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Issue No. 3231

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Sunday, June 4, 2017

Structured corruption at GPHC?

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WHAT'S INSIDE: In Berbice…

Homeless P5 man arrested for strangling 88-yr-old pensioner

– confesses to crime

Page 3

…a closer look at Govt's parallel appointments

Glenn Lall, associates tried to pay $100M for debt of $1B+

Top female P8 Guyanese Toastmaster ascends to post as Club Growth Director

Page 5

– for Caribbean District

… Jagdeo’s refusal soured relations, spawned decades-long vendetta

NEW GPC INC hosts medical outreach on WCD Page 14

Opposition P12 Leader makes donation to hinterland flood victims

After damaging exposure of Govt corruption P12

NEW GPC INC in an effort to give back to various communities in Guyana on Saturday morning hosted a medical outreach at the Swami Vidya Niketan School which saw residents on the West Coast of Demerara benefiting

Downsizing sugar

Page 2

10,000 people likely to be affected by estate closures – Gaskin

Edghill summoned before Privileges Committee

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NEWS

SUnDAY, june 4, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

Downsizing sugar

10,000 people likely to be affected by estate closures – Gaskin tive employment is provided to the thousands that are likely to be affected.

Making reference to a section of the White Paper, which speaks about plans for GuySuCo to lease lands to employees, Gaskin termed this nonsensical, and explained that it is impossible to lease lands to people who were terminated. “I don’t know if an unemployed man could now go and rent land from the people who fire him.”

By Samuel Sukhnandan

G

overnment’s plan in regard to the future of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) -- to close the Enmore and Rose Hall sugar estates, sell out the Skeldon sugar factory, and reduce the annual production of sugar -- will have significant implications for thousands of Guyanese, former presidential advisor and outspoken economist Ramon Gaskin has warned.

In an exclusive interview with Guyana Times, Gaskin said the APNU/AFC Government’s announcement of the new policy decision on the sugar industry could see some 10,000 sugar workers being directly affected. At present, the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) employs close to 17,000 people.

In regard to the White Paper on Sugar that was presented in the National Assembly by Agriculture Minister Noel Holder, Gaskin said that although Government has given assurance that it would retain as many workers as needed for all operations on the merged estates and factories, this would, to a large extent, not be the case.

all of these people? Right now they can’t deal with Wales, and that’s only 800 people. And if you look at the problems that Wales is experiencing, we’re into big trouble. Sending home thousands of people will cause a lot of issues,” he explained.

Gaskin believes that opportunities exist to create industrial estates at Wales and Uitvlugt. “It’s not difficult to do. The people who are displaced could be trained and retrained to

Create new jobs

Former Presidential Advisor and outspoken economist, Ramon Gaskin

“It’s a tough economic situation, and decisions have to be made; but, at the end of the day, you are dealing with thousands of people…. You must have alternative plans for them. You can’t just knock them off and tell them the place closed,” Gaskin opined, while acknowledging that GuySuCo is still the largest employer in Guyana.

The economist also warned the Government to be careful how they go about implementing this new poli-

cy, because, he emphasized, it could have a negative effect on the local economy. He said it could also lead to the increase in other social ills that remain prevalent in society, including suicide and crime.

The economist believes that if Government goes about addressing this issue the wrong way, it could find itself facing a rebellion along the sugar belt. He made reference to the 1904 Rose Hall rebellion and said this could occur again, unless alterna-

The former presidential advisor told Guyana Times that instead of continuing to pump $1 billion into the industry each month, that money could be used to create jobs for those who would be placed on the bread line.

“One billion dollars can give 30 communities $35 million dollars each… to do local community job creation. We have to create jobs for the communities, and then the economy (would) start to pick up; because then people (would) have jobs, to begin with -- purchasing powers and (the capital to engage in) production, and (they would thus be able to) cut down (on) imports…,” he opined.

He highlighted that it would take another eight months to implement this new policy, and that $8 million could be used to start creating alternative jobs for those who are likely to be affected.

“The White Paper does not deal with this problem at all! What will you do with

“One billion dollars can give 30 communities $35 million dollars each free, to do local community job creation. We have to create jobs for the communities and then the economy will start to pick up, because then people will have jobs to begin with, purchasing powers and production and cut down in imports…,” Gaskin opined. do jobs other than cutting cane.”

Gaskin says that even if Government goes ahead with plans to close the industry, there are alternative measures that could be put in place to assist those displaced; but it would require maturity from GuySuCo, Government and the trade unions representing workers in the industry to arrive at a solution to those work-

ers’ plight.

“There is too much stubbornness on both sides. The Guyana Agriculture and General Workers Union (GAWU) has a stubborn position to keep all the estates open, and the Government is saying, ‘We can’t do it’.

There is no common sense that can bridge the two sides,” he said.

He also emphasised the need for GAWU to be proactive, innovative, and intellectual in coming up with solutions for the people, rather than demanding that all the estates remain open.

“All the estates cannot remain open! (Why should we not) create industrial estates with that money?

GAWU believes that no estate should be closed, and the Government should (continue to pump money into the industry),” Gaskin asserted.

A decision was taken last year to close Wales Factory, on the West Bank of Demerara. The operations have since partially been integrated with those of Uitvlugt Estate. However, workers attached to the now defunct estate are still awaiting full payment of severance benefits.

A Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into GuySuCo had recommended that the Corporation be privatised within three years. It also recommended that a serious evaluation of all diversification options be conducted, to avoid total reliance on sugar for GuySuCo’s revenues.

Sugar has remained one of the biggest foreign currency earners for Guyana, along with rice and gold.

3 Structured corruption at GPHC? NEWS

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Sunday, June 4 – a night retraction at 02:00h and a day retraction at 14:00h-15:30h and Monday, June 5

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Sunday, June 4 – 12:50h-14:20h and Monday, June 5 – a night retraction at 02:30h and a day retraction at 14:30h-16:00h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Weather: Thundery to heavy rain showers can be expected throughout the day, while light cloud cover can be expected in the evening. Temperatures should range between 24 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Easterly to East North-easterly between 2.68 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 00:40h and 13:06h reaching maximum heights of 2.28 metres and 2.26 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 06:39h and 19:01h reaching minimum heights of 0.95 metre and 0.92 metre respectively.

SATURDAY, June 3, 2017

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SunDAY, june 4, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

…a closer look at Govt’s parallel appointments

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resident of the United States of America (USA) Donald Trump, campaigned and won his elections, in part, on a promise to ‘drain the swamp’ but became the laughing stock of the international community when he instead surrounded himself with Wall Street big wigs, bankers and billionaire executives.

In Guyana, the David Granger administration campaigned and won, in part, on a promise to eradicate corruption but what has instead obtained is a complete removal of professionals in the employ of the health sector to be replaced with stooges.

A CLOSER LOOK

Time has since revealed that this move on the part of the David Granger administration has since facilitated - deliberately or otherwise - massive and seemingly unfettered corruption at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

A closer look at the Government appointments reveal an interesting layout of an organisational chart for a government funded entity funded to the tune of billions each year.

It reveals parallel appointments serving in positions that essentially usurp the authority of the office holders in order to wield control over the entity’s finances and procurement systems.

Michael Khan, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) was sent on leave but remains in the employ of GPHC, even as a coalition appointee Allan Johnson continues to perform the functions as acting CEO. In keeping with the slew of appointments of former military personnel to high office, George Lewis, the recently retired Army Brigadier was recently installed as Deputy Chief Executive Officer at GPHC. One of the more glaring parallel appointments at the GPHC that led in part to the recent brouhaha at the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is the position of Finance Director; in fact there are two Finance Directors at GPHC. Ronald Charles was appointed by the coalition government as Director of Finance but despite the substantive portfolio, he is in charge only for procurement as was told to Public Accounts Committee recently.

FINANCE BROUHAHA

Mohamed Karimullah was originally sent home but rehired under murky circumstances and he also serves as Director of Financial and General Services.

The Public Accounts Committee of Parliament recently heard that Karimullah had been relieved of his duties, creating a vacancy for which Charles was appointed Finance Director.

Hospital CEO, Johnson, told the Committee, “The last Board brought back Mr Karimullah as director and

Chairman of the PAC, Opposition Member of Parliament Irfaan Ali chides GPHC CEO Allan Johnson (left) and Finance Director Ronald Charles during the PAC meeting on Monday last (Parliament Office PR photos)

therefore, Mr Charles, was shifted to procurement.”

Despite being in charge of procurement, Charles was presented as the Finance Director to the Public Accounts Committee.

Vijai Balgobin continues to be the Assistant Director of Financial & General Services but the administration has appointed Karen Cumberbatch – Assistant

The coalition Government appointed Allan Johnson as the new CEO of GPHC

expiry of the calendar year to which it relates.

This matter was raised by the Public Accounts Committee where it was discovered that more than a year later the officials appointed by the David Granger administration are yet to comply with the laws of Guyana.

BREACHES

The Audit Report indicates a response from the Ministry of Public Health indicating that efforts are being made to rectify this situation, this was in 2015 but this past week the Hospital CEO repeated that efforts are still being made to rectify this situation.

The Auditor General had found that there was a breach of the provisions of Fiscal Management and Accountability Act when GPHC failed to refund to the Consolidated Fund thirteen cheques valued at $19.941M that were drawn on the Appropriation Account for

Michael Khan, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GPHC was sent on paid leave

cularised instructions in relation to efficient controls, operations and proper maintenance for machinery, equipment and vehicles under its control.

Director of Finance, Materials Management.

This essentially means that some of the existing positions are being executed by parallel appointments, a situation that has led to the Hospital being unable to account for millions in cash and supplies.

DRUG SCANDAL

BULK ALLOCATIONS

The Ministry of Public Health with effect from September, 2015 commenced providing a subvention under chart of accounts 6321Subsidies and Contributions to Local Organisations, to GPHC. The hospital had previously been treated as a Budget Agency.

This essentially means that the National Assembly would no longer scrutinise the details of the expenditure for the GPHC since billions would be turned over from the treasury in a bulk sum for the Granger administration appointed officials to expend.

This led to the Auditor General finding that in the first year of this practice under the new administration, GPHC flouted the laws and failed to submit its financial reports for the period.

GPHC is required to produce audited accounts not later than six months after the expiry of each calendar year, and have same laid in the National Assembly not later than nine months after the

the year 2015.

As such, the Appropriation Account would have been overstated by that amount and at the time of audit inspection the cheques were still on hand at the Corporation in contravention of the laws of Guyana.

The Auditor General had found too that the Corporation had not observed Stores Regulations and cir-

George Lewis, the recently retired Army Brigadier was recently installed as Deputy Chief Executive Officer at GPHC

More recently GPHC was embroiled in another procurement related scandal when information surfaced that the management moved to sideline local companies for the purchase of emergency pharmaceuticals worth in excess of $605 million from a Trinidadian firm, ANSA McAL. turn to page 5

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sunDAY, june 4, 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

Decriminalising same sex relations

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n a weekend that saw the election of an openly gay son of an immigrant as the head of the ruling Fine Gael party of Catholic Ireland – and so in line to be confirmed as Prime Minister when their Parliament reconvenes on June 13, Guyana’s LGBT community remains in a quandary about their right to engage in same sex relations. For over a decade, the discriminatory nature of laws falling under “offences against Morality”, such as: “Everyone who commits buggery… shall be guilty of felony and liable to imprisonment for life” remains hanging like a modern day Sword of Damocles over the heads of LGBT citizens, even as the Government has promised to adhere to international covenants to which it has signed on.

In 2010, after information was presented by Guyana to the United Nations (UN) General Assembly Human Rights Group, Government spokesperson Gail Teixeira noted: “Recommendations 70.47 to 70.53 refer to decriminalisation of consensual same sex relations and ending discrimination against gays, lesbians, bisesexuals, and transgenders… Guyana noted these recommendations and voluntarily commits to hold consultations over the next two years. Based on the outcome of this democratic process these will be reflected in its domestic laws.”

In 2012, the People’s Progressive Party Government attempted to establish a Special Select Committee to conduct hearings on the subject but against strident protests by the People’s National Congress (PNC), the matter was shelved.

Last month however, the PNC-led A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change Government submitted a letter on the issue to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). It claimed there remained mixed views on the prohibition of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and sexual identity and repealing of the laws to decriminalise homosexuality and “it was recommended, that the matter be taken to a vote, where the people of Guyana will decide by a referendum on these matters.” The Government was now rejecting its predecessor’s position that the people’s representatives in the National Assembly would make the decision to decriminalise, and would now go directly to the people.

Ignoring Guyana’s status as the only country in undeveloped South America where homosexual acts remain illegal, Foreign Minister Carl Greenidge noted that in the developed OECD countries, social change has made “certain types of behaviour” acceptable, “But” he argued, “this is Guyana and in these countries you have a different mix of not only ethnic groupings, but you have religious groupings.” Not surprisingly, members and supporters of the LGBT community are outraged and seen this move as a form of “forum shopping” that is unquestionably “outcome determinative”.

The Government believes the majority of Guyanese are against the legalisation of same sex relations.

It is very unfortunate that while Guyana follows precedent in law from Britain, it has stubbornly refused to do so on the law on same sex relations which was imposed by that country in the 19th century. But the British laws were revised around the same time as our Independence was granted. A decade before the UK Government-sponsored Wolfenden Committee on homosexual relations and prostitution had submitted its report. It made a crucial distinction between private actions and public order, which subsequently dominated the enforcement of morality that is at the base of the criminal law.

Wolfenden took up the utilitarian proposition of Bentham and JS Mill that it should not be the function of the law to regulate private behaviour that did not harm anyone else; however distasteful others might find it. Its role was to establish the framework of public order.

In the famous subsequent HLA Hart-Devlin debate that centred on Wolfenden’s recommendations, much of the present Guyana Government’s position was represented by the jurist Lord Devlin and while no one would deny that the “voice of the people” do matter, the position articulated by Oxford Professor Hart has carried the day. The 1967 Sexual Offences Act decriminalised same sex relations in England and Wales.

From that time, the moral right of the individual rather than society became determinative of what went on in private. When will Guyana catch up?

A Palestinian woman lifts a girl on the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City (Reuters)

Granger’s rejection of second list of GECOM nominees Dear Editor, The letter received by Leader of the Opposition from President Granger wherein Granger rejected the second list of persons from which a Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission, not unacceptable to the President, shall be appointed (once a list is submitted by the Leader of the Opposition) concludes with the following, “I have examined the Curricula Vitae of the six persons in light of the criteria defined in my letter to you dated

2017.03.14. I have found the list to be ‘unacceptable’ within the meaning of the Constitution and of those criteria.”

There has been much discourse vis a vis the legality of President Granger’s attempt to include “criteria” by way of a letter not so prescribed in the Constitution, so I shall not seek to hereby add anything further to that specific part of the discourse.

I, however, take serious issue with the accuracy of

the final sentence “I have found the list to be ‘unacceptable’ within the meaning of the Constitution and of those criteria”, and any confusion or misapprehension, deliberate or negligent, that it may cause.

It must be clear that the Constitution offers no meaning, interpretation, or definition of the word “unacceptable”. In fact, the word “unacceptable” appears just one other time in the Constitution; that is, Article 212N (3), which is almost exactly

the same in construct and syntax and ought to be referenced in this discourse if simply for the sake of interpretation.

Unless proven otherwise, the reference to the Constitution in the concluding sentence is wholly and entirely inaccurate and has no place therein unless a deliberate attempt to mislead the public discourse.

Sincerely, Charles S Ramson Esq

Eric Phillips is not too au fait with the sugar industry Dear Editor, We refer to Eric Phillips’ letter captioned “GAWU is not interested in a win-win situation” appearing in the May 31, 2017 edition of one of the daily newspapers.

While Phillips apparently chastises our Union for lacking “economic understanding”, it also seems, in our view, that he is not too au fait with the industry, its challenges and solutions to make it into a viable entity.

On the debt, we urge that the disaggregated figures be looked into as we think it would be revealing to the author.

With respect to the investment required by the industry, the Sugar

Commission of Inquiry (CoI) pointed to a figure less than one-third of what is quoted, obviously something is amiss.

It seems the letter writer may not have been following the many articles and letters in the press in recent times which have proposed alternatives for sugar without the heavy consequences of the plans being currently promoted by officialdom. In this vein, we strongly believe that our proposal presented to the Government and shared with the public offers a way out and a bright future for sugar and the people connected to its operations.

At this time, neither

the Administration nor the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) have said our proposals are misguided, misplaced or unfeasible. Diversification within sugar, we hold, strongly is the answer to the big question on the industry and we went as far as offering our ideas on its financing.

The non-sugar diversification being proposed is very questionable and the sad experiences of the past offer very little comfort.

Moreover at Wales, the supposed launching pad for this new direction, we hasten to point out very little is being done but suffering is growing by the day.

Phillips also says that “the Government and peo-

ple of Guyana cannot afford to subsidise GuySuCo as it is currently operating” but at the same time can we afford plans which would promote greater hardships, impoverishment and depravity in our country.

Such situation we see as lose-lose. We ask do we really, as a people, in the interest of what Phillips calls “equitable sustainable development” spread those hardships (like those faced in Wales) to other parts of the country? For GAWU, we cannot lend a supporting voice to such a plan.

Yours faithfully, Seepaul Narine GAWU General Secretary

NEWS

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SunDAY, june 4, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

Glenn Lall, associates tried to pay $100M for debt of $1B+ …Jagdeo’s refusal soured relations, spawned decades-long vendetta

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ontroversial local businessman Glen Lall, and other major shareholders who had entered into an agreement with the Government of Guyana through the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) to purchase the Guyana Stores Limited (GSL), had attempted to settle the morethan-one-billion-dollar debt owed for the mega-store by paying a paltry $100 million.

This past week, when he spoke to the duplicitous nature of the APNU/ AFC Administration in regard to its selective release of information to the public, Guyana’s former President, Bharrat Jagdeo, made the foregoing damning revelation and opined that the GSL transaction should be among the agreements released to

the public.

He said this agreement illustrates how persons would have entered into transactions with the Government but have failed to honour their obligations. Therefore, he opined, all such agreements should be made public, so the nation would be able to understand the nature of people who never performed on these agreements.

He suggested that because many prominent persons in society had failed to live up to obligations imposed on them in the agreements they had entered into, it might have led them to join camp with the AFC. “Because we (used to) pressure them to live up to the terms of the agreements (entered into with Government),” he explained.

The former President de-

According to Jagdeo, “They wanted to settle for $100M (a liability of) over $1B. We said, ‘No, we going to court; you got to meet the agreement’.”

Jagdeo also opined that this “falling out” was perhaps

what had led to Lall and his associates adopting a hostile approach to the PPP/C Administration. “So probably they left us because of that,” he quipped.

To date, Royal Investments Limited, the shareholding company under which the Guyana Stores Limited purchase was executed, continues to owe the State hundreds of millions of

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo

clared, “Glenn Lall and the others had to live up to the terms of the Guyana Stores Agreement, (but) they did not.” He then opined that Lall and his associates were “hoping to get a free pass.”

unsavory business practices.

Robert Badal, owner of Guyana Stockfeeds Inc, is current Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Guyana Power and Light Inc. His appointment was made by the APNU/AFC Administration after the previous office holders had been sacked.

Jagdeo on Friday openly accused Badal as follows: “Badal tried to steal the 30 per cent Government shares (in the Guyana Stockfeeds Inc) and we said, ‘No, we are going to go to court.’ Then he joined the other side… We hope that all of the agreements will be made public.”

Glenn Lall

In Berbice…

Homeless man arrested for strangling 88-yr-old pensioner

– confesses to crime

T

he Guyana Police Force has detained a 30-year-old-man who is said to have no fixed place of abode, in connection with the death of pensioner Fitzherbert Grimes, 88, of Hazel Street, Springlands, Corriverton, Berbice.

Grimes died on Friday, several hours after being admitted a patient at the Skeldon Public Hospital.

He was taken to the hospital around 13:30h by officers, with a lacerated wound to his mouth and swollen eyes.

According to the Police, investigations revealed that the suspect who is a frequent visitor of the victim, went to the victim’s home located in the upper flat of the house, shortly after 13:00h on Friday and minutes later, the victim was heard screaming.

The Police who were alerted, responded promptly and reportedly caught the suspect in the process of exiting the yard. Police say the suspect has since confessed to beating the 88-year-old man because of his (victim’s) refusal to give him some of his pension money.

Reports are the suspect had gone to the home of Grimes as he normally did and committed the act which was witnessed by an 11-year-old boy. The boy’s father, Dexter Parks, had gone to run an errand for Grimes at the time, and as he returned he heard his son calling.

“He hollering fo murder!

Murder! So I ran and ask he what happen and he say,

The suspect was arrested at the scene and has reportedly confessed to the crime

pect was still in the act and there was blood everywhere.

“He deh on top of the man an choking he… I watching wah going on an I ent know wha fo do…”

He said the blood on the floor and walls came as Grimes was being stamped in the head by the suspect whose name was given by neighbours as “Odel”.

Meanwhile, neighbours reported that following shouts coming from the building, several persons ran into the yard.

Parks said as he watched, someone called on him to apprehend the suspect as he was attempting to leave. “So

The deceased is said to have had a good relationship with the community which looked out for him. Grimes had uplifted his pension on Thursday and has a portion of it left on Friday afternoon when the suspect came.

The suspect is a known offender and was released from prison two weeks ago.

He was on Saturday afternoon taken back to the scene where he gave Police a detailed account of what transpired.

Meanwhile, Grimes had reportedly told friends that he had plans of living past his 100th birthday.

He leaves to mourn sever-

The house where the 88-year-old pensioner lived and where the crime took place

‘Come see wah “Odel” doing to the “Big Man Grimes”, so I run inside and go upstairs.”

According to Parks, when he got upstairs, the sus-

I hold on to him right here by the door and hand him over to the Police when they come; they did not take long in like five or six minutes they come,” he related.

al children. The body is presently at the hospital’s mortuary awaiting a post-mortem examination. (Andrew Carmichael)

Tony Yassin

dollars; and the full extent of the liability is awaiting determination in a court trial.

NICIL currently has several matters worth millions of dollars being litigated against Guyana Stores Ltd for outstanding liability to the Government of Guyana.

Lall and Yassin, Directors of Guyana Stores, reportedly owe US$2 million of the US$6 million the property was sold for back in 2000 by the Government via NICIL. Past due interest on the outstanding balance would amount to approximately another US$2 million, or maybe even more.

The matter is sub-judice, but the Governmentowned NICIL has moved to the courts to recover sums of money it is due. The legal proceedings, which were before Justice Roxane George at the High Court in Georgetown, entails NICIL suing Royal Investments Limited for failing to pay the balance of US$2 million for the 70 million shares in the company it had acquired for US$6 million.

In the meantime, the profits of the company are collected by these two owners, and shareholders have complained that they have never received any dividends since the company was privatised back in 2000.

Interestingly, with the 2015 change in Government, NICIL has paid some $40 million in taxes to the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown (M&CC) on behalf of the Glenn Lall-owned entity.

UNSAVOURY PRACTICES

Jagdeo has accused another high profile member and financier of the Alliance For Change (AFC) of essentially stealing a company from Government through

Robert Badal

Badal’s Guyana Stockfeeds Inc was recently castigated by the Securities Council in a ‘public advisory’ -- for misleading its shareholders by claiming in its Interim Financial Report published for January – June 2013 that it had paid shareholders dividends amounting to $80,285,557, when in fact the company had not paid the dividends.

What had instead obtained was that, in 2008, the court had ruled in favour of an action brought by NICIL against Mr Badal’s attempt to unlawfully reduce the Government of Guyana’s shares in the Guyana Stockfeeds Inc from 38% to 7% by means of an illegal Rights Issue. That issue, created under the guise of raising capital to construct a wharf illegally on, and through, NICIL’s land, was giving Mr Badal almost 80% ownership of the company. But rather than restoring Government’s shareholding, as ordered by the court, Badal appealed the decision.

The court had in fact ruled that the business affairs of Stockfeeds were being carried out oppressively; that the company had not complied with the Companies Act; and that the Rights Issue was illegal, null and void. The court had accordingly issued an order restraining any further issuance of shares or increase in the defendant’s shareholding, or any change to the shares register of the company.

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SunDAY, june 4, 2017

Page

Foundation The myth about vaccines causing Autism

"I am dying from the treatment of too many physicians."- Alexander the Great

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Anu Dev

ast week I wrote about some of the reasons we should get vaccinated.

This week, I’d like to take a look at one of the biggest misconceptions people have about vaccines – that vaccines cause autism. This idea about autism being linked to vaccines rose to prominence after a study called the “Wakefield Study” was published in the Lancet, a premier medical journal.

In 1998, a team of 13 UK doctors, led by Dr. Wakefield, studied 12 children with autism. The parents of these kids thought that there was a relationship between their kids showing symptoms of autism and getting vaccinated with the MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) vaccine.

Dr. Wakefield examined samples of the kids’ intestines. His results showed that the samples he tested indicated inflammation of the gut.

He proposed that the MMR vaccine caused gut inflammation, and because of the latter, a “mystery protein”

guyanatimesgy.com

we ingest can cross into the bloodstream and affect the developing brain, causing autism.

As you can imagine, the study raised a lot of concerns for parents and the entire medical profession. But this was just one study, and in science, we keep testing. And if the premise of the first study was actually true, other studies should be able to arrive at the same conclusion. Right?

Well that’s just what other researchers did - across the world. One, in the UK, was done on 473 autistic children, to test the postulated link between the MMR vaccine and gut inflammation. They couldn’t find any! Another study in the UK wanted to test the other part of Wakefield’s hypothesis -- that gut inflammation was linked to autism. They studied 262 autistic children and found that there was no link. A study in Finland followed 1.8 million vaccinated children over time and found ZERO cases of vaccine-associated autism.

Combine all of that with the fact that Wakefield’s “mystery protein” was never identified, and it would look like Wakefield’s hypothesis had been debunked. But how

could Wakefield and his team be so “off” with their results?

Well, the truth about the study started coming to light in 2004, after 10 of the authors retracted their study and an investigative journalist named Brian Deer began digging around. He discovered that, in 1996, a group of lawyers, hoping to sue the MMR vaccine makers, paid Wakefield thousands of pounds to conduct the study.

In 1997, Wakefield himself filed a patent for a vaccine that would be an alternative to the MMR vaccine.

Between 2007 and 2010, the British General Medical Council reviewed the information Brian Deere collected along with information they had gathered. The GMC found that Wakefield was dishonest, lied about his financial interests, was medically negligent, and was unskilled.

He cherry-picked patients with parents who were very interested in suing the MMR vaccine makers.

He was then removed from the medical registry, and is now effectively unable to practise medicine anywhere in the world. Not too long after, the Lancet retracted the study.

The final nail in the coffin was that, in 2011, the hospital’s medical records were released and it turned out there was a huge discrepancy in what the pathologist found and what Wakefield reported. He straight up made up findings to make it look like the MMR vaccine was causing autism.

Even though the Wakefield study has been completely debunked, 19 years later, it’s still doing damage. In places like the US, parents aren’t vaccinating their kids. Right now, there’s a huge measles outbreak in Minnesota.

Kids shouldn’t have to suffer through a debilitating disease like that when there’s a vaccine to prevent them from getting infected in the first place.

There’s a lot of noise and misinformation out there.

We’re in an era wherein anyone can log onto their computer and post something that others might believe. There are out there people who would try to tell you that climate change is a myth, and there even are those who still believe that the Earth is flat.

Read information from as many sources as you can, and only then you can make informed decisions.

T

he immune system, which is made up of special cells, proteins, tissues, and organs, defends people against germs and microorganisms every day. In most cases, the immune system does a great job of keeping people healthy and preventing infections. But sometimes problems with the immune system can lead to illness and infection.

About the immune system

The immune system is the body's defence against infectious organisms and other invaders. Through a series of steps called the immune response, the immune system attacks organisms and substances that invade body systems and cause disease.

The immune system is made up of a network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to protect the body. One of the important cells involved are white blood cells, also called leukocytes, which come in two basic types that combine to seek out and destroy disease-causing organisms or substances.

Leukocytes are produced or stored in many locations in the body, including the thymus, spleen, and bone marrow. For this reason, they're called the lymphoid organs. There are also clumps of lymphoid tissue throughout the body, primarily as lymph nodes, that house the leukocytes.

The leukocytes circulate through the body between the organs and nodes via lymphatic vessels and blood vessels. In this way, the immune system works in a coordinated manner to monitor the body for germs or substances that might cause problems.

The two basic types of leukocytes are: * phagocytes, cells that chew up invading organisms * lymphocytes, cells that allow the body to remember and recognise previous invaders and help the body destroy them A number of different cells are considered phagocytes. The most common type is the neutrophil, which primarily fights bacteria. If doctors are worried about a bacterial infection, they might order a blood test to see if a patient has an increased number of neutrophils triggered by the infection. Other types of phagocytes have their own jobs to make sure that the body responds appropriately to a specific type of invader.

The two kinds of lymphocytes are B lymphocytes and T lymphocytes. Lymphocytes start out in the bone marrow and either stay there and mature into B cells, or they leave for the thymus gland, where they mature into T cells. B lymphocytes and T lymphocytes have separate functions: B lymphocytes are like the body's military intelligence system, seeking out their targets and sending defences to lock onto them. T cells are like the soldiers, destroying the invaders that the intelligence system has identified.

Here's how it works: When antigens (foreign substances that invade the body) are detected, several types of cells work together to recognise them and respond. These cells trigger the B lymphocytes to produce antibodies, which are specialised proteins that lock onto specific antigens.

Once produced, these antibodies stay in a person's body, so that if his or her immune system encounters that antigen again, the antibodies are already there to do their job. So if someone gets sick with a certain disease, like chickenpox, that person usually won't get sick from it again.

This is also how immunisations prevent certain diseases.

An immunisation introduces the body to an antigen in a way that doesn't make someone sick, but does allow the body to produce antibodies that will then protect the person from future attack by the germ or substance that produces that particular disease.

Although antibodies can recognise an antigen and lock onto it, they are not capable of destroying it without help. That's the job of the T cells, which are part of the system that destroys antigens that have been tagged by antibodies or cells that have been infected or somehow changed. (Some T cells are actually called "killer cells.") T cells also are involved in helping signal other cells (like phagocytes) to do their jobs.

Antibodies also can neutralise toxins (poisonous or damaging substances) produced by different organisms. Lastly, antibodies can activate a group of proteins called complement that are also part of the immune system. Complement assists in killing bacteria, viruses, or infected cells.

All of these specialised cells and parts of the immune system offer the body protection against disease. This protection is called immunity. (Excerpted from Kidshealth.org)

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sunDAY, june 4, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

GMSA engages Trotman on forestry, mining, oil and gas A

team from the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) met with Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman on June 1st 2017 to discuss critical issues relating to the forestry, mining and oil and gas sectors.

The team, headed by GMSA President Shyam Nokta, included Andre Cummings, Chairperson of the Forestry and Wood Products Sub-Sector; Norman McLean, Chairman of the Mineral and Related Industries Sub-Sector; Glenis Hodge, Chairperson of the Services Sub-Sector; and Board Member Peter Pompey.

The GMSA team gave recognition to the ongoing process of revising and updating the National Forest Policy and the National Forest Plan, and promoting lesser used species of wood, while highlighting critical challenges facing the sector.

The issue of VAT on forest products was raised, and it was pointed out that this is affecting the competitiveness of the wood processing sector.

The GMSA reiterated its call for this decision to be revisited with a view to removing the VAT on forest products. To support its position, an assessment from the industry’s perspective has been prepared by the GMSA and will be put to Government.

It was also pointed out that the competitiveness of local products is being challenged with imported substitutes, and this adds to

The GMSA team, headed by GMSA President Shyam Nokta (third left), meeting with Minister Trotman

the challenges facing the local wood processing sector.

The issue of the UK ban on greenheart from Guyana was also raised, and while some progress has been made, which allows FSC certified timber to have market access, the GMSA urged that the issue be advanced to completion urgently, to allow for a full lifting of the ban. In this regard, the GMSA expressed its willingness to provide technical support and be involved in the process to engage the UK Environment Agency.

It was pointed out that, for several years now, the forestry sector has been in decline and there is need for incentives to serve as catalyst to stimulate growth

and expansion, particularly in the area of value-added.

Minister Trotman, in acknowledging the issues put forward, outlined Government’s commitment to review the issue of VAT on forest products and in moving forward on resolving the issue of the greenheart ban. He invited the GMSA to submit proposals for support to the Wood Sector, since the Ministry of Finance will start considering those for the 2018 National Budget in July 2017.

The GMSA, in a statement, said its representatives also took the opportunity to discuss the mining sector, and it was pointed out that diversification in this sector is crit-

ical. McLean, as Chairman of the Mineral and Related Industries Sub-Sector, pointed out that there is need for alternative methods for improved recovery of gold, which can also reduce degradation. McLean, who is also a representative of the Bosai Minerals Group, took the opportunity to appraise the minister

of the manganese project in the North West of Guyana and the initiatives planned, including rehabilitating the road from Port Kaituma to Matthews Ridge.

The oil and gas sector also featured in the discussions, and the GMSA gave recognition to several initiatives being pursued, including the Oil and Gas

Local Content Policy.

The GMSA members indicated the strong interest of the organisation and its members to learn more of the opportunities for local businesses in the various stages of the development of the oil and gas industry, from exploration to production; and to understand the requirements, so businesses can start preparing. In this regard, local content was identified as a critical area of focus for the organisation.

Minister Trotman provided an overview of the developments in the oil and gas sector, and committed to working with the local Private Sector He indicated that the Natural Resources Ministry would facilitate a Local Content Specialist working with the GMSA on local content issues as part of the process of further developing and finalising the Local Content Policy.

In response to a query on local capacity assessment on goods and services, the minister indicated that a gap assessment has been done, and will help to guide efforts aimed at supporting readiness of the local Private Sector.

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SunDAY, june 4, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

Top female Guyanese Toastmaster ascends to post as Club Growth Director – for Caribbean District

D

istinguished Toastmaster, Anita Ramprasad has once again done Guyana proud when she was recently elected as Club Growth Director for the Caribbean District (District 81), within the global communication and leadership organisation, Toastmasters International.

She is the first Guyanese woman and only the second Guyanese to ascend to this height of leadership in less than eight years of joining the prestigious organisation.

The first Guyanese to serve at this level was Distinguished Toastmaster, Ewart Adams, who is one of Anita’s mentors and one of the pioneers who established leadership opportunities for all Toastmasters in Guyana.

Ramprasad contested the elections as a candidate nominated from the floor, by her peers and ran against two other qualified candi-

dates from Jamaica and St Lucia, to win by a landslide.

As Club Growth Director for the Caribbean region, Ramprasad will be responsible for developing strategies to sustain and grow the Toastmasters movement within the Region.

With this new post, she will now elevate her leadership experience to an international level as she joins and works along with an elite group of similar leaders from 103 other Toastmasters Districts in 142 countries all around the world.

The young woman joined Toastmasters in July 2009 and has served as a leader at her club level, the national level and currently she serves at the District level as a Division Director with responsibility for the territories of Grenada, Guyana, Petit Martinique and Trinidad and Tobago.

She became a Distinguished Toastmaster

Anita Ramprasad

in April 2015 following her completion of all four levels of communication and four of the leadership disciplines. In addition, she has also represented Guyana in regional Public Speaking Championships and in May 2015 she placed second in the Region.

Ramprasad has mentored upcoming leaders both locally and regionally

and has been a coach to upcoming public speakers and communicators as well.

Additionally, she has conducted several training sessions at the regional level and has served as a judge for speech contests nationally and regionally.

When asked what inspired her to run for such a prestigious office, she responded it was not so much a “what” as it was “whom”.

She relayed that several past District leaders and her fellow Toastmaster colleagues from within the Region all encouraged her to take up the post.

She stated, “I believe it is one of the greatest blessings in life to have people who see something special within you even when you can’t quite see if for yourself.”

Ramprasad believes that is her true calling in life to help others unlock their true potential and find their passion and purpose.

The PNC way…

S

…or the Highway

o who’s surprised that Prezzie has rejected the Opposition Leader’s second list of nominees for the GECOM Chair?? Not THIS Eyewitness!

And not anyone with an open mind who reads the expose by this newspaper on the rabidly pro-PNC female ex-Judge Claudette La Bennet, whom Prezzie really wants to fill that spot. Not long after the PNC-led coalition got into office, the Trade Union Recognition Board (TURB) had to be reconstituted, since its two-year term was over. Now this is a very critical body, since it decides who speaks for workers.

The Govt took away one of FITUG’s members and gave it to Lewis’s TUC, but didn’t trust him to toe the PNC line. To make certain of the loyalty of the TURB, the PNC, without consulting either of the two major trade union umbrella bodies, applied its coup de grace and appointed La Bennet as Chair. In what was clearly a dryrun of what would play out a year later on the GECOM Chairmanship, the Government ignored the clear stipulation of the TURB Act, which demanded that the “Minister” “consult” with the most representative trade union body to select the chair.

Both Lincoln Lewis of the TUC and Komal Chand of FITUG complained bitterly of the Government’s high-handed action in making a travesty of the word “consultation”. The TUC had submitted a name, but wasn’t even given the courtesy of being informed it was rejected. Clearly La Bennet was trusted by this government to call the shots, as the Government -- read PNC -- sees them. The Chair of GECOM is even more crucial to the survival of the PNC. Just as in 1967, when Burnham decided to rig elections to remain in office, and appointed Desmond Hoyte to represent the PNC’s interest on the Elections’ Commission, he also insisted on a totally compliant Chair -- Ex-Chief Justice Donald Jackson. In 1980, the latter was replaced by another compliant pro-PNC ex-Chief Justice, Harold Bollers -- dubbed a “toothless poodle” by Cheddi Jagan.

Ex-Justice Jackson presided over the 1968 elections, when horses voted in England; and the 1973 one, when ballots were counted at Camp Ayanganna, away from prying eyes.

Ex-Justice Bollers presided over the 1980 elections, which the observing British Parliamentary Group described as “more crooked than barbed wire”; and also the 1985 elections, in which Hoyte gave himself an even bigger majority than Burnham ever had! And so, in 1990, Desmond Hoyte was forced by President Carter to agree to amend the constitution to go beyond judges and consider “other fit and proper persons”.

It’s clear that being a judge didn’t guarantee “independence, impartiality and integrity”. But then these words mean whatever the PNC decides, do they not?

...on development

One thing about this government is: you can’t blame them for ambushing the Guyanese public about their policies and programmes. They did take the time to declare that President Granger would be faithfully following in the footsteps of the “Comrade Leader, LFS Burnham. We can see that promise kept on the running of key institutions like TURB and GECOM; and over this weekend, a new announcement keeps the ball rolling on the path of Burnhamism -- cooperatives.

Minister Keith Scott informed that he’s now completed his survey of cooperatives, and the institution which was at the heart of Burnham’s revolution -- we were to be a “Cooperative Republic, remember? -- was alive and kicking. All it presumably needs is money, and we will have our new “engine of growth”. No wonder the Government gives short shrift to the Private Sector!!

What the heck do they know about Ujamaa Socialism??

Now why would the Government revive a model of development that failed miserably before?

Why? They didn’t stick to the founder leader’s vision!!

…to solve fishy problems

Another aspect of the “Burnham Stride” was strut on the world stage. And last week, Agri Minister Holder followed suit. He jetted off to Norway to regulate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

So what if our Agri’s tanking??

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

NEWS

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SunDAY, june 4, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Charges against GRDB officials groundless – attorney T

he lawyer of one of the six Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) officials who were recently charged is decrying the manner in which charges were implemented against his client.

Attorney Sase Gunraj, who is representing former Deputy Permanent Secretary (Finance) of the Agriculture Ministry, Prema Roopnarine, made this known through a statement on Saturday.

According to Gunraj, it is the function of the auditor to express an opinion as to whether financial statements were prepared without material mis-statements.

He noted that management is also responsible for implementing internal controls which will result in true and fair preparation of financial statements. This, he pointed out, is all in keeping with International Financial Reporting Standards.

“Neither of the foregoing is the responsibility of the Board or its individual members. Interestingly, the audit for which these charges arose, never provided an opportunity to my client to answer any of the allegations/queries contained therein even though she was still employed by the Ministry of Agriculture under whose purview the GRDB falls.”

“It is clear that this is nothing short of a witchhunt. This sinister campaign will no doubt be unravelled and laid bare as the trial progresses. Over the past few months there appears to be a deliberate smear campaign against Mrs Prema RamanahRoopnarine,” he contended.

According to Gunraj, it is clear that this “nefarious” plan was designed to ensure the termination of Roopnarine’s services “as part of an ongoing cam-

paign of discrimination against certain individuals, particularly females who are qualified and competent professionals.”

“On May 24, 2017, Mrs Ramanah-Roopnarine was served with a letter from the Agriculture Ministry's Personnel Department dismissing her with immediate effect. No grounds or reasons were advanced to justify terminating the services of someone who has served with distinction for over 10 years.”

“Hence, this arbitrary move by the Ministry simply serves to confirm that indeed there is a campaign of discrimination being waged against certain individuals, particularly professional women.”

Regarding the now well publicised charges by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) against Roopnarine as a Board Member of the GRDB, we are constrained from divulging any information that would prejudice the outcome of the on-going legal matter.

“Suffice to say we remain confident that the Courts will vindicate Mrs Ramanah-Roopnarine, as the charges are clearly malicious and were carefully coordinated to culminate with her dismissal.”

Six former members of the GRDB were recently charged with fraudulent omission. The charge came one day after they had been summoned by SOCU for questioning in relation to the operations of the GRDB between the years 2011 and 2015.

People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Members of Parliament Dharamkumar Seeraj and Nigel Dharamlall; former Deputy General Manager of GRDB, Ricky Ramraj; former GRDB General Manager Jagnarine Singh; former GRDB Board member Badrie Persaud; and former Deputy Permanent

Former Deputy Permanent Secretary (Finance) Agriculture Ministry, Prema Roopnarine, with her Attorney Sase Gunraj

Secretary (Finance) of the Agriculture Ministry, Prema Roopnarine, appeared recently before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts to answer a string of charges to which they were not required to plead.

The first charge they faced allege that, in 2011, the defendants omitted to enter some $52 million in the GRDB ledger; while the second charge stated that the then Board members omitted to enter a sum of $77.3 million into the said ledger. Other charges read that between the years 2014 and 2015, the sums of $130 million, $9.7 mil-

lion and $145 million were respectively omitted from the GRDB register.

The former members of the GRDB were flanked by Executive members of the PPP/C, who flooded the courtroom in support of their comrades. They were represented by a team of Attorneys comprising Priya Manickchand, Anil Nandlall, Sase Gunraj and Glen Hanoman.

The defendants were each placed on $500,000 bail by the Chief Magistrate, who cast a deaf ear to the pleas of the lawyers to have their clients released on their own recognisance.

Structured corruption...

That company subsequently made a multi-million-dollar donation to the administration in the form of an Arch which was erected on the East Coast Demerara highway at Cummings Lodge.

The emergency at the Hospital leading to the ‘emergency’ purchase was found to have been a manufactured incident since the officials appointed by the Granger administration had delayed and cancelled four out of its five public tenders in the preceding months, creating a situation where there is a massive shortage of pharmaceuticals, which was initially denied by the authorities, and which would have caused deaths and aggravated illnesses in patients lacking medication.

It was found that GPHC CEO, Johnson, on February 28 last, wrote a letter to the Chairman of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), Berkley Wickham, requesting approval for the procurement of these “emergency drugs”

in light of the shortage, from ANSA McAL to the tune of $605,962,200.

This request to bypass the procurement process to sole source drugs from a foreign firm speaks loudly of some public official’s intent to sideline local companies which could have supplied the same pharmaceuticals at cheaper prices.

PHARMA-WAREHOUSE

It raises the issue of motive and possible corruption, which is reminiscent of the earlier decision to rent a non-existent pharma-warehouse.

The owner of the controversial Sussex Street property that was rented as a ‘Drugs Bond’ by the Ministry of Public Health for in excess of $14 million monthly has also now begun supplying drugs to Government.

This is another of the glaring revelations the People’s Progressive Party Civic ((PPP/C) unearthed recently when it probed the Ministry of Public Health over drugs’ purchases in that sector recently.

It was unearthed re-

cently too that the very officials appointed by the David Granger Administration spent 77 per cent of the Hospital’s total allocation for the year in the first two months of 2017.

Of the total $8.5 billion allocated to the entity for the year, employment costs account for $3.1 billion; capital expenditure has been budgeted at $527 million; dietary and meals at $537 million; and other purchases, such as cleaning supplies and security, have been budgeted at $579 million.

RAPE TREASURY

This means there is about $2.6 billion for the year for the procurement of drugs and medical supplies.

With $2 billion of that money already spent in the first two months of the year — representing some 77 per cent of the total allocation for the year Government will undoubtedly be heading to the coffers for more money.

Spending to be presided over by the Organisational

from page 3

Structure put in place by the David Granger administration after taking office in 2015 - the first course of action being to allocate the Hospital its money in a lump sum without any scrutiny from Parliament before it is approved.

At least one opposition Member of Parliament has since opined that a “raping of the treasury will take place” during the August recess, and the full amount would not be made known until October, when Government is made to lay a Supplementary Financial Paper in the National Assembly, detailing the expenditure.

Another incident of note, in taking a closer look at the possibility of structured corruption at GPHC and Granger’s parallel appointments, was occasioned when the Hospital officials denied the Chairperson and members of the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Social Services entry to the drug bond controlled by GPHC in light of the countrywide reports of drug shortages.

10 news

sunDAY, June 4, 2017| guyanatimesgy.com

GTT increases speeds at no extra cost to its Squatting costing Govt too much for alternative drainage business customers In Ruimveldt

T

One of the recently desilted and cleaned drains in North Ruimveldt

he Ruimveldt areas have always been susceptible to flooding during heavy or even the slightest rainfall. However, squatting in North Ruimveldt areas is costing Government large sums for alternative drainage works to alleviate the flooding.

Community Coordinator within the Public Infrastructure Ministry, Neilson McKenzie, related to the Government Information Agency that the extensive squatting – especially in the North Ruimveldt areas – prevents access to the northern canal to facilitate the required drainage works.

He explained that the illegal occupancy of the State reserves makes it impossible for the Public Infrastructure Ministry and the Mayor and City Council

to access those reserves to dig the canals and desilt and clean drains to ease the flood woes in those areas.

Therefore, as a result, “what we had to do is improvise and do alternative drainage works to drain the water from North Ruimveldt through South Ruimveldt and other areas. It is not the best thing, it is a costly exercise, and the Government is making moves to regularise the situation as it relates to the cleaning and clearing of these reserves to facilitate adequate drainage.”

However, after a few weeks of negotiations and consultations with residents in North Ruimveldt, and visits by representatives from the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority, drainage works in North Ruimveldt areas have commenced.

McKenzie explained that

these works are all part of the $150 million that was voted for in Cabinet for emergency drainage works that cover several areas in Georgetown. “It stretches from the Bel Air and Sophia areas, right into North and South Ruimveldt. We’re looking at critical areas, and seeing how our intervention can affect more efficient drainage in those areas.”

According to a GINA report, these works saw several residents being employed from the North Ruimveldt areas.

The Community Coordinator noted that throughout the execution of these works, residents from the respective areas will gain employment.

One resident, Mark Baird, said he is happy to be employed and contribute to the development of his community. “I feel real nice because the mosquitos and

bottles that use to blocking the drains are no longer there all the place need now is lil maintenance.”

Another resident, Henry Luke, who has been a resident of North Ruimveldt all his life and a founder member of the community welcomes the work. Luke who is the contractor for one of the teams working in the area said, “though the time span between the cleaning is too long, now that the Government is trying to bring back the beauty in this community we are grateful for this initiative.”

Similar works will continue in South Sophia and Plum Park, Kitty and Subryanville and Alberttown and Queenstown area among others in preparation of and to alleviate flooding in these communities.

Drainage works being undertaken by residents in North Ruimveldt

G

TT on Saturday announced that it is increasing broadband Internet access speeds to its business customers for the same price currently paid.

The increase in speeds is subject to a customer-by-customer analysis, where physical plant upgrades may be required; but, in some cases, customers will enjoy up to thrice their actual speeds.

GTT continues to make substantial investments in its subsea cable network, the core Internet network in Guyana, along with improvements in its access network to businesses and resi-

dents.

The present upgrade for business customers is another benefit from these investments. The telephone company, in a release, has stated that in addition to providing the highest quality and most affordable broadband service in Guyana, it provides the best mobile plans and devices for businesses.

The telephone giant is urging the public to contact local representatives on 226-7777 or business@gtt. co.gy to discuss a GTT communications package that would enable the public to ‘Do More’.

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SunDAY, june 4, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

GuySuCo has no ‘proper rationale’ to close Uitvlugt Estate – GAWU contends Downsizing the sugar industry: The economic and social impacts on Guyana’s economy (Part II)

R

eaders of this column would recall that last week’s article was more of an introductory feature to this topic.

In that article, I posited that the decision to downsize the operations of GuySuCo would have serious repercussions to the economy at large.

Moreover, the direct adverse impacts would be intensified in the sugar producing communities; and in the interest of recent historic correctness, Wales Sugar Estate (West Bank Demerara), about six months ago, was once a sugar producing community.

If I am to describe this situation with a metaphorical analogy, I would say it is equivalent to an atomic bomb exploding within these communities. The devastating effect of that explosion would be felt nationwide in due time and for all time.

Perhaps some may argue that this is being overly exaggerative, but it is necessary to use such an analogy in some cases, especially when countering a statement such as “GUYSUCO BLEEDING COUNTRY”, made either deliberately or inadvertently, ignoring so many other critical elements on this very sensitive subject matter. For example, blatantly disregarding the plight of people resident in these communities.

What are these people supposed to do when one estate is already closed and policymakers are still scrambling to come up with a plan to find employment or some other income generating venture for them?

Having said that, I shall now narrow my focus on the other factors which last week I argued were ignored. Focusing on that contention, we have already established that about 10,000 persons are going to be transferred from having a stable, decent employment and a financially healthy standard of living to unemployment and a bleak, devastatingly uncertain future, but with almost absolute certainty of transforming into livelihoods engulfed in poverty. It should also be noted that more than 48,000 -- approximately 80,000 -- dependents will be adversely affected immediately. Hence, to some degree, these known facts have quantified the magnitude of damage that would potentially be done to the economy, and thus there is seen the importance of sustaining the industry and reinforcing the far-reaching financial and economic dynamism which the sugar industry holds on the economy.

GUYSUCO’s annual payment of wages and salaries amounts to approximately $11 billion, and it can be safely assumed that about $3 billion find its way back into the national treasury in the form of income tax (P.A.Y.E). In fact, up to April 2015, according to the report stemming from the Commission of Inquiry (COI), GuySuCo had $4.3 billion for ‘P.A.Y.E’ and $1.5 billion for NIS payments recorded as amounts owing.

To further strengthen my position and simplify this piece of statistical information, it means that $11 billion, on average, go back into the economy annually, both directly and indirectly. A portion of this sum would be utilised for consumer spending.

Consumer spending fuels economic growth; it sustains the livelihoods of businesses such as retailers, the fisher man, the taxi driver, hire car drivers, minibus operators, the vendors on the streets, the village shops, and the wider retail and distribution sector, in addition to spending in their own village economies, and the list goes on. Assuming that $5 billion are spent, the other $5 or $6 billion go into the banking system as savings. In economic terms, this sum is referred to as withdrawals from the economy, and consumer spending in economic terms is referred to as injections into the economy.

Simply put, in order for an economy to experience sustainable and progressive growth, spending needs to be encouraged in an economy. Governments therefore need to formulate and implement policies that are designed to boost and increase consumer spending.

The other portion -- say $5 billion which find its way into the deposit portfolio of the banking system -- in turn forms part of the liquidity profile of the banking system, which is then channelled through lending to firms in the form of commercial loans. Firms or businesses borrow to invest and expand their operations, and in doing so, employment is created. Commercial banks also engage in retail and consumer lending. All of these activities together contribute towards the growth of an economy.

The banking system facilitates the multiplier effect – this is the process by which the money supply of a country increases via loans and advances – which also means the aggregate wealth of a country increases. For the sake of illustrating how the multiplier effect works, this is what happens: hypothetically, we have established that approximately $5 billion goes into the banking system. We know that there are six commercial banks in Guyana, and in reality this sum will be shared among all the banks; so, again for the sake of the illustration, we have to create a scenario. To be continued next week.

I

n light of statements of the possible closure of the Uitvlugt Estate over the fact that cane cutters from Wales are refusing to work at the West Coast Demerara facility, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) believes that the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) has no “proper rationale” to close yet another estate.

According to the Union, the Sugar Corporation had justified its position by contending that plans for development of the Uitvlugt Estate are being stymied because the cane cutters and cane transport operators from Wales – which GAWU reminded were made redundant from the closure of the estate – are insisting on their legitimate right to receive their due severance pay.

The Union said it is a fact well-known by GuySuCo as the Management of Wales

“Give us severance” – These workers rejected proposals to transfer to the Uitvlugt Sugar Estate

Estate has held many sessions with the concerned workers to encourage them to take up work at Uitvlugt Estate. This was done even as the workers have steadfastly maintained that they are entitled to their severance pay in keeping with the law.

“It must be recalled that GuySuCo officials at one time advised the 350-odd workers of Wales that they would receive their severance, if they so desired.

The Corporation’s officials even went as far as mak-

ing photocopies of the workers National Identification Cards to ensure that their correct names would be written on their severance payment cheques,” the Union reminded.

Despite the Corporation’s failed efforts to convince the Wales workers to take up work at Uitvlugt, GAWU said it has nevertheless been repeatedly scapegoated by GuySuCo for the Corporation’s unsuccessful and seemingly unconvincing attempts to have the Wales workers working at Uitvlugt.

“Should the 350-odd Wales workers take up work at Uitvlugt, in spite of the daunting challenges involved in commuting between the two estates, among other things, the cane cutting workforce of Uitvlugt would become overstaffed.

On that score, workers simply wouldn’t have enough productive work to do apart from the negative effects on their earnings and the huge cost to the Corporation to transport the Wales workers daily,” stated the Union. turn to page 12

12 news

SunDAY, june 4, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Opposition Leader makes donation After damaging exposure of Govt corruption to hinterland flood victims Edghill summoned before

Privileges Committee

O

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo handing over the rice to CDC Director General Colonel (ret’d) Chabilall Ramsarup with Opposition parliamentarians Nigel Dharamlall, Pauline Sukhai and Collin Croal watching on

A

s residents in several hinterland communities are working to rebuild their lives following last month’s severe floods, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has donated a substantive quantity of rice to the victims.

Heavy rainfall two weeks ago resulted in the overflowing of the Chenapau and Ireng rivers, causing severe flooding in the villages of Chenapau, Kaibarupai, Waipa, Sand Hills, Itabac and Kanapang all located in Region Eight (PotaroSipuruni).

Additionally, villages in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) such as Kako, Wowetta, Jawalla, Waramadong, Imbaimadai, Phillipai, Amakokopai, Quebenang and Purima, were also affected by the heavy rainfall.

The floods resulted in the destruction of personal property and belongings, crops and farms, community and public infrastructure affecting more than 3000 residents in the flooded villages.

In this regard, donation has been pouring from sec-

tions of the Guyanese society with the latest being the former Head of State.

Jagdeo, on Saturday, handed over several bags of rice to Director General of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), Colonel (Retired) Chabilall Ramsarup to assist in the relief efforts currently on going in the flood-affected areas in the two regions.

A statement from the Opposition Leader’s Office outlined that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Opposition is committed to ensuring that the affected villages return to a life of normalcy and indicated its support to the CDC efforts in these regions.

To this end, during the simple donation ceremony, Jagdeo committed that the parliamentary Opposition will encourage the Government to seek additional budgetary support to effect the on-going relief and recovery phases of this disaster.

Two weeks ago, two engineers from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) as well as technical staff from the

Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) were deployed to conduct an assessment of the damaged roads and buildings and to facilitate water quality testing and set up purification systems, with a view to determining the long-term response that will be required from the State.

The team have since completed the assessment and are in the process of preparing their reports for actions to be taken. This was done even as the residents have expressed their satisfaction with the response by the Government to their needs after last week’s devastating flash floods.

Nevertheless, calls are being made for the CDC to extend its disaster preparedness master plan and operational mechanisms to all the regions, and to respond more effectively to natural disasters such as this, especially in light of the fact that climate change and more unpredictable and intense weather patterns will make many communities in Guyana more vulnerable.

pposition Member of Parliament, Juan Edghill has been summoned before the Privileges Committee of the National Assembly over the recent exposure of corruption and violations of procurement laws within the coalition Administration.

In a statement on Saturday, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) revealed that the parliamentarian will appear before the body on Monday at 14:00h; a move which the Party said is a continuation of the coalition Government’s witchhunting and political vindictive campaign.

According to the missive, the summons was issued on the heels of Edghill’s damaging expose in recent weeks of massive corruption and deliberate avoidance of, the Procurement Act and its accompanying processes involving billions of taxpayers’ dollars spent by the Administration, unlawfully, in the health sector as well as blatant violations of the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act in respect to spending by the Ministry of the Presidency and the Office of the Prime Minister.

“We consider the political persecution of Bishop Edghill not only to be an assault on democracy but an attempt to muzzle him in the discharge of his democratic and constitutional duty as a Member of Parliament, to scrutinise and expose unlawful actions, abuse of power and lack of transparency on the part of the Government,” the Party said.

It went on to outline that this move is also an abrogation of the constitutional and democratic rights of the Guyanese citizenry, who are entitled to

Opposition parliamentarian Juan Edghill

be informed of how their taxpayers’ dollars are being spent nay squandered.

The PPP pointed out that the nation is aware that muzzling, harassment, intimidation, arrest and charging of parliamentarians, critics and political opponents, are all known and well used methods of the People’s National Congress in the past and now being continued by the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change coalition. Events of these types are well known and documented. In fact, the Party said it is apposite to remind of the Tenth Parliament, where, even while in Opposition, this authoritarian strategy was used. For instance, it recalled former Home Affairs Minister and MP Clement Rohee was gagged from speaking for nearly one year. It took an order of the Chief Justice to impugn the “crass unconstitutionality” and to restore Rohee’s right as an MP to speak and the rights of the Guyanese electorate to have him speak on their behalf, PPP reminded.

This time, the Party added, Edghill is being dragged be-

fore the Privileges Committee for simply disclosing to the Guyanese taxpayers the cost of the increase in remuneration, personnel and portfolios which the coalition Government have imposed on them, almost one billion dollars for their term in office.

“We maintain most resolutely that this is information to which the people of Guyana are entitled,” the missive from the Opposition party said.

Furthermore, PPP sought to highlight that when the Minister of Finance had contested Bishop Edghill’s calculation and he produced a different set of figures, the Parliament Office did a computation which was in fact different from that of Edghill and the Finance Minister.

The Party noted that the Minister disclosed his figures in a speech in the National Assembly, as Bishop Edghill did and therefore, both the Finance Minister and the Parliament Office should appear before the Privilege’s Committee, as well.

“However, we are convinced that putting Bishop Edghill before the Privileges Committee has very little to do with the accuracy of his computations. It has more to do with attempting to silence, intimidate and threaten him and to break his spirit so that he will not subject the Administration to the rigorous scrutiny, damning exposure and incisive criticisms as he has been doing,” the Opposition asserted.

Nevertheless, the Party is alerting the diplomatic community and organisations advocating transparency, good governance and democracy, of the attack on parliamentary democracy in Guyana.

GuySuCo has no ‘proper rationale’...

GAWU went on to question what excuse the Sugar Corporation would have given for Uitvlugt had Wales re-

mained operable, in keeping with the recommendation of the Sugar Commission of Inquiry. To this end, it un-

derscored the need to be cognizant of its legal requirement in defending and representing its members to obtain their severance pay – a legal right.

“We will not be caught by the reason being advanced for the veiled threats surrounding Uitvlugt. As far as we can see there are no proper rationales for the closure of Uitvlugt or for any other estates,” the Union asserted.

GAWU further outlined that at this and at all times, it is and has been supportive of the Corporation’s plans to increase and maximise production at Uitvlugt towards making the Estate sustainable and viable.

“We have not varied from that position. We recognise that GuySuCo, in moving in this direction, has and is encouraging cane farmers to lease its previously cultivated and now retired estate lands to cultivate canes.

They included those fields which were previously cultivated for organic sugar production as well as those fields which were abandoned when the estate’s

from page 11

cultivation was downsized under the management of Booker-Tate some years ago. The farmers who have taken up lands at Uitvlugt have prepared their field for mechanised operations; as a consequence the demand for labour will be very minimal at best,” the Union said.

Moreover as it relates to the Uitvlugt Estate lands, GAWU said cane cutters are able to reap all the estate’s canes every crop. The Union said that it was interesting to note that not only did the Uitvlugt cane cutters completely harvest the estate’s first crop this year but they also went to Enmore Estate to assist harvesting that estate’s canes.

In fact, the Union pointed out that they had even assisted at Wales, when that estate was operable.

Additionally, GAWU noted that Uitvlugt is probably the only estate which has been consistently managed to achieve such feats, adding that canes not being harvested at the closure of each crop are unheard of at Uitvlugt.

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Assuria opens 5th branch in Diamond, EBD Silencing Wismar

1

964 marks a rupture in the history of Guyana, and, more specifically, the history of the relations between African and Indian Guyanese, which needs to be bridged. While there had been several clashes between the two groups, these were localised events before that year. With the introduction of the CIA in 1961 -- to remove the PPP by “any means necessary” -- the confrontation between the two competing political parties, the PPP and the PNC, rooted in the Indian and African communities respectively, spun out of control.

It segued from “sweeping out the PPP with brooms” in 1961 elections, through the burning and looting of Indian businesses in Georgetown on Black Friday, Feb 16, 1962; and the spread of tit-for-tat ethnic violence and arson across the Demerara Coast. The culmination was the pogrom against Indians of Wismar-Christianburg on May 25-26, when 220 Indian homes were razed, three Indians were murdered, several women Ravi Dev and girls were raped, almost the entire Indian population of 3000 were forced to flee, and the explosion on the Son Chapman on July 7, which killed 43 of the allAfrican passengers headed towards Wismar. The killing of five more Indians who had returned or stayed behind at Wismar was almost an anti-climax.

When we “look back at history,” we can only do so from our present; in which questions are posed for answers sought. For me, one question has been how and why the history of the Indians of Wismar, with its denouement of May 26, 1964, has been so completely “silenced”, in the sense of the word used by Rolph Trouillot: “…the presences and absences embodied in sources (artifacts and bodies that turn an event into fact) or archives (facts collected, thematized, and processed as documents and monuments) are neither neutral nor natural. They are created. As such, they are not mere presences and absences, but mentions or silences of various kinds and degrees. By silence, I mean an active and transitive process: one “silences” a fact or an individual as a silencer silences a gun. One engages in the practice of silencing. Mentions and silences are thus active dialectical counterparts of which history is the synthesis.”

But we simultaneously, from our present, have our eye on our future - a future we hope to create with the knowledge gleaned from the past. For me, it is a future in which all Guyanese can live in peace, to create their progress and not be manipulated to a return of that past.

But there has also been a rupture with the silencing of the history of the period, and it needs to be rectified if for no other reason than for allowing the survivors of those events to express their grief about their experiences. It is quite possible that the reason for the silence about the period may be because the political leaders “wanted to move on”; but in the new millennium, there were some who evidently thought otherwise.

One such person is President David Granger, who referred to the inter-ethnic violence of the 1960s as the “disturbances” and “the troubles”. In a 2003 paper, without ever mentioning the preceding Wismar atrocities, he wrote, "The most alarming slaughter of the ‘Disturbances’ was that of 40 Africans on 6 July at Huradaia, in the Demerara River, as they travelled in a motor launch to Mackenzie."

The following year, a "Son Chapman Tragedy Commemoration Committee", with the PNC integrally involved, organised a 40th Anniversary event at the fatal spot at Huradaia on the Demerara River. Robert Corbin, leader of the PNC, said, "A nation that fails to record its history is bound to make the same mistakes."

After Granger became the leader of the PNC, he attended the now annually observed Commemoration ceremony in 2011, and declared he wished more people would converge at the spot. The Motto on the Monument at Hurudaia declared: "Those who forget the lessons of history do so at our own peril."

In 2013, Granger and the PNC initiated moving the commemoration to the centre of Linden, so the people there "would not forget". When the PNC took office, they would construct the monument, he promised. (To be continued)

I

n commemoration of their fifth anniversary in Guyana, Assuria Insurance Company on Friday opened its fifth branch at Diamond on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD).

Diamond was selected for the new location as it is continuing to develop into one of the biggest commercial areas on the East Bank of Demerara.

Assuria offers services such as fire insurance, motor insurance, life insurance, accident liability insurance and others.

Another service offered by the company is the recently launched ‘serve and protect’. The company also has an agreement with the Guyana Teacher’s Union (GTU) where educators would be able to receive affordable coverage.

According to the company’s General Manager, Jogendra Arjune, Assuria’s purpose for being in Guyana is to bring to Guyanese affordable and unique insurance coverage.

Arjune explained “the whole idea for Assuria being in Guyana is to do things differently, to make insurance more affordable, to make our service unique.

The standards would be one too, if you look at all of our branch offices, they are all uniquely done. And that is all that we want to bring to Guyana now and that is why we thought of bringing the

The new Assuria Branch at Diamond

same to Diamond”.

Person thinking of taking advantage of the new location can also expect great deals in the coming week with great customer care service.

The General Manager added that “in another week or two we will be rolling out some special discounts at this location so all you customers that come now would be able to get some novelties as we are looking to now get started”.

Assuria first started its operation in Guyana in 2012 with just three staff.

But now the company has five branches with an employment of 36.

For those that would like to visit the various locations, opening hours are from Monday to Thursday from 08:00h to 16:00h and from 08:00h to 15:30h on Fridays. The Giftland Mall location however, operates seven day a week from 12:00h to 20:00h.

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SunDAY, june 4, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

NEW GPC INC hosts medical outreach on WCD

T

he Caribbean’s leading pharmaceutical manufacturer, NEW GPC INC, in an effort to give back to various communities in Guyana, on Saturday morning hosted a medical outreach at the Swami Vidya Niketan School which saw residents on the West Coast of Demerara (WCD) benefiting.

The outreach, which will continue today, saw medical practitioners from the NEW GPC delivering medical service such as dental care, eye testing, diabetes testing, VIA testing and samples of local medical products were also handed out to those who attended.

Lectures were also conducted where persons were educated on self-care.

Persons were also thought physical exercises which will enable them to stay healthy.

Faye Scott, the Human Resources Manager of NEW GPC said the response at the outreach has been overwhelming.

According to Scott, the

outreach was scheduled to commence at 09:00h, however at 07:30h a group had already gathered at the facility.

“We’re supposed to start at 9 o’clock and we got here

Diabetic Association, Gleniss Beaton said her organisation was happy to join hands with the NEW GPC in providing their services to the people on the West Coast of Demerara.

Persons waiting to be attended to at the medical outreach

at seven and at 07:30h there were a lot of people here and we are sure that people are going to still come out because today is a rainy day and we still saw a great turnout,” she explained.

Scott said this year will be a year of giving back for the NEW GPC INC, as a way of saying thank you to the public for their support.

President of the Guyana

She explained that her company and NEW GPC had an agreement to support each other when either hosts such an initiative, noting that since the agreement, she had no regrets.

Beaton further explained that it is important for Guyanese to become more aware about their bodies and what care they need to take. “As a diabetic for 26

years, I always need to know what new is out there for diabetics and what is available…,” she stated.

She also noted that international pharmaceuticals are being overused as Guyana produces products of high quality. “ I think that you might notice that locally they don’t advertise the pharmaceuticals that are available in the country; we always get the international products so it is a good idea for persons to come to the outreach to know what is available,” Beaton posited.

Another doctor lending her services to the outreach, Dr Jacquelyn Fernandez Rodrigues, also shared similar sentiments.

Her responsibility includes ensuring that the patients are using the correct medication for their various illnesses. She said, “I applaud the initiative and think that it is very good”.

Similar outreaches were already hosted in Linden and Essequibo and soon to benefit will be Berbice.

Younge’s Take

The politics of David Granger

W

hen David Granger assumed the presidency of Guyana, a large portion of the populace was hopeful that he and his coalition of parties would be able to move the country forward and restore it to its rightful place as the breadbasket of the Caribbean.

There was also the expectation that given Granger’s exemplary military background, he would be the right person to restore law and order to the country whilst ensuring that the Constitution is upheld. It was also hoped that he would be able to lay the foundation for a unified country where national unity, shared governance, social cohesion and public decency were achievable in the not so distant future.

Michael Younge Granger was not the typical or conventional politician. Though he was inexperienced, his rhetoric was sharp. He appeared genuine and disciplined after taking over the reins of the People’s National Congress.

President Granger for the most part, was a cut above the rest when compared to those vying to become President back in 2015.

Also, there was no indication that he would allow himself to be tainted by the divisive politics of those at the helm of the traditional People’s National Congress (PNC) inner circle.

After all, he was part of a coalition which included the Working People’s Alliance and the Alliance For Change. There would be no room for him or the PNC to hijack the ship or become rogue.

Under his tenure as Executive President, all seemed bright and Guyanese as well as People’s Progressive Party (PPP) supporters was optimistic about the greener pastures ahead, better standard of living and a new Guyana. The politics practiced by Granger, up until May 11, 2015, were admirable and in some ways unprecedented.

Now in office, President Granger’s brand of politics has changed and taken a turn for the worse. He has adopted a standoffish approach to the management of the affairs of the country. As opposed to taking a hands-on approach, Granger would have us believe that his Ministers are making decisions and running the country without his direct input. So when the public is outraged at their policies, he is spared the blame and is always able to step in like a knight in shining armour to cosmetically right their wrongs. In this way, his image remains intact for as long as the media remains docile and partisan.

Also, Granger is practicing politics of spite, vengeance and prosecution as opposed to the healing and reconciliation he preached about on the campaign trail. This is most evident in the rants of his Ministers and the rush to charge and jail PPP Executives, former Ministers and public officials for their perceived wrongdoings which in most instances do not have the necessary evidence to withstand judicial scrutiny. His infamous and highly unpopular Attorney General is allowed to attack and defame high-ranking female members of the Judiciary who are serving in key portfolios without being upbraided. This is not strange because none of his Ministers have been dismissed or properly disciplined since the coalition came to power.

He has also managed to subvert and influence the hierarchy of the Guyana Defence and Police Forces in ways that are unimaginable in a bid to keep them inline and loyal to his political causes. While many may jump to deny this, the posture of the two security bodies are very different compared to the posture they had adopted during the tenures of the Jagans, Bharrat Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar.

Granger is building trust within the rank and file of these organisations by placing individuals who are formers members of service into important and highly political portfolios on Inquiry Commissions and in Public Sector jobs.

Granger’s politics now border on autocracy and his rhetoric confirms this. It is his coalition’s way or no way as is seen in the National Assembly. Granger’s Government continues to behave as though it has a monopoly on ideas by rejecting the positions of rights groups for critical minority segments of our society on issues that affect the livelihoods of their constituencies including gays and Amerindians.

In short, President Granger is not the same man who faced the populace and campaigned in the 2015 elections. Maybe, the office has changed him. Maybe, the internal politics of the coalition require him to bury some of his noble qualities so that it can survive the trying political times and prolong its years in Government.

Maybe, we don’t know the real man behind the presidential mask. What is certain however, is that in order for him to leave a legacy that he can be proud of, he must experience an epiphany.

He must return to the promises he made on the campaign trail.

He must end the unnecessary persecution and prosecution of PPP officials and proceed to building political harmony and trust in the country. If he refuses or is indecisive for too long, he will not be President in 2020. His tenure so far, has been disappointing to say the least.

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Anna's

International Day of

In Ganger’s imaginary Guyana

T

he free State is one that is free from discrimination; it is one that is built on the basis of respect for cultural diversity, political inclusivity and social equality.” These are the words of President Granger, in his speech to the nation on the occasion of Guyana’s 51st Independence anniversary.

What a powerful statement it would have been, had it emanated from a more credible agent.

Unfortunately for Guyanese, our 51st Independence anniversary dawned on a nation torn by increasing socioeconomic disparities, and a State machinery driven by Anna Correia vindictiveness, political tyranny and by extent discrimination.

The spectre of ethnic politics continues to hover over Guyana as we venture without enthusiasm into a future of uncertainty and insecurity. At this point of our history, the Guyanese dream and the promises of human development it offered are now exclusively reserved for the political elite of Guyana.

Our country has become a paradise to the Ministers and their families who benefit from multi-million dollar scholarships at the expense of taxpayers. Our cane-cutters’ taxes fund the shameful ministerial salary increases which enable men like Prime Minister Nagamootoo, to take home in a month more than what his fellow Berbician sugar worker earns in a year.

The appropriation of tax-dollars for the enjoyment and leisure of Government workers is however, but one aspect of the accelerating decay of our social fabric. Political witchhunting and the persecution of political opponents of the PNCled APNU/AFC Coalition, through the usurpation of national institutions and the judiciary, are another. One wonders what sort of “inclusivity” Granger boasts of, considering that the political Opposition now targeted systematically by the Government, represents the largest electorate of Guyana. One is yet to be provided with a justification of why only six of the former sixteen Guyana Rice Development Board Directors, under highly questionable circumstances and on legally disputable grounds, were inculpated for fraud. Until such time, one will continue to view this as deliberate political discrimination. A closer examination of execution of the Special Organised Crime Unit’s (SOCU) mandate, begs the question as to why those implicated in massive, billon-dollar corruption scandals, such as Ministers George Norton (Sussex Street drug bond affair), Joseph Harmon (Bai Shan Lin affair), Simona Broomes (who mines on proposed-title Amerindian land) and David Patterson (D’Urban Park funding) were not investigated, along with the third parties and others responsible. In like manner, light must be shed on why Georgetown Mayor Patricia Chase-Green and other Councillors of the M&CC, are not being investigated by SOCU in relation to the corrupt Smart City Solutions parking metre deal.

But the most flagrant evidence of the Government’s unequal treatment of Guyanese, resides in the political and ethnic discrimination behind specific policies promulgated in the agriculture sector, in particular. The devastation of the rice industry on which relies the majority of the rural Indo-Guyanese population, was a first indication that the Coalition Government acted vindictively. If the withdrawal of State support to the rice sector spurred economic growth, there would not have been cause for interrogation. But the brusque decision to drop rice farmers who, along with sugar workers, are the backbone of Guyana’s agriculture sector, immediately upon assuming power in 2015 and without a plan to cushion the impoverishing impact on rural families, speaks of the APNU/AFC’s ethnic agenda and political vindictiveness. Coincidentally, the significant majority of agriculture workers in rural Guyana, form the core supportbase of the Opposition Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C).

In similar fashion, this year’s Independence Anniversary list of awardees, features a fraction of 18 per cent Indo Guyanese, with the remaining being of Afro-Guyanese descent, along with a few Portuguese, Euro-descendants and Amerindians.

In parenthesis, it would be interesting to note the close affiliation of awardees with the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC-R) and the Coalition Government, including, inter alia, two Justices, the University of Guyana’s Chancellor, an APNU Member of Parliament and several journalists known to be strongly aligned with the regime. So much for the separation of powers from the State, the independence of Guyana’s academic forum and the credibility of media houses.

Guyana’s 51st Independence Anniversary is to be celebrated to the extent that we are free from the grips of colonisation.

However, the ineptitude of our leaders to forge a socially cohesive society, and our own inability to overcome the limitations of our historical legacy, keeps us from achieving our full potential as nation united in its cultural and ethnic diversities.

Follow Anna’s Arrow @ https://www. facebook.com/thecritikalmind/

A

(HINDUS for SELFLESS SERVICE) E-mail: hssguyana@gmail.com

sk yourself: Do trivial things easily throw you off balance?

Are you confused? Is your mind in conflict?

The mind often oscillates between the past and future, causing worry and anticipation. Desires, fear, cravings, aversions grip the mind.

To drop the conflicts in the mind, it is essential to bring the mind to the present moment.

Yoga cleanses the body and mind of accumulated stress and negative impressions. Some yoga poses calm down the agitated mind.

With regular practice, you will see that clarity dawns right away, body balance and flexibility improves, and makes you healthy, strong and alert.

Yoga and meditation maintains inner and outer harmony What’s more – the balance, flexibility, alertness that you achieve on the yoga mat, reflects in your actions and attitude off the yoga mat too. * Learning to breathe through difficult postures can help you breathe through difficult times. * Stretching in the yoga poses to your limit without comparing with another, can lead to an attitude to do your best in a situation and let go. This attitude helps in overcoming stress. * Being physically flexible leads to mental flexibility. At the same time, being mentally flexible (for example: ‘I can do it’ attitude) leads to physical flexibility.

“The word yoga means skill skill to live your life, to manage your mind, to deal with your emotions, to be with people, to be in love and not let that love turn into hatred.” – Sri Sri Ravi Shankar How can we obtain this skill?

Spirituality gives inner strength “For me, spirituality is all about living a happier life ‘in the moment’, responding to situations rather than reacting, de-programming and connecting with my Self to come with a fresh response to situations that repeat. Yoga and meditation give me just that!” shares Sylaja Kannan, an IT professional from Bangalore, India.

The practice of yoga and meditation prove to be a powerful combination and many enthusiasts like to round their yoga routine with a meditation. When the wobbling body becomes steadier and the disturbed mind becomes calmer, meditation can provide a deep sense of relaxation.

Spirituality gives inner strength to manage difficult situations and to keep smiling. Being established in the Self, your inner peace spreads

outward, and makes you a more

responsible human being full of caring, sharing and love.

In sleep you get rid of fatigue, but the deeper stresses remain in your body. Meditation, yoga, and Sudarshan Kriya cleanses even the deepest layers of your consciousness, leaving you rested and refreshed.

Deepen your Yoga practice and soar with your spirit Do you find that you can smile in any situation? Do you recognize that something deep in you is nonchanging? Deepen your yoga practice and experience the joy that you are.

Sri Sri Shankar “The truth ourselves lives need updated. We to revisit and ask

R a v i says, about and our to be n e e d them

ourselves these questions again and again, ‘What do I want?’ ‘Am I doing the right thing?’ ‘Am I happy?’

Spirituality is not just some mumbo jumbo, sitting somewhere and doing something. “It is revisiting the truth about ourselves...” written

by Daya Krishnan with inputs from Shriram Sarvotham, who has been a yoga enthusiast from a very young age.

Here’s a simple yoga posture that you can do anywhere whether it is on your bed, at the office, stuck in traffic – wherever you may be. This posture will help you immensely especially if you wish to release tension, anger or any negative vibes that you may be feeling.

Anjali Mudra (Salutation Seal) Practicing Anjali Mudra is an excellent way to induce a meditative state of awareness. Most of the time we perform it with our hands in the center of our heart chakra. This represents the balance and harmony between the right and left side reunited on our center.

This balance can be not only physical but also mental and emotional, and the idea is to bring us to the center to prepare ourselves for meditation and contemplation.

Start this sequence by practicing this mudra while seated in a comfortable cross-legged position with your eyes closed.

Empowering the mind, body and soul through Yoga!!

18 Around the World Van ‘rams into PAHO praises Caribbean on global strategy regarding health of women, children, adolescents pedestrians’ on London Bridge T SunDAY, june 4, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

he Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) says the Caribbean is advanced in the adaptation of the Global Strategy for the Health of Women, Children and Adolescents. PAHO said representatives of public health systems, the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and civil society from 18 Caribbean countries and territories met here this week with the internation-

Witnesses said there were at least 40 police cars were on the scene

P

olice have closed off London Bridge after reports that a van veered onto the sidewalk and hit pedestrians.

Eyewitnesses said that armed Police were on the scene late on Saturday night and that as many as six people were injured.

"There is a huge Police presence, emergency services are all over the place," said Al Jazeera's Oliver Varney from the scene.

"There are a lot of people that appear to be injured.

I counted five or six people with serious injuries."

Police said they were dealing with a "serious incident" on the bridge but gave no further details. Al Jazeera's Varney said at least 40 Police cars were on the scene.

"Earlier I saw a number of people on the ground

seriously injured, there was a lot of blood," he said.

"People were trying to give them first aid and were flagging down emergency responders."

London Ambulance Service said it had "multiple resources" at the scene and urged people to "avoid the area". London's transport authority said London Bridge rail station had been closed at the request of the police.

Al Jazeera's Sarah Kern said she heard "a series of six or seven loud bangs, either gun fire or some sort of explosive," while standing at a police cordon on Suffolk Street south of London Bridge.

British armed police said they were also responding to an incident in the nearby Borough Market area of London. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

al agencies that integrate the Regional Coordination Mechanism for the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescent’s Health in order to adapt the strategy to the context of the Caribbean.

“We need to identify interventions, that are practical, affordable and impactful, while ensuring that we bear in mind the cultural, ethnic and economic diversities that make the

Caribbean such a colourful, varied and interesting region of this world,” said Godfrey Xuereb, PAHO’s representative for Barbados and Eastern Caribbean.

The wife of Belize’s Prime Minister and Special Envoy for Women and Children, Kim Simplis Barrow, and the First Lady of Trinidad and Tobago, Reema Carmona, attended the meeting.

PAHO said both have

been part of the sub-regional adaptation of The Global Strategy, called “All Caribbean Women, All Caribbean Children.”

Carmona underscored that “this strategy is an imperative if we want to leave no one behind”, and asked to consider the impact that climate change and environmental degradation have on the factors that determine health. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Brazil Police arrest President’s aide in corruption probe

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razilian Police have arrested Rodrigo Rocha Loures, a former Congressman and close friend of President Michel Temer.

Rocha Loures was seen in a video released in May carrying a bag with 500,000 Brazilian reais (US$154,000). Prosecutors allege he was handling a bribe from a businessman who had been recorded discussing hush money with President Temer.

His arrest comes as part of a probe into alleged payments to politicians by the meat-packing company JBS. President Temer has repeatedly denied any involvement in the bribery scandal, which threatens to

engulf his Administration.

He said Rocha Loures could be the victim of a trap.

The owners of J&F's, the controlling shareholder of JBS, said under a plea bargain that they spent 600 million reais (US$184 million) to bribe nearly 1900 politicians over a number of years.

One of them, Joesley Batista, also gave prosecutors an audio tape, leaked to the media, in which Temer appears to condone bribing a witness. The audio came from a conversation between the president and Joesley, and was recorded using a hidden device.

In it, Temer appears to discuss paying for the silence of politician Eduardo

Rocha Loures is alleged to have been a middleman between the President and a businessman

Cunha, who is currently in prison. Temer has said the recording is genuine but may have been tampered

with. He says it was taken from a meeting in March and he denies any wrongdoing. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Trump climate deal: Modi vows At least 7 killed in to go beyond Paris accord suicide bombing

I

ndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed his country will go "above and beyond" the 2015 Paris accord on combating climate change.

Speaking at a news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron, Modi described the agreement as part of "our duty to protect Mother Earth".

Several global leaders have criticised President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the US from the Paris accord. Trump said the deal would impoverish the US and cost American jobs.

The Paris agreement commits the US and 194 other countries to keeping

Prime Minister Narendra Modi (left) met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris

rising global temperatures "well below" two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and "endeavour to limit" them even more, to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

China and the European Union have restated their commitment to the agreement, while Macron called Trump's decision a "mistake both for the US and for

our planet". Speaking after a meeting with Macron, Modi said France and India had "worked shoulder to shoulder" on the Paris accord. "The Paris agreement is the common heritage of the world. It is a gift that this generation can give," Modi said.

India is the world's fourth-biggest emitter of carbon dioxide, after China, the US and the EU. Explaining his decision to withdraw from the deal, Trump said it would cost the US$3 trillion (£2.3 trillion) in lost GDP while rival economies like China and India were treated more favourably. (Excerpt from BBC News)

US warns Beijing on South China Sea islands

T

he US will not accept China's militarisation of man-made islands in the South China Sea, Defence Secretary James Mattis has warned.

Speaking at a security conference in Singapore, he said such moves undermined regional stability.

China's territorial claims in the resource-rich South China Sea are con-

tested by several nations.

At the same time, Gen Mattis praised Beijing's efforts to restrain North Korea's missile and nuclear activity. His comments came shortly after the UN Security Council expanded targeted sanctions against North Korea in response to a series of missile tests conducted this year.

The Council voted unan-

imously to back the sanctions after weeks of negotiations between the US and China.

President Donald Trump and other senior US officials have repeatedly stated that they would protect its interests in the South China Sea, a key shipping route.

During his nomination hearing earlier this year,

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned that the US was "going to have to send China a clear signal that first the island-building stops, and second your access to those islands also is not going to be allowed."

In response, the Chinese foreign ministry said Beijing would "remain firm to defend its rights in the region". (Excerpt from BBC News)

at high-profile funeral in Kabul

A

t least seven people have been killed and more than 119 wounded in three separate explosions at a high-profile funeral in Kabul, the third attack in four days in the Afghan capital.

The funeral was for one of several protesters killed on Friday at a large demonstration calling for the resignation of the government after a large truck bomb killed nearly 100 people on Wednesday.

The Public Health Ministry of said seven people had been killed on Saturday, while Reuters reported up to 12 dead.

Wahid Mujro, a ministry spokesman, said 119 people had been injured.

Numbers were likely to rise, given the density of the crowd of more than a thousand people.

The funeral for Salem

Izidyar, the son of the senate deputy speaker, was attended by many high-ranking current and former officials, including the country’s chief executive, Abdullah Abdullah.

According to his office, Abdullah was not hurt in the explosions.

After the blasts, Abdullah drove to Izidyar’s grave and participated in the burial, said his spokesman, Mujib Rahman Rahimi. On returning to his residence, Abdullah spoke on national television.

The first blast, which some attendees said came from an improvised explosive device, went off during the pre-burial prayer. It was followed by two more, when a pair of suicide bombers detonated their explosives. (Excerpt from The Guardian)

sunDAY, june 4, 2017

19

Ronaldo double seals historic Champions League triumph

Manduzkic scored a preposterous overhead kick to give Juventus a glimmer of hope but Real were just too good

R

eal Madrid won a record 12th Champions League/European Cup trophy courtesy of Cristiano Ronaldo's double against Juventus.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Real Madrid defeated 10-man Juventus 4-1 in Cardiff to retain their Champions League crown.

Madrid became the first team in the Champions League era to successfully defend the trophy with their sixth triumph in the competition - and 12th when you include it in its former guise

of the European Cup - three of those victories coming in the last four years.

A thrilling first half saw Ronaldo put Madrid ahead, becoming the first player to score in three different Champions League finals in the process.

Mario Mandzukic equalised for Juventus with a spectacular overhead kick that will live long in the memory.

But Madrid dominated the second half as Juve collapsed, Casemiro scoring with the help of a huge de-

flection before Ronaldo made sure of the victory from close-range, ensuring he finishes above Lionel Messi as the competition's top scorer this season in the process.

Any hopes of a Juventus comeback were ended when substitute Juan Cuadrado was sent off 18 minutes after coming on, the winger receiving a second yellow card for a clash with Sergio Ramos, before Madrid substitute Marco Asensio put the icing on the cake in the last minute.

Having also secured

LaLiga glory, the win seals a famous double for Zinedine Zidane in his first full season at the helm, with Madrid the first side since AC Milan in 1990 to win back-to-back European crowns.

Juventus, who had been seeking a treble after winning Serie A and the Coppa Italia, have now lost five straight finals since last tasting continental success back in 1996, including two of the last three, having also lost to Barcelona in Berlin two years ago.

Former Madrid star Gonzalo Higuain tested Keylor Navas early on with a 25-yard drive, before the goalkeeper had to make a terrific one-handed save to keep out a powerful Miralem Pjanic strike from a similar distance.

It was Madrid, though, who opened the scoring after 20 minutes, Ronaldo capping a slick passing move.

Karim Benzema and Ronaldo were both involved in the build-up before Dani Carvajal's cut-back led to the Portugal international producing an impressive first-time finish, finding the far corner from the edge of the area with the help of a slight deflection off Leonardo Bonucci.

The lead lasted just seven minutes before Juve hit back in magnificent fashion.

Bonucci's pass from defence was helped on by both Alex Sandro and Higuain – the ball not leaving the ground throughout – to set up Mandzukic and the Croatia international took one touch and unleashed a magnificent overhead kick into the top corner, with Navas not close to it.

Ronaldo had a chance to hit back, but he misjudged an attempted diving header from Isco's cross as an entertaining first half ended level.

Luka Modric tested Gianluigi Buffon with a left-footed strike from outside the box as Madrid made a faster start to the second half.

And Zidane's men retook the lead just after the hour mark when Toni Kroos had a shot blocked and Casemiro latched on to the loose ball 35 yards out, firing in a shot which took a huge deflection off Sami Khedira to deceive Buffon.

With Juve shell-shocked, Madrid struck again just three minutes later. Modric played a one-two with Carvajal, latching on to the full-back's return pass down the right and digging

out a superb cross, allowing Ronaldo to nip ahead of a stationary Bonucci and prod in from inside the six-yard box.

Juve brought on Cuadrado, Mario Lemina and Claudio Marchisio as they attempted to reverse the momentum, while Gareth Bale was introduced for Madrid in his home city.

The Italian champions needed a superb intervention from Bonucci to stop Bale from tapping in a Ronaldo cross, before coming close themselves when Alex Sandro's glancing header fell just wide from Dani Alves' free-kick.

A miserable night for Juve got worse with six minutes to go when Cuadrado, already booked for a late challenge on Ronaldo, saw red after Ramos went down dramatically, the Colombia international having lightly pushed him and made minimal contact with his foot.

Madrid wrapped up a famous triumph in the final minute when Asensio – eight minutes after coming on slotted in left-footed from eight yards after superb work from Marcelo down the left in an emphatic triumph for Zidane. (Sportsmax)

Xtreme Clean GT Beer ‘Gold Rush’ Futsal

Trophy Stall hands over sponsorship T

he Trophy Stall continued its unrelenting contributions to the development of sport in Guyana on Saturday when it officially handed over its sponsorship of trophies for the ongoing Xtreme Clean GT Beer ‘Gold Rush’ Futsal Competition, which continues Tuesday night at the National Gymnasium.

Managing Director of the South Road Bourda store, Devi Sunich said that she is happy to be a part of a grassroots programme aimed at promoting business among youth. Sunich congratulated the organisers and wished them well in the tournament.

Proprietor of Xtreme Clean and Maintenance, Roger Cambridge indicated his gratitude for the “kind contribution”, stating that the support means that the com-

pany is heading in the right direction. Jefford Distribution and Sales also donated trophies.

Some of the country’s top Futsal teams will know their fate on one of the most important nights of the competition (Tuesday) since it could decide the teams likely to advance to the quarter-final stage of the tournament set for June 13.

Twenty-six teams were allowed to participate in the tournament, and after the gruelling opening round last weekend, 12 teams were left in the competition to compete in three groups of four for the roundrobin phase that continues on Tuesday and Thursday nights.

The two best teams from the three groups and the two best third place finishers will emerge in the quarter-finals that will be a knockout phase. The quarter-fi-

Managing Director at Trophy Stall, South Road Bourda, Devi Sunich hands over one of the trophies to Proprietor of Xtreme Clean and Maintenance, Roger Cambridge

nal, semi-final and final will be hosted on June 13, 15 and 17 respectively.

The winning team will win a whopping $500,000 (2 ½ ounces of gold) while second place takes home $200,000 (one ounce of gold), third place $100,000 (½ ounce of gold) and the fourth placed team $50,000; trophies will accompany all of the cash prizes.

The MVP will also be awarded. In addition, patrons have benefited from up to $10,000 cash in giveaways at the tournament already. The organisers have said that the trend of giving back will continue for the duration of the competition.

Some of the sponsors include Trophy Stall, Fas Grafix and Jefford’s Distribution and Sales; Giftland Distribution Store and FARMSUP Mining Investments Inc.

20

guyanatimesGY.com

sunDAY, june 4, 2017

History of the Guyana National Rifle Association – Part Two T

he Guyana National Rifle Association (Guyana NRA) would be celebrating its 150th anniversary in October (9-15) this year with the hosting of the West Indies Fullbore Shooting Championships at the Timehri Rifle Ranges.

This is part two in a series on the history of the Association as compiled by Margaret Smith from the commencement of shooting in the 19th Century to 1992. Subsequently, the history of the remaining years was put together by Mahendra Persaud (Guyana NRA Fullbore Captain), Ransford Goodluck and Ryan Sampson (Guyana NRA Secretary) with the assistance of a few members of the Guyana NRA. During the Second World War (1939-1945), the American Military stationed at the then Atkinson Field established the Atkinson Range (now Timehri Rifle Range). The Timehri Rifle Range is now controlled and maintained by the Guyana Defence Force.

It is acclaimed to be advantageous only to experienced riflemen, particularly Guyanese because of the peculiarities of its conditions.

In 1969, the Guyana Defence

Force gave the members of the Rifle Association permission to utilise the range.

This resumption, afforded the Guyanese shooters the desired practice to recommence participation at local and international competitions.

Constitution of the Guyana NRA

Due to a bad experience in the Benson and Hedges competition held at the Timehri Rifle Range in 1987, a few features were been added in 1991. These features are an addition to Paragraph 24 of the constitution.

They are: 1. The ammunition boxes must be opened in the presence of all shooters. 2. The weight of the trigger pressure must not exceed 1.5 kilograms. 3. Once shooting has commenced, movements are prohibited between the firing points and the butts.

How to become a member of the Guyana NRA

1. An application form can be uplifted from the Secretary of the GNRA. 2. When filled, the form must be submitted to the Secretary. It must be accompanied by a copy of the applicants Police Clearance

and references about the applicants temper and character.

3. At the Association’s next meeting, the Secretary would present the application to the general membership. If any member is in doubt about the applicant’s character, further enquiries would have to be made about the applicant.

4. If members are not in doubt, the application would be accepted. Two members of the Association would be required to support the application. One member would propose the acceptance of the person as a member, while the others would second the motion.

Subscription

When the application has been approved, the applicant will be required to pay an entrance fee of One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) to become a member of the association.

He will also be required to pay an annual subscription of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) to maintain the membership.

Equipment required for rifle shooting

When Rifle shooting was introduced as a sport in the

1790’s, military rifles were used. Subsequently, they were found to be inadequate and their caliber was modified to .303 inch. This later became standard.

In 1970 the teams from the Caribbean countries met in Barbados for a friendly reunion meeting. At this meeting it was realised that the .303 inch rifles used by the local teams were outdated. Members of the other teams were using custom made rifles.

Details of the equipment necessary for rifle shooting are: Rifle description – Calibre - 7.62 millimeter; Manufacturers Trade Marks: Swing Target Rifle, Steyr – Mannlicher, P-17 Winchester Conversion, Paramount, Sportco, Musgrave, Barrel make Length and Twist: Schultz and Larsen: 28 inches and 30 inches: one in 14 inches or one in 13 inches twist.

Stocks: Standard, NonStandard; Locks: Designed by the Manufacturers Other equipment – Rifle shooting Equipment: Shooting Telescope, Telescope Stand, Hand Stop, Sling, Shooting Gloves, Ground Sheet, Ear Defenders, Shooting Jackets

Club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster

bassador, peer pressure, public speaking among others.

The Management of the Club would provide all gears, cricket balls and educational materials for the Academy while snacks would be provided on a daily basis. Outstanding cricketers at the Academy would receive special prizes while each attendee would receive a school bag to assist them to stay in school and obtain an education. The academy is open to all youths across Berbice between the ages of eight to 18 years and registry forms are available at the Area “H’ Ground between the hours of 08:00h and 18:00h Monday to Saturday.

The annual Republic Bank Summer Camp would also start on July 11 at the Area ‘H’ Ground and would cater for 60 Grade Six students preparing for secondary school in September. The main objectives of this programme are to prepare the students for a successful transition from primary to secondary school, to promote the importance of education and to assist the students to understand their roles as role models to their peers. The class would be conducted by a senior educator and students would be taught Mathematics, English, Social Studies, Integrated Science, Physical Education and basic Spanish. They would also be involved in a wide range of lectures on peer pressure, choosing friends, manners in the classroom, personal hygiene among others, while they would be exposed to basic coaching on how to play cricket. The Club would provide all educational materials and entrance fee is free. Outstanding students will be awarded with trophies, medals and special gifts. Parents of Grade Six s tudents are encouraged to register them.

1

I: 5

rounds shoot at 300 and 600 yards. II: The winning score must not be less than 140. III: Postal Shoot - This shoot is organised by the country which is controlling the prize that is being competed for. On a selected day, each team shoots in its respective country, under conditions stipulated by the country controlling the prize. The targets are sent to a neutral country which determines the winner. c) Annual Prize Meeting: At his shoot, four trophies and cash Incentives are competed for. All prizes won during this year are awarded. d) Christmas Hamper Shoot: This is the last shoot in the calendar year. All members of the association compete for the Christmas Hamper. The hamper is presented to the winner with the highest aggregate at 300, 500, 600, and 900 yards.

Ronaldo nets 600th career goal in Champions League final triumph

RHTY&SC to host Cricket Academy and Republic Bank Summer Camp T he Management and eight cricket teams of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, MS are extending invitation to youths across Berbice to attend its annual Cricket Academy and Republic Bank Educational Summer Camp.

The Club’s Educational and Cricket Developmental Committee headed by veteran Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster has started early preparations for both programmes in an effort to fulfil all of their objectives.

The annual Cricket Academy has been hosted since 1991 and for 2017 would be hosted from the July 11-21 at the Area ‘H’ Ground in Rose Hall from 09:00h-13:00h. The Academy would be catering for 100 young cricketers and would be conducted by Head Coach Delbert Hicks.

Youths would be taught the basics in batting, bowling, fielding, wicketkeeping while they would also be involved in several classroom lectures and practise matches. Lectures would include topics such as drug abuse, history of cricket, suicide, structure of West Indies cricket, personal hygiene, role of a sports am-

made of Canvas or Leather, Score Book.

Types of shoots – The members of Guyana National Rifle Association engage in three categories of shoots during the calendar year. Shoots of each category are organised on a monthly basis. As a result, a shooter can get the opportunity to participate in all three categories each month.

1. Practice Shoot – No record is kept 2. Record Shoot – This is a competitive shoot but prizes are not awarded. A record is kept of the scores. They are used to select teams to represent Guyana at international competitions.

3. Competitive Shoots – There are many types of Competitive shoots. Records are kept and prizes are awarded for these shoots.

These are: a) Spoon Shoot: One silver spoon with the rifle shooting crest is awarded each month to the shooter with the highest aggregate. b) NRA Silver Medal: The National Rifle Association (Great Britain) donated a silver medal annually, to the Guyana NRA. The Guyana NRA has stipulated the following conditions under which this Medal can be won.

A

600th career goal arrived in the grandest manner for Cristiano Ronaldo, as he scored twice in Real Madrid's Champions League final win.

Cristiano Ronaldo certainly knows how to pick his moments, scoring twice to register his 600th career goal for club and country as Real Madrid defeated Juventus 4-1 in the Champions League final.

The striker struck a brace against the Italian giants in Cardiff on Saturday as Zinedine Zidane's side became the first team to retain European club football's biggest prize in the Champions League era.

The Portuguese played a one-two with Dani Carvajal before stroking home the opener in the first half and later made it 3-1 by slipping into space on the right side of the area and getting on the end of Luka Modric's pass to effectively secure the victory.

The former Manchester United star had also scored the winning penalty in last season's shootout final victory over Atletico Madrid in Milan and the 32-year-old was typically influential yet again at Principality Stadium. (Sportsmax)

sports

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21

GLTA/ GBTI Tennis Open…

Kalekyezi off to winning start

Joshua Kalekyezi

R

ecently stylish 13-year-old tennis player Joshua Kalekyezi has been in ripping form, delivering upsets against all odds and most importantly winning matches. On Friday evening he continued on a similar path as he recorded a commanding victory over Surendra Khayyam to get his campaign in the eighth edition of the Guyana Lawn Tennis Association (GLTA)/ Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) Tennis Tournament off to a winning start.

At the GBTI Recreational Facility, Kalekyezi made light work of his opponent to win in two sets 6-0 6-2 on the opening night of the tournament.

Also in the winners’ row on the opening night were GLTA President Jamal Good Luck, Daniel Lopes and Ronald Murray.

In the most exciting clash of the night, Lopes defeated Jordan Beaton 6-4 6-3 to state his claim in the Men’s open single category.

Meanwhile, Goodluck got past Adesh Kayyam 6-0 7-5

in his opener to set his campaign off to a positive start.

In the ultimate clash of the night, Murray defeated Alexandre De Almedia 6-1 6-1 to signal his intent of what to expect for the remainder of the tournament.

Matches will continue for the next 12 days in the tournament at the GBTI Recreational facility. Follow Guyana Times Sport for your latest update of the tournament.

The tournament will continue today from 10:00h.

GCB/Hand-In-Hand Inter-County U-19 3-day…

Demerara seeks double honours

D

emerara Under-19 team has already proven their worth as they convincingly retained the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)/ Hand-InHand Insurance InterCounty 50 over title on Friday at the National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara, after defeating the National U-17 Select Squad by six wickets.

They are now faced with the task of retaining double honours as they commence their quest in the threeday version today against Essequibo at the Police Sports Club Ground Eve, Leary. And the talented unit will start as favourite when the event bowls off today at the two venues in the city.

However, the weather is expected to play a major part.

It could either work in their favour or against them. But if it does not affect the outcome of any matches then in is inconceivable that the Demerara would be beaten by any of the other squads, Essequibo, the National U-17 Select Squad or archrivals Berbice.

Nevertheless cricket is a glorious game of uncertainties and an upset could be imminent once teams apply the basics and execute at the right time.

In the 50 over segment, first class, West Indies U19 and Demerara player/ captain Bhaskar Yadram, West Indies U-19 selectee Joshua Persaud, Raymond Perez, Keshram Seyhodan, Richie Looknauth and the extremely talented Renaldo Ali-Mohamed all featured

in big wins for Demerara whilst they demonstrated how strong is their unit.

In the Ancient County’s unit, Kevin Sinclair and Javed Karim were responsible in their approach but would need a collective effort in the longer format if they are to dethrone their nemesis.

As expected Joshua Jones was hostile in the shorter format where he snatched seven victims from two matches and blasted 33 from 19 balls in one of his innings, but will need the support of the other players to enable the Cinderella County with success.

Kurt Lovell needs to pro-

Kevin Sinclair

duce in the middle because he wanted more opportunities, the reason he opted to represent Essequibo.

The National U-17 Squad have shown their ability competing with the U-19s but consistency in the

longer format is required if they are to challenge Demerara and Berbice and even Essequibo to a lesser extent.

The county teams could be in for a few surprises against Ashmead Nedd and his troop comprising of Kevlon Anderson, Jevon Schultz, Sachin Singh, Alex Algoo, Alphius Bookie and others.

The teams are as follows: Essequibo: Mark Williams, Sachin Persaud, Kurt Lovell, Adrian Campbell, Mark Ramsammy, Joshua Jones, Quintin Sampson, Beesham Moses, Leslie Allen, Sheldon Charles, Mahindra Persaud, Chanderpaul Mohabir, Kellin Davis, Joel fortune, Azeem Habib, Loaknauth Persaud (Manager), Andy Ramnarine (Coach).

Berbice: Adrian Sukwah, Kevin Sinclair, Sasenarine Sukhoo, Veramootoo Senwasane, Javid Karim, Matthew Hardyal, Daniel Samaroo, Emmanuel Seecharran, Karan Arjpaul, Keith Simpson, Deon Sinclair, Sylus Tyndall, Raymond Vankenic, Steve Deonarine, Michael Newland (Manager), Adrian Amsterdam (Coach).

Demerara: Bhaskar Yadram (Captain), Ronaldo Ali Mohamed (Vice Captain), Joshua Persaud, Raymond Perez, Navendra Persaud, Ramnarine Chature, Richie Looknauth, Keshram Seyhodan, Stephon Wilson, Sagar Hatharamani, Dwayne Dick, Kishna Singh, Garvin Bodwah, Dambuka

Ashmead Nedd

Nqgando, Darshan Persaud, Mark Jeffers, Kennard Moonsammy, Mark Ramsammy, Himanauth Dindyal, Omar Hussine (Manager), Rayon King (Coach), Dhanpaul (Assistant Coach).

Guyana Under-17: Alex Alvin Algoo, Sachin Stefan Singh, Orlando Jailall, Junior Alvin Sinclair, Kevlon Alston Anderson, Kevin Imran Christian, Robin Williams, Lance Rusell Roberts, Alphius Malcolm Bookie, Rajendra Singh, Nigel Deodat, Ashmead Romanno Nedd, Pradesh Ballkishun, Kelvin Umrao, Mark Gary Rankin, Gevon Shemar Schultz, Reyaz Khan, Qumar Tychicus Torrington, Nazeer Mohamed (Manager), Orin Bailey (Coach).

In the other match today from 10:00h, Berbice will take on the National U-17 Select Squad at Everest Cricket Club Ground.

22

guyanatimesgy.com

sundAY, June 4, 2017

South American under-20 Championship…

Phenomenal Caesar delivers 100M Gold

– Guyana cop 2 Gold, 4 Silver & 5 Bronze medals on day 1

By Michelangelo Jacobus

H

istory was made on Saturday morning as athletes from over 10 countries participated in 17 finals on day one of the South American U-20 Championships, which kicked off at the National Track and Field Centre at Leonora, West Coast Demerara with the10,000 Metres’ Walk race.

Guyana was well represented through athletes such as Compton Caesar, Chantoba Avon Samuels, Bright, Daniel Williams, Anfernee Headecker, Kenisha Phillips, Ruth Sanmoogan and Onasha Rogers, all of whom medalled in their respective events.

CARIFTA gold medallist Compton Caesar enhanced his growing reputation by powering his way to a personal best of 10.37s in the 100 Metres event, running against a wind of -3.1 to take gold. Brazilian Derick De Souza Silva was second in 10.45s, and Argentine Daniel Londero third in 10.70s.

Speaking to the media after his dominant run, Caesar cred-

ited his near perfect start for his excellent finish, but pointed out that he needs to work on the last quarter of this race, as he is a bit weak in that stage.

Guyana’s first medal came earlier in the morning through Anfernee Headecker who, despite a brilliant run in the Male 1500 Metres final, burned out to finish third and take bronze behind Jefferson Dos Santos and Jose Zabala in that order.

The host nation’s second medal came in the Females 400 Metres’ event, when Avon Samuels clocked 55.45s on her way to silver. Her Brazilian counterpart, Beatriz Marinho, easily won gold in a time of 54.25s, while Colombian Karen Segura Ocampo) took bronze in 57.56s.

In the Males’ 400 Metres event, experienced South American U-20 athlete Daniel Williams took Guyana’s second silver of the day in a time of 48.24s, running behind Suriname’s Miguel Shepper (47.90s) but ahead of Uruguay’s only male, Mateo Pascual, who claimed bronze in 48.30s.

As the afternoon session began, Guyana’s diminutive long jumper Chantoba Bright won Guyana’s first gold medal with a personal best jump of 6.30m to outjump Brazilian Vitoria Alves (6.12m), while Guyana’s Ruth Sanmoogan also claimed bronze with her effort of 5.59m.

The dynamic duo of Onasha Rogers and Kenisha Phillips took Silver and Bronze respectively in their 100 Metre final, coming in behind Brazilian powerhouse Lorraine Martins, who dominated the race in a time of 11.56s.

Rogers, who continued her winning streak against Phillips, clocked a time of 11.71s to claim silver, while her teammate took bronze in 11.78s. As the evening wore on, Samuel Lynch, affectionately known as “Sammy“ to his Guyanese fans, ran a well composed 800 Metre race to upstage teammate Anfernee Headecker. However, Lynch’s effort was found wanting, as he placed second, behind Jeferson Dos Santos of Brazil.

Headecker kept pace with Dos Santos up to the final

200 metres, while Lynch, who was hanging back, came alive in the final lap to run past Headecker -- who finished with bronze yet again -- and claim Silver behind the Brazilian.

In an interview with Guyana Times Sport, Headecker noted that his ending was not strong, so he advised Lynch to take the inside.

Claudrice McKoy also added to Guyana’s medal tally -- in the gripping 1500m race which brought the crowd to its feet.

McKoy (4m:39.96s) used every joule of energy in her diminutive frame to finish third, behind Brazil’s Pietra Da Silva (4m:31.82s) and Colombia’s Jarly Marin Zipa (4m:33.83s).

McKoy was lauded for her efforts, after being as much as 60m off the lead and in fifth place during the final lap.

Action will resume today with the feature events being the relays and the 200 metres’ finals. Tickets can still be purchased at the Leonora Synthetic Track, White Castle Fish Shop, the GOA Head Office, and the LOC office on Light Street.

guyanatimesgy.com

sundAY, june 4, 2017

23

Massive injection of support for RHTY&SC’s Patron’s Cup P

lans for the hosting of the first-ever Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, M.S (RHTY&SC, M.S) Patron’s 20/20 Cup – The Green Economy Trophy tournament on Wednesday last received a major boost with massive donations from the Ministry of the Presidency and Kares Engineering of Parika, East Bank Essequibo.

Guyana’s leading youth and sports organisation would be hosting the tournament, which promises to be one of the biggest ever hosted in Guyana in tribute to its fifth Honorary Patron, H.E President David Granger’s 72nd birthday, which would be celebrated on July 15.

Club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster, Vice-President Mark Papannah and Club Captain/ Executive Member Shawn Perriera received $125,000 worth of trophies for the first, second and third place winners along with the Man-of-the-Final.

The Ministry of the Presidency also made a financial contribution towards the hosting of the tournament. Chief Executive Officer of Kares Engineering Inc., Radesh

Rameshwar, also handed over a cheque for a very significant figure towards the prizes for the top four teams and Man-of-the-Final.

The CEO of Kares Engineering Inc. stated that he was very impressed with the work of the RHTY&SC, M.S, and that he shares the Club’s vision of making a positive difference in the lives of youths.

He noted that it is very important that Guyana promotes a Green Economy and educates its population on the danger of Climate Change and its effects on our daily way of living.

Kares Engineering Inc., he stated, is fully committed to fulfilling its responsibilities as a corporate entity and expressed confidence that the relationship between the RHTY&SC, M.S, and his company would be expanded in the future.

Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster expressed gratitude to both the Ministry of the Presidency and Kares Engineering for their contribution with special mention being made of Colonel Francis Abraham and Major Smith of the

Satya Kishun (left) of Kares Engineering Inc hands over the sponsorship cheque to Shawn Perriera, while Vice President Mark Papannah looks on

Office of the President, along with Radesh Rameshwar and Satya Kishun of Kares Engineering Inc. He reassured both donors that the Patron’s Cup would not only be well-organised but would achieve all of its objectives.

The tournament would feature eight teams – six from Berbice

and two from Demerara. The Demerara Cricket Club and the Georgetown Cricket Club have been officially invited to be part of the tournament, while RHT Gizmos and Gadgets, Tucker Park, Blairmont, Upper Corentyne and Young Warriors are expected to be part on show as well.

The organisers are currently awaiting a response from the Albion Cricket Club on their participation. The winning team would take home $500,000, losing finalist $300,000; third $100,000 and fourth $50,000. The Manof-the-Final is also guaranteed $50,000.

Funds raised from the tournament would be used to purchase school bags, educational materials and bicycles for less fortunate students across Berbice.

The main aim is to assist them to complete their educational background. Funds would also be used to assist less fortunate clubs across Berbice with cricket balls and other equipment. A 40-page youth information booklet would also be produced by the RHTY&SC to educate youths on the Green Economy and Climate Change.

The tournament is scheduled to bowl off on July 2 with the semi-finals set for July 9. The final is set to be played under lights at the Albion Ground on a date suitable to the hectic schedule of President David Granger.

Amla, Tahir sink Sri Lanka to Mills plans for stategive Proteas winning start of-the-art institution in S

ri Lanka made a good start in pursuit of 300 on Saturday, but were ultimately well beaten as Imran Tahir wreaked havoc with the ball.

Hashim Amla and Imran Tahir played starring roles as South Africa began their ICC Champions Trophy campaign with an emphatic 96-run vic-

in the 42nd over, Tahir their chief tormentor as the canny leg-spinner returned figures of 4-27.

Although Quinton de Kock failed to fire at the top of the order for South Africa, using up 42 balls for his 23, Amla and Du Plessis proceeded to lay an excellent platform.

There was a huge let-off

20 balls to provide some much-needed late impetus for his side, but Dickwella and stand-in skipper Upul Tharanga combined effectively in reply, the former producing some extravagant strokes after he and his opening partner had each survived return chances to Kagiso Rabada.

That proved as good as it got for Sri Lanka, who were hampered by wickets at regular intervals follow-

ing Dickwella's departure to Morne Morkel in the ninth over.

Tharanga reached 57 and Kusal Perera finished unbeaten on 44, but there were no other significant contributions with the bat as Tahir's variations proved too much to handle and De Villiers showed his class in the field, pulling off a superb leaping catch and an agile run-out. (Sportsmax)

post-Bolt environment

SCOREBOARD

Imran Tahir

tory over Sri Lanka at The Oval.

The prolific Amla compiled 103 from 115 balls bringing up his 25th one-day international century in fewer innings than any batsman in history - and shared 145 with Faf du Plessis (75) as the Proteas posted 299-6 after being inserted on Saturday.

South Africa lost momentum in the closing stages of their innings and may have been feeling nervous when the flamboyant Niroshan Dickwella (41) gave Sri Lanka a flying start in reply.

However, Sri Lanka lost their way after a swift opening stand of 69 and were ultimately dismissed for 203

for Du Plessis on eight when he top-edged Nuwan Pradeep to long leg, only for Lasith Malinga - on his first ODI appearance since November 2015 - to make a mess of the chance.

South Africa's second-wicket pair steadily picked up the pace thereafter and it took a fine catch from Dinesh Chandimal at midwicket to remove Du Plessis for 75, Pradeep claiming his second breakthrough.

AB de Villiers and David Miller fell cheaply either side of Amla reaching three figures and Sri Lanka had a further boost when the centurion was run out by Kusal Mendis.

JP Duminy hit 38 off

South Africa innings (50 overs maximum) HM Amla run out (Mendis/†Dickwella) 103 Q de Kock† c †Dickwella b Prade ep 23 F du Plessis c Chandimal b Prade ep 75 AB de Villiers* c Kapugedera b Pr asanna 4 DA Miller c Prasanna b Lakmal 18 JP Duminy not out38 CH Morris run out (Tharanga) 20 WD Parnell not out 7 Extras (lb 1, w 10)11 Total (6 wickets; 50 overs)299 Did not bat: K Rabada, M Morkel, Imran Tahir Fall of wickets: 1-44 (de Kock, 12.1 ov), 2-189 (du Plessis, 33.4 ov), 3-194 (de Villiers, 34.4 ov), 4-226 (Miller, 41.4 ov), 5-232 (Amla, 42.3 ov), 6-277 (Morris, 47.5 ov) Bowling: SL Malinga 10-0-570 (5w), RAS Lakmal 10-0-511 (2w), N Pradeep 10-0-54-2 (1w), DAS Gunaratne 10-0-64-0 (1w), S Prasanna10-0-72-1 (1w) Sri Lanka innings (target: 300 runs from 50 overs) N Dickwella† c Parnell b Mork el 41

WU Tharanga* c Miller b Imran Tahir 57 BKG Mendis c de Villiers b Morris 11 LD Chandimal run out (de Villiers) 12 CK Kapugedera lbw b Imran Tahir 0 MDKJ Perera not out 44 DAS Gunaratne c Parnell b Imran Tahir 4 S Prasanna lbw b Morris 13 RAS Lakmal run out (Imran Tahir) 0 SL Malinga b Rabada 1 N Pradeep c Duminy b Imran Tahir 5 Extras (lb 6, w 8, nb 1)15 Total (all out; 41.3 overs) 203 Fall of wickets 1-69 (Dickwella, 8.2 ov), 2-94 (Mendis, 11.5 ov), 3-116 (Chandimal, 17.2 ov), 4-117 (Kapugedera, 17.5 ov), 5-146 (Tharanga, 25.2 ov), 6-155 (Gunaratne, 29.2 ov), 7-191 (Prasanna, 37.2 ov), 8-191 (Lakmal, 37.5 ov), 9-192 (Malinga, 38.1 ov), 10203 (Pradeep, 41.3 ov) Bowling: K Rabada 8-1-46-1 (1nb, 3w), WD Parnell 10-054-0 (1w), M Morkel6-0-31-1 (2w), CH Morris7-0-32-2 (1w), Imran Tahir 8.3-0-274, JP Duminy 2-0-7-0(1w)

W

Usain Bolt with coach Glen Mills

hile acknowledging that the fortunes of Usain Bolt have been inextricably linked with that of the Racers Track Club, head coach Glen Mills is adamant that the big sprinter's retirement will not signal the demise of his esteem.

In fact, Mills along with his executive manager, Nugent Walker, have very big plans afoot.

The coach, who is also the man behind the stars like Yohan Blake, the second fastest man in history over both 1 and 200 metres, and Kemar Bailey-Cole, recently revealed plans to transform the Racers Track Club into a world-class athletic institution, with a stadium at the heart of those plans.

"We are planning to build an institution so that the legacy will continue to grow. Track and field and Jamaica can be the beneficiaries, so I hope that (Mills-Bolt stadium) project comes off so we can put in an up-to-date training centre, and so on," said Mills.

"We are trying to develop an institution. We have coaches understudying and if we get going on the bigger (stadium) project, we can unveil more to the public."

While Mills intends to pass on a legacy of coaching to other younger students of the sport, he by no means, is calling for a swansong.

"My participation in the sport started before Bolt, and if the good Lord gives me health and strength, it will not end with Bolt. I have other athletes that need my attention. Bolt has had a fantastic career but I have built my own identity, it is not the only thing that has defined my career, so I will continue until my time comes," he said. (Sportsmax)

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

SUNDAY, JUNE 4, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

South American under-20 Championship…

Pg 22

Phenomenal Caesar delivers 100M Gold

– Guyana cop 2 Gold, 4 Silver & 5 Bronze medals on day 1

Avon Samuels collects her silver medal

Anfernee Headecker won bronze in the 1500 Metres

Daniel Williams won silver in the 400 Metres

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June 4, 2017

Star Times Bollywood:

Shah Rukh Khan addresses death hoax rumours on Twitter See story on page 14

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King William IV Falls

Page 8

Explore the unexplored What's Inside

An artistic legacy

Walter Spence

Remembering a legend of Upper Demerara Page 3

Page 16

Signature Styles Page 10

2 Sunday Times Magazine

JUNE 4, 2017

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Times Feature

Isahak Basir

By Isahak Basir

A

tragic scenario of a second migration of more than 50 indentured Indian families, all of whom hailed from several abandoned sugar estates. This took place between the period 1860 and 1940, when they had no alternative but to migrate to the uninhabited and desolated Pomeroon River district. It was their only chance of survival, and hence abandoned all hopes of returning to India as promised by the colonial owners. Similarly, in Jamaica, the Africans made an appeal to the colonial government to have “coolies” sent back to India, since they could not survive on the Jamaican sugar plantations. Suicide mortality and hopelessness were evident and so many were sent back to India.

In the Pomeroon district, the scenario was different.

Portuguese and African farmers, who resided in the lower Pomeroon River, recognised the hardship of the indentured families, being hunger, malaria and pneumonia illness. As such, they organised humanitarian groups to help the inexperienced farmers survive these ‘hardships’.

Two hundred and seventy-eight thousand indentured Indians were brought to Guyana to work on the sugar plantations in three counties. They were distributed according to the needs and choices of the respective plantation owners with the unconditional support of the Indian Immigration Officer located in their respective county. Other officers were paid by the white plutocracy and were known as the “CROSS by BABU”.

Several sugar plantations in Essequibo had their quotas. Such estates were Aurora, Golden Fleece, Affiance, Anna Regina, Lima, Hampton Court and Winsor Castle. They had 40 Portuguese families, and Devonshire Castle had their quota of Indian workers, all of whom were led to the logies once occupied by African workers.

Prior to 1904, when the British took over Guyana, the Dutch occupants were here (since 1620). By 1780, they began to close down some of the sugar plantations in preference of developing Berbice and Demerara plantations. Some of the Essequibo plantations that were closed down were Chandler (Better Success), Good Hope and Columbia.

On the right bank of the 27 odd miles of the Pomeroon River, they abandon their 30 cotton cultivations. The Dutch had an enclave at Somerset, where the Cotton Bailing Complex was located; a hospital at Siriki; and their European pine built ‘Fort’ at Calidonia, where the relic of a huge bronze bell is noticeable.

All the indentured Indians who came from India, who were contracted to serve five years, were supposed to return to India - this never happened. In Essequibo, the Indian Immigration Office was located at Plantation Onderneeming, occupying an old Dutch fortress as an office – where these edifices are still noticeable.

As sugar declined and contracts expired, Indian sugar workers were expelled from several estate logies to be replaced by new arrivals from India, since the immigration process began in 1848 and end in 1917. What was peculiar is that immigrants were brought from the different states of India, as such their dialects, traditions and tribal dispensations were noticeable. The expelled sugar workers experienced much difficulty in organising their return to India because of poor documentation and three months and fifteen days trip, confined in a ship hatch. The system was a calculated effort to have them remain in Guyana to swell the labour force as well as having extended families justify their settlement in Guyana.

The episode of this epoch became a calamity of the worst human depredation experienced on the Arabian Coast then, and to invoke the diminutive name of the ‘Cinderella Coast’.

The rapid closure of several sugar estates and factories resulted in mass unemployment, homelessness and suicide.

Two huge mango trees at the back of Anna Regina, still visible, were the regular sites where Indians hang them-

selves. Five freed slave villages, inclusive of Dartmouth, Danielstown and Queenstown, which were at the forefront of agriculture production and homemade medicine, could not mitigate the needs of the displaced Indians to satisfy their basic needs requirements. Those villagers were able to sustain the community markets of Aurora, Queenstown, Lima and Hampton Court. One such unbelievable situation was a mass protest in 1872 at Plantation Devonshire Castle where, for the first time in Guyana’s history, five indentured sugar workers were murdered.

The River and Creek Land Act, which was installed by the Plutocracy to suppress free Africans from occupying land and farm so as to confine them to the estates, was also applicable to the unemployed indentured Indians. It was unimaginable today to believe how Indians lived in mud houses, houses made with wattles and coconut branches, manicole palm staves bonded up with white chalk mud, an existing deposit of alkaline mineral, found at Plantation Zorg.

At Anna Regina, the existing Governor of Guyana donated ten acres of land in Bush Lot and made available discarded wood from unusable logies to build sheds to accommodate 76 families. That area was known as ‘Settlement’.

However, the Portuguese workers, who were brought from Madeira to Guyana in 1835, began migrating to the Pomeroon River in 1837 and made the Land Act null and void. They recommended the development of Pomeroon by passing cotton production and produced coconuts and other crops to subsidise the existing Essequibo plantations, all transportation was by sea as there was no road to Charity prior to 1908.

It was during this period in 1860 that second phase of Indian migration begun leading to the Pomeroon River district. The first family that went to Pomeroon, via the Tapacooma inland tributaries, were the Tacoordeens, who settled in lower Jacklow, an area of 15 miles where the Dutch never occupied because of the low-flooding swamps.

The “News of No Man’s Land” reached Essequibo and it enticed Indian sugar workers, most of whom in “Jahgee tradition”. They organised their groups and commenced migration to their new homeland in the Pomeroon River. The ‘Jahgee’ concept was developed during their four months turmoil in a ship hatch, sailing from India to Guyana. The Jahgee tradition was an invisible cooperative that provided help to restore the stability of indentured Indians in the economic, cultural, spiritual and social dispensations.

The second group that migrated were the Baharallys, Badries, Poorans and Samaroo Gildhari, who settled near a Portuguese enclave at Charity, owned by the Guvueias and Surrounds.

More than 200 Indians migrated to the Pomeroon, between the period of 1870 and 1940, and began the cultivation of coffee, citrus and farming of cattle. Some of six groups were the Ramcharrans, Nandalals, Gowgos, Jagmohans, Taseers, Birbals, Barakats, Rafeedeens, Seetal Sadhu, Ramlalls, Tellacks, Khandais, Ramphals, Rams, Jannies et al.

At that time, the upper Pomeroon flourished with fish and wildlife, such as tigers and venomous snakes. However,

to occupy maiden forest and to use the forest to build a shed for survival was not an easy task, it was an extreme hardship to survive on what the forest and river had to offer.

The new migrant group’s survival was due to landowners of the lower Pomeroon; who visited the new farmers and saw their plight of livelihood. The lower Pomeroon farmers of African and Portuguese ethnicity invited the indentured Indians and provided them with food, shelter and land to cultivate rice by manual labour. They then returned to their ‘palm shed’ hut, well-provided for several weeks of survival.

Some of the good Samaritans of lower Pomeroon River were the Stolls, Slyutmans, Benns, Garaways, Ribeiros, Corfields, Benjamins, Silvas, Boyce and Pereiras. The Pereiras also taught Indian farm workers management skills and purchased small farm lands for many. However, with a new population, the area saw the Austins and Evans facilitating the emergence of manual sawmills (saw pits) and the making of coal to for steam boilers and other activities. In addition, an Anglican shed was built by Pastor Jacklowe in 1860, Cabacabari Church in 1872 and St Louis RC in 1896 at Siriki.

The plight of these new Indian land owners got much relief when New Road, a progressive Indian village emerged under the leadership of one Sarjn Maharag, and food production advanced.

Sarjn Maharaj was six feet tall, fair in complexion and a devoted Hindu of the Brahmin caste. He visited the Pomeroon every two weeks, teaching Hinduism and supply vegetables and paddy to the new Upper Pomeroon farmers. Sarjn Maharaj also built the first Mandir at New Road and a troolie shed resting hall for stranded Indians in 19081920.

The traditional midwives were of African origin and performed well without any medical training, as well infant mortality was zero. By 1920, only four of the 55 sugar plantations and two factories existed. All abandon estates could not cultivate rice or other crops since the drainage system was sabotaged. Simultaneous landlordism emerged on Essequibo when several wealthy Indians purchased abandoned sugar estates that fell into ‘receivership’. New estate owners were Sahoys, Chans, Mizirs, Sankar, Reberios, Maharaj, Bacchus, Parikan, Singh, Eliza, Tedoris Benn, Santos and Doobay. These new landlords built rice factories on previous sugar factory sites and entrenched a new type of feudal control from 1908 to 1960.

However, the Tapacoma project broke this vicious cycle of servitude.

For Pomeroon Indians, much relief came when the Manicuru canal was dredged in 1923. Thus, rice lands were free of cost and were occupied by the Mangras, Barakats, Badri; all of whom cultivated rice to offset hardship on the growing community. The indentured Indians developed their traditional device to grind grains and shell paddy. Unfortunately, a four feet high flood in 1934 devastated the River district followed by an epidemic, which wiped out many families. As the community grew, social facilities followed such as schools, mandirs, mosques, saw mills, medical services, and a forth nightly steamer service.

The Pomeroon River is the deepest river in Guyana without any sand banks, and has a unique history. Over the last 250, its length was reduced by ten miles due to erosion. It is one of six rivers that discharges into the Atlantic in a North West direction — the others are North East. The first set of alien occupants were expelled Jews from Brazil who sailed up the Pomeroon and occupied Calidonia in 1520 and grew sugar cane. The ancestors of Portuguese and freed Africans laid the foundation for the development of the Pomeroon river landscape. The historical work and sacrifices cannot be omitted when the history is written.

Pomeroon citizens excelled in many ways; unity in communal life, racism and discrimination were never tolerated or noticeable. All Pomeroon residents are interrelated, interdependent and interconnected. The history put together formulated our national motto: “One People, One Nation, One Destiny”.

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 4, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine

3

Times Feature

T

raditionally, throughout the world, the month of June is associated with weddings and “June brides”. It is felt that if a marriage is consummated in June, it is perceived as a blessing and the chances of love and affection would unite couples into an everlasting bond.

Whether this is true or not, there are some Guyanese customs to which couples would adhere, regardless of the consequences: “Don’t look back while going up the aisle”; “jumping the broom”- a West African tradition; “don’t ever let a dog eat your wedding cake”; “don’t sweep one’s foot with a pointer broom prior to marriage”, are just a few.

The following are some true funny stories surrounding weddings in Guyana.

Cow itch powder or stinging nettle

It is believed that a bride must be attired in: “Something old; something new; something borrowed; something blue”, for good luck, and no bad omen would befall the marriage.

However, at one Guyanese wedding, the bride borrowed a glove from her dear girlfriend, not realizing the friend had a crush on the groom. The friend wilfully laced the glove with “cowitch or stinging nettle” pow-

der, – a powder that would induce intense itching. At the wedding ceremony, before the exchange of vows, the problem began. The itching was very severe.

Apparently the powder was transferred and dispersed to certain discrete parts of the bride’s anatomy. The itching was very noticeable and created an embarrassing scene.

The groom, unaware of the problem, and in disgust, disappeared from the altar and the wedding was called off.

Guess who was waiting outside the church to console him?

is gay.” Without any hesitation the bride blurted out, “So what? I know he is gay, he is always so joyful and happy.”

Wedding cake

It is normal after the wedding ceremony to throw rice grains over the married couple for good luck as they leave the church. The groom, clad in a white suit, and the bride, wearing a gorgeous white gown, were greeted with a huge amount of rice grains landing on their heads. Suddenly, a drove of hungry pigeons appeared, stood on their heads, and had a feast. Simultaneously the pigeons decided to release some droppings which landed all over the married couple, leaving a random polka dot design on the white apparel of the couple. ( By Edgar Henry. Published in the Guyana Cultural Association of New York Inc. June 2012 Magazine)

It was also understood that if you are single and you place a very small piece of wedding cake behind your right ear, you would enhance and accelerate your chances of getting married. A 65-year-old-man, who would remain nameless, attended a well-known Guyanese wedding ceremony. In desperation he applied enormous amounts of wedding cake behind both ears. To make a long story short, he is still single today at 84.

Catching of the bouquet

The custom where the person who catches the bouquet is believed to be the next to marry is very evident at weddings. Before one

Rising up first

It is understood that when couples kneel at the altar to exchange their vows, it is thought that whoever gets up first will live longer than the other. In the haste to get up first, the groom accidentally stood on the bride’s dress causing her to fall prostrate at the feet of the pastor.

Pigeons

wedding reception, the bride made arrangements with her best friend – her maid of honour who was single – to throw the bouquet in her direction. Somehow, the boyfriend of the maid of honour got wind of the plan. When the bouquet was released from the bride, the boyfriend intercepted and caught the bouquet. The maid of honour was so upset she ranted and raved. One month later, the boyfriend married someone else.

Dowry

It is customary at a Hindu wedding for the father of the bride to offer a satisfactory dowry to the groom. As long as the groom does not eat, the father has to continue offering possessions. At one such Hindu wedding, the groom was not satisfied with the house and land that were offered.

Not until he was promised a number of cows and sheep did he eventually eat, which showed his acceptance.

After the wedding, he went

to collect his dowry but was greeted with a severe beating by the family members.

He then realized that the father-in-law never owned a house or any cattle in his entire life.

Marriage vows

During a wedding ceremony the preacher asked, “Does anyone know why these parties should not be joined together, speak now or forever hold your peace?”

One member of the wedding party shouted, “The groom

Walter Spence

By Dmitri Allicock

B

orn and growing up in the Upper Demerara area of Linden, I have come to appreciate the great achievements of those who have lived there and contributed significantly to society and representing Guyana on the international map. One such individual is Walter Spence.

Walter Spence may be the first Guyanese to ever win an Olympic medal. He competed for Canada in the 1928 Olympics, winning a bronze medal.

Walter Percy Spence, born March 3, 1901, was a swimmer from British Guiana who competed for Canada in the 1928 Summer Olympics and 1932 Summer Olympics. He immigrated to the United States and held several national swimming titles there.

Spence was born in Christianburg, British Guiana, the oldest of eight children – four brothers and four sisters.

His father was Scottish and worked as a big game hunter and guide, while his mother was Indian. Spence learned to swim in the Demerara River, along with his brother, where they survived many piranha bites. He and two of his younger brothers, Wallace and Leonard, became international champion swimmers. Two of the four Spence sisters also swam competitively, although not at the level of their brothers. The youngest Spence brother, Harold, showed

great promise but was killed in action in World War II before his swimming career could take off.

After becoming the top swimmer in British Guiana, Spence moved to Trinidad and began competing there. After losing a freestyle race to a swimmer from Chicago, his first-ever loss in that type of competition, Spence decided to pursue training in the United States.

He arrived in the U.S. in 1923, where he eventually gained U.S. citizenship.

He began his U.S. career with the Brooklyn YMCA team, swimming the breaststroke and three-stroke individual medley. By 1925 he had broken ten world records and was the top point scorer at the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) national championships that year. He later competed with the Penn Athletic Club in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

He competed for Canada in the 1928 Olympics and won a bronze medal in the 4x200 m freestyle relay event. He was also sixth in the 100 m freestyle event and sixth in the 200 m breaststroke event.

Four years later he was fourth in the 4x200 m freestyle relay event. He was also fourth in his semifinal of the 100 m freestyle event and fourth in his semi-final of the 200 m breaststroke event and did not advance in both occasions. He later represented British Guiana at the 1938 British Empire Games. He won the silver medal in the 220 yards breaststroke contest and finished fourth in the 110 yards freestyle competition.

In 1930, Spence enrolled as a freshman at Rutgers University. He set the collegiate record in the 100 yard freestyle and earned the highest point score at the 1934 NCAA championships. In 1934 he also broke the world record in the 300 yard three-stroke individual medley. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism on June 9, 1934.

After leaving Rutgers, Spence swam with the

New York Athletic Club (NYAC). His two younger brothers, Wallace and Leonard, joined him in the United States in 1926 and 1928, respectively. The brothers competed for the NYAC in the threestroke medley relay, with Wallace swimming the backstroke, Leonard the breaststroke, and Walter the front crawl. Together, they won the 1933 AAU championship title in the event and later set the world record during an exhibition at Rutgers. Joining with Peter Fick, they won the four-man 400-yard freestyle relay at the 1935 AAU championships.

After retiring from swimming, Spence worked as an insurance salesman for the Security Mutual Life Insurance Company in New York City. He married Sheila O'Connor and had five children: David (born c. 1942), Harold (born c. 1947), Donald (born c.

1950), Sheila (born c. 1952), and Wendy (born c.

1953).

Spence was killed in an accident on October 16, 1958 in White Plains, New York, while trying to board a train at the North White Plains station. He was on his way from New York City to his home in Hawthorne and had stepped off the train to call his wife during a stop at White Plains. When the train began to debark, he ran to catch it and attempted to re-board, but slipped and fell onto the tracks. He suffered severe injuries to his legs and died at White Plains Hospital an hour and a half later.

Nine years after his death, in 1967, Walter, Wallace, and Leonard Spence were inducted together into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

The Spence family of Christianburg, Upper Demerara, survives today but in limited numbers.

Most have migrated around the world. Some of them are my precious relatives. Now, Walter Percy Spence is celebrated as one of the best swimmers ever produced by the rivers of Guyana.

4

Sunday Times Magazine

JUNE 4, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

Times Feature

A mission to impact lives

By Ashraf Dabie

U

S-based Guyanese autism specialist Dr. Sharla Madho-Khargi has embarked on the first phase of her initiative to assess the needs and provide resources for those caring for those who are differently abled.

Following 15 years of working with people with disabilities, Madho-Khargi journeyed home on May 14 to continue an initiative which began during her undergraduate studies.

The clinical psychologist, during her one week visit to Guyana, accumulated data from research conducted at various institutions from across the country, after which she returned to the U.S. to begin the assessment of her findings so as to procure adequate resources and materials aimed at bridging the gap in education and awareness for those persons who are differently abled. At the end of her endeavour, the country will be better equipped to understand the needs of children living with disabilities, and thereby afford them the opportunity to be successfully re-integrated as functioning members of their communities.

During an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, the autism specialist pointed out that her research was initiated over six years ago. However, this is the first time she will be working in Guyana, and the experience has left her both excited and scared.

“I am trying to see what I can bring in terms of assistance for parents and caregivers training, skills classes and resources for their education. I want to make sure that it is done the way I feel it in my heart. I started it as a baby project and it has grown into a full-grown adult. I have to make sure that it is settled in a foundation that is strong and will be sustainable for years to come,” she explained.

During her visit, Madho-Khargi will

hopeless, teachers have their hands tied, and they need resources and support”.

“There is a lack of training for caregivers and professionals who work within these areas. There is a huge need for assessments from a clinical psychology perspective in terms of diagnosis and identifying where these children are; whether they fit the autism spectrum disorder or whether they carry the psychiatric diagnosis.

We need to really identify those areas to be able to create goals and resources to put these programmes in place so that they will serve the community effectively,” she declared.

As such, the alarming information accumulated through her detailed survey allowed the activist to chart her plans for the Dr. Sharla Madho-Khargi (left) with founder of Sorsha country, which will be Williams Foundation of Autism, Karen Williams implemented before the end of the year. mainly focus on two institutions currently Foremost on her agenda is to provide reworking with children who are differently sources that will enable parents, teachers abled: the Community Based Rehabilitation and caregivers to identify, track and diagprogramme in Port Mourant (Berbice) and nose cases of disabilities or mental illnessthe Sorsha Williams Foundation of Autism es. Additionally, methods of communication, (Georgetown). daily skills and socialisation will be taught The autism specialist was able to acquire to children diagnosed with these disabilipertinent data, which contributed signifi- ties. The skills training will incorporate the cantly to her mission. In sharing what she use of picture exchange communication (esgathered through her experience in Guyana, pecially for children with autism), as well as Madho-Khargi said that “parents are feeling basic everyday activities such as brushing their teeth and tying their shoe laces.

Through the implementation of different concepts such as positive reinforcement and with the use of technology, Madho-Khargi’s hope is that these resources will have positive impact and improve the life of not only those who are differently abled, but their

caregivers as well.

However, on a more long-term basis, it is a desire of the autism specialist to establish a school for the differently abled, which would be housed in Berbice. At this institution, medical students from the United States and around the world will journey to Guyana to conduct their internship attachment, thereby ensuring a sustainable programme.

Visiting the Sorsha Williams Foundation, as well as the rehabilitation programme in Berbice, provided a great boost towards this initiative as Madho-Khargi was able to learn about what is currently being done for the differently abled in Guyana and their needs in order for the community to thrive.

“It feels like I am helping, but it is not even touching the surface just yet. This makes me sad, but it also empowers me,” she expressed.

However, Madho-Khargi stated there were high points of her trip, most of which comprised of the positive feedback she received from students who are generally nonresponsive. Her ability to connect with the students revealed the potential of her approach once implemented in Guyana, and even shocked the caregivers who were previously unable to communicate with their children.

“It’s beyond challenging for the parent; I cannot begin to imagine what they go through. However, I do know it’s very challenging and overwhelming. There are feelings of hopelessness and it is sad to see a human being feeling defeated,” she disclosed.

The clinical psychologist, realising the strength of her voice, has been using her talents to advocate for the rights of the differently abled. She credits her parents - who were unable to complete their schooling, but made her education a priority – for her motivation to help others.

“My encouragement to parents is to never give up on the one thing you were blessed with. Not everyone is lucky enough to have a child; not everyone has a child with autism or a disability. It is a blessing on so many levels and there is a purpose for you being on that path. There is hope; and more of it is coming soon,” she reassured.

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 4, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine

Times Women

N

ot only is US-based Guyanese Obstetrician/Gynecologist Dr. Yvette Westford focused on self-development, but through her practice she aims to improve the lives of women.

Dr. Yvette Westford is a board-certified Obstetrician/Gynecologist with a pending board certification in Laser Medicine. She specializes in Cosmetic Gynecology and Aesthetics.

Westford was raised in Guyana, but migrated to the United States after high school to attend college in New York. She received her AAS in Physical Therapy from Nassau Community College in Garden City, New York; and her BS in Biology from Pace University in New York City. Her Doctor of Medicine was received from Ross University School of Medicine in Dominica, WI. After completing her residency at Yale University School of Medicine Affiliate Program in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Danbury Hospital Medical Center in Danbury, CT, Westford moved to Victoria, Texas to begin her practice.

She opened her solo practice in 2011, specializing in OB-GYN care with a secondary specialty in menopause, sexual medicine and wellness. In 2015, she opened the V Spa/V Center for Laser Cosmetic Gynecology & Aesthetics, in a shared space with her OB-GYN office, specifically to address cosmetic gynecology issues and to provide medical spa and anti-aging services for the female patient. The practice has strategically focused on patients

with a combined dual approach using ideas from both gynecology and cosmetic surgery. Services include Operative Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation and Designer Laser Vaginoplasty® (DLV®) which is the aesthetic surgical enhancement of the vulvo-vaginal structures.

Westford is the first and the only physician in the Crossroads area to have received specialized training in this area. She is an Associate of the prestigious Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation Institute and was trained in Beverly Hills, Ca. by its founder, renowned cosmetic gynecologist, David Matlock, MD of “Dr. 90210” fame.

Westford prides herself on being able to provide a different kind of care. As a mother and a career woman, she understands how difficult it is to achieve balance in all aspects of a woman’s life. In a 2015 interview with victoriaadvocate.com, she shared that after a decade of working as a board-certified OB-GYN she decided to expand her busy solo practice into a place where she could offer a “uniquely feminine perspective on enhancing a woman’s image and improving sexual function”.

Notably, Westford was a distance runner, completing four marathons and numerous half marathons. She loves skiing and all ‘winter’ sports. At a tender age, she became fascinated with airplanes. She has been a licensed private pilot since 1995. However, since she became a mother to her three daughters, she hasn’t flown. In her whole life, the two things she ever wanted to do were fly airplanes and become a doctor. Most assuredly, she has accomplished both!

To learn more about Westford’s work follow her at Yvette F. Westford, MD, Facog on Facebook. (http://guyanesegirlsrock.org)

At her spa, which promotes health education

B

orn in Georgetown, Guyana, and raised in California’s Silicon Valley, U.S., hairstylist Marcia Hamilton is known for her ability to mesh old school beauty with up to the minute trends and techniques.

She discovered her passion for art and style at an early age, but against her mother’s predictions, Hamilton had ambitions of becoming an auto mechanic. After a series of life changing events, destiny led her to the inevitable path of a career in hair care.

Hamilton began her hair care education under strict training from the Pivot Point Academy Program in the U.S. and later continued her advanced education at the Vidal Sassoon Academy, Redken International and Toni & Guy Academy.

From there, she moved to Los Angeles and began assisting various celebrity hairstylists.

She forged a name for herself while collaborating with stylists by applying her knowledge and skill in hair colour to create unique styles for international stars like Brandy, Eve, Kelly Roland and Serena Williams. With fierce determination and a curiosity for the unknown, Hamilton started venturing to New York where she was mentored by hair industry giants Orlando Pita, Guido Palau, and Teddy Charles.

The hairstylist has worked on numerous fashion shows for Oscar De La Renta, Tom Ford, Caroline Herrera, Derek Lam, Marc Jacobs and Dian Von Furstenburg. She draws her inspiration from these experiences, which is evident in her uninhibited approach when creating iconic looks for clients and innovative projects.

When Hamilton is not coiffing in her private studio, at the Juan Juan Center in Beverly Hills, she can be found on sets, creating magic from Los Angeles to New York. She divides her time between cities working in beauty, print, film, music video, runway and advertising. Her artistic creations frequently appear in publications like Teen Vogue, Nylon, Shape, Essence, Vanity Fair and W magazines.

Hamilton has created the looks for epic music videos like Willow Smith’s (actor Will Smith’s daughter) “Whip My Hair” and Usher’s “OMG”. She has also coined iconic looks for major celebs, advertising campaigns and hit television shows. Her list of collaborators includes Pink, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Cindy Crawford, Zoe Kravitz, Target, Pravana, Macadamia Oil, Disney, TNT and many more.

For more information on Marcia Hamilton, visit www.marciahamilton.com

US-based Guyanese hairstylist Marcia Hamilton

6 Sunday Times Magazine

JUNE 4, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

Times Book World

By Petamber Persaud

Days of the sahib are over, or should be, now that our land is free of the overlord’s yoke Rajkumari Singh

T

he novel “Those That Be In Bondage: A Tale of Indian Indenture and Sunlit Western Waters” written by A. R. F. Webber was published in 1917, the same year in which the indentureship scheme, that kept “those that be in bondage”, was abolished.

So there are two noticeable anniversaries here to commemorate: the centennial end to indentureship and the centennial publication year of the novel. The third celebration (hitherto unsung) is found in the fact that such a book – a piece of fiction – was published locally by The Daily Chronicle Printing Press. In 1917, that was a remarkable and commendable undertaking even though the author exerted enormous influence on society as a journalist and editor of the Daily Chronicle, among other hats he wore.

This novel is also notable because it falls at the beginning of the novel writing tradition of three states – the Caribbean, Tobago and Guyana, each state staking a claim to the novel. In the Caribbean, it is at the beginning of its novel tradition as there is but one other novel published before this one under review; in Tobago, where as the author was born, it is the first novel for that country; and in Guyana, it is one of the early novels of this country where the author lived, died and was buried.

To appreciate the first anniversary, a sketch of the indentureship scheme would be useful at this point.

Emancipation of enslaved Africans in 1838 created a shortage of cheap labour. That vacuum was filled by Indian immigrant labour after other sources of immigrant labour did not effectively fit the bill. The scheme came to an end, but not after unimaginable suffering due to various forms of bondage and discrimination.

The narrative of this novel is straightforward, but the reading is not uncomplicated due mainly to the distracting language replete with circumlocution, constant author’s intrusion lending to much (too much) philosophizing and too much tour guiding but it is a satisfying read on many other levels.

When it was published at the start of the twentieth century, it would have made wonderful reading suited to the taste of the time - romanticism.

The better aspect of the book is found in its themes – the imbalance of female to male population on the sugar plantation and its attendant ills, and the moral fight against all forms of bondage especially colonial bondage, social bondage and spiritual bondage. The plot of the book rests heavily on physical and spiritual bondage.

Set in Guyana, Tobago and Trinidad, between 1890 and 1913, it traces two generations of the Walton family wherein the protagonist always seems to be on the run - he runs from Guyana to Tobago, from Tobago to Trinidad and back to Guyana. And the book ends with him contemplating running to London after it was suggested that he was responsible for the destruction by fire of the Brickdam Cathedral. The ‘run’ was designed to focus on the issue of various types of bondage.

The story opens on a sugar plantation in Guyana where the brother-inlaw John James Walton, Edwin Hamilton, marries Bibi – “that smooth-skinned, bare-toed East Indian young lady”.

The union produces a daughter, Marjorie, “and the rest of the text is taken up with the romantic love that develops between Harold Walton and Marjorie on the idyllic island of Tobago”.

Harold eventually becomes a priest but had to free himself of that yoke when he becomes romantically involved with Marjorie.

A. R. F. Webber was born on the island of Tobago on January 1, 1880, to James Francis Webber and Sarah nee Hope. He married Beatrice Elizabeth Glasford, a union that produced Ivy Forbes Webber and Edith Forbes Webber.

A. R. F Webber

Some twenty years after he was born, he came to live in British Guiana at a crucial and exciting period of its history. In his own words, he described that era as not being “jejune or insipid”. He was a witness to many changes and innovations like the introduction of the electric tram service, the 1905 and 1924 riots, the end to East Indian Immigration, the first issue of $1 and $2 paper money, edu-

'Those That Be in Bondage - A Tale of Indian Indentures and Sunlit Western' book cover

cational reforms, the great rice embargo, glory days of sugar and its greatest decline, and the “abrogation of the 1891 Constitution”.

A. R. F. Webber was a poet, short story writer and novelist; herein the world of books, he made the most telling contribution to this land.

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

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 4, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 7

Times Heritage

Our National Songs

I

n the grip of the desire for independence from colonial rule and a fervour for a national identity beginning perhaps from the 1940s, a proliferation of patriotic poetry flowed from the pens of a group of men and women, over the years leading up to and just after Guyana’s eventual independence, that was made into music.

Few young people are aware of a genre in the country’s musical heritage known as national or patriotic songs, excluding the national anthem; and even fewer can be said to be familiar with the songs and historical figures behind a once vibrant tradition celebrating national identity and patriotic passion.

MacArthur Lawrence died in 1942.

Born January 1896 in Georgetown, Walter MacArthur Lawrence is arguably one of the first poets to express a patriotic enthusiasm with his poem “My Guyana, Eldorado”, which would later be put to music. Many of his poems have entered influential book collections around the world.

Cleveland Hamilton was a busy legal practitioner who would also excel in his other love: poetry. Late 1969, a competition to select a national hymn to celebrate Guyana’s Republic status was announced that saw the selection of a poem called “Song of the Republic” to be put to music.

Walter MacArthur Lawrence

1991.

Valerie Rodway

Cleveland Hamilton

Submitted by a Thomas Theophilus Halley, it was the pen name for Hamilton who was concerned about political issues arising since he may have ruffled a few feathers in the then administration’s side for his outspokenness in a matter. It would take a long while after he was adjudged winner before he stepped forward to claim his place in Guyana’s history. He died Feb. 22,

Valerie Rodway

Valerie Rodway is perhaps best known for her musical composition pieces set to Vere T Daly’s, “Hymn for Guyana’s Children”; “Arise, Guyana” by J W Chinapen; Walter MacArthur Lawrence’s “O Beautiful Guyana” and “Guyana the Free”, a piece written and composed by herself and second husband James Rodway.

Born Valerie Fraser in New Amsterdam in 1919, she showed an early interest and talent in music, which was nurtured by leading music teachers of the day, and she went on to earn the Licentiate of the Royal College of Music (LRCM).

She became a music teacher and one of Guyana’s most famous composers.

Other compositions include “Water Music” (words by A J Seymour); “Kanaima”; “Kaieteur”

Sr Rose Magdalene

Sr. Rose Magdalene’s compositions that reflect Guyanese life and nationality include, “The Berbice Ferry”, “The Golden Arrowhead”, “Children of Guyana”, “The Mango Sellers”, “In an Aeroplane”,

Dave Martins

(words by J A Lawrence); “The Weeding Gang” (words

by CEJ Ramcharitar-Lalla) and “There Runs a Dream”.

She also composed music for Martin Carter’s “Let Freedom Wake Him”.

Valerie Rodway died in 1970.

“My Kitchen Garden” and “Out of School”.

Initially sent to be in Guyana for six months, she

Dave Martins

Guyana-born Dave Martins of the Tradewinds fame is often synonymous with what he calls “win’ down music”, but after pleas from the late Pat Cameron to compose something on a boundary dispute in the 70s, he came up with one of the most famous patriotic songs of modern times in Guyana, “Not a Blade of Grass”, and later, after being inspired by the audience at a Guyana Night performance, wrote, “Is We Own”.

There are also several other notable writers and composers of Guyana’s national songs such as M. A. Cossou who penned “My Native Land”; George Noel: “To Serve My Country” and “Treat All Guyanese Equally”; RCG Potter: “Way Down Demerara” and “A Song of Hope”; Frank Daniels who wrote the music to Cleveland Hamilton’s “Song of the Republic”; W. Hawley-Bryant: “The Song of Guyana’s Children”; Hugh Sam: “River Song”; W.R.A. Pilgrim: “Let Us Cooperate” and “Salute to Guyana”; Jodina:

Sr Rose Magdalene

Bartica grove, between Mazaruni and Essequibo rivers n.d.

European quarters, Demerara Bauxite Co., British Guiana

Sister Rose (Magdalene) D’Ornellas was a Sister of the Community of Carmelite Sisters, former Folk Research Officer in the Department of Culture, and social activist in the cultural community of Guyana.

She was born Elaine Mary D’Ornellas on Oct. 30, 1923 and joined the Carmelites in Trinidad on Jan. 10, 1946. She was assigned to the St Bernadette’s Hostel for Girls at Lamaha Street, Georgetown Guyana in 1950.

It was while she later taught both academics and music at the St Mary’s Junior School in New Amsterdam that her talent in teaching and music stood out. She founded The Marigold Choir, a children’s choir, in September 1990, which rose to gain international recognition.

W.R.A. Pilgrim

ended up spending almost a lifetime – some 54 years – instead. Sr Rose Magdalene died in Trinidad, where she had returned after retirement, on Apr 25, 2011.

“Blue-Saki” and “Citizen Man”; Hilton Hemerding: “Beautiful Guyana” and Walter E Hewick: “On The Banks of The Kako River”.

8 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 4, 2017

Times Travel & Tourism

Scenic landscape in the vicinity of the Falls (Photo by CraftmaticAdjustableBed on flickr)

K

ing William IV Falls is located along the Upper Essequibo River, near the indigenous village, Apoteri.

German-born explorer Sir Robert Schomburgk, who carried out geographical, ethnological and botanical studies in South America and the West Indies for Great Britain, named the falls King William IV Falls in honour of the-then British monarch and first patron of the Royal Geographical Society.

Describing the King William IV Falls, “The Guiana Travels of Robert Schomburgk, 1835-1844” stated: “…The water descends in two falls, the upper is larger, and may amount to from 12 to 14 feet

in height; the water precipitating itself over a ridge of jagged rocks, pursues its way foaming and tossing to the second fall…so the falls from the upper to the lower cataract amount at least to 20 feet...”

A tourist, who recently visited the area (Apoteri village to King William IV Falls), said: “This stretch of water is amazing with no logging, gold mining and no commercial fishing. Not a piece of trash in sight. After traveling in the South American rainforests, this is one of the most pristine areas. Water is teeming with fish: even one of your biggest freshwater fish, the Arapaima, along with giant catfish.

Cock-of-the-rock birds, along with jaguar sighting, makes this a special place.”

Water cascades through rocks into the Essequibo river (Photo from barbelblogger.blogspot

Casting for fish (Photo from www.kingwilliamadventures Dangerous rapids for boats (Photo by CraftmaticAdjustableBed on flickr)

Lower end of the Falls (Photo from barbelblogger.blogspot

King William IV Falls (Photo from dheapsfishingadventures.blogspot

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 4, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 9

Times Healthy Living

I

t’s time to address a problem many suffer from: peeling skin.

“Peeling feet is definitely common, and there are various reasons why,” says Rebecca Pruthi, a doctor of podiatric medicine and owner of Foot Care of Manhattan.

“We’re on our feet all the time and the constant pounding and walking can cause cracking and scaling of the skin,” she says.

But peeling feet can be about more than just pounding the pavement. Here are some reasons why your feet might be peeling.

T

he impact of cigarette damage to unborn babies has been revealed in a new stem cell study.

Scientists found that the cocktail of chemicals in cigarettes is particularly harmful to developing liver cells.

They developed a method of studying the effects of maternal smoking on liver tissue using embryonic stem cells.

The team, led by the University of Edinburgh, also discovered the cigarette chemicals affect male and female foetuses differently.

During their research they used pluripotent stem cells - cells which have the ability to transform into other cell types - to build foetal liver tissue.

Liver cells were exposed to the harmful chemicals found in cigarettes, including specific substances known to circulate in foetuses when mothers smoke.

Fungal Infections

The study showed that a chemical cocktail - similar to that found in cigarettes - harmed foetal liver health more than individual components.

Lasting harm

Dr David Hay from the University of Edinburgh’s centre for regenerative medicine, said: “Cigarette smoke is known to have damaging effects on the foetus, yet we lack appropriate tools to study this in a very detailed way.

“This new approach means that we now have sources of renewable tissue that will enable us to understand the cellular effect of cigarettes on the unborn foetus.”

The liver is vital in clearing toxic substances and plays a major role in regulating metabolism.

Smoking cigarettes, which contain around 7,000 chemicals, can damage foe-

tal organs and may do lasting harm.

The findings of the latest research, which was carried out in collaboration with the Universities of Aberdeen and Glasgow, also highlighted the different effects of cigarette smoke on livers in male and female foetuses.

Male tissue showed liver scarring and female tissue showed more damage to cell metabolism.

Prof Paul Fowler, director of the institute of medical sciences at the University of Aberdeen, said: “This work is part of an ongoing project to understand how cigarette smoking by pregnant mothers has harmful effects on the developing foetus.

“These findings shed light on fundamental differences in damage between male and female foetuses.”

The study is published in the journal Archives of Toxicology. (BBC)

According to Pruthi, the most common reason patients have peeling feet is a fungal infection (like athlete’s foot)—although they might not always realize it.

“A lot of times it just presents itself as peeling skin and patients don’t have the itchiness, so they don’t know it’s a fungal infection,” Pruthi says. So if your skin starts mysteriously peeling all of a sudden, get it checked out sooner rather than later.

Once you have a fungal infection on your skin, it can easily infect your toenail, which Pruthi warns can be very difficult to get rid of.

“What I find that happens is that the skin infects the nails, the nails re-infect the skin, back and forth, back and forth,” she says. “So whatever presents itself first, you want to knock it away.”

Sweaty Exercise Routines

Excess perspiration and moist environments often cause these foot infections, which lead to peeling. That might mean that your gym regimen, especially if there’s some hot yoga thrown in, can contribute to your peeling feet.

Pruthi warns that “anything you’re doing barefoot, or if you’re sharing mats, or if you’re doing hot yoga in a moist environment” can lead to this bacterial or fungal infection. See a doc if you think you have it.

Strappy Heels

Many women love to wear strappy shoes. But as anyone who hasn’t properly broken in her new heels knows, snug footwear can cause some serious friction.

“Anything that causes friction can cause blisters, which can also result in scaling or peeling of the skin,” Pruthi says. “Don’t wear shoes for too long, wear natural materials that kind of mold to your feet, and as soon as you start to feel friction, change your shoes. Don’t allow too much of that to dig into your skin.”

And you shouldn’t only focus on the im-

Y

ou brush your teeth after every meal and floss on the regular before going to sleep. But if you’re not taking a few minutes out of your day to brush your tongue as well, your oral health habits need an upgrade.

“More than 700 different bacterial species live in the mouth,” explains Vera W.L. Tang, DDS, clinical assistant professor in the department of periodontics and implant dentistry at New York University.

Not all of these microbes are harmful.

But when the bad ones set up shop and multiply in the crevices around the papillae, or small bumps, on the surface of the tongue, they can inflict some real damage.

How’s that? Think of your tongue as a bacteria sponge, spreading bad bacteria throughout the mouth and causing problems and disease, says Barbara L. McClatchie, DDS, founding member of the American Academy of Oral Systemic Health and owner

less sharp, says McClatchie. Get rid of the biofilm and your taste buds will get going again. of Complete Health Dentistry in Columbus, Ohio.

Consider these conditions, from the gross and embarrassing to the potentially life threatening.

Halitosis

“Bad breath is the number one problem associated with not brushing your tongue,” says Steve Cook, DDS, owner of Austin City Dental in Austin, Texas. How it happens: The bacteria making a home on your tongue begin doing what an overgrowth of bacteria everywhere do—give off a foul stank. The odor-causing bugs tend to lurk in the back of the tongue, he adds, which is why it’s important to brush back there if you want to get rid of the funk.

Duller taste buds

When you don’t brush your tongue, a nasty coating of bacteria, food particles, and dead skin cells called a biofilm can cover up your taste buds, leaving your sense of taste

Black hairy tongue

This condition arises when the papillae on your tongue get stained from leftover food or drink particles, like coffee, and the particles are never brushed away, says Cook.

That gives the entire tongue a dark, furry appearance. It’s otherwise harmless, and once you start tongue brushing, it should disappear.

Yeast infection (in your mouth)

Medically known as oral thrush, it can happen when the bacteria levels in your mouth get out of whack—say, from not brushing your tongue—and naturally occurring yeast grows out of control. The result: white patches on the tongue, says McClatchie. An antifungal medication can cure it, and regular tongue brushing should keep it from returning.

Periodontal disease

Bacteria buildup on your tongue can spread to your teeth, causing gingivitis, or

pact of your heels. Flip flops are also a culprit of foot discomfort and peeling.

Sunburns

Nobody goes to the beach (or creeks) with the intentions of getting a beet-red, painful-to-touch sunburn. But while you might be good at remembering to lather sunscreen onto your face, back, and shoulders, Pruthi notices that “the feet always get the short end of the stick.” So when you just dip your feet in the creeks and assume your lotion has stayed on... maybe reapply.

Sunburns lead to peeling and other scary things. Don’t let your feet be on the receiving end of dangerous UV rays unprotected!

Eczema

“Eczema is a skin condition that manifests through scaling of the skin,” says Pruthi. It can cause peeling, itching, and dryness all over the body—including the soles of your feet. Although many have experienced eczema since childhood, people can also develop the skin condition as an adult. Luckily there are many topical remedies available through podiatrists and dermatologists.

Dehydration

Dehydration can make you tired, decrease your metabolism, contribute to breakouts, and... that’s right, cause your feet to peel, too!

“If you’re not hydrated enough, your skin starts to flake off everywhere on our bodies,” Pruthi says. Remember: Water is your friend. (Just try not to go overboard.)

Normalcy

Although there can be some eyebrowraising reasons why your feet are peeling, it’s not always a bad thing. “Naturally your body wants to slough off skin,” Pruthi says.

“So I always tell patients to get a pumice stone and just kind of in the shower rub your feet and get dead skin cells off so that it regenerates new skin.”

So show your feet a little love—and they’ll love you right back. red, inflamed gums. If it’s not treated, the inflammation can advance to periodontal disease, when the gums pull away from the teeth and the space in between becomes infected. Your teeth may fall out, but even more worrisome is that the chronic inflammation caused by periodontal disease is linked to a higher risk of heart attack, stroke, and miscarriage, says McClatchie.

By now, you’ll probably want to grab your toothbrush and give your tongue a good scrubbing. Here’s the right way to do it: Starting at the back of the tongue, gently brush toward the front, then go side-toside. You don’t have to use toothpaste, but it’ll probably feel more comfortable, and the abrasiveness of toothpaste can help make cleaning more effective, says McClatchie. Do it at least once a day for a few minutes at a pop, but ideally twice, she adds.

Also, you’ve probably heard of tongue scrapers: tools that are specially designed to remove bacteria, food particles, and other gunk from your tongue. While it’s perfectly fine to use one, all you really need for effective tongue brushing is a plain-old nontricked-out toothbrush, says Cook.

10 Sunday Times Magazine

JUNE 4, 2017

Times Fashion

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esigner Marcie De Santos has a fashionable, bespoke collection of statement pieces perfect for any body

type.

The designer launched her debut collection in 2008 at Guyana Fashion Week, where she was adjudged “best designer”.

Marcie is known for her signature handpainting designs on fabric. In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, she mentioned that her inspiration comes from “colours and textures”, and also pride in her “uniqueness in using colour blends”.

“I am also inspired by the feel of fabrics, as they communicate with my artistic mind, telling me how they should be fitting and flowing on the body. My love for colours, and combining hues, allows me to work magic with fabric to make unique and beautiful one-of-a-kind garments,” the designer ex-

pressed.

Marcie added that her main target is “women whose desire is to exude femininity in unique, exuberant, eye-catching timeless and versatile styles”. Notably, she designs clothing for “women of all shapes and sizes and for every occasion”.

She credits her exposure from participating in several international fashion shows across the region, including Tobago, Barbados, Antigua, Dominican Republic and further afield, New York Fashion Week, for helping her to “evolve as a designer”.

“Fashion designers should never stop learning and growing, and should always be open to trying fresh and innovative ideas in order to remain relevant,” Marcie declared.

Check out MARSAE by: Marcie De Santos on Facebook for more information on the designer.

guyanatimesgy.com

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JUNE 4, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 11

Star Times Hollywood

D

ua Lipa, born August 22, 1995, is an English singer, songwriter and model. Her musical career began at age 14, when she began covering songs by artists such as Christina Aguilera and Nelly Furtado on YouTube. In 2015, she was signed with Warner Bros.

Records. Lipa’s “Hotter than Hell” song became a hit worldwide in 2016, especially in the UK, where it peaked at number 15.

Her fifth overall single “Blow Your Mind (Mwah)” was released.

It became the singer's first entry on the US Billboard Hot 100, debuting at number 72.

It also topped the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart and reached number 23 on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 chart. In the UK, the single peaked at number 30, making it the singer's second highest-charting single in British territory. In November 2016, Sean Paul released the single “No Lie” featuring Lipa. In January 2017, she won the EBBA Public Choice Award.

Her self-titled debut studio album was released on June 2, 2017.

12 Sunday Times Magazine

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Times Hollywood

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court case brought

by Taylor Swift last year against a DJ she accuses of groping her will go to trial in August.

A judge says former KYGO country music radio host David Mueller will have to defend claims of assault and battery but can also make his own case for tortious interference.

He says Taylor Swift got him sacked from his job by making the claims.

However, David Mueller won't be able to continue with slander claims against the singer.

US district court judge William Martinez says in his opinion: "Having reviewed these evidentiary materials, the court finds that the central and genuine dispute remains.

"Certain witnesses' testimony tends to corroborate Swift's version of events, and Mueller points to other evidence that he argues

shows inconsistencies in Swift's story.

"None of this changes the reality that if a jury accepts Mueller's version of the facts, then it must substantially reject Swift's version, and vice versa. In ruling on summary judgment, it is not the court's role to resolve this dispute."

That means Taylor Swift will have to testify herself and be present for the nine-

day trial, which will begin on 7 August.

The 27-year-old star is claiming that Mr Mueller grabbed her "bare bottom" under her skirt at a meet and greet with fans backstage at a 2013 concert in Denver.

Taylor Swift says she was left "shocked and withdrawn" afterwards.

US website TMZ shared a photo from the meet and

greet, which David says does not show him groping Taylor.

The DJ was fired from his job after the claims were made public.

At the time he gave an interview to Detroit radio show, Mojo In The Morning, saying the photo obtained

by TMZ wasn't what it seemed.

"I'm trying to get my right hand behind Taylor because [his girlfriend] Shannon was on the other side of Taylor," says Mr Mueller.

"My other hand was just on my belt or on my pocket.

A statement from Taylor Swift's spokeswoman at the time said his sacking was an "independent decision" made by his employers after they were presented with evidence against him the day after the incident.

The judge says a jury will now have to decide whose claims are true. (BBC Newsbeat)

Take That and Ariana herself.

All proceeds will be donated to the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund, with a number of complimentary tickets reserved for fans who attended the original concert at the Manchester Arena last month.

Reports suggest that security has been heightened for the event, which will take place at Emirates Old Trafford, and attendees have been asked not to bring bags. (Glamour)

J

F

im Carrey is set to face trial for the death of his girlfriend Cathriona White after having two wrongful death lawsuits filed against him.

White, an Irish make-up artist, died from a drug overdose in September 2015 just days after splitting with Carrey. A post-mortem declared the death as a suicide.

However, White's mother, Brigid Sweetman, and estranged husband, Mark Burton, are suing the 55-yearold actor, alleging that Carrey provided the drugs used in White’s suicide.

A judge at the Los Angeles Superior Court has now refused to dismiss the lawsuits despite the star's lawyer, Raymond Bouche, requesting for the case to be dropped after calling it “predatory” and “malicious”.

Last July, TMZ reported that just before her death, the 30-year-old wrote a note addressed to Carrey.

White's death happened on the third anniversary of her father's

ans are calling the graphics on the new “Spider-Man Homecoming” poster "sloppy".

It was released yesterday and features several of the film's main characters - but has left fans questioning who signed it off.

Naturally Peter Parker and his superhero alter ego dominate the poster.

But people on social media are saying the inclusion of the other characters makes the poster a little too busy.

The poster uses ten of the film's characters - including the film's main bad guy, Adrian Toomes and his alter ego, the Vulture.

With just two months until the film's release, some fans have been suggesting the poster was put together in a hurry.

Some have been uploading their own takes on the poster to social media.

According to Forbes, “Spider-Man” films make more than US$790m in box-office sales worldwide - making it the second-highest earner behind “Iron Man” when it comes to a superhero solo series.

Some fans are wondering if any of this money was put into the new poster. (BBC Newsbeat)

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T

hough much of the attention was focused on basketball, all eyes were on Rihanna.

RiRi made quite the entrance at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California on Thursday, where the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers went head-to-head in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

In the first quarter, the songstress, 29, caught the eye of ESPN/ABC commentator Jeff Van Gundy, who couldn’t contain his excitement: “I don’t doubt this, but Rihanna just walked in front of me. Are you kidding me?” he said.

And the moment quickly became a viral moment on social media. Rihanna ended the game with a ‘dab’ in the fourth quarter.

She was joined courtside by her personal assistant, Jennifer Rosales, and also chatted with Jay Z and Kevin Hart.

Back in 2015, when the Warriors and Cavs first met in the Finals, it was revealed that the singer rooted very loudly for her fa-

T

ickets for Ariana Grande's One Love Manchester concert went on sale yesterday, selling out within 20 minutes.

The singer will be returning to the city for the event on June 4 to raise money for those affected by the devastating Manchester terror attack.

Little Mix and Robbie Williams were announced as the latest additions to the star-studded line up. They join Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Niall Horan, Pharrell, Coldplay,

vorite player, LeBron James, despite being seated next to VIPs, such as the owner of the opposing team. “[Rihanna] was rooting for LeBron the whole game, and finally I got irritated and I said (whispering), ‘I am the owner of the Warriors,’” Joe Lacob said. (PEOPLE)

eyoncé is of course pregnant with twins and we've been following her style journey with fervour. Her pregnancy has been celebrated on Instagram with regular photoshoots.

The star posted the picture with first daughter Blue Ivy, and she's looking amazing as ever.

Beyoncé, whose due date is fast approaching (the twins are expected in June), also recently posted a series of photos to her Instagram of herself having all the fun at the Carter Push Party.

Beyoncé announced her pregnancy in February, posting an image on Instagram, showing off her baby bump in Agent Provocateur underwear.

death. She had made a previous attempt to end her life in 2012.

Prior to her death, White reportedly told friends she was "madly in love" with Carrey, and that their relationship was a "roller coaster".

She was buried next to her father.

(Glamour)

"We would like to share our love and happiness.

We have been blessed two times over," she wrote.

"We are incredibly grateful that our family will be growing by two, and we thank you for your well wishes."

The statement was signed "The Carters".

She then posted some new pics to stare at - and she's naked, showing off her blossoming baby bump.

The global superstar was snapped gazing intensely into the camera, and

the image was inspired by Sandro Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus painting. (Glamour)

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Sunday Times Magazine 13

Star Times Bollywood

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gainst all odds, model-turned-actor Shashvat Seth is set to make his Bollywood debut with the film “Rum Pump Posshh”. Shashvat, a graduate from a renowned college in Pune, India, said in a recent interview that his “passion and love for the craft of acting” are the prime factors for getting into Bollywood.

Shashvat was India's official entrant at the International Manhunt Competition 2011, the world's biggest male model title. Talking about his journey of becoming a star, he said: “Taking it one day at a time, I am working hard towards what I want to achieve. I don't want to perceive this journey as a struggle, I was to enjoy each and every moment. I have a clear vision about what I want to achieve; having said that, I have never really felt better in my professional space. Hope everything works out for the better.”

14 Sunday Times Magazine

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JUNE 4, 2017

Times Bollywood

S

hah Rukh Khan is the latest celebrity to face a death hoax as a European news network reported that the Bollywood star was “killed in a plane crash”.

A European news network called El Pais TV announced a ‘breaking news’ segment that SRK was “killed along with seven others when a private jet he was travelling in crashed.”

The superstar today talked about the hoax and a ceiling collapse on the sets his film with Aanand L Rai while sharing his eventful week with fans on Twitter.

A portion of ceiling collapsed on the set of Rai’s yet-to-be-titled project in Film City. Two crew members suffered minor injuries in the incident. The shooting has reportedly been stalled for the time being and will resume later this week.

Shah Rukh Khan tweeted: “TGIF! Survived the week inspite of a plane crash, fatal accident on sets & yet another title of Imtiaz Ali film!” (PTI)

L

ooks like Salman Khan leaves no stone unturned to express his fondness for Katrina Kaif.

At the recent IIFA 2017 press conference, while Katrina was speaking about her performance for the award night, Salman interrupted, “But you don’t have to worry anything about her. I think she is one of the best dancers we have in the industry.”

Then looking at Alia, who also joined them for the conference, he added, “There’s a tie going on between them (Katrina and Alia).” To which Alia said, “Please, I am terrible. I am just cute.” “You can’t be worse than me and I am not even cute,” replied Salman.

On that note, Alia, who has been nominated in the Best Actress category for Udta Punjab and “Dear Zindagi”, is super excited about her debut performance and is eager to perform on the IIFA stage.

“I have already started preparing. I am even going to be dancing in my sleep. I can’t wait to go there and perform for the people.

That’s the best feeling ever,” she said.

On the other hand, Katrina, who is a veteran on the IIFA stage, without spilling the beans about her performance said, “I am hoping it will be something memorable.”

G

urmeet Choudhary, who is currently in Indonesia, did something special for his fan there. The actor is in the country to promote one of his Indian TV shows, which has recently released.

“Gurmeet has received a lot of love by the people of Indonesia. So during his trip, he decided to go to one of his fan’s place during Ramzan and be present with her during the time she breaks her fast (roza). She was happy and touched by Gurmeet’s gesture,” says a source.

Talking about his fan following in the country, Gurmeet says, “I can’t believe that I have so many

P

olice have registered a case against veteran Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor for allegedly cutting down more branches of trees than permitted by the civic authority.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had filed a complaint against Kapoor for chopping off six branches that were coming in the way of construction work at his Pali Hill bungalow in suburban Bandra, police said on Friday.

Kapoor had obtained permission for cutting six branches but it was found that more were felled, said Ramchandra Jadhav, Senior Police Inspector of Khar Police Station.

Police had initially registered a non-cognizable (NC) offence against the actor, he said.

Now, a case has been

R

Salman quipped about his performance, “No idea. Only after I am done with the performance, I might have an idea of what I have done on stage.”

Set to be held at the iconic MetLife Stadium in New York on July 14-15, the two-day IIFA festival will see a congregation of film celebrities. The event will be aired on July 16, Katrina’s birthday. (ANI)

fans in Indonesia. It is overwhelming. This, by far, is the best trip of my life. I am trying to meet maximum fans, trying to talk to them and take pictures with them.”

Sharing about what touched him the most, the actor says, “The people here are fasting and are still waiting for hours [to meet me]. I am thankful to God for the love I have got here, and I am trying my best to give back the same love in whatever way possible.”

The actor was last seen in films such as “Wajah Tum Ho” and “Laali Ki Shaadi Mein Laaddoo Deewana” alongside Akshara Haasan. (Mumbai Mirror)

eports of actor Chunky Pandey’s daughter Ananya Pandey gearing up for Bollywood have been doing the rounds, and while he doesn’t mind his 18-year-old daughter becoming an actor, there are some pearls of wisdom he would want to give her.

“I would like to tell her that it’s important that you don’t imitate anyone else’s success story. You have to make your own story, and I would love to be known as Ananya Pandey’s father,” says Chunky.

The 54-year-old actor had a discussion with Ananya about joining films.

“Ananya finished her studies, and a couple of months back, she did tell me that she wants to get into films. Nowadays, you cannot tell your kids what to do. In fact, you have to listen to them. As a parent, give them great education and values and they will decide what to do in life,” says Chunky.

Meanwhile, his voice will be heard in an upcoming animated film, “Hanuman Da Damdaar”. (Hindustan Times)

D

eepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra just made it to Maxim’s list of the ‘Top 100 Hot Women From Around The World 2017’. A day after the release of the list, it was reported that Deepika became the ‘Hottest Woman Of The Year’.

The list included names such as Hailey Baldwin, Emma Watson, Emma Stone, Dakota Johnson, Kendall Jenner and others.

After they had released the list, Maxim conducted a survey to decide which woman shall top the list, which Deepika won. Maxim tweeted a video with the caption, “Over a million votes later, here’s a little sneak peek at our No. 1 on the #MaximHot100!

Stick around for more ;) #MaximIndia #DPForMaxim.”

Later on Deepika herself shared a photo from her most recent Maxim photoshoot.

The cover read, “Deepika Padukone The Hottest Woman Of The Year.” The photo has received over 70,000 likes and will only increase as she has 18 million followers on Instagram. (Hindustan Times)

registered against Kapoor under the Preservation of Trees Act, the official said, adding a probe was on. (PTI)

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JUNE 4, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 15

Times Trends

Trending Now

Star of the week

F

uzzy slides hit the international runway a couple of years ago, and have recently made a comeback.

Designers have reinvented the footwear, making them one of the biggest trends right now, by adding pearls and other accessories.

Since these fuzzy slides don't seem to be going anywhere, here are some of the best styles you can wear without looking over-the-top.

Embellished fuzzy slides

Fuzzy slides with pearls

Gold metallic slides

For a more formal occasion, opt for these faux fur-lined leather loafers

T

hamesha Watson has a fervour for creative writing, being artistic, participating in her church’s youth activities and enjoying quality time with her friends and family. The 24-year-old’s ambition is to become a “woman of inspiration, one that exemplifies the true meaning of humanity, integrity, compassion and love”. Her belief is that “every journey begins with a single step” and that “dedication and patience are key ingredients in making dreams come true”. Currently, Thamesha is one of the ten finalists in the Miss World Guyana Pageant 2017. She is the ‘ambassador’ for East Berbice, Corentyne. Her Beauty With a Purpose project, a feature of the pageant, is prevention of teenage suicide.

Thamesha is now asking for support to help make her Beauty With a Purpose project a success. You can so by texting ‘six’ to 620-8683. Each text message costs GYD$34.80, but for every text, GYD$20 would be donated in aid to the prevention of teenage suicide.

16 Sunday Times Magazine

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JUNE 4, 2017

Times Art

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ichard Gui Pennington Sharples, better known as R. G. Sharples, was a man of extraordinary ability who demonstrated a wealth of talents. Alongside his legal career, Sharples is recognised equally for his artistic legacy and his contribution to the development of a ‘local style’ in the history of fine art in Guyana.

Sharples was born in Georgetown on May 1, 1906. He was the youngest son of Mary Johanna (née Scott) and John Bradshaw Sharples, the famous architect and builder.

He began his early education at the Ursuline Convent and Queen’s College. He later studied law in London.

On his return to Guyana, he practised as a solicitor. He became Treasurer of the British Guiana Law Society in 1943. Sharples’ career as a Magistrate became inextricably linked with Guyana’s political history.

Sharples became president of the British Guiana Arts & Crafts Society, formed in 1931, which later became the Guyanese Art Group in 1945. He was actively involved in the main current of art in those decades. His art circle included a nucleus of talented local artists like Vivian Antrobus, Reginald Phang, E. R. Burrowes, Basil Hinds, Denis Williams and Hubert Moshett, who worked primarily in landscape and portraiture.

The art group set out to foster the appreciation of art and set goals for assisting the young upcoming generation of artists who later pursued their art studies in Europe: Aubrey Williams, Stanley Greaves, and Marjorie Broodhagen, along with Burrowes.

Sharples was also a member of the RA&CS Exhibition Committee up to 1956.

From an early age, Sharples displayed a flair

“East Coast” circa 1946

R. G. Sharples as a young man

feathery foliage and lithe abstract figures conveying a sense of belonging to the landscapes in which they appear.

Some of Sharples’ earliest work appeared in the “Centenary History and Handbook of British Guiana 1831-1931” by A. R. F. Webber published in 1931. The watercolour plates he produced for the book brought Sharples’ name to prominence. The six watercolour plates vivid-

“Midday” circa 1950

“Kitty seawall” circa 1948

for painting and continued his hobby when he returned to Guyana after law studies in England.

His sheer spontaneity is expressed in his pencil sketching done in situ to produce a finished watercolour painting. This technique became his preferred medium of expression.

His subject matter was primarily scenery with trees and human figures. Trees became an important feature in all his watercolour landscapes – sturdy gnarled trunks crowned with

ly portray local themes and locations which are evocative of Guyana’s coastal topography - the wonderful opalescent atmosphere of the tropical landscape is captured in scenes with ordinary men and women working amidst lush green foliage and scarlet blooms; reflected light from azure skies on waterways and rivers.

Besides his watercolour painting, Sharples readily turned his creative skills to other design activities included hand-painted dresses for his

wife and daughters.

In the mid-1940s he painted the scenery on the pivoting panels of the stage wings in the auditorium at the Ursuline Convent; he also made and painted the large ‘SERVIAM’ shield (the emblem and motto of St Rose’s High School) which hung at the back of the auditorium.

Rev. Richard Lester Guilly, S.J. was appointed Catholic Bishop of Georgetown in February 1956; Sharples was asked to design a coat of arms for the newly enthroned Bishop.

In the early 1950s, Sharples won a stamp design competition. One of the chosen designs was the 72 cents stamp in a carmine and emerald illustration of the Arapaima fish. This 1954

Guyanese Art Group exhibition. In June 1957, a posthumous exhibition of his paintings was held in the RA&CS Reading Rooms in Georgetown.

The Joint Art Committee of the RA&CS (1944 - 1948), which was set up for the purpose of forming a nucleus of the British Guiana National Art Collection, purchased three of Sharples’ paintings for the Nation – “The Quarry” (1947), “Bartica Afternoon” (1946), a backyard scene in soft pastel watercolours of muted greens and browns, which are in the National Gallery, Castellani House; and “The Tamarind” (1947), housed in the Guyana National Museum, a landscape in warm russet tones in which relaxed figures rest beneath the

“Buxton East Coast” circa 1950

“Camp Street” circa 1950

stamp set, released on December 1, 1954 was the first British Guiana stamp to carry the profile of Queen Elizabeth II. Although Sharples remained an amateur artist, he secured sales for his paintings at local exhibitions. In the 1950s, Alcan Aluminium of Canada put on a travelling exhibition of West Indian art and several of his watercolours were chosen for this.

In 1953, his work was exhibited at the

shade of a tamarind tree.

Sharples’ untimely death on August 26, 1956 at the age of 50 was a shock to his family and friends. Besides his legal career and love of painting, he had the capacity to enjoy the good life to the full - even as the Bohemian artist. He is to be remembered for his charismatic personality and outstanding quality as a magistrate, artist and citizen. (Information by Clive W. McWatt)

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Sunday Times Magazine 17

Times Tech

T

he curriculum, called "App Development with Swift," is a fullyear course designed by Apple engineers and educators to teach students app design with Swift, the company's popular programming language. The course work will teach students how to code and design functional apps, gaining important job skills in software development and information technology.

With the curriculum,

Tech BYTE

S

napchat Spectacles, sunglasses which also capture photographs and video, are going on sale in the UK. Snap Inc, the company behind both the product and the social network, are selling the devices online and in special vending machines which will travel around the UK and Europe.

The glasses will retail at ÂŁ129.99.

When Spectacles launched in the US last year, some people expressed concerns about being recorded and thought it could be an invasion of privacy.

Lights on the glasses indicate to both the wearer and other people when the device is recording.

The videos created by the Spectacles are circular and record from a "personal perspective".

America and we're thrilled to be providing educators and students with the tools to learn coding."

Six community colleges across the country will begin offering the curriculum later this year. Some campuses will also connect students with local businesses for mentoring and internships.

The curriculum is available as a free download from Apple's iBooks Store.

(Excerpted from CNET)

Tech news S n a p s taken with Spectacles then transfer wirelessly into your Snapchat's Memories section, where you can then send the snaps to a friend or upload them to your story.

The snaps can also be saved to your phone's camera roll.

Bright yellow vending machines, called Snapbots, will first land in London, Munich, Paris, Venice and Barcelona.

From then on, upcoming locations will be teased on Spectacles.com and will typically stay in a location for about a day at a time.

Since the Spectacles launched in the US in November,

Snapchatters have viewed more than 1.3 billion Spectacles Snaps.

Last year a UK-based teaching surgeon Dr Shafi Ahmed livestreamed an operation using the glasses.

The routine hernia repair procedure took place at the London Independent Hospital.

The young male patient featured is said to have recovered well. (BBC Newsbeat)

Tech BYTE

D

Apple hopes to give people coding skills the company thinks are increasingly necessary in the 21st century, when technology bleeds into every corner of our work and personal lives.

"We've seen firsthand the impact that coding has on individuals and the US economy as a whole," Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement. "The app economy and software development are among the fastest-growing job sectors in

JI's new drone is its smallest yet -- and it can be controlled completely with hand motions.

The Chinese company unveiled its latest camera drone at an event in New York City on Wednesday. The Spark fits in the palm of your hand and weighs less than a can of soda. It can be controlled with hand gestures, a smartphone app or a remote controller.

The Spark is the first drone you can control with your hands from a flight's start to finish (a previous model only let you take a photo with a hand gesture).

The Spark is designed to fit in your bag and be taken on the go. It can fly through small spaces, like between library bookshelves or around a playground set.

The Spark, which has fixed arms, is even smaller and lighter than the foldable Mavic Pro drone that DJI launched last September. It's also

significantly cheaper.

"The design for this was really about instant setup. With the Mavic, you still had to unfold the arms. This is as simple as powering on the top of the button and you're up in the air," Michael Perry, DJI's director of strategic partnerships, told CNN Tech.

The Spark has two new modes for taking pictures. Pano creates panoramas, while ShallowFocus puts the subject in focus and blurs the background.

It also has a new mode for shooting video, which allows the drone to shoot a minute of video and automatically cuts it down into a 10-second clip that's shareable on social media.

The Spark can fly as high as 400 feet and can sense obstacles from up to 16 feet away. The drone can fly for up to 16 minutes -- the longest flight time for a drone this size, according to DJI. The drone, which is available for pre-order on Wednesday and begins shipping in midJune, starts at $499. The Spark Fly More Combo, which includes extra propellers and batteries, a charging hub and other accessories, costs US$699. The Spark comes in white, blue, green, red and yellow.

Perry says the target audience for the drone is "everybody."

"Anybody who has a personal story to tell.

People that use cell phones to post stuff to Instagram or Snapchat. It's just really a new way of telling a bigger story about your life," Perry said. (CNN)

T

he Trump administration has approved plans to ask US visa applicants for details of their social media

use.

Consular officials can now ask for social media usernames going back five years via a new questionnaire.

It also allows authorities to request email addresses, phone numbers and 15 years of biographical information.

This can be requested when "more rigorous national security vetting" is needed, a State Department official told Reuters.

According to reports, the State Department expects that about 0.5% of visa applicants will be given the questionnaire.

Critics have argued that the checks could lead to extended, fruitless lines of inquiry or the collection of personal information not relevant to security checks.

Providing the information is voluntary, though the questionnaire informs applicants that "individuals who [...] do not provide all the requested information may be denied a US visa".

A proposal to request "social media identifiers" for travellers using the visa waiver program was put forward by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) last year. This came into force for some visa waiver travellers in December 2016.

The new questionnaire applies specifically to visa applicants not using the visa waiver program.

Evaluation of social media activity is increasingly common, though US employers in Maryland and Illinois were recently banned - thanks to state-level legislation from asking job applicants for their social media logins. (BBC)

Tech news

I

nternet access across Ethiopia has been blocked to prevent national exam papers leaking online, a government spokesman has claimed.

"The shutdown is aimed at preventing a repeat of leaks that occurred last year," Mohammed Seid at the Office for Government Communications Affairs, told the Reuters news agency.

In 2016, the country banned access to social media sites after university entrance exams were posted online.

But some have queried this explanation.

"We are being proactive," Mr Seid added,

referring to exams that are due to finish on 8 June.

"We want our students to concentrate and be free of the psychological pressure and distractions that this brings."

Mr Seid is reported to have said that only social media sites had been blocked, but sources in Ethiopia told the BBC that there was widespread internet disruption, affecting both mobile networks and fixed line internet services.

A state of emergency has been in effect in Ethiopia since October, following antigovernment protests.

Mobile internet access has been disabled on other occasions recently, including a period of a few weeks last year.

On Thursday, the BBC was unable to access websites belonging to the Ethiopian government and the sole communications provider, Ethio Telecom.

Preliminary data from Google suggested that there had indeed been a big drop in Ethiopian internet traffic to Google services since Wednesday afternoon. (BBC)

18 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 4, 2017

Times Home & Cooking

Recipe of the Week

J

ust like styling your coffee table, styling your kitchen counters is a bit of an art.

Below are some items to use when styling your space. Mix and match a few of these things to create your own beautifully-styled kitchen.

Cookbooks or stacked hardcover books are a great option to keep out on your countertops.

You could even use bookends if you want to amp up the look.

Ingredients 1tsp oil ¼ red pepper, seeded and finely chopped ¼ green pepper, seeded and finely chopped 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 carrot, finely diced 4 cloves garlic, crushed 2tsp grated ginger 2 cups lentils 10 sprigs thyme 2 bay leaves ½ wiri wiri pepper or scotch bonnet 1tsp black pepper 1tsp salt 2 vegetable bouillons 4 cups vegetable broth ½ cup coconut milk Method Rinse lentils and remove any stones or foreign objects, then set aside.

In a large pot over medium fire, add oil. When oil is hot add red and green peppers, onion, carrot, garlic and ginger and cook until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes.

Next add lentils, thyme, bay leaves, hot pepper, black pepper, salt, bouillon, vegetable broth and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook for 35-45 minutes or until the lentils are tender but not mushy and the broth has thickened.

Serve warm over rice! (www.jehancancook.com)

Greatest Cooking Tips

W

hen you deep-fry, hold each piece of food with long tongs as you add it to the oil. Hold it just below the oil’s surface for five seconds before releasing it. This will seal the exterior and stop it from sticking to the pot or the other food.

This is a great example of how you can use cutting boards as decor. You can use a variety of different types and shapes of boards, including wood and marble, then lean them against your backsplash.

For rich, creamy dressings made healthy, substitute half the mayo with Greek-style yogurt.

To make a great sandwich, spread the mayonnaise from corner to corner on the bread. People rush this step and just do a swoosh down the middle. Every bite should be flavourful.

For best results when baking, leave butter and eggs at normal temperature overnight.

K

Home Help

eep your balance without picking up any pathogens. Use damp paper towels soaked in hot water and vinegar to scrub down railings. Wipe dry with a polishing cloth. Give doorknobs the same disinfection.

Grimy hands touch light switches and lamp knobs every day. Disinfect with a slightly damp cloth soaked in hot water and vinegar. Wipe dry with a polishing cloth.

Faucets are hands-down the dirtiest thing in your home. Scrub handles daily with hot water and dish soap. For a shiny surface, make a paste with baking soda and vinegar, apply it to the faucet, let sit, then rinse off.

A colourful bouquet of fresh flowers will always look stunning on a kitchen counter. Use a variety of vases to switch up the look and keep your kitchen looking fresh.

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JUNE 4, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine19

Family Times

PARENTING

A

JOKES

jogger running down a country road is startled as a horse yells at him: “Hey, come over here buddy.”

The jogger is stunned, but runs over to the fence where the horse is standing and asks: “Were you talking to me?”

The horse replies: “Sure was, man I've got a problem. I won the Kentucky Derby a few years ago and this farmer bought me and now all I do is pull a plough and I'm sick of it. Why don't you run up to the house and offer him $5,000 to buy me. I'll make you some money 'cuz I can still run.”

The jogger thought to himself: “Boy, a talking horse!” Dollar signs started appearing in his head. So he runs to the house and sees the old farmer is sitting on the porch.

The jogger tells the farmer: “Hey man, I'll give you $5,000 for that old broken down nag you've got in the field.”

The farmer replies: “Son you can't believe anything that horse says. He's never even been to Kentucky.”

A

priest was driving down to New York to see a show, and was stopped in Connecticut for speeding.

The state trooper smelled alcohol on his breath, saw an empty wine bottle on the floor, and asked: “Sir, have you been drinking?”

The minister replied: “Just water.”

The trooper asked: “Then, why do I smell wine?”

The minister looked down at the bottle and exclaimed: “Good Lord, He's done it again!”

A A R

A

ccording to a new study by the American Psychological Association, dads of toddler-age daughters are more attentive to their needs than dads of sons the same age.

The research, which is published in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience, also finds daughter-dads sing to them more, and are more in touch with their emotions.

Researchers surmise that dads with little girls are more open with feelings is because it's socially acceptable for girls to show emotion. Fathers are also more likely to use analytical language with daughters, which the study notes has been linked to future academic achievement. Less likely: that dads of daughters will engage in so-called rough-and-tumble play, which can also be an important part of kids' development.

Lead researcher Jennifer Mascaro, Ph.D., from Emory University, says about her findings, which she gathered by looking at brain scans and out-of-lab wearable device readings, "If the child cries out or asks for Dad, fathers of daughters responded to that more than did fathers of son." She added, "We should be aware of how unconscious notions of gender can play into the way we treat even very young children."

Dr. Mascaro acknowledges that most dads are doing the best they can, but hopes her research will encourage them to think about how their child's gender may be influencing how they interact together.

man is sitting on the porch drinking a beer with his wife. He said: “I love you.”

She asked: “Is that you or the beer talking?”

He replied: “It’s me… talking to the beer.

And dads of boys should also be aware of how their actions influence sons. Research indicates that boys benefit from being encouraged to connect to their emotional sides.

As Dr. Mascaro comments, "The fact that fathers may actually be less attentive to the emotional needs of boys, perhaps despite their best intentions, is important to recognize."

Interestingly, the study also showed that dads were more likely to use language about the body around girls, which could have an influence on their body image when they are older.

The takeaway: How we interact with boys or girls, as moms or dads, clearly has an influence on our kids. So we should strive to be aware of what we say and do, no matter our family makeup.(www.parents.com)

STORY TIME

little girl had just finished her first week of school.

“I'm just wasting my time,” she said to her mother. “I can't read, I can't write, and they won't let me talk!”

osa and Arthur, now well into their 80s, went to breakfast at Bert's Cafe where the “seniors’ special” was two eggs, bacon, hash browns and toast for $2.99.

“Sounds good,” murmured Rosa. “But I don't want eggs.”

“Then I'll have to charge you three dollars and forty-nine cents because you're ordering à la carte,” the waitress warned her.

“You mean I'd have to pay for not taking the eggs?” Rosa spluttered.

“Yes,” stated the waitress.

“I'll take the special then.” Rosa eventually decided, smiling at Arthur.

“How do you want your eggs?” the waitress asked.

“Raw and still in the shell,” Rosa answered with a glint in her eye.

Rosa took the two eggs home.

Q

uestion: If the red house was made out of red bricks, and the blue house was made out of blue bricks, what was the green house made out of?

Answer: Glass!

Question: What do you throw out when you need it and take in when you don't need it?

Answer: An anchor!

Question: A man rides into town on Friday, stays three nights and leaves on Saturday morning. How is this possible?

Answer: His horse was called Friday!

Question: What’s the difference between a wizard and the letters S A M E K? Answer: One makes spells, the other spells makes!

Question: No one wants to have one of these. But when you do have one, no one wants to lose it! What am I? Answer: An argument!

A

young ensign had nearly completed his first overseas tour of sea duty when he was given an opportunity to display his ability at getting the ship under way. With a stream of crisp commands, he had the decks buzzing with men. The ship steamed out of the channel and soon the port was far behind.

The ensign's efficiency has been remarkable. In fact, the deck was abuzz with talk that he had set a new record for getting a destroyer under way. The ensign glowed at his accomplishment and was not all surprised when another seaman approached him with a message from the captain.He was, however, a bit surprised to find that it was a radio message, and he was even more surprised when he read, “My personal congratulations upon completing your underway preparation exercise according to the book and with amazing speed. In your haste, however, you have overlooked one of the unwritten rules. Make sure the Captain is aboard before getting under way!”

By Lakeram Haynes

A

unty Joyce, from Rupertee Village, told me this story.

It explains why tortoises will pull their legs and head into their shell when you come across them. Although it does not have much connection to traditional beliefs, I do think it tells something about human beings and their lost care and respect for the natural world.

Once upon a time, an armadillo found a baby tortoise in the forest, which appeared to be lost. “Itasi wei, I am lost,” said the baby tortoise to the armadillo. So the armadillo kindly and safely brought the baby tortoise to his mother. The mother was so happy and thankful to the kind armadillo, for saving her child from the danger.

Having grown older, the tortoise was now able to go and fetch food for his mother in the forest, where it is usually dangerous. It had become a normal activity for him, but today was different, as a human being also happened to be looking for food in the forest.

The human was gathering fruits and looking for any sort of meat he could find with little effort and time. So when he came across the tortoise under a wild cashew tree, he picked it up and put it in his warishi, his basket work ruck sack, and left. Meanwhile, in the warishi, the tortoise was helpless and terrified for his life, as he was properly strapped up and he was not sure where the human was taking him. Deep in his heart, though, the tortoise felt that he was never going to see his mother again.

The human stopped at his camp, where a fire was burning. While relaxing, he thought about what he should do with the tortoise that he had caught earlier. As he had not eaten for most of the day, he decided to prepare the turtle for a tasty roast. Later that afternoon, back at the tor-

toise’s home, his mother started to worry about the absence of her son, who had passed the usual time of return. Seeing a figure appearing in the distance, she was hopeful her son was returning to her. But as the figure got closer, it was the human - to her great disappointment. The human walked straight towards her and said tosh koko, granny.

Sensing that something was wrong, the tortoise’s mother started to question him about what he had for a meal.

Carelessly, the human responded that he had a very tasty tortoise meal. At first the mother thought that he was just making a joke, but as time passed, and her son was not returning, she realised that it might as well be her son that the human had feasted on.

The mother sadly and quietly shed tears and decided that she would seek vengeance by getting rid of the cruel human.

She offered him to spend the night at her place and showed him a corner where he could sleep.

Late at night, as he was sleeping, the mother came in the room, singing sadly and holding a stick in her hand. As soon as she stopped singing, the tortoise repeatedly struck the object on the human and beat him into dust. Feeling slightly better with her vengeance, she went back to sleep and promised herself to never lay an eye on a human again.

But on the other side of the room, hidden behind a log, the human had witnessed the whole scene. Earlier that night, having sensed a change in the mother’s behaviour, he had quietly got up and gone to hide, not without having first placed some objects under a blanket, looking like a human sleeping. Seeing the anger of the mother having lost her child, he ran away in the night and ensured that he was far when the day broke.

Since that day, tortoises do not lay eyes on humans. (www.pantaniblog.org)

20 Sunday Times Magazine

JUNE 4, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

Times Sunday Puzzle

F

our well-known sayings have been reworded below. Can you identify the originals?

Example: Lack of awareness brings elation. Answer: Ignorance is bliss.

1. Stop sleeping and sniff the java.

2. Fine items approach people who have patience.

3. One should not rate a volume by the lid.

4. Progress to the rhythm of another bongo player.

see ANSWERS on page 23

see solution on page 23

see solution on page 23

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JUNE 4, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine

21

Times Kids

Creature Corner

A

striking species, golden lion tamarins are small social South America primates with a magnificent reddishgold coat and a long, backswept mane. Their signature mane covers the ears and frames the dark, almost bare face. They have narrow hands and feet, long canine teeth, and short incisor teeth like other tamarins and marmosets.

Golden lion tamarins are small monkeys, weighing 17 to 24 ounces (482 to 680 grams) and measuring 6 to 10 inches (15 to 25 centimetres) in length with a tail of about 12 to 15 inches (32 to 40 centimetres). Males and females are similar in appearance and size.

Golden lion tamarins live in the heavily populated Atlantic coastal regions of southeastern Brazil. They live in humid forests with many vines, bromeliads, and other epiphytes. They occupy the closed canopy, often remaining 29 to 100 feet (10 to 30 meters) off the ground.These tamarins are territorial and defend their area with scent markings and vocalized threats. Signs of aggression include

an open mouth, an arched back, and staring.

Golden lion tamarins are omnivorous, feeding on fruits, insects, and small invertebrates. Any smaller animal is possible food. They use their long, slender fingers and hands to probe into crevices, bark, bromeliads and other hiding places for their prey.

These tamarins share food with their family groups, but rarely share food with others outside their family. Juveniles, for example, playfully steal food from parents or siblings.

Once down to 200 individuals in the wild, intensive conservation efforts have helped the population recover. Still an endangered species, there are about 3,200 in the wild— about a third of which are descendants of golden lion tamarins raised in human care.

Can you circle the hidden words?

Remember to look both horizontally and vertically!

GEOZONE

Please see solution on page 23

The objective of the game is to fill all the blank squares in a game with the correct numbers. Every row of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order. Every column of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order. Every 3 by 3 subsection of the 9 by 9 square must include all digits 1 through 9.

T

he Jurassic Coast is a “walk through time”. With its rocks and fossils, visitors to the site can uncover detailed stories from Earth’s ancient past. Through its landslides, cliffs and beaches visitors can learn about the natural processes that formed the coast and continue to shape the world today.

The layers of sedimentary rock along the Jurassic Coast can be read like a book.

They reveal the history of Earth across 185 million years and form a near complete record of the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Exploring this immense story takes persons on a walk through time across deserts, tropical seas, ancient forests and lush swamps, recorded in rock and laid out along the 95 mile stretch of coast between Exmouth in East Devon and Studland Bay in Dorset, England.

It is a site of outstanding international importance for Earth Science. For this reason the Dorset and East Devon Coast – the Jurassic Coast – was designated as England’s first natural World Heritage Site in 2001.

22 Sunday Times Magazine

JUNE 4, 2017

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JUNE 4, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 23

Times World

S

cientists in the US have accurately reconstructed images of human faces by monitoring the responses of monkey brain cells.

The brains of primates can resolve different faces with remarkable speed and reliability, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood.

The researchers showed pictures of human faces to macaques and then recorded patterns of brain activity.

The work could inspire new facial recognition algorithms, they report.

In earlier investigations, Prof Doris Tsao from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and colleagues had used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in humans and other

primates to work out which areas of the brain were responsible for identifying faces.

Six areas were found to be involved, all of which are located in part of the brain known as the inferior temporal (IT) cortex. The researchers described these six areas as "face patches".

Further research showed that face patches were jammed with particular nerve cells (neurons) that emit signals more strongly when they're presented with faces, rather than when they "see" other objects. The team members called these neurons "face cells".

Prof Tsao's team came up with 50 different dimensions that could describe a face, such as the distance be-

Brain Teaser Answer 1. Wake up and smell the coffee.

2. Good things come to those who wait.

3. Don't judge a book by its cover.

4. March to the beat of a different drummer.

SUDOKU

KID SUDOKU

CROSSWORD

tween the eyes, or the width of the hairline, as well as nonshape-related features such as skin tone.

Then they inserted electrodes into the brains of macaque monkeys so that they could record individual signals from single face cells within the face patches.

The results, published in the journal Cell, suggest that around 200 neurons each encode different characteristics of a face. But when all are combined, the information contributed by each nerve cell allows the macaque brain to build a clear image of someone's face.

"We've discovered that this code is extremely simple," said Prof Tsao, who is based at Caltech's campus in Pasadena.

"A practical consequence of our findings is that we can now reconstruct a face that a monkey is seeing by monitoring the electrical activity of only 205 neurons in the monkey's brain."

When placed side by side, photos that the monkeys were shown and faces recreated from their brain activity (using an algorithm) were nearly identical.

Face cells from just two of the face patches - 106 cells in one patch and 99 cells in another - were enough to reconstruct the faces. "People always say a picture is worth a thousand words," said Prof Tsao. "But I like to say that a picture of a face is worth about 200 neurons."

Although the work is based on macaques, the close relationships between primates suggest that a comparable mechanism may operate in the human brain.

The findings challenge the idea, held by other scientists in the field, that each face cell in the brain recognises a particular type of face.

Further evidence against this idea came from the observation that when a large set of faces are engineered to look extremely different, they all cause a given face cell to fire in exactly the same way.

"This was completely shocking to us - we had always thought face cells were more complex. But it turns out each face cell is just measuring distance along a single axis of face space, and is blind to other features," said Prof Tsao.

The Cell paper's first author, Steve Le Chang, said the work suggested that "other objects could be encoded with similarly simple coordinate systems".

One obvious potential application for the work is in the design of new machine learning algorithms for recognising faces. But there are others.

"One can imagine applications in forensics where one could reconstruct the face of a criminal by analysing a witness's brain activity," said Prof Chao. (BBC)

A

court in Switzerland has convicted a man on several counts of defamation after he “liked” libelous comments on the social media platform.

The court in Zurich found that the man indirectly endorsed and further distributed the comments by using the ubiquitous Facebook “like” button.

The man, who was not named in the court’s statement, “liked” several posts written by a third party that accused an animal rights activist of antisemitism, racism and fascism.

In court, the man was not able to prove that the claims were accurate or could reasonably be held to be true.

“The defendant clearly endorsed the unseemly content and made it his own,” a statement from the court

said. The court fined the man a total of 4,000 Swiss francs (US$4,100). He has the right to appeal his sentence.

Facebook said the case had “no direct link” to the company, and a spokesperson declined to comment.

The case is believed to be

the first time a court has interpreted a “like” as an explicit endorsement of a post.

Until February 2016, the “like” button was the only way to react to a post, and it had been used to show a range of emotions, including concern. (CNN)

Remote island has 'world's worst' plastic rubbish density

A

n uninhabited island in the South Pacific is littered with the highest density of plastic waste anywhere in the world, according to a study.

Henderson Island, part of the UK's Pitcairn Islands group, has an estimated 37.7 million pieces of debris on its beaches.

The island is near the centre of an ocean current, meaning it collects much rubbish from boats and South America.

Researchers hope people will "rethink their relationship with plastic".

The joint Australian and British study said the rubbish amounted to 671 items per square metre and a total of 17 tonnes.

"A lot of the items on Henderson Island are what we wrongly refer to as disposable or single-use," said Dr Jennifer Lavers from the University of Tasmania.

The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, described how remote islands act as a "sink" for the world's rubbish.

In addition to fishing items, Henderson Island was strewn with everyday things including toothbrushes, cigarette lighters and razors.

"Land crabs are making their homes inside bottle caps, containers and jars," Dr Lavers told the BBC. "At first it looks a little bit cute, but it's not. This plastic is old, it's sharp, it's brittle and toxic."

A large number of hard hats of "every shape, colour and size" were also discovered, the marine scientist said.

Henderson Island is listed by Unesco as a coral atoll with a relatively unique ecology, notable for 10 plant and four bird species.

It is 190km (120 miles) from Pitcairn Island, about 5,000km from Chile, and sits near the centre of the South Pacific Gyre - a massive rotating current.

The condition of the island highlighted how plastic debris has affected the environment on a global scale, Dr Lavers said.

"Almost every island in the world and almost every species in the ocean is now being shown to be impacted one way or another by our waste," she said.

"There's not really any one person or any one country that gets a free pass on this."

She said plastic was devastating to oceans because it was buoyant and durable.

The research was conducted by the University of Tasmania's Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, and the Centre for Conservation Science at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. (BBC)

24

Sunday Times Magazine

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JUNE 4, 2017

Fun Times

Archie

Make time for friends, family or a romantic partner.

(March 21Something good will result April 19) from an idea and activity you share. A short trip will be enlightening.

ARIES

Channel your energy into TAURUS developing an idea or plan (April 20- you want to pursue. Start May 20) small and stick to a strict budget. Steer clear of anyone who is a bad influence. Avoid excessive behavior.

Size up whatever situGEMINI ation you face and jump in (MAY 28- with both feet. Channel your June 20) energy and don’t back down.

Procrastination is not going to satisfy your ambition to excel.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

Peanuts

Calvin and Hobbes

The changes presented to you should be viewed carefully. Don’t get involved in something that doesn’t suit your needs. Be prepared to say no and to do your own thing.

Taking short trips, making changes to the way you do things or altering your living arrangements will work out well. Follow your heart and express the way you feel through action.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Don’t mix money and love.

Joint ventures will go way over budget. Stay focused on being practical and sticking to what’s within your means.

Abide by the rules.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Make the most of your day. Get together with people who enjoy the same things you do. Make special plans that will encourage romance or a talk about the future with a loved one.

Take care of any personal SCORPIO responsibilities that can af(Oct. 24fect investments, contracts Nov. 22) or medical matters you have pending. The research you do will put your mind at ease.

Physical alterations will SAGITTARIUS boost your confidence and (Nov. 23your morale.

Compliments Dec. 21) can be expected, and a romantic gesture will bring you closer to someone you love.

You’ll face problems with CAPRICORN a friend, relative or loved (Dec. 22- one. Don’t feel that you Jan. 19) must pay for someone else’s mistake. Walk away from a bad deal.

Set aside time to improve

AQUARIUS your domestic situation or (Jan. 20- surroundings. What you do Feb. 19) will pay off and contribute to your physical and emotional well-being. Romance will have an impact on an important relationship.

Don’t feel guilty or presPISCES (Feb. 20- sured to take part in someMar. 20) thing that doesn’t interest you. A creative outlet will be far more engaging and will ease your stress. Do what pleases you.