy, there is a strict line drawn between the party and the state.

Why? Well just consider the name “party”.

“Part-y”, get it? A political part-y represents a PART of the country - and that’s why they’re said to be “part-isan”. But when that party is elected into government to control the state, it’s supposed to be governing on behalf of ALL Guyanese. To use State House for partisan purposes is especially heinous and eviscerating of democratic standards, since it goes against all that the STATE is supposed to stand for. WE THE PEOPLE… Now you may say this handing out of awards to kids - albeit PNC kids - is “no big thing”. But that would show you’ve forgotten that other nursery schooldays story. Remember the elephant who begged the fella to allow him to just place his TRUNK into his hut, because it was cold? And before the fella knew what was going on, he was out, and the elephant was IN the hut!!

Do you, dear reader, remember the PNC, under which Prezzie earned his spurs, actually started innocuously with Burnham’s picture on children’s exercise books?

They soon declared their PARAMOUNTCY over the state!

…and the Weinstein syndrome

With actresses coming forward daily to reveal the sexual harassment (and more) inflicted on them by the boss of Miramax -- Weinstein -- one of the biggest producers of Hollywood, one wonders what kind of monster he was. But in reality, the problem’s much larger than Weinstein.

What’s being exposed is “sexual harassment” -- a term coined only in 1975, even though the activity’s been going on for centuries. It was so “normal” for men to believe they could touch or commit other inappropriate actions towards women there wasn’t even a name for it. Do fishes have a word for “sea”?? And if there isn’t a name, then how do you talk about it? Until a staff at Cornell University sued the institution for employment benefits after she’d resigned because of the behaviour by several male staff. Cornell protested there was no law broken. She may have been ‘asking for it”!!

After she won her case, the use of the term hit a high spot in 1991, when Anita Hill testified against Supreme Court Justice Clarence Hill.

And now.

…for public office

Even though it was pointed out the Secretary of Cabinet and the Defence Board CONSTITUTIONALLY can’t be MPs or Ministers, the PNC-led government SNICKERED, “So what?”

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

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SunDAY, october 15, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Enmore Estate closure

Residents in despair over uncertain future

By Shemuel Fanfair

A

t year end, 2300 factory, field and cane workers currently employed at the East Demerara Estate (Enmore), along with their family members, will face an uncertain future with the impending closure of the entity.

During the course of last week, Guyana Times met with some workers and villagers of Enmore, on the East Coast of Demerara, who expressed emotions of despair and sadness over the December 31, 2017 deadline for the shutting down of the long-standing factory which was in recent times, merged with the La Bonne Intention Estate to form one combined entity.

Guyana Times reported in May that ever since the closure was announced, business in the area and vendors at the market were already feeling the squeeze, as community members reduced their spending as they were becoming more cautious with their budget. According to information received, the situation today is the same as persons in the area indicated that the Friday mar-

Desolate sections of Enmore, which residents said were more vibrant in past times

ket which was once vibrant, is now fading into the “ghost town” as many had predicted ahead of the shutdown of the Wales Estate.

Field worker Mohamed Suliman, 45, has worked with the Enmore Estate for some 22 years. He took care of his family, raised his daughter and developed himself from the earnings he acquired as a sugar worker.

Suliman does not see many positives for the community of Enmore after the estate is closed.

This newspaper caught up with him on one of his usual evening strolls near the popular market square.

He highlighted that Enmore is heading down a similar

path as Wales.

“Enmore will turn the same, as a ghost town like Wales because most people actually depend on the sugar estate. Like how now is grinding, you get Friday market but like that dead cause people not working for enough money,” he noted.

Speaking on how he sees his own future, Suliman stressed that he could have only waited on discussions with management to inform workers on who will remain employed with the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and the others who would be retrenched.

Suliman indicated that he’s not quite sure what course of action he will take regard-

ASP denies threatening...

In fact, the accused claimed that he only saw Constable Gillis in the company of other ranks entering the compound of the Police Station as he was leaving and only met him at the Tactical Services Unit (TSU) Headquarters, where he was held.

Thompson is also contending that Gillis did not request him to produce any documents but recalled uttering same to officials at the Police station.

Moreover, the ASP disclosed that he was never contacted by the Office of Professional Responsibility in relation to the matter at hand.

While under cross-examination by Police Prosecutor Sergeant Bess, the ASP admitted to imbibing alcohol on the night prior to the incident.

However, eyewitness Constable Ingram had submitted strong testimony, corroborating Gillis’ version of

events, in favour of the prosecution. Ingram testified that on the day in question, Thompson had even threatened murder saying “you know who is me? I would kill ya’ll s*@*t right here. I would murder ya’ll and drop you down right here… Call Brickdam, call TSU and ask them about ASP Thompson.”

This matter came to the fore when a video showing Thompson engaging in less than professional behaviour with a fellow rank circulat-

ing his future, but what he does know is that wide categories of workers and their families would be affected.

The Sugar Corporation explained on Friday that some 1500 persons attached to the East Demerara Estate will be made redundant by end of the crop season.

As reported, there are many ECD communities that depend in some way or the other on the Enmore Estate. Workers come from villages such as Victoria, Bachelor’s Adventure, Golden Grove, Enterprise and Haslington. Suliman stressed that with the estate in existence, workers and business persons are more certain of their existence. from page 8

ed on social media, attracting much criticism from the public. He was subsequently hauled before the courts. ASP Thompson was also charged for making use of threatening language against Boodhai, who is the owner of the car that was involved in the accident. However, this charge was thrown out after the Complainant refused to testify.

ASP Thompson will appear in court again on October 30 to know his fate.

“When the sugar estate grinding, people can do more business, a lot of groceries will sell,” he highlighted.

After interviewing the field worker, this publication met with other residents before finally ending up at a sports betting establishment, where many young and older men often find themselves. The general consensus there was that Enmore will be gravely affected by the closure.

Factory worker with 15 years of service, Terry Gobin said there are no jobs for young people, further highlighting that the closure will only add to the strain in the community which, according to him, has seen an uptick in criminal activity. He reasoned that with all the closures of sugar estates, Government should probably embark on a programme of distributing some of the earnings from the incoming oil industry.

Other men in the betting shop told this newspaper that alternative job opportunities should be provided for those who will lose their jobs. Guyana Times understands that the East Demerara Estate has more than 200 workers in the factory alone. Sitting at the shop was an electrician, Yograj Singh, who has been plying his trade for the past four years. Assessing the impending closure, from a young man’s perspective, he said many young men are finding difficulty finding employment.

“It gan be tough for them cause jobs right now slow; Enmore heading to the burial ground,” Singh remarked; a comment echoed by some fellow residents.

Others expressed that the economic impact from the closure could even affect marriages as in some cases, both parties are employed with GuySuCo.

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sunDAY, october 15, 2017| guyanatimesgy.com

AG vs former DSG

All case submissions first sent to AG for vetting – Kissoon … to challenge dismissal in court

F

ormer Deputy Solicitor General Prithima Kissoon has hit back at Attorney General Basil Williams’s claims that she was incompetent at preparing cases.

According to the lawyer, all her cases in fact had to go through the senior counsel himself.

Kissoon, who released a statement in response to Williams’s Friday missive that accused her of professional misconduct when representing the state, argued that she has never neglected to provide Williams with her submissions prior to representing the state.

“Every submission which I have prepared and subsequently presented to any court first had to be submitted to the Attorney General for his consideration well in advance in all matters involving the state.”

She added that it was Williams who instructed staff to stop receiving her

Former Deputy Solicitor General Prithima Kissoon

Attorney General Basil Williams

draft submissions, and as a consequence she began emailing them to him in advance.

According to Kissoon, the basis for her termination by the Public Service Commission (PSC) was her leaving the country while on administrative leave.

“I have never, prior to commencement of Court

proceedings instituted by me against the Attorney General, been accused by the Attorney General or the Public Service Commission of lack of professionalism or dereliction of duty.

There is no such charge pending anywhere in the Republic of Guyana. If the Attorney General now finds fault with my submissions, dear Brutus, the error lies not in the stars, but in (us),” she stated, adding a Shakespearean quote.

On Friday, the Attorney General’s Chambers had issued a statement defending its decision to seek Kissoon’s head. The Legal Affairs Ministry confirmed that the former Deputy Solicitor-General was targeted in an investigation that lasted from November

2015 to January 2017.

“The Ministry contends that the breaches include improper preparation and drafting of legal documents; disobeying instructions; failing to attend court in several critical matters; gross dishonesty in official dealings; improper conduct, and dereliction of duties. Minister Williams blames Kissoon for not being present in court for key cases, as well as misleading him and others over the matters.”

Meanwhile, the termination of her employment at the hands of both the Legal Affairs Ministry and the now expired Public Service Commission (PSC) is not the end of the road, as Kissoon is planning to take her fight to the courts.

The attorney-at-law, in an interview with this publication, said she had already prepared an appeal to the Public Service Appellate Tribunal. The tribunal is composed of retired Justice Nandram Kissoon, Attorney Abiola Wong-Innis and Winston Brown.

“I’ve already prepared an appeal to the Appellate Tribunal, but the Registrar was only sworn in on Thursday. So those documents are already prepared and signed off,” the former DSG told this publication. turn to page 18

Prezzie’s prerogative

S

atiricus was bored. He was skimming the TV channels and chanced upon that documentary on Whitney Houston.

Now, if there was one singer who’d hit Satiricus’s sweet spot, it was Whitney. But the documentary explained a lot of things - especially why she married “bad boy” Bobby Brown.

And thinking about Bobby Brown brought Satiricus a full circle to what had shocked him to the core THAT MORNING: the Pee an’ See people saying it was Prezzie’s prerogative to take PARTY business to State House. Seemed Prezzie was following Bad Boy Bobby Brown’s anthem: “My Prerogative”.

Everybody’s talkin all this stuff about me (Now now) Why don’t they just let me live (Oh oh oh) I don’t need permission Make my own decisions (Oh!) That’s my prerogative They say I’m crazy I really don’t care That’s my prerogative They say I’m nasty But I don’t give a damn Gettin power is how I live Some ask me questions Why am I so real But they don’t understand me I really don’t know the deal About a brother Trying hard to make it right Not long ago Befo’ I win this fight SING! It’s the way that I wanna live (It’s my prerogative) I can do just what I feel (It’s my prerogative) No one can tell me what to do (It’s my prerogative) Cause what I’m doin I’m doin for you now The problem, Satiricus thought, with Prezzie insisting in following Bad Boy Bobby Brown’s “My Prerogative” was that he might just take down the Guyanese people into the gutter, like Brown did with his own family.

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SunDAY, october 15, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

GPL CEO admits to company’s poor performance …says, “GPL is not where we want it to be”

C The AG’s unlawfulness

By Ryhaan Shah

T

he Granger Administration continues to sink to new lows that reveal a rottenness at its centre. Just over a month ago, the services of Deputy Solicitor-General Prithima Kissoon were terminated through what can be viewed as nothing less than a conspiratorial collusion between Attorney-General Basil Williams and the Public Service Commission.

Ms Kissoon had filed complaints against the AttorneyGeneral with the public service body, accusing him of trying to force her from her office, and describing his actions as “reprehensible, unbearable and malicious”.

This all occurred very early in the year, and you would think that the PSC would have moved to address the complaints promptly if it were a clear case of absolving the AG of unfounded charges. But that did not happen. It was not until August 21st that the matter got a hearing. This after Ms Kissoon received correspondence from the PSC that she was to appear before a body that was referred to variously as a Commission of Inquiry – which could only be convened by the President – and as a tribunal and a committee.

A letter from Ms Kissoon’s attorney requesting a clarification went unanswered; and she also, during the PSC hearing, questioned the legality and authority of the body to hear her case.

Yet, ten days later, and just six hours before the life of the PSC came to an end, Ms Kissoon was served with a letter of termination based on the body’s findings. To the public eye, it appears that the dismissal was timed to coincide with the expiration of the Commission, in order to forestall any public scrutiny of the decision taken.

The details surrounding the dismissal will become public, however, since Ms Kissoon is expected to bring a case against the PSC that would question their decision.

That such conspiracy and contrivance were needed to bring about Ms Kissoon’s dismissal does give an appearance of guilt and unlawfulness on the part of the AG. As the country’s highest legislator, he is mandated to uphold the rule of law, and one expects that the firing of any of his staff would be done in a transparent and just manner.

Instead, there is more than a semblance of impropriety surrounding the circumstances that led to Ms Kissoon’s dismissal, and former PSC Chairman Carvil Duncan has deemed the Commission’s decision as unconstitutional, based on his knowledge of the procedural rules that govern what is an independent body that should never be subject to political threat or direction.

Already, many are adding this termination to the stillgrowing number of Indian Guyanese public servants who have lost their jobs because of the Granger Government’s racist agenda. By all reports, Ms Kissoon was the last Indian Guyanese attorney still employed in the AG’s legal offices, and the push to remove her is being viewed as yet another case of Government’s ethnic cleansing policy.

But does Ms Kissoon’s gender also come into play? And was she expected, as the “weaker sex”, to give up under the pressure of working for a male boss who was being uncooperative and obstructionist? She had worked for the two previous Attorneys-General without any complaints about her competence and professionalism, nor had the PSC ever received any complaints from the current AG’s Chambers about her work.

Her dismissal made the news even as President David Granger, on the International Day of the Girl Child, posed for a picture with young Martina Nedd, who sat in the Prime Minister’s chair to commemorate the event. On the occasion, Granger said, “We hold gender rights as being part and parcel of Government’s pursuit of social cohesion and equality in Guyana.”

Granger would surely have been aware of Ms Kissoon’s situation with regard to her employment, and would also have been aware of the conspiratorial moves that had been made to dismiss her. Does he believe that her “gender rights” have been justly served by his Government? Or that the manner in which the dismissal was engineered fosters any regard for Government’s stated social cohesion policy?

Ms Kissoon’s case, along with the numerous other unjustified firing of Indian Guyanese professionals from the public service, runs counter to the words spoken by Granger and his Ministers. Her dismissal is only the latest act of ethnic cleansing, and it is now a matter of acute public interest to see who will be selected to replace her in the AG’s Chambers.

Since the country’s judicial system is not yet in great part infected by Government’s corruption, Ms Kissoon will have her day in court; and in that instance, receive a fair hearing.

hief Executive Officer of the Guyana Power and Light (GPL), Renford Homer, on Friday, in addressing the poor service of the utility company, stated that the power entity is in need of urgent help, as it is not at the level where it should be performing.

The CEO made the statement as the utility company hosted the media at a dinner held at the Grand Coastal Hotel at Le Ressouvenir on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) as part of its 18th Anniversary celebrations.

Homer explained that even though incremental changes have been made over the years, the company needs to improve.

“Recognising those incremental improvements that have been happening over time, and putting those improvements into context with the effort that the company has been making over the years to improve its services, you also need to understand the challenges that the utility company continues to face, and has been facing for some time, that (create a need for the situation to improve),” Homer explained.

The GPL head posited that the company’s performance should be 100 per cent better. He noted that all customers should be satisfied with the service offered.

Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Power and Light, Renford Homer (third from right) poses with other directors of the power entity

The CEO explained, “We are not where we want to be. We are supposed to be 100 per cent (free of power) outage; 100 per cent (free of) fluctuation in voltage; 100 per cent (recipients) of customer satisfaction”.

Old equipment and machinery, coupled with continuous worldwide improvements, have been blamed for the current poor quality of service being offered. However, the CEO announced that the utility company has embarked on projects to deliver better service to the Guyanese people.

“To get there is a hill that has to be climbed. There are obstacles in our path, (and) these obstacles require a sizable investment that can move us from where we are (to) where we need to be. There is need for a lot more, the

investments are not coming at the rate we would like. We have, however, embarked on projects to bring about relief,” Homer revealed.

The public is being assured that significant improvements will be made over time.

Following the CEO’s remarks, the directors of the various departments within GPL briefly informed the media of their respective duties.

Divisional Director of Projects, Ryan Ross, has responsibility for the Project Management Department and the System Planning and Design Department.

Divisional Director for Customer Service, Rhonda Parks; and Operations Director Bharrat Harjohn, along with other directors, were also present.

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SunDAY, october 15, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Sophia squatting area

Families to take protest action to President’s, CHPA offices

F

amilies in Sophia, Georgetown whose houses were either demolished or are expected to be demolished are strongly contending that they are not in receipt of any notice

of eviction.

An unemployed mother of two said she has been home every day for the past three months, and never received notice to relocate. She said she has no alternative

accommodation for herself and children, aged 5 and 9.

“We don’t have anywhere else to go. After that day, we just started searching to see if we get vacant land, so we trying. This is so terrifying,”

Members of CHPA demolishing the homes on Thursday last in Sophia

she told this publication on Saturday.

Another resident, Mark Norton, said he is counting his losses, since he was unable to save any of the groceries he had stored in the shop he operated. He said he has four children all under the age of twelve, and his only source of income was the shop he was operating. Norton further noted that he’s currently looking for new ways and means of surviving. Norton was made aware of the demolition process after he received a telephone call from a relative.

“Before Granger go in

power, he said that we must occupy the land, cause the country got nuff. Now all of a sudden he saying something else. I don’t think these people got families,” an irate Zizzy Daphness told this publication.

Sophia residents say they will be staging protest activities on Monday at the Housing Ministry and at the President’s Office, where they will be requesting an audience with the Head of State.

On Thursday last, several families were left homeless and numerous others were left contem-

plating their next move as the Central Housing and Planning Authority’s (CH&PA) Anti-Squatting Task Force commenced operations in Sophia.

The Task Force members were accompanied by demolition workers, representatives from the Guyana Water Inc (GWI) and the Guyana Power and Light (GPL), as well as ranks of the Guyana Police Force.

The Task Force saw to the demolition of several homes and businesses that were on Government reserve lands in ‘A’ Field Sophia, Greater Georgetown.

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SunDAY, october 15, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Tackling climate change

Guyana looks to tap into Indonesia’s expertise

Reclaiming agency with Divali

T

his week, we will be celebrating Divali, that peacefully serene festival when we thank God as Mother, who has been so bountiful to us, by lighting a light to remove darkness on the darkest night of the year. The point made by my maternal grandparents (Nana and Nanie) who raised me of course, is that the external light we light is just a symbol of the one we have to light inside to practise good values to live a virtuous life.

In terms of my ruminations recently on the violence physically, but especially epistemically, wrought on the Indian and his descendants in Guyana and elsewhere by first the British and then their successors, I have often wondered what life would have been like here if they had not been silenced, but allowed to “speak”.

They “spoke” to their own families, who listened; and their values were passed on to make them Ravi Dev and their children see though the hardships of the indentured contracts and afterwards -- even through the PNC dictatorship.

But for the rest of society, the linguistic act known as effective speech was never consummated, since they never accorded the Indian -- and especially the Hindu -- the courtesy, much less respect, that they might be saying something useful. There was never any reciprocity; knowledge was a one-way street that never started FROM the Indian. In the “othering” of the Indian by the other groups in the society who had accepted the “white bias” culture, the Indian was “illiterate”, a “heathen” who could not even utter “proper” English sentences. This, in essence, fixed the Indian as “subhuman”, unworthy of the society’s moral considerations, and on whom even physical violence could be inflicted ever so often. How much of this has changed in the present?

That my illiterate grandparents showed respect for “Mother Earth/Prithvi Mata was an expression of their “animism”, never mind they have come a full circle and call that respect “environmental awareness”. The objective success of the Indian was then “explained” by stereotypes: they were “clannish” (for preferring to be with those who shared their values), “miserly” (for saving something for a rainy day from the most meagre wages), “cunning and thieving” etc.

It saddens me that, as the descendants of those Indians become “educated”, they increasingly adopt the presumption that there is nothing worthwhile to be learnt from their traditions. They force their elders into becoming “testimonially smothered” in truncating their explanations to the expectations of the “educated”. Two weeks ago, I participated at a Dussehra Festival at Tuschen, where the onlookers were asked by the village organisers to write on pieces of paper a negative quality they wished to get rid of and throw it onto the burning effigy of Ravan. They would take a vow that they would work in the coming year to eliminate that bad habit. Some “modern” Indians and most other Guyanese may think the practice “naïve” or “superstitious”. But would they think differently if they had been told it was an expression of “reflexivity”? But then the Indian is hermeneutically challenged: what can he possibly know, to explain anything, when he cannot even speak English “properly”?

But Hindus of my grandparents’ generation apprehended directly the relevance of the sacred texts (shastras) in their day to day life as adherents of their “Dharma”. Most of the indentureds had memorised passages from the texts – especially the Ramcharitmanas – from their attendance at recitals in their native villages, their participation in performances of Ramlilas. The text as memorised, versus as one externalised in a printed book, to my mind created a much more profound effect on the devotee. From what my grandfather described, it would appear that the memorised texts served as an omnipresent guide to behaviour in a period marked by constant flux and instability.

If the memorisation is no more, the challenge for Hindus to find other vehicles, such as by the villagers of Tuschen, to appreciate how they are being subjugated, interrogate practices through reflexivity, and transmit needed values for successful, more authentic, virtuous lives. It has to start with reclaiming agency and deconstructing our present “education”.

Guyana is looking to tap into the expertise available in Indonesia to tackle climate change as well as in its quest of developing a “green state”.

This is according to President David Granger in his remarks at a reception to celebrate the Republic of Indonesia 72nd anniversary of its Proclamation of Independence. The event was held at the Pegasus Hotel on Saturday evening.

According to the Guyanese Head of State, both Guyana and Indonesia are vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. He noted that

A section of the gathering enjoying a cultural presentation at the reception to mark Indonesia’s 72nd independence anniversary

Guyana is in transition to becoming a ‘green’ state, which will see increased emphasis on the protection of its environment, the preservation of its biodiversity, the provision of eco-tourism and eco-educational ser-

vices, the promotion of renewable energy generation and the adoption of practical measures to ensure climate adaptation.

“Guyana looks forward to learning from Indonesia’s experience and expertise in

the fields of carbon accounting, coastal zone management and forestry management. We anticipate enhanced cooperation in international climate change negotiations. turn to page 15

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SunDAY, october 15, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Corentyne residents benefit from Younge’s Take NEW GPC medical outreach …promotions on cancer awareness bearing fruit – GRPA

Staff of NEW GPC assisting residents during the outreach held in Port Mourant on Saturday

(Andrew Carmichael photo)

B

erbicians are being urged to reduce their salt intake. This is one of the recommendations of Endocrinologist Dr Yaquelin Gonalea Ricardo, who during a NEW GPC medial outreach in Berbice, Region Six, found that a lot of persons in the area are hypertensive.

More than 200 persons visited the medical outreach at Port Mourant on Saturday, and were seen by the several doctors.

According to Dr Ricardo, most of the persons seen were suffering from high blood pressure and diabetes. “When we ask those with high blood pressure why they did not take their medication, they say that they forget to take it only for today. But the truth is that sometimes they forget to take the tablets, and so the blood pressure is high,” Dr Ricardo told this publication.

She explained that the

team observed a similar trend with those who are diabetic.

Expressing alarm at the high number of persons with high blood pressure, Dr Ricardo attributed this phenomenon to persons’ salt intake. She is of the opinion that many Berbicians use too much salt.

She also noted that some of those who visited the outreach, held in front of Spready’s Supermarket

at Port Mourant, took the medication which they were using to control their blood pressure.

She, however, warned that persons need to monitor their salt intake if they are to control their blood pressure.

Meanwhile, relative to diabetes, many persons were unaware that they are victims of the ailment.

“The problem in Guyana is that many people don’t have good eating habits… they need to eat properly and to check their blood sugar twice a year,” she declared.

Several persons were also treated for various other ailments and conditions, among them being back pain, flu and fever.

The NEW GPC INC was able to provide locally manufactured medication to all the persons who visited the outreach.

The outreach also facilitated diabetic eye screening.

Breast cancer

Meanwhile, as Guyana joined the rest of the world in observing Breast Cancer Awareness Month, approximately two dozen persons took advantage of the breast cancer screening during the outreach.

According to Dr Calena Clohisy of the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA), there were also breast examinations done at the outreach, and VIA testing for cervical cancer.

The VIA survey of character strengths is a simple self-assessment that takes less than 15 minutes and provides a wealth of information to help persons understand their core characteristics. Most personality tests focus on negative and neutral traits, but the VIA Survey focuses on a person’s best qualities.

According to Dr Clochisy, all of the VIA tests and breast examinations were negative. “A lot of them, when I spoke to them, it was their first time being tested for VIA. A lot of them did not know what the VIA test was, but most of them have had a breast examination already, and were just coming back for another checkup,” she explained.

She is of the opinion that promotions on cancer awareness are bearing fruit, and persons understand the importance of having regular breast checkups.

This has been the fourth medical outreach hosted by the NEW GPC for the year. Outreaches have already been held in Linden, on the West Coast of Demerara, on the West Bank of Demerara, and on the Essequibo Coast.

The 2020 agenda

G

uyana is on a path of socio-economic self-destruction.

While this country's image glows abroad because of its stable foreign policy agenda inherited from the previous Government, its people remain hungry, poor and jobless at home.

It is clear that the agenda of the three-year old A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change Government does not involve addressing 'bread and butter' issues as a priority.

If one were to look at what this Government said it would do before the elections and what it has done to date, one would arrive at the inescapable conclusion that Guyanese were duped back in 2015 when they thought they voted for change and a shift in the political culture and configuration of our Republic.

It is a known fact that those who are in the hierarchy of the Government and the coalition's political establishment are still hungry for revenge against the PPP, but they cannot have this revenge at any cost. They cannot Michael Younge be allowed every day to "cuss out" the PPP and blame that party for every crime humanly possible, without first understanding that Guyanese purportedly disciplined that party in 2011 and 2015, therefore causing a change in the guardians of their interest. This does not seem to have penetrated the thick skulls of those who are trying to carve out both a future and legacy for the coalition.

To date, that legacy is defined by rampant unemployment and haplessness in our society. It is based on barefaced corruption and constitutional dishonesty, as well as violations by the APNU/ AFC coalition. The legacy's foundation is also linked to an abuse of the treasury by a Government that has a Finance Minister who is practising 'text book and elementary' economics. In the area of creating unity, coherent cultural policies at the national level and ethnic security, the Government has failed miserably. In fact, no one is impressed by this Government's handling of our domestic affairs. The only people who are convinced that they are doing a good job since 2015 are those 33 MPs representing the coalition in the National Assembly, and those working behind the scenes within its public relations machinery. It appears that the Government is happy with managing the decline of this great country, because there has been no real progress made on a myriad of issues since it took office.

And what is even more worrisome is the fact that the key players in the coalition are indifferent and arrogant whenever they are criticised. They refuse to change course. They will not be bullied to do what is right for the socioeconomic bill of health of this great country. And now things have gotten worse, as investment and business are at a standstill but the APNU/AFC appears to be more interested in the creation and sustenance of a plantain chip and coconut biscuit-run economy. They do not see that businesses are contracting because they have poor taxation policies, which have led to a significant decline in the spending power of the Guyanese public. Guyanese have not become richer since the last elections.

They have become poorer, under-motivated, and uncertain about their own personal coexistence in many respects. This is largely because the Government has sent the wrong signals since 2015 about the Guyana it hopes to mould by the end of its tenure in office.

From the rhetoric of senior personnel in this APNU/AFC Government, Guyana will be a place where political parties win elections to pursue revenge and the enrichment of their leaders.

It is time there be a serious policy shift and the setting of a new agenda, based first on ethnic healing and reconciliation.

Constitutional reform cannot be seen as the only mechanism for the achievement of that goal. The choices of the Government are even more important in fostering and creating an environment wherein Guyanese, regardless of their genetic makeup, feel secure, equal and respected. Who it appoints to key public posts, and their conduct in office, is very important. The messages they send to the public are also important. A national conversation on how to achieve real healing and conciliation that lasts for generations to come is a first step in the right direction. This must be part and parcel of the 2020 agenda.

Also, Guyanese must not allow themselves to be duped into supporting coalitions or parties that are big on rhetoric and small on action. They must do more to hold parties accountable to the agreed agenda set before the elections. They must speak up and out when people's rights are being violated, regardless of race, social standing, gender, and political affiliations. Guyanese must never be silent while their leaders use the state and its machinery to pursue revenge against its opponents. They must ensure that Government functions in accordance with the law, or demand change. We must always resist socioeconomic policies and higher levels of senseless taxation that would not lead to the creation of a better society or our personal wellbeing. A new movement of independent and patriotic Guyanese must emerge and challenge the status quo of any Government that refuses to do right by the people.

2020 may be the year when Guyanese would re-elect the PPP to power, or give it a new mandate or fresh agenda to govern. If that happens, no one but the coalition would be responsible, since it has been reckless, carefree, and politically retarded in the handling and implementation of the agenda it was given back in 2011 and 2015.

The year 2020 must also include reducing poverty further, creating wealth, and ending racial discrimination. Let the chips fall where they may, 2020 is the year when Guyanese will demonstrate real power.

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sunDAY, october 15, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Lindeners decry high unemployment rate …call for reopening of call centre

An assessment of the banking system’s performance

T

he composition of Guyana’s financial sector include the banking system, the New Building Society (NBS), trust companies, finance companies, asset management companies, pension schemes and the insurance companies.

The commercial banks, however, dominate the financial sector; and hence, in today’s feature, I have narrowed my focus on the banking system, to begin with.

The Bank of Guyana’s half-year report for June 2017 revealed that Net Domestic Credit declined by 4.4 per cent to G$190.2 billion, when compared to a 5.4 per cent reduction for the corresponding period in 2016. The net credit position to the Central Government improved G$78.06 billion to G$66.6 billion as well, while the public enterprises’ deposits fell by 32.6 per cent to G$32.067 billion. Credit to the Private Sector fell to $216.9 billion or 1.0 per cent on account of reduction to all sectors except the real estate mortgage, mining, construction and engineering sectors and other services.

Net foreign assets of the banking system contracted by 1.1 per cent to US$861.9 million at the end of June, 2017 from US$941.3 million for the corresponding period in 2016.

This outturn was on account of a reduction in the net foreign assets of the Central Bank, despite the net foreign assets of the commercial banks experiencing an increase of 3.2 per cent to US$287 million.

Turning to the liquidity profile of the banking system, total liquid assets of commercial banks amounted to G$112.637 billion, which fell by 7.4 per cent below the period ended December, 2016. This outturn was on account of a reduction in the level of excess reserves held by the commercial banks.

Excess liquid assets to required liquid assets ratio was 46 per cent for the period ended June, 2017 when compared to 57 per cent for the corresponding period. Total reserves deposited with the Bank of Guyana stood at $60.4 billion as at June, 2017, representing a reduction of 12.1 per cent from the level recorded at the end of December, 2016, reflecting a reduction in deposits at the commercial banks.

Non-Performing Loans Total non-performing loans (NPLs) stood at G$30 billion as at the end of June, 2017, representing 12.6 per cent when compared to the corresponding period, from $26.6 billion in 2016. This level of non-performing loans represents 15.7 per cent of the total loans, of which commercial banks’ total loan portfolio stood at $142.7 billion as at June, 2017. Though other indicators, as highlighted earlier, would have shown that the banking system remained relatively sound, such that the statutory liquid assets were in excess by 93.5 per cent or $78.52 billion and net income before tax stood at $7.7 billion.

Given that the level of non-performing loans is one that could pose a serious threat to the soundness of the commercial banks’ portfolio, this indicator ought not to be taken lightly.

Interestingly, the IMF Country Report for Guyana (2017) highlighted the fact that one domestic bank (alone) accounts for half of NPLs, though it has extended only a fifth of loans.

The banking system has certainly been weakened against this backdrop, especially when looked at historically. Meaning, in the last seven years -- 2010 to present -- the level of nonperforming loans has increased at an alarming rate: 309 per cent, from $7.307 billion in 2010 to $29.945 billion in June 2017. This outcome therefore merits the question: what are the determinants of non-performing loans? The answer is twofold; wherein the causations are stemmed from macroeconomic conditions and a bank’s specific factors.

The rapid deterioration in commercial banks’ assets quality could lead to substantial losses and reduction of capital buffers.

Increases in NPLs would not only increase banks’ vulnerabilities to further shocks, but also limit their lending operations, with broader repercussions for economic activity. This is evidenced by the fact that, indeed, lending has contracted during the period under review, as highlighted earlier, and as a consequence other sectors have recorded deteriorated performances as well, compared to the corresponding periods and recent years.

Further, the increases in NPLs have a significant impact on credit as a share of GDP, real GDP growth, unemployment, and inflation in the periods ahead, thus validating the notion that a healthy and sustainable growth cannot be achieved without a sound and resilient banking system.

Finally, citing an IMF working paper (2013) with respect to policy implications, “first, given the adverse effect of NPLs in the broader economy, and also in view of the significant contribution of bank-level factors to NPLs, there is merit in strengthening supervision to prevent a sharp build-up of NPLs in the future, including by ensuring that banks avoid excessive lending and maintaining high credit standards.”

Beyond this, given that high levels of NPLs pose a burden on the economy, inter alia through limited bank lending, the need for a swift, orderly clean-up of banks’ portfolios is highlighted.

(For comments, questions and responses on articles featured in this column, readers can reach the author at jbinsights@outlook.com).

W

hile the Linden Call Centre in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) remains closed, two years after workers were sent home, several companies and individuals have since expressed interest in conducting business there, however the building which is termed “State property” has since remained inaccessible.

This continues to be a cause for concern for both residents and officials in the community noted for its high unemployment rate.

Linden Mayor Carwyn Holland recently joined the rest of the community in making calls for the centre to be reopened, citing the unemployment rate within the community.

"The call centre at Kara Kara needs to be reopened, and I'm making this call to those who are directly responsible... to release the call centre to the people of Linden so that we can employ at least 500 of our young people who are looking for jobs. There are several persons who've signalled their interest and I'm still waiting to hear what's the hold up," the Mayor said.

During a recent ministerial outreach in Linden, officials expressed these concerns to Finance Minister Winston Jordan. Municipal Councillor Neola Rogers, who first spoke of the issue, noted that the call centre had provided employment for many young women in the community and served as an excellent entry requirement into the world of work, while she stressed difficulty in accessing the building which remains closed since 2015. "...several call centres want to return to Linden but the building is locked. It's deteriorating as it is right now..." Rogers lamented. Representative of the Linden Chamber of Commerce Industry and Development, Staydon Payne, also said the issue lies with Government providing access to the State asset, as he sought to find out how access can be gained for a company that wishes to expand and employ approximately 100 young people within the community by December.

In response, Minister Jordan noted that the building is supposedly owned by the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL). However, Chief Executive officer (CEO) of NICIL, Horace James, who also spoke at the outreach, explained that following an application, the building was privileged to be handed over the Linden Enterprise Network (LEN); however, he asked for the Finance Ministry's intervention in terms of payment necessary for acquiring the building.

After years of being in operation, St Kitts-

based company Toucan Connection shut down its operations through the call centre two years ago. As a result, over 90 people, mainly women in the community, lost their jobs.

Since then, officials have tried to have the operation up and running again to provide much needed employment to Lindeners.

The Linden call centre, which was closed in September 2015, was opened under the previous Administration to create jobs for Lindeners. The closure sent a hard blow for to the community as a result of scarcity of jobs.

The call centre which was closed in 2015

Guyana looks to tap...

We welcome the offers for training in education under the Indonesia Scholarships Programme,” the President said.

He went on to note that since the establishment of diplomatic relations on August 27, 1999, the two countries have enjoyed cordial relations.

These relations, the Head of State added, are founded on mutual non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, mutual respect for each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, cooperation for mutual benefit, respect for international law and treaties and the maintenance of international peace and security.

President Granger

went on to reflect on the journey of the South-east Asian country, saying that the world recalls, and history records, the transformational Proclamation of August 14, 1945. This historic act led, after a fouryear national revolution, to the termination of foreign domination and occupation, the liberation of the Indonesian people and the creation of a sovereign democratic Republic in the world’s largest archipelago.

Indonesia, since its peoples’ victory in its war of independence, has become not only a populous and prosperous country but a reliable international partner for progress in developing states.

from page 13

The world recalls, also, Indonesia’s pioneering hosting of the historic Asian-African Conference in the Javanese City of Bandung in April 1955 and its foundational role in the establishment of the Conference of Heads of State or Government of the Non-Aligned Movement in Belgrade in 1961.

Moreover, the Guyanese leader noted that the two Republics, today, though separated by a distance of 19,000km, are bound together through friendship and cooperation in the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the United Nations and the G-77 and China.

16 news

SunDAY, october 15, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

Relatives of murdered carpenter welcome extradition news

T

he parents of the late Faiyaz Narinedat have expressed delight at the news that a United States court has ordered the extradition of Marcus Bhisram to Guyana to be charged with the capital offence of murder.

On Thursday, Justice Peggy Kuo ruled in favour of the extradition, and as such,

committed Bisram to the custody of the United States Marshal pending a further decision on extradition and surrender by the Secretary of State in keeping with US laws.

Speaking with Guyana Times on Saturday, the dead carpenter's mother said the family welcomes the news.

According to Narinedat’s mother, Bibi Azeez, it is almost one year since she lost her son.

It was the very morning that Narinedat’s body was discovered lying on the roadway that Bisram flew out of Guyana back to the USA. Azeez said it has been a painful year for her and her

The deceased’s mother, Bibi Azeez

The deceased’s father, Narindranauth Datt

family.

“It is almost one year and nothing doing. I feel happy that he coming. Really, really happy....” She added that from all indications, things are beginning to happen in the name of justice.

“I feel some sort of relief but still there is a long way to go; a very long way. If they are put away then I will say that he has justice,” she said.

The dead man’s father, Narindranauth Datt also expressed delight at the news of the order to have Bisram extradited.

On November 1, 2016, the carpenter’s body was discovered lying on the roadway with visible marks of violence.

The body was discovered at about 03:45h on November 1, 2016, at a scene which appeared to be that of a hit-andrun accident. The Police had initially said that the matter was being considered a homicide; however, following an autopsy conduct-

ed by Forensic Pathologist, Dr Nehal Singh, it was revealed that Narinedat suffered a fractured skull and spine among other injuries.

Dr Singh’s findings revealed that the father of two was not hit while in a standing position.

The five men charged so far are Radish Motie, 39, an excavator operator, of Number 78 Village; Diadatt Datt, 18, a painter of Number 71 Village; Harri Paul Parsram of Number 71 Village; Niran Yacoob, 37, a hire car operator of Number 67 Village; and Orlando Dickie said to be Bisram’s bodyguard.

The State is contending that Narinedatt was killed, his body placed along the Corentyne Highway at Number 70 Village and then run over by a car to make it appear as if it was a hit-andrun accident scene.

It was also reported that the overseas-based Guyanese ordered the death of the father of one after he reportedly refused his sexual advances.

All case submissions...

According to Kissoon, the appeal will be filed against Attorney-General Basil Williams, the Permanent Secretary of the Legal Affairs Ministry, and the Public Service Commission. She noted that she would be seeking a reversal of the decision next week.

“The Order of Certiorari to quash the decision of the Public Service Commission will be filed (in the High Court) next week,” she related.

Kissoon broke her silence this week as the very public spat between the Attorney General and her came to a

from page 10

crossroads on August 31, 2017.

Lamenting the situation, the now former Deputy Solicitor General, in her now public statement, said, “A new PSC will convene and the complaint against the Attorney General, Mr Basil Williams S.C., will never have been addressed.”

According to Kissoon, “My good name has been filched, my character assassinated, my career that I worked so hard to build in the public service for the past 10 years (lies) shattered at my feet, but my integrity and ethics are rock solid.”

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SunDAY, october 15, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Anna's

MARAD probing sunken vessel at Pomeroon River mouth

Allicock should T account for land titling funds

T

he Indigenous People’s Affairs Ministry has done little to defend the legitimacy of Indigenous land rights during the controversial Lands Commission of Inquiry (CoI) ordered by President David Granger earlier this year. As a matter of fact, Indigenous Affairs Minister Sydney Allicock defended the CoI and resorted to publicly insulting the heads of the National Toshaos’ Council (NTC) when they objected, accusing them of all sorts of absurdities ranging from political partisanship to selfish pursuits. If ever a Minister can be accused of betraying his own people, it must be Allicock.

What he has succeeded in doing unfortunately for Indigenous peoples, was pull the plug on their land rights, until the regime is able to Anna Correia find a means to justify how this attack is vital to pursuing the African reparation cause.

Perhaps Allicock was unprepared to assume the responsibility of representing Indigenous rights as his office is meant to, or maybe he is too weak to resist pressure from the powers that be, and as a result, continues to betray his people’s trust. His complacency has paved the way for his colleagues to overtly humiliate and discriminate against Indigenous peoples in a manner rarely seen in recent decades. It is therefore unsurprising that faced with such a lax Minister, men such as Keith Scott and Eric Phillips can unabashedly attack Indigenous peoples in the public sphere, unhindered. A sad era for Guyana’s first peoples indeed.

One might venture that from inception, Allicock and his team of politically motivated advisors, including Mervyn Willliams and Martin Cheong, never actually prioritised Amerindian land titling, but rather coveted the positions and resources associated with the LCDS-funded Amerindian Land Titling Project. This might explain why just one month after assuming office in 2015, under the directions of advisor Martin Cheong, the entire Amerindian Land Titling (ALT) team was fired without prior notice, despite being under contract with the Government of Guyana. Cheong was allowed the honour of firing Ministry staff and contract workers despite this responsibility befalls that of the Permanent Secretary; a seat at the time vacant and later filled by Vibert Welch.

For almost six months following the dismissal of the team, the ALT project was left without management while Cheong and his colleagues apparently squandered project funds using land titling as a pretext. Interestingly, the ALT project is a UN partnered initiative where all finances are managed by the UNDP according to UN international guidelines.

When the team was fired, the UN silently observed without intervening, and when new individuals were hired to replace the former Project Associate and the Land Surveyor assigned to the Project, the UN did not question the fact that there were already two individuals who by Law, ought to have been occupying those seats. It would be interesting to hear what the UNDP would have to say about the expenditures incurred during the period where the ALT project was left without a management unit. Equally interesting would be to hear what the organisation’s position is on the unlawful firing of project staff.

In like manner, perhaps the Village Councils awaiting the titling and demarcation of their territories should request that the Ministry give account of the disbursements made this far under the ALT project to determine whether the funds are being used for their benefit, or to fatten the pockets of some.

Where Sydney Allicock lacks in leadership skills and technical competency, he also lacks will-power to promote transparency and accountability in governance, and this under the apparently indifferent eyes of international organisations. Half way into his mandate as a Minister, we can conclude that the man is a failure to his people when it comes to their sustainable development, and like the rest of the coalition, seeks constantly to buy favour through cheques and handouts.

Unfortunately, his lack of grit when confronted by those above him, cobbled with his lackadaisical approach to managing indigenous affairs, has cost Indigenous peoples several years in land rights development, which cannot be compensated for by short-lived policies and hand-outs. He must be held publicly responsible.

Contact sundayarrow@gmail.com

he Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the recent sinking of a cargo vessel – Eclipse.

According to a notice published in Guyana Times on Saturday by the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), that vessel reportedly sank some 13 nautical miles off the coast of Guyana in the vicinity of the Pomeroon River mouth.

It is said to be in a charted depth of 5.0 metres of water in the approximate position of: Latitude (N) 07°32.484’; Longitude (W) 058°30.109’; Datum: WGS 84.

Harbour Master Micheal Tennant outlined in the public missive that the hull of the wreck is partly visible at low water spring tides.

“Mariners are therefore warned to keep clear of this wreck, and navigate with caution in this area. Communication can be made with the Georgetown Lighthouse and the above

mentioned vessel on CH. 16”, he said in the notice.

However, no other information was given on the vessel and the circumstances surrounding its sinking. As such, contact was made with the Harbour Master for same, but he opted not to divulge

any further details.

“I don’t want to make any pronouncements while investigations are ongoing… I did (pronounce) and give what I had to (in the notice) to alert the relevant persons and now we are investigating the matter,” Tennant told Guyana

Times on Saturday.

Last year, MARAD had come under heavy criticism from residents over its failure to remove a sunken dredge, “Draga”, at Pieremap Falls in the Mazaruni. The channel in which the partially submerged dredge, owned by Crown Mining Supplies, was lodged is the only avenue for transportation to the upper and middle Mazaruni.

It was reported that a local mining company had assiduously tried to remove the dredge, but unfortunately, high tide and the location of the dredge between rocks in the waterfalls had made it impossible to manoeuvre special equipment to the site.

The vessel sank sometime in early June 2016, and after failed attempts to have it removed, the Public Infrastructure Ministry had to intervene. The subject minister, David Patterson, had stated in October last that the removal would incur a cost of some $24 million, which the mining company would have to repay Government.

18 news Witnesses’ rights to be protected – AG sunday, october 15, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

…Witness Protection Bill for next parliamentary sitting

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any of Guyana’s leading crimes are recorded as unsolved, or remain a mystery,

either because witnesses are not brave enough to testify or they are afraid to be held accountable for someone’s sen-

tencing. However, according to Attorney General Basil Williams, this will soon come to an end.

A section of the gathering at the anti-corruption sensitisation seminar

Williams made this pronouncement at the second consultation in a series of anti-corruption sensitisation seminars held throughout Guyana. These seminars are hosted by the Legal Affairs Ministry with the intention of sensitising and informing a wide cross-section of stakeholders about the Government’s anti-corruption policy.

According to Williams, one of the many challenges faced in the justice system is obtaining the information necessary to convict a criminal, since often times key witnesses and other persons are intimidated by threats and/or victimisation. This, he noted, would be addressed with the Witness Protection Bill, expected to be tabled in the National Assembly in the resumption after recess.

Speaking to employees in the public and private sectors in the auditorium of the Anna Regina Multilateral Secondary School in Region Two, Minister Williams said witnesses can now feel safe when attending court.

The bill, he added, will serve as another instrument aimed at minimising corruption. Rated by Transparency International (TI), Guyana is listed as the second most corrupt country in the southern hemisphere.

Meanwhile, Principal Parliamentary Counsel, Joann Bond, pointed out that the witness protection program is designed to protect persons involved in both civil and criminal matters.

“Persons may request protection in cases of murder, manslaughter, money laundering, sexual offences,

anti-terrorism, and domestic violence. Once the bill becomes a law, the program will be administered, and an administrative centre, an investigative agency, and a protective agency (will be established),” Bond explained.

The administrative centre, she continued, would then collaborate with the Head of State, the Attorney General, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), and the Commissioner of Police.

Furthermore, in an effort to promote transparency, Bond noted that criteria would be placed as a gatekeeping function for application, so as to prevent abuse of the programme.

“Persons may want to use the programme as an escape, as a way out, to finding a new life with a new identity. As such, the administrative centre will carefully review the importance of evidence and statements. If your evidence is not enough to lead to a conviction, there may be no need for you applying for the program,” the Principal Parliamentary Counsel posited.

Bond went on to note that disclosing a witness’s new identity would result in a fine of one million dollars, or to imprisonment for 10 years.

The seminar provided a comprehensive overview on the Witness Protection Bill.

Attending the seminar also was Region Two Chairman Devanand Ramdatt; Regional Executive Officer Rupert Hopkinson, and Deputy Regional Chairperson Nandranie Coonjah, along with RDC councillors.

“Short Man” on trial for Essequibo murder

A

The accused, Ewath Cobis being led away at the High Court in Georgetown

12-member jury was empanelled at the Demerara High Court to hear the case of Ewath Cobis, called “Short Man”, who is accused of murdering Ronaldo Joseph, called “Long Hair”. The murder occurred on December 11, 2012 on the Essequibo Coast.

At his arraignment on Thursday before High Court Judge Simone MorrisRamlall, Gobis entered a not guilty plea when the charge was read to him. Five witnesses are expected to testify during the course of the trial. He is being represented by Attorney Mark Conway, while Prosecutor Seeta Bissundial is leading the State’s case.

sunDAY, october 15, 2017

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Pan American Indoor Hockey Championships 2017, Guyana…

Excitement is buzzing ahead of opening whistle

T

he Pan American hockey family has gathered in Guyana for the second biggest indoor hockey event worldwide slated to run off in the upcoming week. At a media interaction on Saturday at the Sleep Inn International Hotel, representatives of the various countries involved all shared the same sentiment; they are all rearing and excited to compete.

The Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) also came in for high praises with Pan American Hockey Federation (PAHF) Event & Development Coordinator Laura Macchiotti noting that the venue and playing surface are “very good”. She also thanked GHB President Philip

Fernandes for hosting the tournament as she pointed out that “it is important for different countries to host the Pan-Ams” as PAHF seeks to spread hockey and ensure development throughout the region.

Meanwhile, sport stalwart Joseph “Reds” Perreira speaking at the press conference said that he was “pleased as punch” at Guyana hosting the tournament while maintaining that it is a big step in the development of the sport in Guyana.

Head coach of the Uruguayan team, Nicolas Tixe explained that he has first-hand experience in hosting the tournament and congratulated the GHB as he noted that it is not easy for a small country

to host the Pan American tournament.

GHB head Philip Fernandes in his address thanked all the participating teams for making the sacrifice to be here, he also stated the variety of world class teams that will be competing is important as the experience will benefit the Guyanese women’s national team especially as they are making their Pan American debut. In respect to the men’s national team, Fernandes said that he is looking forward to seeing them in action as they did well at the last Pan Am tournament in Uruguay, 2014 when they finished as bronze medalists.

On behalf of the officials (umpires, scorers), Wendy Stuart, Juan Manuel and

Stakes high in today’s Kadir Mohamed Memorial Cycling

– overall winner to fetch an ounce of gold

T

he country’s top cyclists will converge today at the National Sports Commission (NSC) on Homestretch Avenue at the starting point of the Kadir Mohamed Memorial 80-mile Cycling road race.

Jamaul John who sits on the top of the Guyana Cycling Classification table will lead the charge for the local cyclists while the likes of Paul DeNobrega, Raul Leal and GDF’s Alanzo Ambrose will surely be in contention for a podium spot.

However, with Geron Williams and Raynauth “Obeah Man” Jeffrey back on the local scene, it will be an interesting race for the winning prize of an ounce of raw gold.

Just last weekend Williams announced his return to the local scene, from a month long layoff due to injury, with a tactical victory in the annual Hand-in-Hand cycling meet. However, if he is to succeed in the grueling road race, he will need to transfer that form on the asphalt.

Guyana’s top cyclists will pedal off today for a total of $1,000,000 in prizes

The race will begin at 7:30hrs on Homestretch Avenue proceed to Dora on the Linden/Soesdyke Highway before returning to the finish line at the point of origin. The veterans, juveniles and mountain bikers will turn back just after Splashmins.

The race is organized by the Flying Ace Cycling Club and sponsored by the family of the late Kadir Mohamed of Bartica. Mohamed was an avid sport fan who regularly attended cycling events in his free time.

While the overall winner of the race will walk away with a trophy and an ounce

of gold, some $763,000 will be spread across the various categories with winners pocketing cash prizes. Ten sprint point cash prizes will also be up for grabs.

In the open category, second to eight place finishers will pocket $85000, $70000, $55000, $35000, $20000, $18000 and $12000 in that order.

Meanwhile in the junior category, first to fourth place will pocket $50000, $40000, $20000 and $15000 respectively. In the Veterans race first to third place winners will receive $50000, $40000 and $20000 as well.

From right: Joseph “Reds” Perreira, GHB President Philip Fernandes and PAHF Event coordinator Laura Macchiotti and another official at the press conference

Dean Wentwick all expressed admiration of the conditions of the venue while declaring that they are here to serve the game and will be looking forward to an exciting tournament.

This year the women’s tournament will be

the largest in history with seven countries participating. Those countries are host nation Guyana, USA, Canada, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina and Uruguay.

In the men’s tournament, Canada, Trinidad

and Tobago, Barbados, Guyana, Mexico and Argentina will compete for gold and a lone spot at the 2018 World Cup. The Canadians are the current men and women’s champions and will be looking to defend their titles.

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guyanatimesGY.com

sunDAY, october 15, 2017

Courts/ Malta Pee-Wee Football Tournament 2017…

– St John’s Bosco Children’s Home win again

S

ophia Primary School’s dream run in the seventh Courts/ Malta Schools Pee-Wee football tournament continued on Saturday when inaugural winners Marian Academy held them to a 2-2 draw at the Banks DIH, Thirst Park ground.

Michael Alphonso opened the scoring for Marian in the 8th minute but the prolific David Weeks equalized one minute after.

Bradley Walton then return the power to Marian Academy when he netted in the 23rd . However, the joy was short lived as Leonard King scored in the 28th.

In other games played in the third round action, Mocha Primary needled Victoria Primary thanks to a Jahiem Lewis goal in the 7th minute while Rovin Henry (2nd) and Jacob Rodney (6th) piloted St Ambrose to a 2-0 win over Smith’s Memorial.

A double by Kishen Humphrey (12th and 22nd) kept Colaaco a winless team when they lost 0-3 to Den Amstel. Arvind Henry added the other goal in the 26th.

Redeemer Primary crushed Grove 4-0, with goals coming from Kevin George (6th, 16th), Nicolas Watts (23rd) and Miguel

Alexander(25th) while Enterprise won via walkover against Supply.

Meanwhile, Mae’s and Timheri were locked 2-2 at the blow of the final whistle.

Joshua Bentick (21st) and Dhanesh Persaud (29th) netted while Antwoine Denny (22nd) and Keron Williams (28th) made the impact for Timheri.

F.E Pollard steamrolled Soesdyke 5-0 with Safar Stephen (2nd, 4th), Trevon Williams (6th), Own Goal (20th) and Terrence Pearson (25th) making conversions.

St. John’s Bosco Children’s Home of Plaisance continued their

It was another day of high octane action at the Banks DIH, Thirst Park ground

rampage, hammering J.E Burnham 4-0 due to a brace each by Ronaldo Harry (4th, 7th) and Windell Pickell (8th,19th).

Similarly, Angela's down Winfer Garden 6-0 via Omarie Nelson hat-trick (11th, 20th, 30th) and supporting goals from Tyshawn James (23rd,26th) and C’quan O'Neal (2nd).

Parfait Harmony edged Goed Fortuin 1-0 when Jeremiah Ramotar scored

in the 19th minute while School of the Nations and South Ruimveldt played to a goalless draw.

St. Agnes and North Georgetown produced another draw of the day when Jermaine Crum-Ewing scored in the 20th for Agnes but Jakeel Jackson found an equalizer in the 23rd.

Jacqui Gonsalves’ goal in the 15th was enough to give Stella Maris a 1-0 win over St. Stephen’s while

West Ruimveldt edged St. Margaret's 2-1. Devon Chance (4th) and Jonathan Andries (26th) scored for the winners. Tyrese Harris had equalized in the 14th.

Tucville and battled to St. Pius 1-1. Kaden Wellington scored in the third minute while an own goal two minutes came for Tucville.

Matches will continue Saturday at the same venue.

Guyana blaze trail to Milex/Crown Mining Long Range Title T

eam Guyana showed their appetite for the distance shoot when they riddled their way to the Milex/Crown Mining Long range title at the Timheri Rifle Ranges on Saturday.

The locals tallied a whopping 712 points and 31 V Bulls to take the top accolade with Captain Mahendra Persaud chalking up 95 with 5 V's as the top shooter in the class.

Leo Romalho (92, 5V's) was also a top contributor to the side with newcomer Roberto Tiwari shooting 4 V Bulls in his score of 92.

Other members of the Guyana team were Sherwin Felicien, Peter Persaud, Vice Captain Dylan Fields, Ransford Goodluck and Lennox Brathwaithe.

Meanwhile, second place was picked up

by Barbados who lost by 5 V's after scoring the same 712 score but with only 27 V's.

Jason Wood, Lancelot Trotman and Marlon King each shot in the 93's but the Bajan team could not score as many V's.

Third place went to Ireland with fourth place going to England.

Meanwhile the Guyana NRA 150th anniversary Shoot was won by David Calvert who closed off the shoot at 198 and 18 V's.

Local ace Ransford Good luck was good enough for second with two points and 6Vs short but will still share the spotlight.

Today will feature the WIFBSC short range championship which begins at 09:00 at the Timehri Rifle Ranges.

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GTT’s Public Relations Officer, Allison Parker (right) hands over the SIMs to Team Uruguay upon their arrival in Guyana

be a key player in helping the scores of players who are visiting this beautiful foreign land, to stay in touch with their families by donating 200 SIM cards equipped with minutes’ free talk, free texts and free data!

On Wednesday, October 11, 2017, GTT donated the first set of SIM cards to the team from Uruguay after they arrived at Regency Suites on Hadfield Street.

Coach of the team, Nicolas Tixe, after receiving the donation from GTT’s Public Relations Officer, Allison Parker, expressed sincere gratitude for the gesture.

More than that, he declared

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that in all their travels, Guyana is the first country in which they have received such an act of generosity and hospitality.

“This is very important because it is a way to communicate inside the country. Sometimes we come to a tournament and we don’t have these facilities… in other countries we have to pay for this…I think it is a good idea and it was a good thing to have this opportunity to communicate,” he said.

Two hundred players will be recipients of the free SIM and service.

Meanwhile, Parker ex-

A Caribbean to remain focused on developing boxing – Ninvalle s Guyana prepares to host the Pan American Hockey

Federation’s Indoor Pan American Cup Qualifying tournament 2017, GTT will

AFTER SERVING TWO PRESCRIPTIVE RIGHTS, ACCUMULATING TO TWENTY SIX YEARS, AT BOTH 3218 BUTTERCUP PLACE, SOUTH RUIMVELDT PARK AND 469 KISKADEE DRIVE SOUTH RUIMVELDT GARDENS, IT IS HEREBY DECLARED TO THE PUBLIC THAT RAYMOND ANTHONY IS THE RIGHTFUL OWNER OF THE AFORMENTIONED PROPERTIES.

SALON / SPA

21

pressed that GTT is honoured to be able to assist the players in communicating with their families while traveling as staying in touch can bring a sense of comfort while traveling.

“We find pleasure making this donation to you because we know what it is to be out of communication with your loved ones and we want you to keep you connected at all times,” she said.

This is the first time in the Pan American Games History, that Guyana will host the tournament.

Matches will be played in Guyana from October 16-21.

Florida Guyana Hope call up big stars for big clash GBA President Steve Ninvalle addressing the gathering on Saturday at the National Racquet Centre

A

midst the brewing turmoil in the International Boxing Association (AIBA), President of the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) Steve Ninvalle told his Caribbean counter parts they will aim to remain focus on evolving the sport.

Ninvalle was at the time speaking at a meeting of Caribbean boxing representatives at the National Racquet Centre.

He felt it was important

that the region do not “pick sides” during the on-going saga but reaming for the development of the sport.

AIBA Taiwanese president Ching-kuo Wu has been provisionally suspended by a disciplinary commission.

The Switzerland-based organisation has been riven with in-fighting for months, with Wu pitted against most of the executive committee who failed to remove him through a vote of no-confi-

Hamilton Green Knock-out Cup 2017

Ann’s Grove, Soesdyke hunt 1st semi-final spot

T

he first quarter-final of the Hamilton Green Knockout tournament will kick off tonight at Victoria Ground, East Coast Demerara when Ann’s Grove takes on Soesdyke at 21:00h.

They both will be looking to bring their “A” game with a semi-final spot at stake.

Before that game there will be two exhibition matches with Mahaica facing Plaisance at 17:00h while Victoria Kings look for a home win against Buxton-Bakewell.

The tournament will continue next Sunday (October 22) with three quarter-finals at the same venue. At 17:00h Police FC will look to arrest Silver Shattas while Uitvlugt face off with Mile Rock at 19:00h. Following those two games, Den Amstel will take on Winners Connection.

dence tabled in July.

The Interim Management Committee (IMC), which was established in July following the no confidence vote, has been seeking to remove the Taiwanese official from power amid allegations of financial mismanagement under his administration.

The salutation leaves the Caribbean in a predicament especially since they have their regional championships this December in ST Lucia and the AIBA had offered US$25,000 to help the host offset expenses.

Meanwhile, Director of sport Christopher Jones told the gathering the meeting is off significant value since it is necessary to fix the issues that exist.

Jones reminded the gathering the impact the sport has on the region since it gives youths from “depressed communities an opportunity to achieve goals and engage in a positive lifestyle.”

Representatives came from Bahamas, St Marten, St Lucia, Barbados, Suriname, Cayman Islands, Trinidad and Tobago along with American Boxing Federation (AMBC) President Osvaldo Rafael Bisbal who a made a presentation concerning the situation of AIBA.

– Tangible donations on the day’s agenda

F

lorida Guyana Hope have begun their annual trip to Guyana with a series of charity outreaches on Saturday and will take to the cricket field today for a feature cricket match.

The charity organization based in Florida, USA is on their fourth annual trip to the land of their birth and will team up with Regal Masters in their quest for softball cricket supremacy when they take on a powerful Corriverton United team from 10:00h.

Since some members of the Florida Guyana Hope cricket team are not on the tour for various reasons, they have called up seasoned softball players from champion team, Regal Masters. Mahendra Hardyal, Mahendra Arjune, David Harper, Mahesh Chunilall, Eon Abel and Eric Thomas are all committed to the charity efforts of the visitors and have agreed to the game.

Meanwhile, the hosts will not be taking anything for granted and have selected their best players since winning is a top priority as well.

After the game, a grand presentation will follow where the members of Florida Guyana Hope are expected to donate 40 wheel chairs and 20 walking aids to various charities and the not so fortunate.

While in Guyana, the non for profit organization will be making tangible donations to various Children’s Homes in regions three and four.

Corriverton United will come from; James Hart (captain), Vibert Dan (Vice-captain), Anthony Seeraj, Michael Dan, Lawrence Mentis, Raymond Lowenfield, Hassan Mohamed, Mirza Ally, Patrick Mentis, Zafrul Khan, Vishal Persaud, Fabian Seerraj, Akash Lutchman and Orin George. Vishnu Hardyal is the Manager.

Florida-Guyana Hope squad reads; Anthony Dhannie (captain), Mahendra Hardyal (vice-captain), Raj Bharat, Jai Sahadeo, Pancho Samsundar, Butchu Kowlessar, Atif Khan, Rajin Ramkarran, Steve Narain, John Ramsingh, David Harper, Mahendra Arjune, Mahesh Chunilall, Eon Abel, Eric Thomas and Afzal Haniff. The Manager is Mohammed Yassin and Buddy Rampersaud is the Assistant Manager.

22

guyanatimesgy.com

sunDAY, october 15, 2017

GCB/ Jaguars Franchise 3-Day League

– Upper Corentyne maul Georgetown

C

linton Pestano smashed an unbeaten half century to go along with his 5-fer as

Upper Corentyne hammered Georgetown by 5 wickets on the final day of their final round match of the GCB/

Jaguars 3-Day League played at Port Mourant on Saturday.

The match saw the

Shiv Chanderpaul

winners knocking over Georgetown for 274 in their first innings before amassing a mammoth 440 thanks to tons from Rajiv Ivan and Balchand Baldeo.

Georgetown batting a second time managed 277 all out in 69.3 overs with Paul Wintz playing a captain’s knock of 92 while wicket-keeper Dexter Solomon supported with a solid 77.

Their tormentors were the in-form off-spinner Eon Hooper who bagged 4-22 and Pestano who sliced through the order to end with 5-48, leaving their team needing 112 for a win. Georgetown didn’t go down without a fight as fast-bowler Kellon Carmichael gave his side a glimmer of hope with his burst of 4-25.

His spell nearly pulled things back for Georgetown but Pestano who crunched three sixes and three fours

and Ivan who chipped in with 23, ensured Upper Corentyne got to 116-5 and over the rope with wickets and overs to spare.

Upper Corentyne has accumulated a total of 78.7 points while Georgetown will be disappointed with their performance this season as they ended with 57.5 points.

East Coast Demerara vs. Upper Demerara/East Bank at Everest After resuming on 184-3 with the pair of Amir Khan (69*) and Kamesh Yadram (57*) at the crease, East

Clinton Pestano

Coast went on to score 298 all out as the two aforementioned batsmen sought to punish the East Bank bowlers. While Yadram unfortunately got out on 99, Khan carried his bat through to score 104 de-

spite efforts from spinners Sagar Hetheremani (344) and Darshan Persaud (3-77). East Bank ended their first innings on 184-9 with their captain Ronaldo AliMohammed hitting 118 not out with support from last man Keon Morris who was unbeaten on 34, trailing by 114 runs with a day remaining.

West Demerara vs.

Essequibo at Tuschen Veteran middle-order batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul notched up another ton (119)in his illustrious career as Essequibo piled on 264 all out in their first innings with other contributions coming from Anthony Adams (37) and Chaitram Persaud 40.

In reply, Persaud returned with ball to snap up three wickets, leaving West Demerara reeling at 81-5 at the end of day two’s action, putting the table leaders in a comfortable position heading into the final day.

West Berbice vs.

Lower Corentyne at Bush Lot After day one was washed out with no play followed by a late start to the second day, West Berbice ended day two on 69-1 after 18.3 overs with Raffel Estraidd highlighting with 42 after Lower Corentyne had earlier declared on 74-8 after 21.4 overs after the competition’s leading wicket-taker, Gudakesh Motie’s haul of 5-8.

guyanatimesgy.com

sunDAY, october 15, 2017

23

Spinners set up Windies ‘A’ innings victory

L

eg-spinner, Damion Jacobs and off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall bowled splendidly to give West Indies ‘A’ a commanding victory in the opening ‘Test’ against Sri Lanka ‘A’ at Trelawny Multiplex at Florence Hall, Jamaica.

The pair of West Indian spinners took nine wickets in Sri Lanka ‘A’ second innings after they were asked to follow-on. Local boy, Jacobs got the breakthrough in the 16th over

SCOREBOARD

to end an 82-run stand between Sandun Weerakkody and Ron Chandragupta after which the remaining wickets followed in quick succession.

In all, the visitors lost 10 wickets for 57 runs when they were bowled out for 139 to give West Indies ‘A’ victory by an innings 13 runs on the final day.

Earlier, Sri Lanka ‘A’ lost their last three wickets in seven balls to be dismissed for 212 in their first

Windies Women go 2-0 up

C

Stafanie Taylor

aptain Stafanie Taylor produced an award-winning performance with bat and ball to lead the Windies Women to a second successive win over Sri Lanka in Trinidad, during the ICC Women’s Championships qualification for World Cup 2021.

Asked to bat first in a rain-reduced 47 overs

per side match, Sri Lanka posted 162 all out in 46.3 overs.

Yosada Mendis 34 and Chamari Athapaththu 31 were the main run-scorers along with Dilani Manodara 26.

Afy Fletcher led the Windies wicket-takers with 3/24 from her 10 overs, while Anisa Mohammed took 2/16 and Stafanie Taylor 2/31.

Hayley Matthews and Kycia Knight got the Windies run chase off to a solid start, posting 49 before Knight was the first to go for 24.

Matthews fell for 25. Then came the match-winning 77-run partnership between Taylor and Deandra Dottin. The Windies finished on 163/3 from 39.4 overs. Taylor on 60 not out and Dottin 37 not out.

Stafanie Taylor was Player of the Match.

The third ODI is on Sunday 15, at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad from 9.30h.

SCOREBOARD Sri Lanka Innings (47 Overs Maximum) MDN Hansika* †Aguilleira b Mohammed 18 BYA Mendis c Taylor b Fletcher 34 AC Jayangani c Kycia A Knight b Taylor 31 MADD Surangika run out (Selman) 26 PM Weerakkody st †Aguilleira b Mohammed 1 HASD Siriwardene lbw b Fletcher 4 SS Weerakkody c Taylor b Selman 19 KADA Kanchana hit wicket b Fletcher 3 RS Vandort† lbw b Taylor 17 KDU Prabodhani not out 2 I Ranaweera b Connell 0 Extras (b-1, lb-4, w-2) 7 Total (All Out, 46.3 Overs) 162 Fall of wickets: 1-53, 2-72, 3-104, 4-105, 5-112, 6-122, 7-129, 8-158, 9-160, 10-162 Bowling Selman 5-1-20-1, Connell 3.3-0-24-1, Matthews 9-0-42-0 (w-1), Fletcher

10-0-24-3 (w-1), Mohammed 103-16-2, Taylor 9-0-31-2 West Indies Women Innings (Target: 163 runs from 47 overs) HK Matthews c Kanchana b Ranaweera 25 Kycia A Knight b Jayangani 24 60 SR Taylor* not out 8 CN Nation b Siriwardene 37 DJS Dottin not out Extras (lb-3, nb-1, w-5) 9 Total (For 3 wickets, 39.4 Overs) 163 Did not bat: MR Aguilleira†, Kyshona A Knight, SS Connell, A Mohammed, ASS Fletcher, SC Selman Fall of wickets: 1-49, 2-59, 3-86 Bowling Prabodhani 4-0-13-0, Weerakkody 7-0-34-0, Kanchana 4-2-10-0, Jayangani 5-0-271 (w-5), Ranaweera 10-0-431, Siriwardene 9.4-0-33-1 Result: West indies Women won by 7 wickets with 44 balls remaining Player of the Match: Stafanie Taylor (West Indies Women)

The architects of destruction, Rahkeem Cornwall (left) and Damion Jacobs combined for 14 wickets in the match

innings trailing by 152 runs.

West Indies ‘A’ captain, Shamarh Brooks immediately enforced the follow-on in a push for the morale boosting opening victory.

Jacobs was named Man of the Match after claiming eight wickets in the match.

The second “Test” begins on Thursday October 14 at the same venue.

West Indies ‘A’ 1st Innings 364-8 decl.

Sri Lanka ‘A’ 1st Innings (Overnight 201-7) R Chandragupta c Hamilton b Cottrell 11 S Weerakkody+ c Brooks* b Joseph 0 D Silva* c Campbell b Jacobs 104 C Asalanka c Ambris b Joseph 10 D Shanaka c & b Cottrell 20 W Hasaranga c Brooks b Cornwall 24 S Jayasuria c Jacobs b Cornwall 14 C Karunaratne lbw b Jacobs 0 M Pushpakumara c Ambris b Joseph 14 L Kumara not out 0 A Fernando st Hamilton b Cornwall 0 Extras (b-8, lb-0, w-1, nb-6) 15 Total (All out, 56.4) 212 FOW: 1-1, 2-33, 3-73, 4-108, 5-171, 6-181, 7-181, 8-212, 9-212, 10-212 Bowling Cottrell 13-2-412 (nb-1), Joseph 10-2-33-3 (nb-5), Leveridge 10-2-280 (w-1), Cornwall 14.4-1-693, Jacobs 9-0-33-2

Sri Lanka ‘A’ 2nd Innings (following on) S Weerakkody+ c (sub) Cariah b Cornwall 56 R Chandragupta c Singh b Jacobs

27 D De Silva* c Campbell b Jacobs 18 C Asalanka c Hamilton b Cornwall 0 D Shanaka lbw b Jacobs 1 S Jayasuriya lbw b Jacobs 18 W Hasaranga c Campbell b 7 Jacobs C Karunaratne run out (Ambris) 6 0 M Pushpakumara b Jacobs L Kumara c Ambris b Cornwall 1 A Fernando not out 0 Extras (b-2, nb-3) 5 Total (All out, 44.2) 139 Bowling Cottrell 5-0-290, Joseph 4-0-24-0 (nb-3), Leveridge 2.2-1-4-0, Cornwall 18-3-53-3, Jacobs 15-6-27-6 Result: West Indies ‘A’ won by an innings and 13 runs Player of the Match: Damion Jacobs (West Indies ‘A’)

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

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

Courts/ Malta Pee-Wee Football Tournament 2017…

Pg 20

Rampant Sophia held

by Marian Academy

– St John’s Bosco Children’s Home win again Part of the close action on Saturday at the Banks DIH, Thirst Park ground

Spinners set up Windies ‘A’ innings victory Pg 23

West Indies ‘A’ players set off in wild celebration at the fall of another wicket

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.

October 15, 2017

Star Times Hollywood:

‘Game of Thrones’ will stop filming for Kit and Rose’s wedding Page 14 FREE DISTRIBUTION

The fight against a debilitating disease Page 4

Jungle Survival in Guyana

Page 5

The early period of road and railway transport Page 7

Apoteri: Where Culture and Nature Abound

Page 8

HSS- National Diya Light-up

Page 3

2 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

OCTOBER 15, 2017

Feature

The Guyana Annual

Celebrating over 100 years in existence

By Petamber Persaud

T

he longevity of The Guyana Annual magazine rest solely on the fact that the custodians of

this publication have never shied away from change and innovation; in fact, change and innovation were embraced with a passion. And

in the world of the arts, passion matters. Passion matters especially in a climate of little respect and little recompense for artists/writers.

Petamber Persaud recently handing over a copy of the magazine to a representative from the National Library

Without passion for the arts, without passion in the arts, many a good venture would die a swift death. So the magazine was always reinventing itself, meeting the needs of contemporary tastes.

Without embracing constant change the magazine could not have survive this long – 102 years and counting - outliving its main rivals like the “Caribia” and “The Christmas Tide”, two early publications with sound groundings. The “Christmas Tide” was produced by the Argosy Company and the “Caribia” by British Guiana Lithographic.

Some of those modifications started as in the early 1930s, only 15 years after its launch in December 1915. In the year 1932, the magazine was the first to add colour to such publications. That innovation has enhanced the image of and endeared the magazine to a wider readership.

Talking about a readership, in the initial stages when the production was in the hands of colonial administrators,

the magazine was distributed far and wide among countries under the same colonial domination. It can be inferred then that at that period, the popularity of the magazine was in high esteem.

On the local scene, the magazine was also held in high esteem. In some years, advertisements outnumbered pages – any business worth its salt wanted to be part of the magazine. And in other years, the magazine was sold out. Oh, for the return to such response.

On the subject of advertisements – it is a researcher’s delight to go through those commercial and person promotions. Those advertisements hold missing and essential parts of our history.

Even in its 102nd year of existence, The Guyana Annual magazine, previously named the “Chronicle Christmas Annual”, launched in December 1915, is admittedly fraught with challenges but is managing to stay viable with more changes and innovations.

The production of a 2018 issue is now been handled by a management committee.

Other modifications for the 2018 issue of The Guyana Annual include the reintroduction of photography and art competitions, and the introduction of competitions for journalism, cartoon, and drama. Of note, persons can win up to GYD$75,000 in cash in any of the competitions.

Of note also, the first prize for the Dr. Tulsi Dyal Singh Oil & Gas competition is GYD$250,000.

Competition rules are available on The Guyana Annual Facebook page or can be uplifted from Guyenterprise.

Entries can be submitted electronically via email address (theguyanaannual@gmail.com) or in hard copy format hand delivered to Guyenterprise, 234 Lance Gibbs & Irving Streets, Queenstown, Georgetown.

Responses to this author telephone (592) 226-0065 or email: oraltradition2002@yahoo.com

From the 1966 Christmas Annual - 'Young Mother' by Ecliffe Wharton, which gained Honourable Mention in the 'Open Photographic Competition', was used to headline the new Children's Section of the Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

OCTOBER 15, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine

3

Times Focus

HSS- National Diya Light-up

T

aking the concept of Diwali into the public space with a focus on the message of this ‘Festival of Lights’ to our nation and not just a religious observance, the HSS (Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh) National Diya Light-up, in its third consecutive year, is being held today at Rahaman’s Park, Houston.

The idea of the diya light-up was conceptualised in 2015 by the HSS team to have a national diya where HSS shares the significance of Diwali and its message to the entire Guyana population and to show how the message of Hinduism is universal and their festivals are all encompassing, while still maintaining its sanctity and religious aspect(s).

“HSS is a social organisation and we believe that Guyana belongs to all of us. As such, we believe we have a right and duty to ensure our festivals and sacred observances should be given its rightful place in our society. Our team decided that we should also do our duty and play our role in ensuring that Diwali gets it rightful place and we do so in a grand way that will see it becoming a national symbol and annual feature in our calendar of events,” Vishal Seeraj, an HSS member, said in an interview with Sunday Times Magazine.

The event’s programme will feature prayers, skits, songs, and speeches by the head of HSS Guyana and also the global coordinator of HSS - Shri Saumitra Gokhale. Light Diya float at refreshments and tokens, a past HSS such as diyas, to all in atNational Diya tendance.

Light-up event Concerning dress code, Vishal said the event is in celebration of the Goddess Lakshmi. As such, out of respect, modest dress code is expected as such high de-

gree of reverence and emphasis on dignity is synonymous with the Goddess Lakshmi.

Explaining HSS’ theme this year, “Lighting the path to the future”, Vishal said: “Guyana is poised at a critical juncture at this time and we believe that we should invest in the youth of this nation. Our children are the future and we wish they emulate all the teachings and messages that are accorded with the observance of this sacred festival of Diwali, which speaks of removal of darkness from our lives with light, triumph of good over evil and as a nation these are pertinent to our future and the investments we make in our children and youths.”

Notably, the event was organised by youths to bring people together, so all religious, political and social groups are welcome to attend. The programme will start from 6:30pm; entrance to the event is free.

There is also a special song written for this event and the lyrics give us something to contemplate on: Let us go and light lamps where there is darkness still.

Unrestrained and directionless, youths are in a sorrowful condition. Individualism has taken over. ‘I’ and ‘mine’ are the words ruling the minds of people. Broken families are becoming common and family values are receding.

The beast within the humans has exploited the bountiful Mother Earth. ‘The Earth is our Mother and we are her children’this feeling is proving to be false. All these poisonous thoughts are looming large over the whole world under the name of ‘globalisation’.

But, we are not scared nor will we give up. We will forge ahead.

We will rest only when we bring about, like a storm, a noble mental revolution. Look! In our ‘organised strength’ we are already seeing the light.

A section of the crowd at a past HSS Diya Light-up

4

Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

OCTOBER 15, 2017

Feature

The fight against a debilitating disease Lymphatic filariasis patients offer advice on coping and surviving the disease

Narine Murlie

By Indrawattie Natram

S

everal filariasis patients in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) are offering words of advice and encouragement to fellow infected individuals to remain positive despite having to live with this debilitating disease.

Vibert Munroe, 69, a rice farmer of Richmond Village said he “inherited” the disease from his mother at the age of 16. Munroe has severely suffered from the disease, which is also commonly known as elephantiasis. Despite painful and profound disfiguration, Munroe has managed to live a ‘normal’ life, providing for his family and also being an inspiration for others with filariasis.

Munroe, who attends the Anna Regina and Suddie Public Hospital High-Risk clinics, said he has received much support from these clinics as they serve as support groups as other patients meet, socialise and interact with each other. Those who are not suffering from the disease are also encouraged to take preventive measures, like using Albendazole tablets. Notably, Munroe also sensitises youths on filariasis.

He revealed that several of his siblings are infected. Sadly, one of his brothers died recently from the disease.

Narine Murlie, from Golden Fleece village on the Essequibo Coast, has been living with filariasis for over 40 years. He recalled developing a pain in his ankle which eventually spread causing his left foot to swell. With a few adjustments, however, he has been coping with the disease.

Murlie still enjoys riding his bicycle to the backdam and earning a living.

Murlie’s encouragement to others suffering from the disease is to “not give up, but be an inspiration to all those that are struggling”.

Both Munroe and Murlie receive medication from the Suddie Public Hospital, however they have expressed a need for more treatments, including medication for filariasis.

Efforts against filariasis in Guyana Mass Drug Administration (MDA) is promoted in Guyana as the only prevention and treatment method for filariasis. MDA aims to treat an entire population within a country through administering a curative dose of medication to vulnerable citizens without first testing for infections. The MDA exercise is annually spearheaded by all public health agencies worldwide. Individuals also have a personal mandate of keeping their surroundings clean and free of breeding sites for (culex) mosquitoes that carry the worm.

The use of treated bed nets is also recommended.

Vibert Munroe

The Neglected Diseases unit, through funding from the Government of Guyana, provides slippers, towels, buckets and basins to filariasis patients to properly wash their feet. Dressing and bandage are also given for covering and further treatment.

The Ministry of Public Health has been collaborating over the years with agencies such as the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO), Centre for Disease Control (CDC), Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and a number of non-governmental organisations for a number of years in reducing the number of filarial cases within the country.

The process of treatment at the unit of the Vector Control Services starts with evaluation.

The patients are evaluated then tested to confirm that there is indeed microscopic thread-like or roundworms in the system that would eventually cause filariasis. If the worm is detected, treatment begins with the administration of Albendazole or Diethylcarbamazine Citrate (DEC) at pre-specified doses. This medication will kill the worms that cause swelling of the groin or limbs, more specifically the leg.

According to coordinator of the Neglected Infectious Diseases Department within the Vector Control Services Unit, Dr. Fabu Moses, pointed out that at present more than 90 percent of the population is at risk of contracting filariasis.

“We did a study on primary school children in Regions One to Ten and this gave us some figures that showed our country or 90 percent of our population is at risk of contracting the small worms, micro-filariae, in adulthood,” she related in a recent interview.

The Vector Control Unit and Ministry of Public Health are now looking to ensure that everyone over the age of two, excluding those pregnant or considered to be very ill, is medicated.

“The Mass Drug Administration campaign has quite a few different facets, which include going house-to-house to disseminate information and medication to persons… We will be walking with the original containers the medication came in so that people will see where they were made, their expiry date.

This is done to alleviate concerns people have about what they are consuming, and rightfully so,” she declared.

For those persons who are not available when the teams visit their homes, filariasis medication will be available at health centres in Regions Three and Four since the medication is not available in pharmacies. The MDA campaign is expected to reach Region Two in 2018.

guyanatimesgy.com

OCTOBER 15, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 5

Feature

By Julia Dimon

W

ith jaguars, anacondas, black caiman and piranha, the jungle is home to a long list of creatures eager to eat, squeeze, bite or nibble on you if given the chance. With so many predator-free highend luxury resorts around the world, it’s a wonder why people would choose to spend their vacation time in the

for small animals, hand fish, sleep in jungle hammocks and make fire.

Part of an itinerary planned by Adventure Life (a tour operator offering multisport and adventure expeditions across Central and South America), this jungle survival course is an exercise in self-preservation and indigenous skills.

So there we were, in the middle of the jungle, try-

at. From hunting, we tried fishing for our dinner. Using plump white grubs as bait, we caught a few small piranhas, skewered the boney fish and grilled them over an open flame.

Post dinner, I retreated to my hammock to begin my going-to-bed ritual. As I reached for a toothbrush in my backpack, which was slung over a nearby tree branch, I saw something move. It was a

Learning how to hunt in the jungle from a local tour guide

thick of nature, (far from airconditioning, room service or cable) battling the elements.

Seems counter-intuitive, but learning to survive in the jungle is the exact reason why I, like the many other adventure-seekers before me, have found themselves in Guyana.

Nestled between Brazil and Venezuela, approximately 80 percent of this small South American country is primary tropical rainforest, making it the perfect locale for Bear Grylls wannabes on a quest to survive.

Deep in the Amazonian Basin, a few hours walk from the tiny Amerindian village of Surama, I followed a trio of Makushi guides into the jungle for a two-day survival adventure. This remote jungle experience teaches guests how to hunt using a traditional bow and arrow, set traps

ing to find a good place to camp. My guide signaled to a grassy patch of land that seemed suitable for a makeshift home. He handed me a machete and instructed me to clear away the vines that carpeted the jungle floor (so you can spot creepy crawlies who try to cuddle with you in the middle of the night). With the area clear, I strung my hammock between two trees, adjusted a tarp overtop, secured a mosquito net and voila. It was no [fancy hotel], but did serve as an effective shelter.

With camp set up, next task was to hunt for our dinner using a traditional bow and arrow. I’ve seen the movie “Hunger Games”, I know how it’s done. Turns out that real life archery requires a combination of strength, coordination and timing… a trifecta I pretty much sucked

Surviving in the jungle

massive wolf spider, double the size of my hand, crawling slowly up and territorially over my bag. I recoiled.

I’m not a fan of spiders, certainly not big hairy ones laying claim to my belongings.

My guide grabbed a stick and poked him until he scurried away. Then one of his wolf spiders buddies emerged from my bag. There were spiders everywhere! I’d set up camp smack in the middle of a wolf spider compound. Just great.

Unsettled, but unscathed, I slipped beneath my mosquito net and obsessively checked the innards of my hammock. No spiders there thank goodness!

Just as I was attempting to relax and settle in for the night, I spotted something big and black move inside my net. Bullet ant! Though

they’re only an inch long, bullet ants are nasty little guys with reputations as the world’s most painful stinging insect. On the Schmidt Sting index, bullet ants rate as the number one most painful bite among hymenoptera, one of the largest orders of insects. Schmidt himself described the bite of a bullet ant “like fire-walking over flaming charcoal with a 3-inch rusty nail grinding into your heel.” So when you find one crawling around your bed, it violates the perceived safety and sanctity of the gossamer mosquito net. My guide once again came to my rescue and “escorted” the ant out (“killed it dead dead” as they would say in Guyana).

Needless to say, after so much wolf spider/bullet ant excitement, it was a restless night’s sleep. I feared what

Fishing for her dinner

else might be in my hammock or lurking outside the net.

In the middle of the night, I heard an animal stomping around camp. I listened hard, held my breath and hoped the massive man-eater (which turned out to be a harmless armadillo) wasn’t hungry for blonde travel writers.

After my short time in the jungle, it became clear.

Beyond learning the tactical skills of survival, sleeping out in the jungle (exposed to the elements and plagued by an overactive imagination) tests your psychological strength.

Depriving oneself from all that is comfortable and familiar also makes returning to regular life all the more satisfying. Suddenly the simple comforts easily taken for granted (like running water, flushing toilets and walls), you now appreciate. Jungle

survival in Guyana was an incredible experience! It’s a way to test your boundaries, challenge yourself and acquire some new skills… just watch out for those bullet ants.

For more information on Julia’s travels, visit juliadimon.com Julia Dimon is a US family travel expert, on-camera travel TV host, travel influencer, blogger and hard-core travel junkie who has travelled around the world to over 80 countries, across all seven continents. She has eaten scorpions, trekked through jungles, slept with lions and battled malaria, but now for her biggest challenge - parenthood. Her mission is to empower adventurous likeminded mothers with tips and tricks when traveling with young children.

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OCTOBER 15, 2017

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OCTOBER 15, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 7

Feature

The early period of road and railway transport Continued from last week

I

n October 1845, a management committee was appointed to supervise the construction of the project. Eventually, a bill proposing the construction of the railway was passed by the Court of Policy in July 1846. Then in March 1847, Frederick Catherwood began his task of building the railway.

For the Georgetown's terminus, the Demerara Railway Company purchased an area at the junction of Main and Lamaha Streets in the city. Here, in August 1847 work commenced on the building of a large railway station with workshops, coal sheds and large water tanks.

Construction other stations along the route also started shortly after.

That same year three railway steam engines, purchased in London, arrived in Georgetown and they were, respectively, named "Mosquito", "Sandfly" and "Firefly".

At first, a shortage of labour and finances impeded the construction of the railway. As construction continued, the cost escalated and government intervention was necessary to assure the repayment of loans offered.

But despite such problems, after nearly 15 months the railway was opened as far as Plaisance on 3 November 1848 with two trains running daily between this village and Georgetown. This became the first railway system on the South American continent.

Further problems arose as the railway extended, since land was required by the company for the route through the various plantations and the proprietors were not willing to give up

Rockstone River Terminus of the DER on the Essequibo River

Remains of the railway bridge at Mahaicony (Photo by Amanda Richards)

any part of their property without obtaining a favourable price. But through the intervention of the government, an agreement was reached by which proprietors were paid a compensation of $40 per acre of land utilised for the railway.

By May 1849, the railway company became dissatisfied with the service provided by Catherwood and his contract was terminated and this led to a further delay in construction. Financial problems, however, was the main cause but this was remedied when the government in July 1849 approved a loan of 50,000 pounds to the company. Construction supervised by Mr. Manifold, Catherwood's assistant, then moved quickly and the railway line reached Buxton in March 1850, Enmore in October 1850 and Belfield in November 1850.

The following year the company was again plagued by financial problems with the result that worked almost grounded to a halt and there was little progress for almost two years.

The situation was so serious, the Demerara Railway Company's committee resigned and Manifold was left in charge of all affairs.

Again, the government intervened ease financial pres-

sure on the company through a special ordinance in 1853 which reduced the rate of interest on the 50,000-pound loan from 6 percent to 4 percent annually.

Work recommenced at a rapid pace and the line reached Two Friends in October 1854. There followed another slowing down of the project, again due to the shortage of funds. As before, the government had to come to the rescue. On 1 August 1863, the railway reached Clonbrook and, finally, the Mahaica terminus at Helena in August 1864.

On 31 August 1864, the Governor, Sir Francis Hincks, formally declared the railroad open. Its length was nearly twenty-two miles and the total cost of construction was estimated to be 313,890 pounds. Of this figure the Demerara Railway Company raised 249,023 pounds while the remaining sum of 64,867 pounds was acquired through government loans.

The railway was very popular among the people on the East Coast Demerara, and soon there were demands for it to be extended further to Rosignol on the west bank of the Berbice River, 62 "railway" miles east of Georgetown. But it was not until 1890 that

Demerara Essequibo Railway (DER) Terminus at Wismar c1924 (Photo - Armorel Clinton)

the government granted a contract to the Demerara Railway Company to build the line between Mahaica and Rosignol, and also another line between Vreeden-Hoop and Tuschen west of the Demerara River.

The extension to Rosignol was constructed from 1897 to 1900 and its terminus was the ferry stelling on the left bank of the

Berbice River, thus allowing for easy connection by ferry steamer across the river with New Amsterdam. This part of the project included the building of sturdy iron railway bridges across the Mahaica, Mahaicony and Abary Rivers.

The first section of the Demerara-Essequibo railway was laid down after 1900 between Vreed-enHoop and Greenwich Park, and later extended to Parika in 1914.

The Demerara Railway Company was later sold to the Colonial Transport Department of the government, which took over control of the railway services from January 1, 1922.

The railway not only helped in quick and easy movement of the travelling public, but it also trans-

ported large quantities of goods very efficiently. Bulk sugar from the estates was moved with relative ease to Georgetown for export. But despite the popularity of the railway, many sugar estate owners, at first, were wary of it for a particular reason.

They felt it would encourage their workers to abandon their jobs on the estates and settle on lands near the railway and become peasant farmers. The movement of people to live and farm in the vicinity of the railway did occur, but this did not pull away workers from the sugar estates as the estate owners feared. Text from “The Guyana Story - From Earliest Times to Independence� by veteran retired Guyanese diplomat, Dr Odeen Ishmael)

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Travel & Tourism

Apoteri seen from the river

A

poteri is located at the confluence of the Rupununi and Essequibo rivers, about two and a half hours, during high water season, from the administrative centre of Annai. The village is the most remote of the North Rupununi communities.

Apoteri is an old Carib village known since the days of Schomburgk and Im Thurn. It was a stopping point for travellers exploring Guyana’s hinterland in the early 1800s.

The name Apoteri comes from the Arawak name of a tree. The history and development of Apoteri village is closely tied to the balata industry. In the 1970s, Apoteri was formed as a base for the business firm - Booker Brothers, McConnell & Company, popularly known as Bookers.

Workers from all over the region came to work there mainly from villages in the South Rupununi like Shea, Sand Creek, Sawariwau and Kraudarnau.

In 1973, the village got its first paid teacher and other villages, namely Rewa, also came to attend the school. The community credits retired headmaster and long-time resident, Naidu (from Anna Regina) with the high standard of education and the progression of several students to secondary school in recent years.

In 1987, Guyana Stores started working in the area. The main activities in the community are mainly agricultural such as farming cash crops, planting peanut and fishing, which were then bought by Guyana Stores. In 1998, Guyana Stores handed over its activities to the community. The community still relies heavily on subsistence farming and hunting.

Today, the village has several indigenous nations including Patamona, Wapishana and Makushi.

The general culture of the people has changed from purely indigenous to a mixture of practices. Influences include music, food and fashion, brought back by those visiting other locations, especially Brazil. But these new influences do not affect community togetherness. The villagers still work together on community self-help projects and celebrating special occasions. They also organise sport events with other communities, helping the people to remain connected, and promote positive relations.

One of the most scenic locations near the village is the King William Falls, located along the Upper Essequibo River.

There you can enjoy a wilderness experience unlike any other in the world.

(Information from Ministry of Indigenous Peoples' Affairs, https://moipa.gov.gy)

Clearing in Apoteri where planes land (Photo by Casey Grenier)

King William IV falls

Site where the balata company once existed

Apoteri village hall

guyanatimesgy.com

OCTOBER 15, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 9

Health

K

idney stones (renal lithiasis, nephrolithiasis) are hard deposits made of minerals and salts that form inside your kidneys.

Types of kidney stones Knowing the type of kidney stone helps determine the cause and may give clues on how to reduce your risk of getting more kidney stones.

If possible, try to save your kidney stone if you pass one so that you can bring it to your doctor for analysis.

Types of kidney stones include: Calcium stones. Most kidney stones are calcium stones, usually in the form of calcium oxalate. Oxalate is a naturally occurring substance found in food and is also made daily by your liver. Some fruits and vegetables, as well as nuts

and chocolate, have high oxalate content.

Dietary factors, high doses of vitamin D, intestinal bypass surgery and several metabolic disorders can increase the concentration of calcium or oxalate in urine.

Calcium stones may also occur in the form of calcium phosphate. This type of stone is more common in metabolic conditions, such as renal tubular acidosis. It may also be associated with certain migraine headaches or with taking certain seizure medications, such as topiramate (Topamax).

Struvite stones. Struvite stones form in response to an infection, such as a urinary tract infection. These stones can grow quickly and become quite large, sometimes with few symptoms or little warn-

ing.

Uric acid stones.

Uric acid stones can form in people who don't drink enough fluids or who lose too much fluid, those who eat a high-protein diet, and those who have gout. Certain genetic factors also may increase your risk of uric acid

stones.

Cystine stones.

These stones form in people with a hereditary disorder that causes the kidneys to excrete too much of certain amino acids (cystinuria).

Risk factors Factors that increase your risk of developing kid-

Healthy Beauty

T

he secret to thick, strong, shiny strands isn't an expensive shampoo or fancy salon treatment—it's all about your diet. Eating a variety of healthy foods will give you the mane you've always dreamed of. Fill up on these nutrients to begin growing your healthiest hair ever.

Omega-3 fatty acids for shiny hair

Fish like salmon, sardines, and mackerel are packed with healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Your body can't make these healthy fats, so you have to get them from food or supplements. They help protect you from disease, but your body also needs them to grow hair and keep it shiny and full.

Since it stops and older hairs fall out, you can have hair loss. To get protein from meat, pick lean options like chicken or turkey, which have less saturated fat than sources like beef and pork.

Also, your protein and iron bases are covered when you eat eggs. They're rich in a B vitamin called biotin that helps hair grow. Not having enough of this vitamin can

ney stones include: Family or personal history. If someone in your family has kidney stones, you're more likely to develop stones, too.

And if you've already had one or more kidney stones, you're at increased risk of developing another.

Dehydration. Not drinking enough water each day can increase your risk of kidney stones. People who live in warm climates and those who sweat a lot may be at higher risk than others.

Certain diets. Eating a diet that's high in protein, sodium (salt) and sugar may increase your risk of some types of kidney stones. This is especially true with a high-sodium diet.

Too much salt in your diet increases the amount of calcium your kidneys must filter and significantly increases your risk of kidney stones.

Being obese. High body mass index (BMI), large waist size and weight gain have been linked to an increased risk of kidney stones.

Digestive diseases and surgery. Gastric bypass surgery, inflammatory bowel disease or chronic diarrhea can cause changes in the digestive process that affect your absorption of calcium and water, increasing the levels of stoneforming substances in your urine.

Other medical conditions.

Diseases and conditions that may increase your risk of kidney stones include renal tubular acidosis, cystinuria, hyperparathyroidism, certain medications and some urinary tract infections.

Symptoms A kidney stone may not cause symptoms until it moves around within your kidney or passes into your ureter — the tube connecting the kidney and bladder.

At that point, you may experience these signs and symptoms: Severe pain in the side and back, below the ribs Pain that radiates to the lower abdomen and groin Pain that comes in waves and fluctuates in intensity Pain on urination Pink, red or brown urine Cloudy or foul-smelling urine Nausea and vomiting Persistent need to urinate Urinating more often than usual Fever and chills if an infection is present Urinating small amounts Pain caused by a kidney stone may change — for instance, shifting to a different location or increasing in intensity — as the stone moves through your urinary tract.

When to see a doctor Make an appointment with your doctor if you have any signs and symptoms that worry you.

Seek immediate medical attention if you experience: Pain so severe that you can't sit still or find a comfortable position Pain accompanied by nausea and vomiting Pain accompanied by fever and chills Blood in your urine Difficulty passing urine

Kids’ Health

lead to hair loss. Biotin also helps strengthen brittle fingernails.

Sweet potatoes to prevent dry hair

Guava to prevent breakage

Guava is a tropical fruit that brims with vitamin C. It protects your hair from breaking. One cup of guava has 377 milligrams of vitamin C. That's more than four times

Have dry hair that's lost its shine? Sweet potatoes are filled with a good-for-you antioxidant called beta carotene.

Your body turns beta carotene into vitamin A. That helps protect against dry, dull hair. It also encourages the glands in your scalp to make an oily fluid called sebum that keeps hair from drying out. You can also find beta carotene in other orange vegetables like carrots, pumpkin, cantaloupe, and mangoes.

the minimum daily recommended amount.

Iron to prevent loss

Getting too little iron can lead to hair loss. But you can find this important nutrient in fortified cereal, grains, and pastas, and in soybeans and lentils. Beef, especially organ meats like liver, have lots of it. Shellfish and dark leafy greens do too.

Protein for hair growth

When you don't get enough protein, hair growth “rests”.

Cinnamon for circulation

Sprinkle this spice on your oatmeal, toast, and in your coffee. It helps with blood flow, also called circulation.

That's what brings oxygen and nutrients to your hair follicles.

A

lmost everyone has dropped some food on the floor and still wanted to eat it. If someone saw you drop it, he or she might have yelled, "5-second rule!" This so-called rule says food is OK to eat if you pick it up in 5 seconds or less.

Believe it or not, scientists have tested the rule. We're sorry to report it's not necessarily true. Bacteria can attach itself to your food even if you pick it up super-fast. But will your dropped food contain enough bacteria to make you sick? It's possible — and that's why you shouldn't eat food that has hit the floor.

Here's what you need to know about the 5-second rule: A clean-looking floor isn't necessarily clean.

A floor that looks dirty is usually worse, but even dry floors that look clean can contain bacteria. Why? Some germs can survive on the floor for a long time. And unless you have a powerful microscope, you can't check to see how many germs are there. So chances are, some bacteria are probably living on your kitchen floor and the cafeteria floor at school.

Faster is better.

A piece of food will pick up more bacteria the longer it spends on the floor. So food left there for 5 seconds or less will probably collect fewer bacteria than food sitting there for a longer time.

Fast may not be fast enough.

Bacteria can attach to your food as soon as it hits the floor. That means food left on the floor for an instant can get contaminated if conditions are right. And foods with wet surfaces, like an apple slice, can pick up bacteria easily.

When in doubt, toss it out.

Some bacteria are not harmful. But others can give you awful stuff, like diarrhoea. You can't see the bacteria and, even if you could, it doesn't take much to make you sick. So what are you to do with that delicious piece of whatever that just slipped from your grip? The safest choice is to throw it out. (https://kidshealth.org)

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OCTOBER 15, 2017

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Sunday Times Magazine 11

Home & Cooking

T

Recipes of the week

he ‘Festival of Lights’, which will be celebrated on Oct. 18, is a time when family and friends gather to enjoy delicious sweetmeats while reflecting on the meaning of the holiday - the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness. Below are a few recipes to help make this year’s Diwali celebration a sweet one.

Essential Elements of Traditional Indian Interior Design

I

ndian style interior design is among the most exotic, interesting and complex decor styles to work with.

Here are a few elements that capture the essence of this enchanting style.

Ingredients: 1½ cups all-purpose flour ½ cup ghee or vegetable shortening 2 cups sugar 1/2 cup water 1 tsp vanilla essence 2-3 pinches apple green food colouring

Method: Grease a round plate or tray with ghee and keep aside.

Sieve the flour for lumps. Heat the ghee or shortening in a pan and, once it melts, add sieved flour. Roast for 3-4 mins until the raw flour smell disappears over low flame.

Place both sugar and water in a pan and let it cook until the sugar dissolves. Start cooking further over medium flame until the syrup forms a one-string consistency. Switch off flame.

Add vanilla essence and food colouring to the roasted flour and mix well. Pour the sugar syrup over the roasted flour and keep stirring briskly. No need to keep the pan with the flour on the stove. You can keep it on the counter and mix. A wooden spatula will be of great help to do this.

The hot sugar syrup will melt the ghee in the roasted flour and the entire mixture will become loose. Keep stirring briskly with the spatula in a circular motion. It will take about 2 minutes for the mixture to come together. Immediately pour this mixture on to the greased plate and tap it gently on the counter until it is levelled. You can also use parchment paper to level the top evenly.

While it is still warm, using a knife, draw lines according to the shape you prefer. Wait until it cools down considerably and then cut them into desired shape.

Ingredients: 4 cups full cream powdered milk 16 oz Nestlé cream 10 oz granulated white sugar

Method: Mix milk powder and cream just enough to combine. Let stand for 10 minutes. Rub the cream into the milk powder until it is the consistency of fine breadcrumbs.

In a heavy pot, bring sugar, ginger and water to a boil. Add the spices.

Since India has a large and exciting variety of handicrafts, there are a ton of decorative artefacts to choose from to decorate your home. Popular choices include masks, clay pottery, diyas, leather puppets, crockery, decorative boxes in sandalwood, metal or marble. Pieces such as brass lamps and pots can be used as functional metallic accents.

1 tsp finely minced ginger 1 pinch each of ground elaichi (cardamom), cinnamon and clove 1/3 cup water Candy sprinkles to your liking Add the milk mixture to the pot and stir. Keep stirring until the mixture comes together in one clump and leaves the side of the pot as you turn. (This may be a little hard on the arms at this point, but it is important that the mixture not be too soft and crumbly.)

Spread mixture into a greased cookie sheet and smooth the top. Add sprinkles.

Cut into squares before it is completely cool.

Solid wood furniture is an important element in Indian interior design. For an authentic look, make the most of stunning Indian craftsmanship and choose traditional pieces with curved armrests and legs, carvings and inlay work in metal. Get one or two ornate centrepieces and complement them with other more understated furniture.

Ingredients: 1 cup of long grain rice (soaked overnight in 4 cups of water) 2 tbsp ghee (clarified butter) 5 tins of low-fat carnation milk 3 tins of condensed milk 1 cup of white raisins 1 tsp almond extract ½ cup of white sugar 3 cinnamon sticks, broken into large pieces 12 whole cloves 1/2 tsp ground cardamom 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg 1½ cups of low-fat milk

Method:

Add ghee in a deep stock pot on medium heat. Drain soaked rice and add to pot. Sauté until water is absorbed and rice is coated with ghee. Add cinnamon sticks, cloves, ground cinnamon and nutmeg and continue to turn. Turn constantly to avoid the rice from browning.

Soak raisins in hot water to plump and let this sit for 20 mins.

After 5-7 minutes of cooking rice mixture, add regular low fat milk and stir. Add the carnation and condensed milk.

Continue to stir, and add sugar. Simmer rice until melted and shows a thick consistency. Add raisins and cook for a few minutes.

Transfer to a serving bowl and cover until ready to serve.

Bright and varied colours are the hallmark of Indian interior design. While it’s hugely tempting to go crazy with such a vast palette, too much colour can create visual chaos. Opt for earthy tones – ochre yellows, rich browns and burnt oranges for your walls and floors. Yellows and pinks on the fluorescent side of the spectrum and startling blues and greens can be used for smaller elements such as pillowcases or chairs.

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Puzzles

Crossword

ACROSS 1 Unfeeling 5 Orange Bowl city 10 Large fleet

16 Persona non -- 21 -- -- unto itself 22 Gold brick 23 Scrapes the windshield 24 Young person 25 -- Hari (Garbo role) 26 Physical condition 27 Urbana eleven 28 Cope with change 29 Go too far 31 Daisy -- Yokum 33 Exorcist's quarry 35 Wahine's welcome 36 Laissez- -- 37 Mountain lion 40 Iron pumper's pride 41 Prod along 42 The rudiments 45 Agent's take 46 College degrees 48 Familiar vow (2 wds.)

50 Cruet filler

52 Band member, often 54 Back the wrong horse 55 Promises to pay 57 Just barely win 58 Ohio Indians 59 Brief swims 60 101 and I-95 62 Knocks against 66 Blyth and Jillian 67 Instant 69 Drives away 71 Brew, as coffee 72 Bullhorn 74 Skipper's okay 76 Textbook divisions 78 Mother rabbit 79 Weaving machine 80 Skunk 83 Lost in thought 85 Freighter hazards 88 Avoid cancellation 89 Disney site 90 Piled up 93 Nutritious legumes

95 Bartlett or Seckel 97 Apple rival 98 Get melodramatic 100 Hebrew T 101 Birdfeeder visitor 106 Deadlocked 108 Ranges 110 The Great Caruso 112 Warn loudly 113 Valuable violin 115 Stay afloat 116 Old masters 117 Kind of toast 118 Jarrett of NASCAR 120 Mermaids' domains 122 Timber wolf 123 Dry red wine 124 Rags 128 Bad-mouth 129 Luau strings 130 -- -de-sac 131 Blow away 132 Metal thread

133 Actress -- Hagen 135 Plumbing problem 137 Take a sip 139 Novelist -- Levin 140 Post of etiquette 142 Crumpet companion 144 Stubborn stains (2 wds.)

148 Kind of wave 150 Bit of broccoli 153 Concrete reinforcer 155 Was, to Ovid 156 Musical symbols 157 Hoity-toity (hyph.)

158 Saint Teresa's town 159 Cornell or Pound 160 Serpent Hercules fought 161 Charm 162 Beauty's companion 163 Ride the updrafts DOWN 1 Hunter's garb 2 Many a Norway king 3 Behind schedule 4 Kind of fruit tree 5 More hazy 6 Exist naturally 7 Open-mouthed 8 Cleaning implement 9 Part of a list 10 Word of parting 11 Shinto or Zen (abbr.)

12 A thousand G's 13 Etching fluid

14 Cygnus supergiant 15 Noted sci-fi writer 16 FBI agent (hyph.)

17 Unburdened 18 Not digital 19 Kansas capital 20 More Bohemian 30 Bank vaults 32 Nave neighbor 34 Norse Zeus 38 Twice DI 39 Light incense to 41 Invigorate (2 wds.)

42 Varsity (hyph.)

43 Transported 44 Prompting

46 Little -- -- 47 Part of PBA 49 Production

51 Ballpoint point 53 Swap-meet deals 54 Depict by drawing 56 Spotted 59 Destine for trouble 61 Take a spill 63 "M*A*S*H" extra 64 Utah ski locale 65 Trapshooting

67 Conductance ybut 68 Natural gifts 69 Grant audience 70 Sault -- Marie 73 Desperado's fear 75 Rumormonger 77 Skulk around 81 Bauxite or galena 82 Cobbler's tool 84 Atomizer 85 Trot and canter

86 Scope 87 Weaker, as an excuse 91 911 responder 92 Pixels 93 Imposed taxes 94 Book copier of old 95 Snapshots 96 Kind of system 99 Hauls off 102 Port near Kilauea 103 Perry's secretary 104 Jostle 105 Raise spirits 107 Florentine poet 109 PC note (hyph.)

111 Secluded corner 114 Billy -- Williams 117 Turns to slush 119 Storage container 121 Weathervane dir.

122 Leia Organa's sib 123 Riverbank burrower 124 Jerk 125 In a breezy way 126 Bought and sold 127 Repress 130 Dark lines on Mars 134 Adventurer -- Quatermain 136 Petal extract 137 Knee-to-ankle bone 138 "En garde" weapons

KATHLEEN SAXE

WORD GAME TODAY'S WORD -- DECIMATED (DECIMATED: DES-ih-mate-ed: Destroyed a great proportion of.)

Average mark 50 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 67 or more words in DECIMATED? dace dame date dead decade deceit decide dedicate deed deem

deet deice demit diadem dice didact died diet dime edema

edict edit emetic emit caddie cadet came cede cite iced

idea ideate item mace made maid mate mead meat media

mediate medic medicate meet mete mica mice mite aced acid

acme acted addict adit admit aide aided aimed amice amid

tame team teed teem tide tied time

RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of "s," such as "bats" or "dies," are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a "d" or an "s" may not be used. For example, if "bake" is used, "baked" or "bakes" are not allowed, but "bake" and "baking" are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

140 141 143 145 146

Joy Adamson's pet "Star Wars" guru Sheik, usually Ricelike pasta Rhett's hangout

147 149 151 152 154

Black hole, once Olduvai loc.

Wheel part Shoguns' capital Solution on Pg 13 Night before

guyanatimesgy.com

OCTOBER 15, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 13

Tech

Tech tips

Your Computer: Should It Stay or Should It Go?

Apple’s new emoji include ‘I love you’ in ASL

If you can still update your operating system and apps, running maintenance programs like Disk Cleanup for Windows can free up space on your hard drive. (Credit: The New York Times)

U

nusual behavior from hardware and software can provide clues. For example, grinding or clunking noises coming from the computer’s internal drive have traditionally been signs that your system was about to go south (or at least needed investigation) and that new equipment might be on the horizon. However, as hardware has gotten more reliable, the software that runs on it can become outdated before the machine’s physical parts give out.

If you are running an operating system released within the past five years or so — but the computer seems slow — try performing the standard maintenance routines for your platform. These tasks include running the built-in Disk Defragmenter and the Disk Cleanup utilities for Windows or making sure your Mac has enough available free space on its drive to work efficiently. Check the support site for your platform for more information.

Keeping your operating system up-to-date is important not only for the newest features, but to get the latest security patches. If your computer’s processor or other components are too old to receive these updates or the manufacturer has ceased official support, you may want to start thinking about getting a new computer.

You can usually get along for a few years with third-party security software, but the newest versions of your preferred programs and games may not work — or run at a snail’s pace on your outdated system. You may also find that adding new hardware peripherals to your computer becomes difficult if your machine lacks the proper connection ports or the manufacturer does not release driver software compatible with your older system.

Getting a new computer is often a considerable investment, not only in money, but in the time it takes to move your files, install any new updated software and adjust to the new operating system. Migration applications for both Windows and Mac computers are available to help ease the transition for upgrading to a newer version of the same system; the support sites for Microsoft and Apple have guides to making a crossplatform move.

When it does come time to leave your old computer, you can recycle it responsibly. Apple, ASUS, Dell and many other manufacturers have electronics take-back programs to recycle old equipment. Check your hardware company’s site for information. (The New York Times)

Crossword Solution

Love-You Gesture designed after the “I love you” hand sign in American Sign Language

H

(July 2017) like Woman with Headscarf, Bearded Person, Breastfeeding, Zombie, Person in Lotus Position and new food items such as Sandwich and Coconut. Also included in the update is the Love-You Gesture, designed after the “I love you” hand sign in American Sign Language (ASL).

The new emoji will debut in next week's developer and public beta previews of iOS 11.1, and will be available in upcoming software updates for iOS, macOS and watchOS. (Apple)

Apple recently released 69 new emoji

undreds of new emoji, including more emotive smiley faces, gender-neutral characters, clothing options, food types, animals, mythical creatures and more, are coming to iPhone and iPad with iOS 11.1.

Tech news

A I

Day

Amazon is letting teens create their own accounts

Jeff Bezos CEO of Amazon

mazon is making it easier for the family's youngest shoppers to click through to Checkout with new parental

Tech news

The new emoji are designed to reveal every detail and adapted from approved characters in Unicode 10. iOS 11.1 will also include characters announced on World Emoji

control settings announced Wednesday.

Teens between the ages of 13 and 17 can now create unique logins, linked to

a household account, and place orders through the Amazon App to be approved by mom or dad. Parents will receive a text or email with information about the order and the option to approve.

If the approval process gets tedious, parents can also set pre-approved spending limits. Teens get greater freedom, and parents still get itemized notifications of orders.

"As a parent of a teen, I know how they crave independence, but at the same time that has to be bal-

anced with the convenience and trust that parents need.

We've listened to families and have built a great experience for both teens and parents," Michael Carr, vice president of Amazon Households, said in a statement.

Teens will also be able to access Prime-specific features like Prime Video and Twitch if their parents are members.

Parents and teens can sign up at amazon.com/forteens. (CNBC)

Facebook: ‘We want a billion people in VR’

n its continued effort to take virtual reality mainstream, Facebook has announced Oculus Go - a standalone headset that will be released in 2018.

Mark Zuckerberg said the device, priced at US$199, would be the “most accessible VR experience ever”.

Sales of the company’s VR hardware have been slow since launching the first Oculus Rift headset in March 2016.

"If VR doesn't go mass market at this price point, I think we can conclude that it never will,” said John Delaney, an analyst with IDC. The existing budget way to get Facebook's VR is the Samsung Gear VR at US$129 - but that requires a high-end Samsung smartphone in order to work.

Speaking at Facebook’s yearly virtual reality developers conference in San Jose, Mr Zuckerberg acknowl-

edged the slow adoption of the technology to date. But he said his company’s goal was that one day, it would get one billion people into VR. To get there, the company needs to create a premium, standalone VR device that offers free movement. It hasn’t managed that yet - the new Oculus Go should still be regarded as a budget VR experience.

But the company’s new head of VR, Hugo Barra, also shared more details about Project Santa Cruz, Facebook’s prototype high-end device that will offer movement-tracking without the need for tethering to a computer, or the placing of sensors around a home.

Many had hoped Project Santa Cruz would get a public release date, having first been announced at this event last year. Facebook’s new head of VR, Hugo Barra, would only divulge that developers would be sent devices to work with within the next 12

months.

Until then, Oculus Go is Facebook’s biggest hope in stepping up the adoption of virtual reality among the general public.

The device will be sent to developers to start building with in November this year. It will offer better visuals than the current Gear VR, but drops well short of the premium VR experience offered by the Oculus Rift and Touch controllers.

“Some people say that VR is isolating and anti-social. I actually think it’s the opposite. We all have limits to our reality. Opening up more of those experiences to more of us - that’s not isolating, that’s freeing. Nothing is going to replace being with someone in person. But when we run up against the limits of reality, VR is going to make our reality that much better,” Mr Zuckerberg said.

14 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

OCTOBER 15, 2017

Bollywood/Hollywood

‘Game of Thrones’ will stop filming for Kit and Rose's wedding

K

it Harington and Rose Leslie have asked “Game of Thrones” creators if they can stop production for their big day so that the cast and crew can all attend.

Harington, known as Jon Snow in “Game of Thrones”, explained on The Jonathan Ross Show, "I rang [the pro-

ducer] up and I said, ‘I’m getting married and it’s your fault actually.’ I think for the final season he is so stressed that he’s reached that peaceful level.”

The pair met on set of the HBO show in 2012 but only made their first public appearance as a couple last year. In January,

they bought a £1.75 million 15th century home in East Anglia which has eight acres, a moat, swimming pool, tennis court, stables and a banqueting hall.

“I've moved in with my other best friend Rose, so I'm very happy," Harington told James Corden in June.

He added: “I said to her, cause she's moved into my house, 'Look darling, it's important that this is our space. That it feels like our space. That you haven't just moved into mine. Move anything you want around, change anything, chuck anything out.'”

Not surprisingly, Jon Snow fans have been left distraught after the news that he's now properly off the market. (Glamour)

Tyrese’s daughter will testify in allegedly child abuse case

T

yrese’s 10-year-old daughter will allegedly testify in the forthcoming child abuse against the crooner.

According to TheBlast.com, a judge has given Norma Gibson, Tyrese’s ex-wife, the option of calling their daughter Shayla to the stand if she chooses.

Tyrese claims that allowing their young child will “have drastic, long-lasting implications for the child’s wellbeing and psychological welfare.”

Norma alleges the singer “went into a rage, pushed our daughter to the ground, pinned her face down, put his knees on her back, grabbed her hands with one arm and beat her with the other.” That he spanked their daughter so hard that she was unable to sit down.

He has flat out denied the accusations on social media. “All I wanna do is co/parent nothing else...... Please.... Stick and stones

T

aylor Swift definitely knows how to treat her fans in the best way possible! The "Look What You Made Me Do" songstress took an English superfan named Lara by surprise when she joined her live stream on Instagram last week, making the fan freak out. But the most shocking-and sweetest--thing Tay did for her was not joining in Lara's live stream.

"On Thursday, last week, Taylor Nation DM'd me. They said Taylor would be sending me a package. I'm so grateful for Taylor Alison Swift," she said in an Instagram post.

Unbeknownst to her, the Grammy winner

P

rime Minister Narendra Modi has penned a “short, crisp and sweet” foreword for “Beyond The Dreamgirl”, an authorised biography of actress and BJP MP Hema Malini.

The book, by former editor of Stardust and producer Ram Kamal Mukherjee, will be launched on October 16, when the “evergreen beauty” turns 69. Its launch also marks the celebration of Hema Malini’s glorious run of 50 years in Indian showbiz. “Our PM has written very briefly in the book about his feelings for Hemaji. It’s short, crisp and sweet, not rubble and bubble. It’s an honour for me as an author and for Hemaji also that it is perhaps the first time that an active Prime Minister has written a foreword for a

book on a Bollywood actor,” said Mukherjee.

Having started her film career in 1968 with Raj Kapoor-starrer “Sapno Ka Saudagar”, she regaled movie buffs with roles in films like “Seeta Aur Geeta”, “Sholay”, “Dream Girl” and “Satte Pe Satta”. An accomplished classical dancer, Hema Malini earned the epithet of Dreamgirl for her flawless beauty, and became a pioneering female superstar in an otherwise maleoriented film industry.

In 1999, Hema Malini campaigned for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate in the Lok Sabha elections in Gurdaspur, Punjab. She is now a BJP MP from Mathura constituency. “I guess it’s all because of Hemaji’s credentials and contribution

to art and cinema that Mr Modi agreed to pen the foreword. When I was interacting with his office, they were very happy that Hemaji did not just limit her talk in the book to Bollywood,” said Mukherjee, who had in 2005 released a coffee table book called “Hema Malini Diva Unveiled”.

“Beyond The Dreamgirl”, published by HarperCollins India, will give readers an in-depth look into her life.

“It is divided into 23 chapters, covering her childhood, teens, Bollywood, rise as an actor, romance, colleagues, marriage, her second innings, launching Shah Rukh Khan in Dil Aashna Hai -- which she directed -- her ballet, her political journey and spiritual journey. There are two chapters dedicated to her daughters Esha and Ahana. She has also spoken about her Agra accident and her singing career. We have summed it all up with a chapter called Bliss. This book will also have Hemaji’s family tree, which has not been published earlier, and there will be a lot of exclusive unseen photographs from her personal, professional and political spheres,” Mukherjee said. (Hindustan Times)

Juhi Chawla hails Supreme Court for firecracker ban

A may break my bones but words will never hurt...... I've only prayed that your heart heals and we live our lives separately and peacefully on behalf of our daughter......,” he said on Twitter.

literally dropped by her house to personally deliver the package, full of tons of "Reputation" merch, herself.

Lara posted a slew of photos and videos of her and her idol, who donned a maroon velvet top. In one of the photos, Taylor and Lara were featured smiling from ear-to-ear, while another photo saw Taylor sporting a duck face as Lara had a big smile on her face. The 27-yearold global pop star also took a picture with presumably Lara's siblings.

Taylor has always wanted to keep fans close, and just recently the singer announced a new social app called The Swift Life through a new video released on Tuesday. The app, which was made in partnership with Glu, would allow fans to interact with the singer using text and a set of emoji stickers called Taymojis.

"We've worked closely with Taylor and her team to bring her creative vision to life," said Glu CEO Nick Earl in a statement.

"The result is a deeply social environment where Taylor and her fans are able to better connect with one another while expressing themselves in an interactive community. We look forward to its worldwide launch later this year." (AceShowbiz)

ctress Juhi Chawla’s latest tweet on the firecracker ban has cracked up the internet. It all began when she hailed ‘Delhi Supreme Court’ for the judgement.

On November 11 last year, the Supreme Court had ruled in favour of suspension of all licences “permitting sale of fireworks, wholesale and retail, within the territory of NCR”. On September 12 this year, the ban was temporarily relaxed, as the SC felt it would be an “extreme step” and a “graded approach” was needed to tackle pollution. The Supreme Court, last week, banned the sale of crackers in the Delhi-NCR until November 1.

Hailing the firecracker ban in the national capital, Juhi wrote on Twitter, “Brilliant move by Delhi supreme Court, firecrackers banned till November 1! Celebrate this Diwali with Diyas & love.”

In no time, Twitterati was all over Juhi’s case for her supposed error, which was suu-

pose to be just Supreme Court and not ‘Delhi Supreme Court’. “By the way Juhi whether the “ Mumbai Supreme Court “ banned the firecrackers or not,” wrote one user. Manjeet Bagga @Goldenthrust said: “I thought india had only one Supreme Court maam.”

(Hindustan Times)

Amitabh Bachchan did not celebrate his 75th birthday

A

mitabh Bachchan, who turned 75 on Wednesday, had tweeted early Monday that he would not celebrate his birthday this year. After thousands of online wishes and a quiet family holiday in Maldives, the actor explained in a long blog late Wednesday why he decided to skip the celebrations.

Meanwhile, a picture from the family time in Maldives -- where Bachchan is holidaying with wife Jaya, daughter Sweta Nanda, son Abhishek, daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai and granddaughter Aaradhya -- came out on social media. In fact the photo was tweeted

by Abhishek but still took Big B by surprise.

In fact, after he saw the photo on Twitter, he asked his fan club how they got it.

His blog reflected his state of mind. “After

75 years, you run away from it all .. there is apprehension and embarrassment of celebration .. of what expression to be worn and where .. to what must there be celebration of gift .. and the list of guests to be in proper shades of etiquette .. the care and hospitality, the personal touch of host formality, the … Many objects and lists and meetings later .. it merely succumbs to the ultimate argument .. all this for getting a year closer to the final closure,” he wrote on his Tumblr blog.

“And today as I sit by myself in elated company of the near and the dear .. listen and read and get enveloped by the reams of praise and effects that my presence has supposedly created .. there is fear .. A fear of losing myself,” he added. (IANS)

guyanatimesgy.com

OCTOBER 15, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 15

16 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

OCTOBER 15, 2017

Fun Times

Archie

Refuse to get angry or be disillusioned by someone's (March 21- actions or the rules and regApril 19) ulations that you come up against. Using intelligence and following protocol will help you overcome whatever you encounter.

ARIES

Family, friends and reTAURUS unions will make your day. If (April 20you can't get together, catch May 20) up by sharing pictures and detailed accounts of what you've been up to.

GEMINI (May 28June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

Peanuts

Take the safe route when it comes to unnecessary expenditures. Don't feel you must please others if it means you would go into debt. Make social plans that are within your means.

Take a different approach to the way you handle home, family and partnerships. Opt to compromise and you will get the cooperation you require to finish what you start.

Experience could provide a helpful lesson. An intimate discussion will make a difference to your lifestyle.

Expand your interests and forge ahead.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Use what you have experienced in the past to gauge what you should do now. Making the right decision will help change the way the future unfolds.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

A change will do you good.

Don't wait for someone else to make the first move. If you want something, do whatever it takes to make it yours. Share your feelings.

Check the job market for SCORPIO a position that will allow you (Oct. 24- to use your skills in a unique Nov. 22) way. Adapt your resume to reflect the direction you want to head in.

Emotional matters will esSAGITTARIUS calate.

Be careful when dealing (Nov. 23with siblings, friends or neighDec. 21)

bors. You'll end up in an argument if you refuse to see all sides of a situation.

Using an unusual tactic

CAPRICORN will pay off. Listen to others, (Dec. 22- but don't give in to manipuJan. 19) lative persuasion. Use the in-

Calvin and Hobbes

formation you receive to outmaneuver any opponent you encounter.

Emotional deception can AQUARIUS throw you off-guard. Listen (Jan. 20to your inner voice and share Feb. 19) your thoughts with someone you love and respect. A steady pace will get you where you want to go.

PISCES If you look over important (Feb. 20- papers, you'll find a loophole Mar. 20) that will help you settle a difference with someone who can influence your future. A fair and honest approach will be necessary.