Guyana Times International

INTERNATIONAL THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Guyanese pharma companies sidelined

for FRee distribution guyanatimesinternational.com

You can also read Guyana Times daily edition online at www.guyanatimesgy.com

ISSUE NO. 336

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017

…as GPHC creates “emergency” to sole source G$605M drugs from overseas firm

See story on page 3

‘SOCU’s action politically motivated’

Page 9

– Jagdeo says will not be intimidated

Richmond Hill community rallies support for fire victims Page 24

Opposition Leader Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo speaking to the media after he was released by SOCU agents

Page 2

2 news

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Several mandirs participate in Chowtaal singing in Queens

By Vishnu Bisram

A

s in Guyana, Holi or Phagwah is being celebrated in New York City among the large Guyanese community. Several groups host Chowtaal singing at their mandirs. Chowtaal is very popular around this time of the year

when the spring festival of Holi is observed.

Usually, from the time of Holika Dahan or the planting of Holika, it continues for 40 days leading up the Phagwah (Holi) Day. Last Sunday, the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha(USA Praant) hosted the 3rd annu-

al Chowtaal Samelan at the Prem Bhakti Mandir in Jamaica, Queens as part of phagwah celebrations. The program was emceed by Anil Bedasie and Deepa Seetaram who did a splendid job.

The large congregation rapturously listened to some 16 groups from various Guyanese

mandirs and cultural organizations in the New York area with each singing several chowtaals. Each group had a minimum of ten participants. Every member of the Chowtaal group sang and beat jhals (cymbals) while some beat the drum (dholak) and the dantaal. The groups assembled in two rows of singers facing each other (semi-circle), with a “dholak” drummer at one end, singing lines of Hindi text antiphonally.

Some groups comprised of mostly young devotees such as the Sanataan Dharma Mandir of NY, the KalKa Roshni Youth group and the Queens Hindu Mandir Youth group with its 11 year old female dholak player.

The congregation became part of the singing

groups echoing the lyrics or verses. Many could be seen clapping and dancing or gyrating with the music.

Chowtaal was brought to the Caribbean by indentured laborers from the North India regions of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Much of the lyrics of the chowtaals involve loud repetitions of chants about life and or on the Hindu Gods and Goddesses. It was transmitted to and institutionalized in the USA and Canada by IndoCaribbbean immigrants.

In Guyana, years ago chowtaal was sung by village or temple groups with members going from home to home and village to village.

The objective of the USA Praant is to continue this tradition by hosting the gols from the

mandirs in the Tri-State area.

The USA Praant’s chairman Dave Thakoordeen, a cultural advocate, has been supporting Indian cultural activities around New York and in Guyana.

Thakoordeen said the idea behind the samelan is to promote the art form and to celebrate the Indian culture.

The samelan also recognizes the work of the pioneers in introducing Indian cultural and musical art forms in the US. Thakordeen said he wants the youth to know and appreciate their culture. Chowtaal takes a lot of verses from the scriptures. So by learning and knowing chowtaal, they learn the scripture indirectly, Dave said.

NEWS 3

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Guyanese pharma companies snubbed …as GPHC creates “emergency” to sole source G$605M drugs from overseas firm

A

nother major corruption scandal appears to be in the making as the management of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) moves to sideline local companies for the procurement of emergency pharmaceuticals worth in excess of G$605 million from a Trinidadian firm, ANSA McAL. Georgetown Public Hospital had delayed and cancelled four out of its five public tenders within the last four 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. One of Guyana’s leading local pharmaceutical manufacturers, the New Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation (NEW GPC INC), is questioning the Georgetown Hospital’s decision to ignore local companies, which could have supplied the same quantity and quality of drugs at better prices.

Georgetown Hospital has delayed and cancelled four out of its five public tenders within the last four months, creating a situation where there is a massive shortage of pharmaceuticals.

Subsequently, the Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Allan Johnson, on February 28, wrote a letter to the Chairman of the National Procurement and Tender

Country Head of ANSA McAL in Guyana, Beverly Harper

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 G$605,962,200.

This request to by-

pass 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.

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

NEW GPC noted that the transaction between Georgetown Public Hospital and AnsaMcAl, should it see fruition, would be a breach in the public procurement rules.

Cheaper prices

New NEW GPC further pointed out that it could have supplied

“Which Guyanese company could realistically secure a contract from the Trinidadian Government for US$3 million in pharmaceuticals and moreover do this outside of public tender? And for the supply of products from extra regional sources since ANSA McAL is not a manufacturer?” – NEW GPC

many of the items instantaneously since there is usually inventory on hand. In the worst case scenario, NEW GPC said the delay would be less than a few days to get the products manufactured right here in Guyana.

“NEW GPC has surveyed some of the items it manufactures locally and some imported against ANSA McAL and the company’s prices are significantly cheaper. NEW GPC’s prices could be independently confirmed by reviewing recent bid submissions to the Tender Board in 2016 and 2017,” the firm stated.

Additionally, NEW GPC said it could have supplied even the items to be imported quicker by utilising its established and reliable supply chain; for instance, a Clindamycin injection, ANSA McAL’s price is 12 times NEW GPC’s.

For Diclofenac tablets, it is 15 times and for Clotrimazole cream, which is made locally, as much as 23 times.

For the mere 16 out of 118 items surveyed, the Georgetown Hospital would have saved over one hundred million dollars of taxpayers’ money (G$100 milion) had it purchased them from continued on page 18

4 views

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

INTERNATIONAL To contact: Guyana Times International

New York Office 106-15 Sutphin Blvd, Jamaica NY 11435 Email: guyanatimesnyint@gmail.com Tel no: 718-658-6804 Fax no: 718-849-2286 Preferred method of contact via EMAIL Guyana Office Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana.

Tel no: (592) 227-0704, 227-0709.

Fax (592) 225-8696, 227-0685 Email: guyanatimesint@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

T

The Pradoville II politics

he Government has spent almost the entire first two years of its term to bring charges of one sort or another against the members of past PPP administrations and their associates.

Towards this end they ordered a score of “forensic audits” into the operations of several agencies so as to identify specific transgressions for the said charges to be filed. They even assigned a Minister to coordinate this task. However, in several instances where there were even more pronounced calls for such audits – such as at City Hall or GECOM in the wake of well publicised revelations of financial improprieties, there were no audits ordered. And of course, no prosecutions.

But as the audits were completed and six handed over to the police for further investigations and possible criminal prosecutions, it became clear the government was honing in on transactions in what has been dubbed the “Pradoville II” housing development.

The investigation into this project, which was conducted by the accounting firm of Ram & McRae, was purportedly part of a larger probe of the financial operations of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA).

And it also became clear that even though lots were allocated to former president Bharat Jagdeo, six Cabinet members and others such as Compton Bourne, former Head of the Caribbean Development Bank and UG Chancellor, the inquiry was honing in on Jagdeo, even though he is constitutionally immune from prosecutions for actions taken while he filled the office of the President of Guyana.

The gist of the allegations by the audit was that the allocation of the lots was not done in a transparent manner, the values of the lots were “grossly: undervalued, and that the procedures followed by the Housing Minister in making the allocations varied from the norm. But what made the inquiry into the Pradoville II scheme suspicious was its handing over to the Police “Special Organised Crime Unit” (SOCU). It would appear the police was assuming that the Pradoville II scheme was an undertaking of organised crime.

Over a year ago, there were widespread concerns about SOCU exceeding its mandate which was to investigate crimes emanating from the AML/CFT legislation, when it was involved in a high speed chase in which two persons perished. Reacting to these concerns, the Minister of Public Security introduced an amendment to the GPF’s Standing Order No. 62, which concretised the expansion of SOCU’s mandate.

The criminal activities outside of terrorism and money laundering which were outlined in the amendment were: participation in an organised criminal group and racketeering; trafficking in human beings and migrant smuggling; sexual exploitation, including the sexual exploitation of children; illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances; illicit arms and ammunition trafficking; corruption and bribery; fraud; counterfeiting and piracy of products; environmental crimes; murder; grievous bodily harm; kidnapping, illegal restraint and hostage taking; robbery or theft; smuggling; extortion; forgery; piracy; insider trading and market manipulation; tax evasion; and gold smuggling.

But there was no indication that it was authorised to investigate the “misfeasance” which the forensic audit claimed had been committed by the allotees of Pradoville II. And yet SOCU was given the job even though it was aided by a supposed British “expert” who was brought in. The suspicion that SOCU was a special unit to intimidate the PPP in general and Jagdeo in particular was brought out when SOCU claimed it was gathering evidence to lay charges.

Experts asked at that point why were the Cabinet members and other individuals not being questioned. Today we have the answer: in very dramatic fashion they were arrested in a manner designed to make it a public spectacle and to humiliate them.

Another significant revelation was made when Asst Commissioner David Ramnarine, who is supposed to be overseeing SOCU, admitted he did not know the arrests were being made, even though last week Minister of Public Security revealed that arrests were imminent.

Why is SOCU still exceeding its mandate under political direction?

Protesters came out again on Thursday in their numbers to mourn the ‘death of the city’ in the latest rally against paid parking in Georgetown

Economist blames ‘incompetent decision-makers’ for downfall of sugar industry

T

he recent announcement

by Government that more sugar estates will be closed has been described as a move which lacks transparency by economist Sasenarine Singh, who believes that the downfall of the sugar industry is as a result of the incompetence of decision-makers.

Last week, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon admitted that more estates would be shut down as Government moved to finalise its options with regard to the future of the sugar industry. “Well, there are proposals with respect to diversification; and in the diversification plan, there is a proposal to that effect,” the State Minister told reporters at the post-Cabinet press briefing.

However, Singh pointed out that the premise upon which such a decision was taken was “totally non-transparent” and lacked “a comprehensive understanding of the social impact on rural Guyana”.

The economist explained that if the intention was to reduce the drag on the fiscal performance of the economy, then the first thing any skilful policymaker would have done was conduct a fullblown Socioeconomic Impact Assessment (SIA) on different options available to Government.

“No one has priced in the loss of the sugar earnings on the national reserves. No one has priced in the social cost and drain on the social security system because of a trimmed [Guyana Sugar Corporation] GuySuCo operations. The focus all along should have been on cutting out the fat from the industry – the non-value added cost, not kill the goose all together to get rid of the fat,” he stated.

Singh added that if this move reflected the reality in the minds of the decision-makers in the Cabinet of Guyana, then Tuesday ,February 28, 2017, would be “a date which will live in infamy” in the Cooperative Republic, he said, paraphrasing Roosevelt.

Moreover, the economist believes that the treatment of

the Skeldon Estate reveals the deficiency of proper management capabilities at the helm of GuySuCo. He noted that the reason given for the recent abandonment of the first crop at Skeldon – that the co-generation plant was unsafe to operate was nothing but a lame excuse. He pointed out that the situation exposed a deep deficiency in the project planning and engineering skills in GuySuCo, laying the blame at the feet of co-Chief Executive Officer Errol Hanoman, whom Singh said should be fired forthwith for “gross negligence and incompetence”.

“Did the senior team at GuySuCo in 2016 not developed a project plan for Skeldon for the first crop? Did they not identify and inspect their assets at Skeldon (their pool of available technicians, their equipment, the field are scheduled for reaping during the first crop of 2017 and most importantly the factory)? From that assessment, any skilled executive will then clearly know what they can do and what they cannot do,” the economist posited.

Losses

He went on to question who would take responsibility for the losses in the field since some 4000 acres of mature cane was now left to dry in the field.

This, he noted, is a permanent loss of some G$2 billion.

“So, you see these decisions cannot be made lightly, because they result in billions of dollars in opportunity losses, which then translate into socio-economic deprivation in the local area – the Upper Corentyne.

So when the local businesses would have expected a bump in their financial transaction in the first half of the year, they must settle for a season of “beri-beri”. Who is going to feed, clothe and pay the mortgage for the sugar families of the upper Corentyne now?” he argued.

Nevertheless, when it comes to saving the Skeldon Estate, Singh is of the opinion that “boat done gone a falls”. He ex-

plained that back in May 2015, he was convinced without a shadow of doubt that the situation was recoverable, but this was not so anymore because of the high level of executive incompetence and bungled decision-making at the highest levels within GuySuCo for years now – not only under Hanoman but Raj Singh as well, who was ‘doubly worst’.

Moreover, the economist outlined that he was advised that the decision was made to sell the entire operations at Skeldon and that the son-inlaw of a senior Government official was eligible for a finder’s fee of US$1 million if he could structure a deal for the Skeldon Estate with the co-generation plant.

“I was also reliably advised that as a precondition, investors want the balance sheet assigned to the Skeldon Estate to be stripped of the US$200 million debt that funded the factory. But anyone involved in any business acquisition will know that the valuation of a business is three-fold – the future cash flows, the expected rate of returns and the net asset value of the balance sheet. Everyone is focused on the fact that the factory is a mess, but no one is focusing on the intangible losses,” he posited.

According to Singh, if the debt for the factory is extricated from the deal, then the people of Guyana will get pennies on the dollar when this deal is done, with limited access to the future cash flows, most of which will be shipped out of the country for the investor, and the equity built up will all be owned by the investor.

To this end, the economist noted that it was imperative that deal or no deal, Skeldon should be formed into its own joint stock company and listed on the Guyana stock exchange. This way, he added, Government would be able to sell 75 per cent of the shares to private shareholders, not just the international investors, but to local companies such as Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) or anyone else who can afford to buy the shares.

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

“Artificially created emergency” F

ormer Health Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, has slammed the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation’s (GPHC) attempts to sole source drugs to the tune of G$605.9 million from private supplier ANSA McAL Trading Limited, due to an “emergency”.

According to Ramsammy, the fact is that the Georgetown Public Hospital has actually been delaying, then publishing and finally cancelling tenders for the supply of crucial drugs for the past few months.

He said that the emergency Georgetown Public Hospital is citing is therefore an artificially created one, in order to sole source.

“The emergency that they claimed is wholly an inside engineered creation. Since October (2016), GPHC has, in fact, delayed and then cancelled four tenders which included all these medicines and medical sup-

Public Health Minister, Volda Lawrence

plies,” Ramsammy said in a statement to the press on Wednesday.

“GPHC had advertised for tender to supply medical supplies on October 2, 2016. This was followed by an advertisement for medicines on November 6, 2016. Both of these were delayed and then cancelled.”

He went on to recount that on February 2, 2017, two advertisements for medical supplies and Georgetown Public Hospital

medicines were placed.

According to Ramsammy, these were also delayed and then cancelled. He observed that all of the items in the sole-sourced procurement from ANSA McAL were included in those advertised tenders.

Ramsammy also pointed out that this all happened at a time when the Georgetown Public Hospital and other parts of the country were experiencing a medicine and medical supply shortage.

“It is clear that the emergency that GPHC now claims and that the Minister has approved was an engineered one.”

Inflated prices

Ramsammy noted that ANSA McAL’s prices are “way beyond” the prices usually offered by suppliers to Georgetown Public Hospital or the drugs sold at private pharmacies.

“As an example, Aciclovir which is used to treat certain viral infections, including herpes simplex, 250mg, 2ml injection is being procured from ANSA McAL at a price of G$6880. Usually, offered bid price is G$730. At private pharmacies, patients can buy this medicine for about G$1000.”

He noted that the Georgetown Public Hospital with the approval of the Public Health Minister and Cabinet is

GPHC CEO, Allan Johnson

allowing this medicine to be procured for almost 10 times the price.

The former Health Minister also pointed to other examples of the inflated prices.

Clotrimoxazole cream 2g is being procured at a price of G$1750. According to Ramsammy, however, the usual bid price is approximately G$95. In addition, he said, one can purchase this medicine privately at approximately G$150.

“Anti-haemorrhoidal ointment 30g which is usually available at about G$200 is being purchased by GPHC from ANSA McAL at a price of G$2150.”

According to Ramsammy, an analysis will reveal that almost all the prices are inflated. He said that international reference pric-

NEWS 5

- former health minister slams GPHC over “inflated” G$605M sole source request

es for the items in the list from ANSA McAL showed that the same list at the International Reference Price would be about G$200 million.

The list which Georgetown Public Hospital attached to its request to the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) contained a total of 118 products. These products amounted to a whopping G$605.9 million.

In the correspondence dated February 28, 2017, and addressed to NPTAB Chairman Berkley Wickham, Georgetown Public Hospital’s acting Chief Executive Officer Allan Johnson wrote that Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence had approved procurement of “emergency” medicines and medical supplies.

Johnson then requested approval from Wickham to sole-source the items from ANSA McAL, claiming that “the pharmaceuticals supplied by this company was at the time of request available only from this supplier.”

It was only in January 2017 that Minister Lawrence was placed to head the Public Health Ministry by President

Former Health Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy

David Granger in a Cabinet reshuffle. The former Social Protection Minster replaced Dr George Norton, who had been embroiled in the drug bond fiasco. GPHC also got a new Board of Directors last month.

Sources at the hospital have previously revealed to this publication that despite experiencing pressing and critical shortages of drugs and medicines, the Ministry and hospital were often pressured to cancel bids and re-tender them so as to facilitate favoured companies.

In other instances, the closing dates for tenders are extended to accommodate the preferred bidder(s).

6

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Hate speeches Kumar’s fabrications have been exposed should have no place in Guyana Dear Editor, Marking the centenary of the end of the Indian indentureship programme has become a most interesting exercise and more so for the Indian Guyanese community.

Myself, Ravi Dev and Swami Aksharananda were the objects of the usual spewing of hate – originating from Freddie Kissoon’s pathology of self-hatred – in a column published on March 7, 2017.

Whether Kissoon should be given a column to direct personal attacks in the name of responsible journalism is a consideration for his publishers, the Guyana Press Association, and for the Government, which is currently engaged in a nationwide programme to build social cohesion.

At the event held at the National Cultural Centre (NCC) which attracted so much media attention the Social Cohesion Minister was present and heard our remarks, as did other Ministers of Government and heads of diplomatic missions in Guyana.

That none of these intelligent and reasoned personages raised any alarm about any of our speeches inciting uprisings or societal explosions in Guyana could be a good indicator that it was an occasion that offered few surprises, if any.

Neither Dev nor I said anything new. In fact, we have been addressing these same concerns for years – along with leaders like Swami Aksharananda – about Indian Guyanese marginalisation. Newer ones like the closure of sugar estates at an event that speaks to Indian indentureship is hardly a surprise either.

What arose from Kissoon’s diatribe, however, was a decided fear among some of our community. He succeeded in getting Indian Guyanese to pull back into their corners and to fall silent. It always comes as a surprise that there are people who view Kissoon as an intellectual and moral giant even though his columns amount to little beyond glib name-dropping and personal attacks on anyone he deems unacceptable.

His success in intimidating some in our community into silence, however, needs investigation on this historic centenary.

Are we still ‘bound coolies’ allowing others to define us or are we free to think, analyse and speak for ourselves and about ourselves?

In our divided country, there are agents with their various agendas who want us to retain our bound yard status and to live in fear and silence.

These include self-loathers like Kissoon and others who feel that subsuming themselves to a national identity of oneness is the only future on offer.

The Government’s and Opposition’s continuous mes-

sage of respect for diversity is set aside as political rhetoric by these Indian Guyanese who might well be correct about this assumption. They feel comfortable with their chosen status which opens doors for them in every area of national life.

Our insistence on national recognition and respect for our Indian heritage and experience, therefore, makes them vastly uncomfortable. The other section of the bound yard includes Indian Guyanese who do understand and agree with our positions fully but remain closeted for fear of reprisal and intimidation by Kissoon and those of his ilk.

So much for our legacy of courage and resistance inherited from the many Indian heroes who fell right here on the sugar plantations in the struggle for justice.

The question for all Guyana is: when will Indian Guyanese be able to live as Indian Guyanese and without fear to think, speak and voice an opinion from their perspective without being condemned as racists?

This branding never occurs when Africans, Amerindians or any other group speaks on behalf of their communities. This is not a cry of victimhood but an observation about the obvious racism directed at the Indian Guyanese population which is designed to keep us voiceless.

I wish to say to those Indian Guyanese who are fearful of embracing their ethnic identity: we left the bound yard one hundred years ago.

We are free to give voice in music, dance, literature, etc, and free to express ourselves.

The next step would be the inclusion of these and other Indian Guyanese expressions on the national stage beyond the tokenism that now exist.

President David Granger in his address at Leonora last Sunday to mark the abolition centenary not only expressed his appreciation for the Indian contribution to Guyana’s development but assured us that we are very much part of a united Guyana.

This even as the State-owned “Guyana Chronicle” participates in the assault on myself, Dev, and People’s Progressive Party MP Adrian Anamayah who also spoke at the NCC on behalf of Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo.

While this assault directly contradicts the President’s own message of inclusion and respect for diversity, I want to believe that the President is sincere about his message to our community.

This should mean that all hate speeches and bigotry directed at any individual or group should be condemned and should have no place in Guyana.

Sincerely, Ryhaan Shah

Dear Editor, The retirement of the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and the public announcement in this regard has occasioned another flurry about the Commission in the media. Joining that flurry was one Mr Neil Kumar, who made three assertions among others.

He asserted that: (1) “the election results were by law supposed to be verified by the Information Technology tabulation and the corresponding manual tabulation. However, none of this was done”. (2) “Guyanese must now demand that GECOM tell us how many fake SOPs were discovered. This information must come forward so that we could know the specific areas and the Presiding Officers that were involved in the rigging of the 2015 elections”; and (3) “The former Chairman and the Chief Elections Officer of the Guyana Election Commission should be held responsible for their actions in allowing fake SOPs to infiltrate the system”.

The first observation I wish to make is that whoever attempted to corrupt the system with fake Statements of Poll did so on the heels of Mr Boodhoo and the Commission’s misappropriation of a Linden Constituency seat in 2006.

An Alliance For Change (AFC) seat was appropriated to the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), and Mr Boodhoo attempted to pass off a fictitious result in 2011 (he sought to allocate the one-seat majority to the PPP/C rather than to the Opposition, to which it rightfully belonged). The fake Statements of Poll in 2015 continued the corrupt trend of 2006 and 2011.

Of interest is that the now vocal Kumar and his comrades-in-arms were deafening in their silence in 2006 and 2011. That attitude defies any claim that their interest is in free and fair elections. It clearly shows that their singular concern is being declared the winner at all cost. That contention is further fortified by Kumar’s three concerns. The fact of the matter is that GECOM’s IT Division, which was fully operational in 2006 and 2011 when electoral

fraud was perpetrated and attempted on the respective occasions, was shut down in 2015 when it was discovered that fake statements had found their way into the system and into the IT unit for the tabulation of the results.

What nails Kumar’s fabrication is that in addition to the manual calculations, the CEO resorted to other computers for the purpose of computing the results, as required by law; and in so doing, met the legal requirement which Kumar falsely or maliciously claims was not met.

By requesting information on which Statements of Poll were faked as the basis for identifying the “specific areas and the Presiding Officers that were involved in the rigging of the 2015 elections”, it is logical to conclude that Kumar knows at which stage in the process the fakes had entered the system, although his party would have collected statements at every polling station and did not challenge any of the statements used for tabulating the results at the district counting centres; yet he concludes that they were from specific polling stations.

If the statements entered the system at the points that Kumar contended that they did, how could he accuse Surujbally and Lowenfield of actions that allowed the infiltration; which by his contention took place at polling places where neither Surujbally nor Lowenfield was present, and where neither was in direct control.

Let it be known that the discovery of fakes was done at the Central Command Centre after the statements would have been included in the tabulation of the IT unit.

Kumar has successfully spun his own web, which in turn has entrapped him and exposed his fabrications which he purports to be the truth. He, however, seems to be a stranger to the truth.

Yours truly, Vincent Alexander GECOM Commissioner

Cabinet’s role should be removed completely from procurement process Dear Editor, Once more, the situation with the setting up of the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) and its functioning has come to the fore and is prominent in the news. Since the author had quite a bit to do with this, it is therefore important to once more set the record straight.

When the PPP/C government placed the PPC Bill before the National Assembly, the ‘no objection’ role of Cabinet was part of that Bill.

The then opposition railed against this, and suggested strongly that Cabinet’s role be removed.

It was on the floor that this was done. The then Attorney General, Doodnauth Singh, Khemraj Ramjattan and lawyers from the Opposition, including Winston Murray, had a sidebar and removed the role of Cabinet.

Therefore, the intention of the framers should not be in doubt.

I also recall that when the PPP/C moved in the National Assembly to establish that body, it was hindered by the then opposition, which tried to manipulate the process to get majority representation on the Board. At one stage, they even demanded to have the chairmanship of the PPC. At the level of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), where these manoeuvres were taking place, the PPP/C was having none of that.

The PNC/R stuck to its position, refusing to compromise; and that prevented the setting up of the PPC. After the 2011 elections, the issue was raised again. This time, the joint opposition had a oneseat majority in the National Assembly. They were demanding that the PPC be established, and this time their bargaining position had improved. They appeared not to want any recommendation from the PPP/C. They used their one-seat majority in the Assembly to frustrate all of the then government’s developmental projects: They railed against the Marriott Hotel; they frustrated the

beginning of the Amaila Falls Hydro Project; they voted in the National Assembly to cut the budget of the Ministry of Works, stymieing the establishment of new airstrips in the interior; and they even voted against the establishment of a Specialty Hospital, which was aimed at advancing our health services by leaps and bounds.

The APNU/AFC was not only being anti-developmental, but also deliberately putting our country in harm’s way; they seemed to have wanted to make the economy grind to a halt.

Their refusal to pass the Anti-Money Laundering Bill was aimed at damaging the financial sector and the economy as a whole. Further, the APNU/AFC members of the National Assembly voted against the Amendments to the Environmental Tax Act, which would have allowed a level playing field for local and regional companies. This was fulfilling Guyana’s commitment to CARICOM. That would have settled the case brought by the Rudisa Company, which claimed that the tax was discriminatory.

This anti-nationalist act by the APNU/AFC cost our country more than one billion dollars.

Even in such hostile circumstances, the PPP/C Administration tried to make compromises in relation to enacting the PPC. It was proposed that we establish the PPC but, however, allow cabinet to retain its ‘no objection.’ This was proposed because of the hostile attitude of the APNU/AFC towards the government’s projects.

The then opposition parties refused, and adamantly demanded that Cabinet’s role be completely removed.

Therefore, all the talk about things not being clear is just a mere roost for the APNU regime to renege on that position now.

There should be no doubt of the intent.

Cabinet’s role should be removed completely.

Sincerely, Donald Ramotar

news 7

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

No decision made for Suriname’s Cuban businessman freed help with oil refinery – Trotman of TIP charges

Suriname’s oil company Managing Director, Rudolf Elias

O

ne day after Rudolf Elias, Suriname’s State oil company’s Managing Director announced that that country’s oil refinery is not built to handle the type of oil extracted from Guyana, Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman has said that no decision has been taken with respect to where Guyana’s oil would be refined.

Trotman’s statement comes against the backdrop of an interview Elias had with Ware Tijd, an online newspaper in Suriname. Elias said, “the refinery is not built tohandle the type of oil that is extracted in Guyana. Their oil is a much lighter quality.

Our refinery was built for the heavy oil that we have landed here in Suriname”.

He noted that even if Suriname does its own discoveries in its deep sea area, the type of oil that will be of the same light quality as in Guyana. “It will also not be processed in our refinery,” Elias adds.

As such, the Natural Resources Ministry in a statement on Tuesday said that during an engagement on March 2, Minister Trotman had pointed out that Government Ministers were informed on February 28 that Suriname had indicated a willingness to do refining for Guyana since their refinery is operating below full capacity.

The statement added that no decision has been made in terms of where Guyana’s oil would be refined.

According to the statement, Trotman had stated that Cabinet had approved a consultancy whose report will guide the Government on the way forward on the matter of an oil refinery for the country.

It further reminded that the Minister revealed that there had also been some recent overtures from the Government of Trinidad and Tobago for the refining of Guyana’s oil, and said he expects that

A

Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman

a formal proposal to be made from Trinidad and Tobago in this regard.

Trotman made the point that the current below optimum operating positions of Suriname and Trinidad bring into stark focus the need for Guyana to be careful in considering whether or not to have a refinery.

Further, the release pointed to a question which was asked about whether Trinidad or Suriname would have had to do any retrofitting to be able to refine the grade of oil Guyana will be producing.

“By virtue of this question being asked, and answer given, it is clear that there are still unknowns about the technical aspects of the potential refining arrangement between Guyana and its neighbours.”

Cuban businessman was on Tuesday morning freed of Trafficking In Persons (TIP) charges, when Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan said there was insufficient evidence to convict him.

Eladio Pereza, owner of Bollywood Club on the East Bank of Demerara, allegedly trafficked a Cuban female for sexual exploitation between March 1, 2016 and January 20, 2017 at the said nightclub.

Magistrate McLennan in her decision on Tuesday stated that the prosecution failed to prove the necessary elements of trafficking in order to convict Pereza of the offence.

She added that the defendant’s case was coherent and believed the story to be well corroborated by the Virtual Complainant’s statements throughout the trial.

Thereby having considered all of the evidence, the Magistrate dismissed the charge.

The businessman first appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on January 23, 2017, and was remanded to prison by the Chief Magistrate after he pleaded not guilty to the charge, which alleged that he recruited, transported and harboured a fellow Cuban female for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

Defence Attorney Mark Conway related that Pereza, 34, is resident of Guyana for two years and is married to a Guyanese woman.

Throughout the trial, the 34-yearold man maintained his innocence.

Tuesday, however, does not mark Pereza’s ultimate court appearance, as he is set to again face the court on March 15, when he will be charged with intention to commit a felony.

Meanwhile, the Social Protection

Eladio Pereza

Ministry’s Counter Trafficking in Persons Unit in a statement on Tuesday acknowledged the decision by the court in the case against Pereza.

According to the Ministry, it will continue to fight to bring perpetrators of this most egregious and odious act to justice and pledges it’s support, protection and strong defence for victims involved in TIP. In continuing the fight against Trafficking In Persons, an enforcement activity in Issano, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) conducted over the weekend saw two alleged victims (minors) being rescued. They are currently in the protective care of the Unit assisting with investigations and are currently receiving psychosocial assistance and counseling.

8 news

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Ramayya says Coalition Govt Behavioural change, determination has failed Guyanese citizens needed for gender parity – First Lady …now throws support behind PPP

F

ormer Executive Member of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Dr Veerasammy Ramayya, has now thrown his support behind the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) because he believes they have the best plan for the working class people.

Dr Ramayya made his position known shortly after the Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, urged a welcoming hand for disgruntled supporters of the coalition Government.

In a telephone interview with Guyana Times International on Tuesday, Dr Ramayya maintained that he is an independent politician but has endorsed the current vision of the PPP despite having criticised some of their actions in the past.

He explained that the coalition Government, which he had endorsed in the lead up to the historic 2015 General Elections, is driving the economy into the ground and making it increasingly challenging to enjoy a decent life.

The politician said he stands with and for the working class people, and will support whichever group he believes has the best plan for them.

“What we have worked for in this coalition, we did not get. The question here, we have to look at the sugar industry, the rice industry and the Government, these people when they campaigned for 2015 elections, did they indicate to the people that they will close down the estates?

That they will not get markets for the rice? That the economy will be in such a bad state today,” he related, as he expressed dis-

Dr Veerasammy Ramayya

appointment and disgust over the current state of the country.

“So we are having very difficult times, all throughout Berbice area right now, this is what my goals were how we can alleviate the conditions of poor people and currently now we are not doing that.

They can’t find jobs for the young people, they are telling young people now that they can go make plantain chips and cassava chips and all these things and make a living,” he stated with much ridicule.

Dr Ramayya said he has been listening keenly to the leaders of the PPP and has been observing the reform of the political party, and is impressed with the improvements.

“Putting everything into perspective, I think the PPP has projected a better life for the working class people than what this Government is projecting. And as such, I am throwing a little support with the ideas that they have… I am very, very proud of Bharrat Jagdeo, I am very proud,” he exclaimed.

Dr Ramayya said he stands by the criticisms he has meted out against the party in the past but noted that its leaders have also

accepted their shortcomings.

In spite of his support, Dr Ramayya said he will not hastily join the PPP. “The time 2020 is far away from now, so I don’t know (if I will join) but I am still working assiduously to help as far as I am concerned the working class people,” the politician explained, noting that many people are already upset with him for being part and parcel of the political force that brought more hardships upon them.

“People in Berbice are crying out. I just came from New Amsterdam and business is completely dead, everybody’s cursing me. They’re saying that Dr Ramayya ‘you are the one we voted for and this is what is happening.’ I am taking the curses that is coming down.

People didn’t vote because of Moses (Nagamootoo) or Khemraj (Ramjattan), they voted for me. I am the core of the AFC. But I walked out because of corruption,” he expressed.

Dr Ramayya, a prominent figure in Berbice, began his political career in the 1960s.

After declaring that Berbicians were not adequately represented in the coalition Government, Dr Ramayya resigned from the AFC in 2015.

However, after being offered the post of Regional Executive Officer (REO), he remained with the party.

He subsequently resigned “for good” from the AFC in September 2016 after he “got tired” with the “corruption” within the party.

He had also resigned as REO. (DevinaSamaroo)

added that calling for greater unity among women is also part of ending disparity, noting that women’s voices and votes play an integral part in ensuring gender parity.

“We need to care for one another… We can disagree but still respect one another.

We can work together, and when we work together it does not mean working against First Lady Sandra Granger in discussion with Chairperson the men, but we can work together because of WGEC and parliamentarian, Indranie Chandarpal the sisterhood is needed. We need to assess irst Lady Sandra cial and economic facGranger on tors limiting easy access ourselves as a communiTuesday attend- to education for the de- ty…,” Dr Reynolds said.

Also speaking at ed a roundtable discus- velopment of women and the event was Member sion for International girls in Guyana.

Parliament and Women’s Day, which was Mrs Granger said of observed on Wednesday that in order for gender Chairperson of WGEC, under the theme, parity to become a re- IndranieChanderpaul, ‘Women in the Changing ality several steps are said that “All of us, World of Work; Planet required. “Our entire whether we hold po50-50 by 2030’, at population must be edu- sitions in the various the Carifesta Sports cated to understand the Ministries, the highest Complex, Carifesta long-term implications office of the land in poAvenue, Georgetown. of gender disparity. We litical parties, wherever The event which was must be bold for change. we are, it is our responhosted by the Women’s We must speak up and sibility to begin that disand Gender Equality speak out against injus- course and to encourCommission (WGEC) tice. A comprehensive age, wherever possible, was discussed under the country-wide campaign the dialogue so that we theme ‘Is Gender Parity should be launched to so- can work towards 50cialise our women and 50 in 30 years’ time,” Possible by 2030?’

Speaking during the men, girls and boys so Chanderpaul said.

The discussions were discussions, the First that they recognise and Lady said, “I believe that desist from behaviours, accompanied by culturwith behavioural change, which harm us individ- al presentations includdetermination and seri- ually, collectively, social- ing spoken word poetous concerted action we ly and economically,” the ry from the Jazz and Poetry on a stool artists. can become a healthi- First Lady said.

Deputy Vice Also present at the event er, more educated, more confident and produc- Chancellor Planning were, Minister within tive society. We can then of International the Public Infrastructure Annette achieve gender parity in Engagement at the Ministry, University of Guyana, Ferguson and United not too distant future.”

Development The First Lady in Dr Barbara Reynolds, Nations (UNDP) her address to the wom- in her address said that Programme en said she added that parity begins at home Resident Representative, women need to recog- and applies in the dai- Mikiko Tanaka. nise and address the so- ly lives of women. She

F

‘Frustrated’sugar workers appeal for President’s intervention

M

Workers who gathered on Monday rejecting the transfer to Uitvlugt Estate and are demanding to be paid their severance packages

onths after venting frustration over the non-payment of severance packages which were promised since December 2016, sugar workers have once again protested at their former place of employment, calling for President David Granger and Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo to look into their concerns.

At approximately 08:00h on Monday, the sugar workers formerly attached to the Wales Estate staged an-

other protest at the factory demanding their payments. The workers’ contention is that they cannot be compelled to travel to the Uitvlugt Estate on the West Coast of Demerara, some 22 miles from Wales.

At Monday’s protest, the workers told Guyana Times International that they were finding it difficult to get consistent employment and, as such, were struggling to make ends meet. It was explained that their finances were dwindling since they were unable to gar-

ner five-day-a-week jobs.

In fact, one former Wales employee stressed that many of his colleagues had to seek work in Georgetown.

“The family making out real rough; right now, money going down real low,” stated Festus Roberts, who indicated that he worked in the sugar industry over 20 years.

“We need money, people got instalmentfuh pay, house rent fuh pay,” expressed another protester. continued on page 11

NEWS 9

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

‘SOCU’s action politically motivated’ – Jagdeo says will not be intimidated

BY DEVINA SAMAROO

T

ension, suspense and apprehension swept across the nation as the masses followed with close interest the egregious arrest of former top Government officials by agents of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) in relation to their investigation of misappropriation of State assets.

Former President and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, former Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon, and former Natural Resources Minister Robert Persaud were among those who were taken into custody for questioning at SOCU’s Headquarters on Camp Street on Tuesday afternoon.

Other persons, who were detained and questioned are General Manager of the Guyana Gold Board and daughter of former President Donald Ramotar, Lisaveta Ramotar; former President of the Private Sector Commission, Ramesh Dookhoo; former Secretary to NICIL Marcia Nadir-Sharma; and the son of former Labour Minister, Dr Nanda Gopaul, Dr Ghansham Singh.

These arrests and detentions come days after Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan threatened criminal charges against former Government officials, causing many in the Opposition camp to believe the actions taken by SOCU were politically motivated by the Executive.

But Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo lashing back at the Government on Tuesday said the actions have nothing to do with fighting corruption but rather about instilling fear and intimidating those who resist policies of the coalition Administration.

SOCU had requested several officials including current parliamentarians to visit its Headquarters for questioning in relation to the Pradoville 2 case but one of their attorneys, Anil Nandlall responded by informing the Authority that interrogation can take place at the Office of the Opposition Leader, Church Street.

Arrests

SOCU officials arrived at the Opposition Leader’s Office shortly after 14:00h under di-

rectives to “arrest” Dr Luncheon, who immediately complied.

Dr Luncheon, speaking to the media as he was being escorted by the agents, repeated his unawareness of the basis of his arrest and pleaded his innocence.

At the time, Ramotar’s daughter and the former Natural Resources Minister were already at SOCU’s Headquarters. Guyana Times International understands that they voluntarily visited the office for the interviews and upon arrival, they were detained.

Ramotar’s daughter was detained for over seven hours.

Shortly after Dr Luncheon was arrested; SOCU’s Head, Sydney James and British Advisor to SOCU, Dr Sam Sittlington arrived at the Opposition Leader’s Office and requested that he head down to the headquarters for questioning.

Speaking to media operatives afterwards, Jagdeo said he was “arrested”.

“After the media left, they came over and said you are arrested. My lawyers who were there, asked and there was a hemming and hawing about the nature of the charges, nevertheless we did not resist arrest,” he explained.

Jagdeo explained that ahead of his interrogation, he asked the agents whether he is being questioned in his private capacity or his official capacity as his actions as President are immune.

“I asked if they are asking questions in my private capacity or official capacity because in doing that you are going to breach the veil of immunity that I have for official acts and that will have far reaching

consequences in this country,” he stated. The Opposition Leader said he declined to answer questions posed to him in his private capacity.

He disclosed that questions were relating to the audit reports’ findings on the Pradoville 2 transaction, NICIL and NCN operations.

Jagdeo anticipates that charges will be laid, given Government’s “agenda”, but assured that the charges will be challenged in the courts.

Political pressure

In analysing the situation, the Opposition Leader said he strongly believes these unprecedented actions taken

by SOCU are politically motivated and meant to silence the vociferous voices against the wrongdoings of the coalition.

“I sympathise for the people who work here (SOCU) because they are under severe political pressure. Every week, the Head of the

State Assets Recovery Unity, Dr Clive Thomas speaks about who they should lock up. A week ago, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, ahead of a Police investigation, talked about locking up people this week. The Attorney General put G$100 million in his budget to come after political opponents,” he outlined.

In a press briefing moments after Dr Luncheon’s “arrest” and shortly before his own, Jagdeo declared that the actions being deployed by the SOCU will go down in history as one of the greatest acts of injustices in Guyana.

“I spoke about this Government’s newest attempts to intimidate society guided by a mistaken belief that they will make the citizens more compliant and have people be fearful of criticising them and exposing their wrongdoing,” he remarked.

Jagdeo maintained his long held position that Government’s priorities are backwards as instead of focusing on developing the country, it is employing vindictive and witch-hunting strategies.

“The reason the Government is doing this is because it is failing miserably in every single area across the country. It is facing the wrath of many ordinary people, [People’s Progressive Party] PPP supporters as well as [A Partnership for National Unity] APNU supporters because it has not delivered on any of its promises, it can’t lead this country to a prosperous future. In fact, people’s welfares are declining, more and more people are protesting its actions… the country is in economic disarray and we are seeing a steady insidious move to erode our constitutional rights,” he stated.

But the Opposition Leader reaffirmed that the PPP will not be intimidated and will continue to expose and speak out against the transgressions of the government.

He reminded that it was APNU’s constant cry that the entire economy was developing on drugs money.

In this regard, the former President asked why the SOCU has not yet launched any probe, made any arrest or laid any charges against drug dealers, gold smugglers or money launderers.

“Yet we have not witnessed a single action taken by SOCU against

any drug dealer or money laundering of persons who have smuggled billions of dollars or gold but we have seen the arrest of Dr Luncheon

by SOCU because the Government believes he got a house lot at Pradoville 2 fraudulently,” he reasoned.

Nonetheless, Jagdeo warned that those who misuse their offices now will face the consequences in the future. The reason these persons are being questioned is because they purchased property at the Sparendaam seawall area commonly known as “Pradoville 2”.

The current Administration contends the transaction is a criminal act because of the belief that it was sold below market value.

However other persons who have property in the area including former Army Chief Gary Bess and former President of the Caribbean Development Bank, Dr Compton Bourne have not been summoned for similar questioning.

Govt’s response

In a statement after the drama died down, Government indicated its satisfaction with the work of SOCU and dismissed suspicions that Unit was acting under its instructions.

More persons are expected to be questioned during the course of the week including former Government Ministers Priya Manickchand, Clement Rohee, Irfaan Ali and Jennifer Westford.

10 news

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12 , 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

President and Opposition Leader meet again over Judiciary, GECOM T he second round of ongoing consultations between President David Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo got underway on Wednesday afternoon, during which the appointment of the new Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and the judicial appointments were discussed.

The meeting was held at State House during which Jagdeo was accompanied by parliamentarian and former Attorney General Anil Nandlall; while the President’s team included Minister of State Joseph Harmon and Attorney General Basil Williams.

According to a statement from the Office of the Opposition Leader on Wednesday evening, during the meeting, the President admitted that a collaborative exercise between himself and the Opposition Leader would assist in arriving at a consensual candidate, which was the intention of the framers of Article 161 (2) of the Constitution. To this end, the Head of State promised to present Jagdeo with the necessary clarifications requested within 10 days.

The Opposition Leader had, on numerous occasions, sought clarifications from President Granger with regards to the qualities of the persons to be nominated for the position.

ity of candidates who eventually would become the subject of recommendations to the President for appointment.

Jagdeo outlined that once those recommendations are made, the President’s power is very limited under the Constitution, obliging him to make the appointments in spite of reservations which he may have regarding the candidates who have been recommended.

Furthermore, the former Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo and PPP/C MP Anil Nandlall in discussion with President David Granger, President pointed out that any Minister of State Joseph Harmon and Attorney General Basil Williams at State House on Wednesday request for a performance related report ought not to be Nevertheless, upon receipt of who is independent and the the Court of Appeal and that confined to the two Judges, these clarifications, the state- person must be someone who Attorneys Sandil Kissoon and who have been recommendment said, the Leader of the is impartial,” Harmon said. Damone Younge, be appointed ed for elevation, but must apOpposition shall submit to the He added that while a date as Puisne Judges. ply to all Judges so that they According to Harmon in President a new list of six more for the next engagement with can be a basis for comparison. names for the appointment of the Opposition Leader has not the MotP release, the Head of Additionally, he noted that the GECOM chairmanship in been fixed, there is not going State indicated to the Leader since this initiative would be accordance with Article 161 (2) to be much delay in concluding of the Opposition during the a comparatively new one, it meeting that he sent a letter of the Constitution, as soon as this particular issue. should be applied in the future On the other hand, the two to the acting Chancellor and is reasonably possible. whenever judges are recomMeanwhile, in a sepa- leaders also discussed pending the Chairman of the JSC askmended for promotion. rate public missive from the issues relating to judicial ap- ing them to provide some adWednesday’s meeting was Ministry of the Presidency pointments including the rec- ditional information, that is, a follow-up to initial consultaon Wednesday evening as ommendations of the Judicial information relating to perfortion held on March 1 between well, Minister Harmon not- Service Commission (JSC) for mance of the two Judges and the two leaders. While last ed that the Attorney General the appointment of two Judges certain particulars of the two week’s meeting was premised sought to give a clear explana- to both the High Court and lawyers. The Minister of State on the appointment of Justice tion as to what, according to Appeal Court – an issue which noted that based upon this inYonette Cummings-Edwards the Constitution, was “fit and Jagdeo had raised during the formation, the President will as acting Chancellor of the proper”. first consultation meeting last exercise his judgement.

Judiciary and Justice Roxanne However, during the meet“His Excellency did elabo- week.

George-Wiltshire as acting In February 2016, the ing, the Opposition Leader rate a little more on that and Chief Justice, the Opposition he identified the three ‘Is’ JSC had recommended that referred to the constitutionLeader took the opportunity to which is to say that the person High Court Judges, Justice al mandate of the JSC to conraise several issues within and must be a person of integrity, Rishi Persaud and Justice duct the requisite inquiries beyond the Judiciary. the person must be a person Dawn Gregory, be elevated to and to determine the suitabil-

Parking meter penalties to continue …as Court denies stay on parking project

T

he High Court has denied the application for a stay of execution filed by Attorney-at-law Kamal Ramkarran in representation of Mohendra Arjune, the civilian who has challenged the legality of the parking meter

project. This now clears the way for paid parking to continue in the city pending the outcome of the matter.

At Monday’s hearing, Justice Brassington Reynolds explained that while the proceedings could act as a ‘stay’, it did

not extend to the executive order of the parking meter contract. The stay was intended to put a pause on the parking meter contract. This would have allowed for motorists to park without having to pay.

The court heard last

week that in the case pertaining to the challenge brought on behalf of Arjune against the legality of the parking meter project, Attorney Ramkarran attempted to have paid parking placed on hold while the project is under judicial review.

Ramkarran explained that the Order Nisi granted by then acting Chief Justice Yonnette Cummings-Edwards had stated that the project be halted unless the Mayor or Town Clerk presents a reason stating otherwise.

However, Attorney Roger Yearwood, representing City Council and the Town Clerk, contended that the Order Nisi does not facilitate interim or interlocutory relief, because the case was crown-side proceedings and not civil proceedings.

At Monday’s session, Justice Reynolds said the Order Nisi which was granted did not extend or operate as a ‘stay’ of the operations of the Mayor and City Council. The case against the Parking Meter Project will continue on March 20.

However, until the case is resolved, complainant Mohendra Arjune will

A parking meter

be exempted from paid parking in Georgetown.

Justice Reynolds ruled last week that the court has jurisdiction to rule over prerogative writs. The Order Nisi as granted by then acting Chief Justice Yonnette Cummings-Edwards on February 16 had stated that the project must be halted until the Mayor or Town Clerk provide the requisite response. The order also revoked “the decision of the Mayor and councillors and anyone acting by or through them, or under their directions or instructions, or on their behalf, to exempt persons or categories of persons from paying fees for parking in the City of Georgetown and being subject to penalties for parking in Georgetown.”

However, parking meter operatives continue to

boot the motor vehicles of some operators who opt against paying the parking meter fees. Hours before Thursday’s protest, some 60 parking meter attendants were sworn in before the Town Clerk.

Some legal minds had contended that if the City continues to boot vehicles, this would be contempt of court. However, Attorney for City Council has argued that City Council must not be given less than 30 days prior to the institution of proceedings.

Meanwhile, a series of protests have erupted since the project’s implementation in late January. The demonstrators are calling for City Hall to rescind the contract, which has attracted widespread criticism for its signing and rollout process.

(ShemuelFanfair)

news 11

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12 , 2016| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Harmon announces major shake-up at Govt Ministries - as Permanent Secretaries reassigned

W

ith the aim of ensuring efficiency and accountability in the public service sector, Government has announced a series of reassignments of Permanent Secretaries (PS).

This announcement was made by Minister of State Joseph Harmon on Sunday at the closing ceremony of a three-day retreat and workshop for top management employees of Ministries, Agencies and Departments of the Government, held at Splashmins Eco Park.

The reassignments will affect the Ministries of Agriculture; Education; Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs; Legal Affairs; Public Health; and the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport.

Harmon, who was particularly disappointed with budgeted spending, said these changes became effective from March 1.

The reassignment is as follows: Joylyn Nestor Burrowes has taken up the post of acting Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), replacing George Jervis who, along with MoA Deputy Permanent Secretary (Finance) Prema Roopnarine, has been asked to proceed on

Permanent Secretaries and Heads of the various Departments paying keen attention as Minister Harmon discussed Permanent Secretaries’ responsibilities

leave.

Collette Adams will now serve as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health, following the removal of former Permanent Secretary Trevor Thomas.

Following a recent probe into mismanagement and malpractices obtaining in the process governing the procurement of pharmaceuticals at the Public Health Ministry, it was recommended that Thomas be fired and Adams be “censured and disciplined” for neglecting her duties.

Former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry

of Education, Delma Nedd, will now function as the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Legal Affairs; while Alfred King, who was previously Permanent Secretary of the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport, will now serve in the same capacity at the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs.

Vibert Welch, who served in that capacity at the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, has now been moved to the Ministry of Education; and former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Legal

Affairs, Melissa Tucker, will now function as the Permanent Secretary at the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport.

Former Head of the Works Services Group of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Geoffrey Vaughn, has been elevated to the position of Permanent Secretary of that Ministry. Moreover, Marlyn Stephens of the Public Service Commission has now been assigned as Secretary to the Public/Police Service Commission, and Sophia Hunte is now the acting Secretary of the Teaching

Service Commission.

The Permanent Secretaries of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ministry of Social Protection, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Communities, Ministry of Business, Ministry of the Presidency, Department of Public Service, and the Ministry of Public Telecommunications all remain unchanged.

According to Harmon, changes in the public service sector are critical to the provision of improved services to citizens. He referred to the performance of the Ministries during 2016, when less than 50 per cent of budgetary allocations were spent at mid-year.

Minister Harmon said, “Last year, in our performance as Ministries, our public sector infrastructure programme, the completion rate was miserably low.

Some claimed that they were new in the work, some weren’t sure what was expected, and some were just ambivalent about the consequences of not doing things at the right time. So our performance last year was not good, and we have to do better this year.

“You have to provide a service to the people, and the State gives you a bud-

get to do so; but if at the end of the year you can only show 15, 20 or 30 per cent completion, then something is wrong. We will have to make changes.”

Directly addressing the Permanent Secretaries who were a part of the workshop, Minister Harmon said it is expected that they would be able to continue functioning in their new offices. He added that Government would continue to provide training, where necessary, to ensure their improved performance.

“When you are a public servant, a Permanent Secretary, you have the capacity to function in any Ministry of the Government, because your training is standard. We have invested in training of public servants. We have invested in training at the level of Permanent Secretaries.

We are investing at the level of entrants into the public service, and we are investing in training for persons in the middle tier. So we are spending quite a large sum of money in training people; training Guyanese to function at the level that is expected of them. Once you are given that training, much is required (of you),” he said.

Ramnarine challenges ranks to eradicate ‘Frustrated’sugar corruption in Force workers appeal ...

W

ith the state of public confidence in the Guyana Police Guyana (GPF) being at best tenuous, acting Police Commissioner David Ramnarine has charged police officers to employ every effort to eradicate corruption and strive to rebuild trust in the Force.

During the opening ceremony of several training courses for various ranks of the GPF, on Monday at the Police Officers’ Training Centre at Eve Leary,Georgetown, Ramnarine made the above charge, and told the roomful of officers that the success of any organisation depends on the integrity of its officials. He also noted that inspiring trust and eradicating corruption are two major challenges facing the GPF. In this regard, he underscored the importance of the training programmes in imbuing in law enforcement officials cognizance of the importance of trust, transparency and accountability.

“You are specifical-

from page 8

ly chosen because you are our frontline officers who interface daily with the general public, and the quality of that interaction will either aggravate or alleviate,” he declared.

He told officers that most people want to respect the police, but if police do not cultivate in the public that trust in law enforcement institutions, public confidence would not be forthcoming.

“If you are respectful, fair, patient, courteous and humble, and if you can be trusted and relied on by the public and your colleagues, then our organisation and country at large will be better off,” he admonished.

Against this backdrop, Ramnarine said the training programmes would inculcate the much-needed people skills in members of the Force, and train ranks to perform their duties with sincerity and professionalism.

“It’s not just coming on a training programme and going through a period…the whole intention is that when you

would have left or completed this programme, you are expected to be a better policemen or woman, and your behaviour and attitude have to reflect this,” he explained.

He pointed out that the Police Force has made major strides in expanding its focus on youth, revamping its learning driver theory, building capacity in the Criminal Investigation Department, strengthening its intelligence-gathering capacity, implementing a new concept of community policing, and establishing gender-based violence units in each division, among other things.

He, however, noted that the GPF is still grappling with increasing complaints of neglect, simply because of the negative attitudes and demeanors police officers employ when engaging the public.

In quoting a report from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Ramnarine highlighted that security is an increasing concern in Latin America. “High rates of crime affect al-

Acting Police Commissioner, David Ramnarine

most every area of development in a region undergoing rapid social change… The lack of trust and confidence in the ability of authorities – and in this case, law enforcement officials in particular – to protect (people) and keep their (families) safe has contributed to a sense of instability,” he read.

In this regard, he disclosed that a whopping 60 per cent of all complaints received by the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) on a daily basis are directly related to various forms of neglect arising from either poor supervision or, in many cases, no supervision at all.

Michael Chotoo, another demonstrator, told this publication that he was having great difficulty sending his children aged nine, 13 and 15 to school. “Meh family struggle because some days me children can’t go to school…meh can’t afford because meh nah get money since December month,” the frustrated father observed.

In this light, the workers once again called on the Head of State and the Prime Minister to look into their plight and intervene on their behalf.

“Not even to de Prime Minister, not one of them not come to solve our problems. Lehdem come look into our matter; we need them here because this is our President and he has to show us that he cares for us,” sugar worker Rahim (only name) expressed.

His sentiments were shared by fellow protester Fizal Ali. “We have a very good President and all of here are depending on him as well to come with the verdict as early as possible [because] we deserve

our money and we’re going to have it,” the worker highlighted.

At last Thursday’s meeting with workers, Estate Manager Dave Kumar reportedly reiterated GuySuCo’s stance that employees must go to Uitvlugt. The workers claimed that they received threats to the effect that their names would be taken off the payroll at Wales.

The workers have been protesting over the last two months. At one of their many demonstrations, the workers had reminded that President Granger and Prime Minister Nagamootoo had committed their support to the sugar industry in the run-up to the 2015 General and Regional Elections.

However, when Government had confirmed the end of sugar operations at Wales Estate last year, it was explained that cost was the main factor behind the entity’s closure. Government has also since expressed that only three sugar estates would remain operational in Guyana.

12

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

13

14 news

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Couple jailed, fined G$57M for VIP lounge cocaine bust

A

couple who were last year busted with 10.392 kilograms of cocaine at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) were on Wednesday jailed for 60 months each and fined G$57 million.

The sentence was handed down by city Magistrate Judy Latchman.

Appearing at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts was Mahendra Ramsuchit, who allegedly had in his possession on January 30, 2015, 10.392 kilograms of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

At his side was Ramsuchit’s reputed wife, Rohbina Basdeoram, who allegedly had 10.968 kilograms of cocaine for the

Rohbina Basdeoram

same purpose, at the CJIA on the same day.

According to the

scanning checkpoint when an officer attached to the Customs AntiNarcotics Unit (CANU), spotted the cocaine blocks that were disguised in a bag.

In addition to the substance found in the bag, several envelope parcels with “confidential” labels were also discovered to contain the drug.

The couple were represented by Defence Attorneys Kim Young and Everton SinghLammy, who requested the Magistrate’s leMahendra Ramsuchit niency, considering the fact that the prosecution’s case, couple had three chilthe illicit substance dren, with the youngwas unearthed at the est a seven-month

breast-feeding baby, and there was no one to take care of their offspring.

After listening to the lawyer, Magistrate Latchman, considering the amount and street value of the drug and the organised manner in which the smuggling attempt was made and to dissuade others from committing the offence, sentenced the couple to 60 months each in prison.

Meanwhile, the trial of ex-ministerial aide Kenroy Joseph, of Newtown, Kitty, came to an end on Monday morning when Magistrate Latchman dismissed the charge, which stated that the defendant aided and abetted Ramsuchit and Basdeoram, to traffic a quantity of cocaine on January 30, 2015 at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.

According to the prosecution’s case, Joseph, identifying

himself as “Kenneth Jones”, on January 30, 2015, helped the couple to pass through the VIP lounge of the Airport by presenting forged documents from the Foreign Affairs Ministry to the Airport Duty Office (ADO), stating that he was carrying out protocol duties for the two named individuals.

However, detailed security checks revealed the trio to be impostors.

The Magistrate, in her ruling, exonerated Joseph of the charge, as the prosecution had failed to present sufficient evidence to convict him. Several witnesses presented during the trial were unable to positively identify him as the individual who aided the couple.

Joseph, however, is still to face the court for uttering forged documents to officials at the Airport on the said date.

Parika woman crushed to death by canter

A

s the number of road fatalities continues to climb, a seamstress was on Thursday evening crushed to death by a canter in the vicinity of the Parika Junction, East Bank Essequibo.

Dead is Bernice Gordon, 54, of Lot 50 Parika, East Bank Essequibo.

Reports are the now dead seamstress was walking along the Parika Public Road on her way to collect her daughter, who works at a private clinic in the area, when she was struck by the canter.

As a result of the impact, the injured woman was flung several feet in the air before landed on the roadway. She suffered severe injuries to her neck, shoulder and head and reportedly died on the spot.

Speaking with Guyana Times International, Oslen Gordon, a son of the dead woman, related that he was in Georgetown when he received a telephone call from an aunt, who informed him that his mother was involved in an accident and suggested that he head to the Leonora Hospital.

Without hesitation, the young man immediately boarded a bus and headed to the medical facility. As he walked to-

Dead: Bernice Gordon

wards that compound, he recognised several of his family members and thought something was amiss. As he got closer, he was greeted with the dreaded news.

The young man further stated that his mother would leave home at about 20:00h to go and collect his sister and they would walk home together. He also recalled that sometime back, one his siblings was killed in a similar manner.

Meanwhile, he explained that the driver, who is allegedly a Police Officer, was taken into custody as an investigation was launched.

The canter was also impounded. A post-mortem examination performed on the woman proved that she died as a result of multiple injuries.

She leaves to mourn her three surviving children. She was laid to rest on Monday.

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Guyana’s Finance Minister defends implementation of several taxes in 2017 were necessary to boost an economy.

He said in order to get the economy going, taxes must be generated.

“I don’t want to do what I think most people are doing which is isolating [Value Added Finance Minister Winston Jordan Tax] VAT,” Jordan said. ith already According to him, VAT poor produc- as a tax has to be seen tion levels of in a context. He said in the sugar and rice indus- putting forward its ecotries, Finance Minister nomic policy as outlined Winston Jordan has in Budget 2017, the called for increased local Finance Ministry had to manufacturing to help set up a scheme where boost the economy. it could ascertain how Discussing Guyana’s much revenue could be fiscal status and the rea- collected and how much sons behind the imple- deficit financing could mentation of several tax- be indulged in. Knowing es in the 2017 National that, he said, would Budget, Jordan said give an idea of how Government had to take much could be borrowed several stands as it seeks abroad and locally. to stabilise an economy “We have to generthat is not yet at that ate the taxes and income place where it needs to from the economy even be. as it is growing,” he said.

Finance Minister said Speaking about the the Administration came revenue, Jordan said into Government with Government had promthe pressure of the ex- ised in its manifesto that pectations of increased it was going to do a numwages and salaries by ber of things, including citizens, the pressures reducing VAT. However, of the dwindling sugar he said in hindsight, it industry and an econo- was found that it could my that is not growing not have been done withas rapidly as one would in the first 100 days. like it to. He said the tra- He said immediately afditional sectors have also ter assuming office, it not been performing as was suggested that this well as they should, and could not have hapas such, some amount of pened. He said the probdiversification must be lem was further comhad. pounded by three critical To this end, he called expenditures. These infor increases in the local clude the Guyana Sugar manufacturing sector.

Corporation (GuySuCo).

“Very little manuHe said it was just facturing activity takes a few weeks being in place in Guyana… the office that the new last number I looked at Administration came to manufacturing, without understand the magnisugar and rice milling tude of the GuySuCo’s contribute a mere five troubles and the extent per cent to [gross domes- to which it would require tic product] GDP, which domestic financing to is very low,” Jordan told keep it afloat. journalists at a press Added to that he conference on Thursday. said was the collapse According to him, of the Venezuela marGovernment must diver- ket, where millers and sify as quickly as possi- farmers were getting a ble since it is difficult to favoured price, but bemeet all claims in the cause of the issues, the manner they are made. farmers were left strandHe said Guyana can- ed without payment. not continue to borrow, Jordan also spoke too of which will in effect in- the aggression Guyana cur debt on generations faces on the external to come. front which required Speaking on the im- new funding to aid in the plementation of taxes, diplomatic assistance.

Jordan said the moves

W

NEWS 15

16 news

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Efforts underway to market Rupununi as major tourist destination

T

he Guyana T o u r i s m Authority (GTA) and Visit Rupununi last week launched the presentation of Rupununi folders in an effort to promote and market the area as a tourism destination.

In brief remarks at the launch at the GTA

boardroom, Sophia Exhibition Site, the Agency’s Director, Indranauth Haralsingh said the Rupununi folders were one of many marketing initiatives that the GTA and Visit Rupununi would be working on together to ensure tourism development, the Government

Information Agency (GINA) said in a release.

“These (Rupununi folders) are major marketing tools that the Guyana Tourism Authority will be using, as well, when we go to trade shows abroad, locally and even events here in Guyana, and it

The Visit Rupununi team and Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) Indranauth Haralsingh display the Rupununi folders

is a key tool for visiting Rupununi,” Haralsingh explained.

The GTA Director highlighted that the partnership achieved with Visit Rupununi helped, “in the areas of marketing of new products and product development, joint ventures in community meetings and scoping, especially in training and capacity building”.

He noted that the Agency was involved in tour guide training for North Rupununi residents, and hoped to implement boat captain training soon. The GTA

Director urged the public to visit the Rupununi to attend the various activities scheduled.

Visit Rupununi’s Tourism Coordinator, Candace Phillips said that the production of the folders was a “labour of love”, since the collaborative pieces exhibit the key areas of the Rupununi. She noted that the folders provided information on accommodation, tour operators and titled Amerindian villages.

Phillips expressed gratitude that the GTA published the first prints of the Rupununi

folders since it minimised the cost of the printing materials.

Visit Rupununi was established in 2015 to develop international and local tourism through capacity building of communities and tourism service providers to market the destination, raising awareness within local communities and supporting the establishment of tourism services to provide quality, diversified and safe tourism and conserve the nature-based, traditional heritage of the Rupununi.

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

17

18 news

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Guyanese seamen admit to trafficking drugs in Barbados

B

a r b a d o s High Court judge Madam Justice Jacqueline Cornelius has ordered pre-sentencing reports into the lives of two Guyanese men who Monday pleaded guilty to several drug charges.

Coco Profitt and Paul Fraser, both Guyanese nationals, admitted to possession, trafficking and importation of 14.5 kilogrammes of cocaine and 2.0 kilogrammes of cannabis.

Attorney-at-law Samuel Legay represented the men while Principal Crown Counsel Anthony Blackman was the prosecutor on the case.

In the facts presented to the court, Blackman revealed that police acting on information

boarded the Lady Sandra boat at the Bridgetown Port on September 10, 2015, and conducted a search of the vessel after speaking with the captain. Ten packages with a white substance suspected to be cocaine, along with four packages containing vegetable matter suspected to be cannabis were found at various points on the boat.

The captain and the

two men who were on the vessel were taken to the Oistins Police Station for questioning.

After the substances found were confirmed to be cocaine and cannabis, lawmen asked Profitt to account for it.

“I tek a risk and try to bring in weed and cocaine. I was trying to get some money. I am in some financial problems and I owe a lot of people money,” Profitt reported-

ly told lawmen at the time.

Fraser, meanwhile, simply said: “I was trying to make some money.”

In a written statement, Fraser also revealed that he boarded the Lady Sandra at Fernandez Wharf in Guyana on September 7, 2015 after receiving a telephone call from the owner who he called Vicky.

He said Vicky asked him to make the trip and take cement to Barbados.

The vessel set sail and at one point he passed through the kitchen where he saw a brown bag and three black plastic bags by a flour shelf, but he did not know what was in them at the time.

Two days later, the captain informed them that the Barbados Coast

Guard would search the ship on arrival and to get rid of anything they had.

He said he went on the bridge where he worked and the cook, who he knew only as Profitt, approached him and asked him to hide something.

He questioned what it was and the cook reportedly said cocaine and weed and that on reaching Barbados “he got money to give me”.

The cook then left and came back ten minutes later with the bags he had seen previously.

Fraser further revealed, according to Blackman, that he and a man named Strongman looked into the bag and saw nine packages which they put

under the anchor motor along with the brown bag. The other bags were hidden behind drawers in the engine room.

However, when they reached the Bridgetown Port, lawmen found the drugs when they conducted a search of the vessel.

Blackman told the court that the men were not known to the island’s justice system.

Their lawyer, Legay, told the judge he would mitigate on his client’s behalf following the delivery of the presentencing report which is expected on April 24.(Reprinted from Barbados Today)

Guyanese pharma companies...

from page 3

NEW GPC. The local manufacturing giant strongly believes its quotations are being deliberately excluded or timed in such a manner to facilitate ANSA McAL. “Case in point is the Georgetown Hospital’s recent purchase of Oxytocin (Item# 114) from ANSA McAL when NEW GPC had inventory on hand and offered it at what is now confirmed at a fraction of the price. In any case, what reason could be there for an emergency purchase from ANSA McAL if NEW GPC was offering stock on hand at a better price? And what about other local suppliers?” NEW GPC questioned.

NEW GPC also noted that in recent meetings with suppliers, Georgetown Public Hospital’s senior management insisted that

they will seek out the lowest price to determine tender awards.

“Choosing to do business with ANSA McAL with these exorbitant prices is contrary to that publicly stated position and it is tantamount to misleading the other bidders who were present,” NEW GPC said.

Local supplies The company also highlighted that the Georgetown Public Hospital’s previous preference for cheapest prices created the opportunity for some importers to supply inferior products at the exclusion of locally manufactured items and this most certainly had adverse consequences on patients.

NEW GPC also noted with concern, the Georgetown Hospital’s recent removal of the 10 per cent preferential treatment for locally

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

19

20

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

NEWS 21

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Border row: Bahamas stands in solidarity with Guyana

P

rime Minister Perry Christie of The Bahamas has reiterated emphatic and unequivocal support for Guyana in its border controversy with Venezuela, and has supported President David Granger’s call for closer synergies and cooperation between The Bahamas and Guyana in the areas of tourism, industry and agriculture.

At a State Dinner held at the Hilton Hotel and hosted by Governor-General Dame Marguerite Pindling in honour of President Granger’s official visit to that country, The Bahamian Head of State, in addressing attendees at the event, made the above remarks, according to a release from the Ministry of the Presidency, and added: “We stand in complete and utter rock solid solidarity with our brothers from Guyana in their international dispute with their neighbour Venezuela.

We have worked with them through Caricom [Caribbean Community] as much as is possible to foster an imitable and equitable resolution to their dispute, and we will continue to lend our best offices in this regard.”

Pointing out that Guyana and The Bahamas share a historically long and productive relationship – which started with

President David Granger and Prime Minister of The Bahamas, Perry Christie with Ministers and other officials of the Guyana and Bahamian Governments

the close friendship between Guyana’s former President, H.E. Forbes Burnham, and founding Prime Minister of The Bahamas, Sir Lynden Pindling – Prime Minister Christie said there are significant areas in which cooperation between the two states is possible.

“I wish to adopt the view of President Granger: that our region should explore synergies with the product of sun, sand and sea on the one hand, and the wonder of flora, fauna and waterfalls of the continent on which stands Guyana, Suriname and Belize.

The President has articulated the differences that exist between our countries, and the strength of the differences; and (the possibilities that exist in) being able to capture that as we market our region.

“I pointed out to the Minister of State, Joseph Harmon

A

s Government embarks on its massive housing drive, it is looking to utilise the acres of land owned by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) that are no longer being used, as the industry is being restructured.

This was disclosed

by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon at last Thursday’s post-Cabinet press briefing.

“One of the options that is available is for us to look at lands that had been used by GuySuCo that are no longer being planted with cane – for us to utilise those lands as well for housing and other forms of development,” he told reporters.

Moreover, the State Minister indicated that the Administration would also be moving to repossess those large plots of lands granted to developers under the previous Administration which have not been in use.

“Since we took office, I believe we had served notices to the owners of these lands and asked them, basically in relation to the contracts which they had, to activate the terms and conditions of those contracts. Once the time had expired and nothing was done significantly, then Government will enter into negotiations with these persons with a view of repossess-

business community at Grand Bahama that Guyana’s close cooperation should be a particular interest of the business community here in The Bahamas, and I encourage exploration in this regard. The idea is to explore and establish contacts and synergies in as many areas as possible between our countries; and that (development should be) of mutual benefit,” he said.

Collaboration

President Granger, who was accompanied on this State Visit by Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge, Agriculture Minister Noel Holder and Business Minister Dominic Gaskin, pointed out that while Guyana has abundant resources, The Bahamas has the capital and the knowledge, having become an economic leader in the region. He added that it is through cooperation

that the region can build on its strengths to further diversify the small economies of the region.

The Guyanese Head of State noted particularly that Guyana and The Bahamas have the opportunity to deepen cooperation to better meet the challenges faced by their respective citizens, the release added.

“There is no blue in the Guyana flag. There is no green in the Bahamas flag; and that means a lot. It means that, together, we can combine our different talents to create that holistic image of the Caribbean.

We believe that we have a world class biodiversity tourism product. We came here yesterday to learn from The Bahamas about how to sell that product, because you have done remarkably well in selling your tourism product to the world.

“Guyana also has ex-

tensive lands suitable for agricultural development. In fact, I don’t say so boastfully, [but] we are 15 times the size of The Bahamas. It means that we see ourselves as the hinterland of the Caribbean. Belize, Guyana and Suriname together are bigger than Germany, (and) we are bigger than Japan. But we are one region, and if we realise our strength, if we recognise how powerful we are, we will move together much more quickly, and (journey) much further along the road of development.

So we have come here not only to learn, but also to sell some of our agricultural produce,” President Granger said.

Regional cooperation

Speaking on wider regional cooperation, President Granger said that despite the Caribbean region’s early history of conflict and

the vast sea space that separates island states and those on the mainland, Caricom states have managed to create a unique community and a zone of peace. He noted that despite the relatively small size of the countries that make up Caricom, when those states speak with one voice, it forces the world to listen.

He added that The Bahamas is an example to the rest of the region on how small states can advance economically.

Declaring that the region is stronger as a unified block, President Granger said that if this strength is recognized, the states of the region would be (travelling) much faster and further along the road to development.

“Guyana and Bahamas are integral members of the Caribbean Community.

The Bahamas is the northernmost English speaking country in our community and Guyana is the southernmost English speaking country. We therefore view this visit as an opportunity to strengthen our ties; ties which embrace the entire region. We are one Caribbean family.

We are convinced that it is only by deepening regional cooperation that we can find solutions to our common challenges.

We are small countries, but we want to ensure that all of our citizens enjoy a good life,” he said.

Govt hoping to utilise acres of land owned

by GuySuCo for housing drive ing these lands for better use by the community…

We believe it is not right for large plots of land to be lying idle while we are basically trying our best all-around to find lands for people,” he stated.

Harmon noted, however, that any repossession would have to be done via due process. He added too that Government has learnt that some developers, who were given large tracts of lands to develop housing estates, were actually subdividing the lands then selling them as house lots at costs that were several times the value they paid for them. This practice, the Minister said, is something that Government will be looking into as well.

Meanwhile, with Government embarking on several major housing projects, it is pushing the use of more local materials and contractors when doing construction work.

Harmon told reporters that Guyana imported

many foreign species of lumber when the country had a wide variety here to choose from. “…We want to encourage the use of the woods that we have here in Guyana… There are also some proposals to relook at the production of clay bricks and many of these things which really made us self-sufficient in some way; we’ll have to review these things, because we can’t just continue buying these products from abroad when in fact we have the facilities right here to do it,” Harmon posited.

Concessions

To this end, the State Minister noted that Government would be introducing tax concessions to encourage the use of local materials. He went on to say that the thrust of the coalition Government was to not only provide house lots to Guyanese but to build houses to form communities, which would be the focus of its housing drive.

On the other hand, he added that the new housing project would be a partnership initiative with the Private Sector, the details of which would be included in a White Paper to be presented to the National Assembly.

This Paper, the Minister said, will include the method of construction, which will focus more on indigenous materials and local contractors; the method of payment per unit, mortgages for recipients and criteria for allocation, and included also the issue of self-help programmes.

The document will also address squatting as Government promises to regularise the practice throughout the various regions in Guyana.

Moreover, the State Minister explained that the construction of duplexes and townhouses project which the Communities Ministry was embarking on would commence in the second quarter of this year in

April. Government recognises that housing was one of the major issues affecting Guyanese and in order to address the issue, Harmon said the housing drive was being fast-tracked.

Last September, the Communities Ministry disclosed that the construction of duplexes and townhouses, targeting Public Sector employees, youths and low-income earners, would be undertaken in order to push the development of local housing.

These housing units will be constructed in Regions Two (PomeroonSupenaam); Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara); Four (Demerara-Mahaica); Five (Mahaica-Berbice); Six (East BerbiceCorentyne); Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice) at a total cost of G$5 billion, with each unit costing G$5.4 million.

22 NEWS

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Jagdeo urges PPP/C supporters to work towards strengthening party

F

ormer President and current Opposition Leader Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has called on supporters of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) to become foot soldiers in an effort to make the party the strongest ever.

On Sunday, as he addressed close to seven thousand supporters gathered at the Babu Jaan Monument Site on the Corentyne in East Berbice for the annual wreath-laying ceremony to commemorate the 20th death anniversary of the late President Dr. Cheddi B. Jagan, the Opposition leader predicted that the PPPC would be returned to power at the next General Elections slated for 2020. As such, he urged supporters to strive towards strengthening the party, since the current administration is sending clear signals that it wants to drive fear into the working class and, to a lesser extent, the business community as well as certain ethnic communities.

Outlining the current administration’s dismal performance, particularly in regard to the ongoing efforts to close more sugar estates, Jagdeo said President Granger has made it clear that Government will not spend money on the sugar industry.

“The President has made it clear: ‘I don’t want sugar on the books’. So now that he has said that, in spite of all that they are arguing about, they have to now close some estates, like they are planning (to do) at Rose Hall and Enmore and several of the culti-

Former President Donald Ramotar pays tribute to Dr Jagan

vations. They have to do this because the President doesn’t want to spend a cent on sugar, although sugar only needs transitional help, because it could turn around in the future,” Jagdeo stated.

He also questioned the Government’s unwillingness to save thousands of jobs, and the rationale behind such a move.

“Government did not spend too much money on the Skeldon Sugar Factory. If we (had) spent too much on sugar, how is it that in 2015 and 2016, the Gold Board lost G$27B?” Jagdeo asked. “That is more that the entire cost of the entire Skeldon Factory; and Banks DIH is suing the Government for G$28B because of a decision they made to give DDL some tax write offs.

The lawsuit alone will cost us more than the cost for the entire Skeldon Factory. How can they find physical space for those reasons and they can’t find physical space to help the sugar indus-

try?”

Alluding to the role of the State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA), Jagdeo asserted that the agency is now acting in an unconstitutional way. Making mention of an incident on Friday during which members of SARA visited a businessman and asked him to produce certain documents, the Opposition Leader said SARA is now doing the work that the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) should be doing.

“Why is it that SARA will take a businessman into the Office of the President compound when it has no legal authority to do so? The reason is simple: they want to drive fear in the business community. These businessmen, if they dare to take a stand in this country, they must be afraid of the repressive nature of this Government (and) the ‘Burnhamite’ tools that they are using. Why is it that sugar workers who, when they now go on strike – which is a routine thing

provided for by law – they are told that, ‘If you continue to do this, we will shut down the factory’? It is with the aim of driving fear into the hearts and minds of sugar workers, so that they would become less militant, they would not want to take protest action, because if they do there will be consequences.

“Why is it that after putting the Value Added Tax [VAT] on private education and on educational material – and there is a petition and protest about it – the President says, ‘Their people are tax dodgers’?”

Jagdeo also pointed to intimidatory tactics being employed against members of the judiciary. “When the rulings of Judges and Magistrates go against the Government, the Attorney General uses the Chronicle newspaper and launches an attack on them. So no Judge, no independent body, will in the future want to take a decision against the Government, because they would be subjected to an assault (by) this Government; because they are fearful that it will harm them in their upliftment,” Jagdeo said.

He said Government is also trying to drive fear in the mining sector. Explaining that in his opinion what Government has

done is split the mining movement, the Opposition Leader said Government’s second move would be to go after the large miners; so the small miners have become fearful that Government would come after them, demanding large sums of money in taxes.

Addressing the way forward, Jagdeo urged supporters of the PPP to accept all those who are returning to the party. “It is the Cheddi Jagan way!” he said.

According to the Opposition Leader, party supporters must defend democracy at all cost; and on that score, he called on them to become foot soldiers.

Since his death in 1997, the life and works of the iconic Dr. Jagan, who served as this nation’s 3rd Executive President, have been celebrated annually, with thousands making the pilgrimage in his remembrance to the BabuJaan Crematorium at Port Mourant on the Corentyne Coast in East Berbice.

Born on March 22, 1918, Dr. Jagan died on March 06, 1997.

Over the years, the month of March has been dedicated to remember and reflect on the invaluable contributions he has made to the development of Guyana and Guyanese.

Also addressing the gathering were Hydar Ally, former President Donald Ramotar, former Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, representatives of the People’s Youth Organisation, the youth wing of the PPP (PYO), and the Women’s Progressive Organisation (WPO).

NEWS 23

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Indo-Guyanese urged to “step up and protect” their contributions to Guyana

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and others enjoying some classical music

A

s Guyana commemorates the 100th anniversary of the abolition of Indian indentureship here, Indo-Guyanese were called upon to step up and protect the contributions of their ancestors, whose struggles helped to propel Guyana’s development over the past centuries.

This charge was made by former parliamentarian and leader of ROAR Ravi Dev, on Friday evening at the official launch of activities to commemorate the anniversary.

The event was held at the National Cultural Centre under the theme “GarvAurIzzat”, which translates to pride and dignity.

He noted the obstacles placed in the path of the newly freed Africans by the Government to become really emancipated and the importation of indentured labourers to keep wages low.

He explained that during indentureship, Indian protests against the planters’ exploitation were actually protests against the British colonial state which underwrote sugar interests. The killings of 1939 at Plantation Leonora led to a widening of the franchise in 1947 by the Moyne Commission and the Enmore killings in

1948 to the struggle for independence and democracy. Their descendants therefore had a responsibility to protect democracy, he said.

“The essence of democracy must be nourished through protest and through the populace, who have earned and fought for their freedom, to guard their freedom jealously. Today we will do our foreparents the greatest honour to maintain our garv (our pride) and our izzat (our dignity) if we were to take our responsibility, take that inheritance and to rise up and do what is necessary to protect what we have built,” he asserted.

According to Dev, he along with all the descendants of indentured Indians have a vision that after their ancestors would have completed their services, they would get to live with pride and dignity. He posited that Indo-Guyanese could not have done as well as they wanted since the circumstances under which they were forced to live were not of their making, while adding that whatever they have brought and worked to build since arriving here in 1838 are diminishing.

On this note, he reflected on the state of the sugar industry saying,

“We cannot talk about celebrating the end of indentureship when last December 1700 persons were thrown out of work.”

He also spoke about the rice sector, which was introduced by Indian indentured labourers. Dev noted that Indians supplied rice to all of Guyana during World War II and even went onto supply the Caribbean region.

“Today we have built an industry that is 600,000 tonnes – built from our own literal sweat and blood, yet it is at risk just like how sugar is being closed down without providing alternate employment for these people. How can you simply say you will close four sugar estates, when over 6000 people will be unemployed. You give them their payoff and you expect them to do what in an economy that is at best stagnant.

What do you expect them to do,” lamented the former politician. He felt there should have been alternative employment provided.

During his presentation, Dev also gave a background into indentureship and the journey of Indians from their homeland to this hemisphere, as well as their outstanding achievements and those of their

descendants.

Meanwhile, author Ryhaan Shah challenged the audience to take actions that would reverse the uncertain future and security of IndoGuyanese, whom she said having arrived here on ships are now leaving on jet planes. “…For many Indians Guyana has unfortunately become a stopover on the voyage out of India as they travel to New York and Toronto for the safety, security and prosperity they are being denied here,” Shah pointed out.

The author continued that Indo-Guyanese have been marginalised, while noting that there is no great optimism about their future.

“It is truly Guyana’s tragedy that as we mark the centenary of the end

dence, Guyana continues to suffer the politics of one-upmanship that serves egos rather than country and people.

Adrian Anamayah, who had represented Opposition Leader BharratJagdeo, rallied Indo-Guyanese to “stand firm and resist” such marginalisation as he posited that successful Indian businessmen are being targeted by the coalition Administration.

His position was premised on the raft of legislation that Government has rolled out such as the State Asset Recovery laws.

“Indian businessmen are being penalised for their success,” Anamayah asserted.

On the other hand, remarks from the Government’s representatives reflected on

sport, as he mentioned the contributions of local cricketer and former West Indies player, Joe Solomon, who was being honoured by the Guyana Indian Indentureship Abolition Association (GIIAA), who organised Friday’s event.

“We must recognise that our ancestors have made a key contribution to all-round development of our country and their descendants continue to benefit from those contributions they have made,” Nagamootoo stated.

Presentations were also made by Social Cohesion Minister, Dr George Norton and Indian High Commissioner Venkatachalam Mahalingam.

The launching of events to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the abolition of Indian inden-

The panel of presenters at the launching of activities to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the abolition of Indian indentureship in Guyana

of Indian indentureship that we still live at the margins of society – just as our earliest jahajis did. So, what really has changed,” she questioned.

Moreover, Shah took the opportunity to address both Government and Opposition members, telling them that with political will they change the direction of the country. However she noted that even after 50 years of indepen-

the progress and contributions of the Indian Guyanese community.

In fact, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, in the capacity of acting President, said that there is much to celebrate after 100 years since the abolition of Indian indentureship.

He noted that Guyanese descendants of those indentured labourers within the century have managed to excel in all areas including

tureship in Guyana, also saw the attendance of several top officials including: Government Ministers Cathy Hughes and Jaipaul Sharma; former Prime Minister Samuel Hinds; former West Indies cricketers Joe Solomon and Roger Harper, along with his wife Elizabeth Harper; business tycoon DrYesuPersaud; Roshan Khan, YogMahadeo, and several members of the local diplomatic corps.

Hughes promises citizens ‘easy access’ to Govt services via online platforms

A

s Guyana moves to capitalise on the advances of the World Wide Web, citizens will no longer be required to travel vast distances to access many state services as they will soon be available online. This was revealed by Public Telecommunications Minister Cathy Hughes, as GTT launched its high speed Internet access in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam).

Minister Hughes highlighted that access to these State services will improve quality of life, noting that

Government will soon rollout the initiative to online platforms. This is slated to ease lines; lengthy waiting times and in many cases, long distances to travel.

“We are still refining the process but very soon you will not have to travel to Georgetown and join long lines just to be able just to submit your application for a passport – you’re going to be able to do either at your own computer at home or at any of the WiFi hotspots or maybe at an ICT hub at a post office,” Hughes told a gathering at Anna Regina. She not-

ed that the ICT hubs will be available at various locations across the country.

Minister Hughes further stated that passport applications will be the first of many Government services that will go digital.

“The objective is to place every single public service online including applications for birth, death certificates; driver’s licences; business compliance certificates; land, housing, mining and forestry permits; everything you could think of,” the Minister assured.

Hughes pointed out

Public Telecommunications Minister speaking at Anna Regina

that her hope is that Guyanese will be tech sav-

vy and ready to use the Internet. Certain services at the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) are already available online.

It was March 1 that residents along the Essequibo Coast were officially able to access GTT’s LTE service which enabled web users to access online content at lightening speeds.

At the company’s launch, two days prior, the Public Telecommunications Minister alluded to the benefits that the enhanced service would have in

Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam), noting that with the service, will facilitate opportunities for business development, research and education.

She also pointed to the benefits to E-commerce and encouraged farmers as well as entrepreneurs within the region to use the Internet as a way of finding online markets. “I truly believe that ICT will deliver the transformation within the Guyana and innovative ideas can come from all sectors,” Hughes told the gathering at Anna Regina last week.

24 news

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Richmond Hill community rallies support for fire victims G

uyanese affected

by Richmond Hill inferno which tore through a row of buildings in Queens, New York early Sunday morning, destroying at least eight homes and leaving dozens of people homeless, are still trying to recover from the massive tragedy.

According to New York media reports, the fire spread through the attached buildings located along Liberty Avenue and 110th Street. The displaced families and small business owners were directed to the neighbouring Tulsi Mandir, a Hindu religious center, located at 103-26 111st.

Several organisations in New York have so far launched various sup-

port mechanisms to help families regroup and get their lives back to some degree of normalcy.

“I’m very thankful for all the support that everyone has given. We had nothing left after the fire. All the victims that have been affected

by this tragedy now have basic supplies thanks to our community coming together” said Domattie Singh, a tenant who lived with her mother, sister and stepfather at 110-12 Liberty Ave; one of the locations completely destroyed by the fire.

This newspaper understands that IndoCaribbean Alliance, a Richmond Hill-based non-profit has set up an emergency relief fund for the victims. “We are here for our community in this time of tragedy. All proceed will be

directed to the most affected families”, said Vedesh Persaud, Acting Executive Director of the organisation. The fund is available online at www. indocaribbean.org/donate.

“We were happy to help these victims in their time of need. We provided meals, a warm space and a drop-off location for supplies. Our doors are always open to help anyone and it will remain open”, said Pandit Lakhram Maharaj, Leader of the Tulsi Mandir.

Other organisations providing support include: Nirvana H u m a n i t a r i a n Foundation, Richmond Hill Economic D e v e l o p m e n t C o r p o r a t i o n and Operation Dreamcatchers.

Meanwhile, Bobbies Travel is among some of the businesses severely

affected by the tragedy.

The company has since relocated its offices to 110-09 Liberty Avenue (across the street from their old location).

In a brief comment to the media, a representative of Bobbies Travel said that inspite of this most recent setback, the company is very strong and resilient and would do everything in its power to ensure that its work continues smoothly. The representative added that its main aim is to continue offering top quality services to customers.

Linden 2017 Mash celebrations a lively spectacle

T

One of the party trucks along the costume parade route in Linden on Sunday

his year’s Mashramani celebrations in the Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) community of Linden was deemed a success by many who were fortunate enough to be part of the lively spectacle.

Hundreds lined the streets on Sunday to get a glimpse of the numerous costumes on display by revellers, as the community hosted its leg of the Mashramani celebrations.

While the annual event originated in Linden, it is observed in the community a week after the grand celebrations in Georgetown.

Several flamboyant floats were on display for all to see, which were ably supported by revellers. The participants and party trucks made their way from the Mackenzie shore, across the Mackenzie-

Wismar Bridge and on to the Bayroc Community Centre Ground, where the costume parade culminated in a grand party.

Access and Stag party trucks kept the revellers entertained as they made their way along the route in the sunny atmosphere. Several spectators told this publication that this year’s event was “better than last year” with regard to participation. Standing out and actively participating this year was the Linden Mayor and Town Council (LM&TC).

As customary, the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) was also represented in the costume display. At sundown, the curtains came down on the float parade at the Bayroc Community Centre Ground; however, this signalled the start of the evening’s festivities.

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

25

26

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

27

28

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

feature 29

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

T

Laxhmie Kallicharran (Photo: Queens Chronicle)

he late Lakshmi Kallicharan was a Guyanese of East Indian descent who transcended racial boundaries to see Guyanese culture as a national whole rather than “Indian”, “African”, “Indigenous” “Chinese”, “Portuguese” or “Mixed” divisions of ethnicity, despite her own steadfast adherence to her East Indian heritage.

An expert in IndoGuyanese culture, Lakshmi Kallicharan was also extremely knowledgeable about Indo-Guyanese history, and became one of the premier minds in Guyana at the time; one to whom many turned to learn of the Indo-Guyanese experience.

With a degree in sociology from the University of Guyana where she had worked as a librarian, she is also described as a researcher and cultural pioneer.

Her contribution to Indian cultural awareness began in the 1970s with her first show “Lalla-Rookh”, (the name of the heroine in a romance book by Thomas Moore (1817) of the same name, and also the name of a ship that carried Indian indentured immigrants to Suriname in 1873).

She sometimes singlehandedly produced Indian cultural shows; particularly remembered is her onewoman cultural exhibition in the 1980 commemorations for Indian indentureship.

She organized a unique photographic exhibition on Indo-Guyanese artefacts and history. All this at a time in Guyanese history when Indian culture and heritage were not socially encouraged.

Ms Kallicharan would become a talented radio and television producer and also organized Indian dance and musical entertainment concerts.

She is remembered by some for introducing Guyana’s national Chutney competition during the Mashramani season. She

is also remembered for a controversy – of a former minister’s making however– when he requested that she develop a strategy for Indo-Guyanese inclusion in the season, on the premise that they were to some extent excluded from the celebrations.

Lakshmi Kallicharran was involved in IndoGuyanese literature as well, penning an anthology of Indo-Guyanese poetry in her 1986 publication “Shraadanjali” (meaning “Tributes”) along with co-editing “They Came in Ships” (1998) with Ian McDonald, Lloyd Searwar and the late Joel Benjamin. A book, also an anthology, on IndoGuyanese poetry and prose, which celebrated the 150th anniversary of the arrival of East Indians in Guyana.

For many, Lakshmi Kallicharran was also instrumental in bringing awareness and pride to Hindu religion and culture, wearing her traditional saris and similar ethnic wear to national events, both formal and informal; defying and overturning westerngrown ideas of a shameful, “primitive” or “pagan” heritage.

But she was also noted for her dedication to ensuring all Guyanese understood and appreciated their multiculturalism.

Writing for her obituary, Professor Vibert Cambridge of the School of Telecommunication and African American Studies at Ohio University noted: that “Central to the development of my appreciation for Guyana's multiculturalism is Laxhmie Kallicharran.”

He recalled too that while working as an education officer at the Kimbia Training Centre in 1976, Ms Kallicharan arrived to evaluate the books in the library there; according to Dr Cambridge, “She wanted to see if our collection was representative of Guyana's heritage and was supportive of the nation's ambitions for the future.”

Lakshmi Kallicharan

was not only a cultural activist but an independent woman who, in her teenage years was said to be seen driving her family’s Austin Mini Minor in an era when women drivers were scarce because of limiting social restrictions for women and young girls.

A later divorcee, she is said to have credited her individuality to a grandmother who lived on her own at a time when such a single life would have been frowned upon. Ms Kallicharran was also described as a mentor to several persons, both local and overseas.

Born Latchmie Kumarie Vainmati Kallicharran on June 5, 1951, the daughter of a Hindu pandit and a housewife, Lakshmi Kallicharan grew up in Berbice and attended the Berbice Educational Institute in New Amsterdam, before attending UG and working there in the 70s; settling in Georgetown.

Researchers would find various spellings of her name – as no doubt observed as well in this article. From Latchmie to Laxhmie, Lakshmi, Lachmee or Laxhmi, even the 1998 anthology spells her name differently on the cover and in its introduction. Perhaps to some a reflection of the Anglicization of her name and to others the search for authenticity of the Hindu name.

But that in no way detracts from her remarkable life and work in bringing awareness to IndoGuyanese culture.

In January 2002, Lakshmi Kallicharran died tragically in a fire at her Kitty, Georgetown home.

She was just 50 years old; no doubt too soon for her tasks to have been completed. She was cremated on February 1 after a national funeral service was held at the Umana Yana on Jan 31.

A tribute to honour the “cultural ambassador” was held on Feb 2 at the Shri Trimurti Bhavan in South Ozone Park, New York, USA, where she was wellknown and respected.

Indo-Guyanese and

multicultural Guyana have truly lost a cultural icon who must be remembered on this 100th anniversary of the ending of Indian indentureship. A system that led to her gracing us with her life here in Guyana.

30

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

feature 31

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Guyana’s stamps

With the 1838 arrival of the first East Indian labourers from India – more widely known then as the “Gladstone coolies” under the system of indentureship, Guyana’s political, social, cultural and economic landscape was forever altered and transformed.

The system of indentureship lasted until 1917, some 100 years ago, when it was abolished and the East Indian presence became permanently established by those who chose to remain on and whose foreparents had chosen to remain on what was then the colony of British Guiana.

Since their arrival, East Indians have faced many challenges to their economic, political and individual security to become of significant importance to now independent Guyana. Today, many descendants of

East Indian indentured immigrants have found an illustrious place in Guyana’s history.

Indeed, the East Indians have helped provide a unique Guyanese culture that has been commemorated in many ways over the years. One such way is on national stamps of Guyana.

As we observe the centenary of the abolition of indentureship, we look at Guyana stamps that have been issued to acknowledge East Indians of Guyana and their culture.

printed to depict the East Indian presence – perhaps one can argue though that the 1954 British Guiana six and eight cents stamps, illustrating the rice industry and sugar industry respectfully, reflected the importance of the now traditional East Indian agricultural contribution.

It would not be until three years after Guyana’s 1966 independence that the East

Commemorating Phagwah (1969)

Indian Muslim workers arrived in Guyana during the indentureship period – though scholars do point out that some African slaves may have

G

uyana’s stamps feature both East Indian personalities of great significance as well as East Indian religious festivals. In addition, stamps reflecting the India Motherland have also been issued.

During the colonisation of Guyana by Britain, no stamps were

Guyana stamp featuring cricket star Shivnarine Chandrapaul (2011)

Observing the anniversary of the Islamic Qur’an (1968)

Indian presence was recognized with four 1969 stamps depicting the East Indian Hindu festival of Phagwah, in sixcent, 25, 30 and 40-cent denominations.

The stamps are said to be two different illustrations of “Lord Krishna celebrating the festival with gopis” in 6 and 30cent and 30 and 40-cent pairs. (The gopis are a group of cow herding girls renowned within Vaishnava Theology for their unconditional devotion (Bhakti) to Krishna as described in the stories of Bhagavata Purana and other Puranic literatures, according to one source).

However, it may also be argued that the 1968 “Al Qur’an” stamp (six cents), which commemorated the 1400th anniversary of the Holy Quran of the Muslim religion, may represent the first acknowledgement of an East Indian presence, since many East

had an Islamic heritage when they were forced into slavery and shipped to then British Guiana generations earlier.

In 1972, five-cent, 25, 30 and 60-cent “Youman Nabi” stamps in observance of the birthday of the Muslim Prophet Muhammed were issued, again apparently in recognition of the predominantly East Indian Muslim population in Guyana.

Then in 1976, in honouring the Hindu religious festival of Deepavali (Diwali), four stamps were issued. The 8-cent stamp depicted “Flame in Archway”;

the 15-cent a “Flame in hand” and the 35-cent “Flame in a Diya”; the “Goddess Latchmi” was illustrated on the 60-cent stamp in the final of the four-series issue.

Guyana has always issued stamps of famous persons, from presidents to famous personalities in Guyana and around the world. However, especially in the earlier years, stamps depicting famous East Indian Guyanese were few to none.

There was a 1969, sixcent Guyana stamp of the world-revered Indian social activist Mahatma Gandhi – “Gandhi and the Spinning wheel”, celebrating the birth centenary of Gandhi.Many other world famous nonGuyanese have since been featured on Guyana stamp issues. The few Guyanese include former president Burnham (from 1970) and Trade Union founder Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow (1979).

It wasn’t until 1993 that significant Indian Guyanese were honoured by the Guyana Post Office. Guyanese statesman Sir Shridath Ramphal received the Order of the Caribbean Community, and in November a $7.65 stamp in his honour was issued, “First Recipients of the Order of the Caribbean Community”.

Sir Shridath was again featured in a 1994 stamp for the Order of the Caribbean Community.

In Dec 1993, the now late President Cheddi Jagan received his first illustration on a Guyana stamp; the $6.40 stamp was issued in commemoration of his first anniversary as president, after the 1992 general elections that brought him to rule.

President Jagan was also featured in 1997 in commemorative editions of the 50th anniversary of Jagan in Parliament ($6) and with former American President Clinton on the latter’s visit to the Caribbean that same year ($30 and $100).

Others stamps to follow are sparse and few between but include world famous West Indian cricketer: Guyanese batsman Rohan Kanhai in 1993 ($50) and in the year 2000 ($100). Later Indo-Guyanese batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul was honoured with a $100 stamp issued in 2011.

In 1995, as the Queenstown Jama Masjid celebrated its centenary, a$60 stamp picturing the mosque was issued.

Then in 2014, Indian Guyanese Sandra Persaud was one of several Guyanese women featured in a “Women in Aviation” Guyana stamp issue. Persaud, who joined the aviation industry in 1973, was depicted in the $80 stamp and with another female Guyanese, Paula McAdams, on the $150 edition.

Guyana also featured a “Sites and Scenes” of India stamp edition in 2011 that illustrates religious, historical and natural places of the ancestors of the East Indian Guyanese today; people who brought a proud and rich heritage thousands of miles to leave in the care of descendants who remain steadfast to their culture.

For more information on this stamp theme or topic, go online or visit the Guyana Post Office or the Guyana Philatelic Society or its website.

Honouring the religious festival of Diwali (1976)

32 feature

W

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Savitri with her husband and relatives on her wedding day

hen our Indian ancestors came to Guyana as indentured labourers, they brought with them age-old traditions that were passed down from generation to gen-

eration. Locally, most of these traditions are dying off, so there is a need to learn and record these ancient customs today.

One such dying tradition in Guyana is the gudna. For hundreds if

not thousands of years, India has maintained a rich cultural heritage of tattooing, called gudna, (which translates “burying the needle”) in Hindi.

Although the exact date of the history of tat-

tooing art in India has not been established due to lack of records on the custom, information as far back as 1910 suggests that tattooing was popular from Punjab to Assam to Madhya Pradesh to Orissa to the states down south.

To find out more about this ancient tradition of tattooing for married women, Sunday Times Magazine interviewed 75-year-old Savitri Bisram who resides in Herstelling, East Bank Demerara.

She proudly showcased her gudna, as she called it, to this publication.

Savitri said she got married when she was 17 years old; an arranged marriage. She recalled not being afraid to get married to a man chosen by her parents, nor did she object to the arrangement because, according to her: “...what your parents tell you to do you have to follow”. Her husband died in 1976, and Savitri never remarried.

She raised their eight children alone – the oldest is now about 54 years old. Viewing her reaction to the question of remarriage was admirable.

It was an unthinkable question to her because “You marry one person only”.

The gudna embedded on Savitri’s inner right arm displays a greeting in Hindi and ‘Bisram’, her late husband’s name, just under it. She recalled getting it when she got married and came to her husband’s home. She noted that the gudna is specifically done by a Hindu religious man.

Though she cannot recall who told her she must get a gudna, she

Savitri Bisram proudly shows off her 'gudna'

remembers seeing it on the hands of females in her family, including her mother and motherin-law. Savitri was told that if she did not get the gudna, then her in-laws would not eat or drink from her. She added that it was a sign of respect and commitment to her husband.

Sunday Magazine also spoke to Judith Deosarran, who is a Christian but grew up in a Hindu household. She said that her “grand father-in-law”, who came to British Guiana from India to work as an indentured servant, did not accept food served by her because she does not have a gudna. However, he would still eat what she cooked, but took it out himself. She said he did not tell her the reason for his refusal, but “older people” told her the reason is she does not have a gudna. Judith disclosed she never liked

Savitri's 'gudna' is of her husband's name

how a gudna looked (seeing it on her mother’s hand) and so decided not to get one.

Guyanese-American journalist/author Gaiutra Bahadur, who penned “Coolie Woman”, recalled on her website cooliewoman.com that she met “a woman nearly a century old, born to indentured parents in plantation barracks in Guiana” who told her about “a tattoo that new brides were inked with in northeast India, called Sita ki Rasoi, or “Sita’s Kitchen”.

“She told me that she couldn’t cook for her inlaws without it. And sure enough, “The Popular Religion and Folk-Lore of Northern India: Volume 2”, an ethnography written in 1896, confirmed that brides in northeast India could not cook for their in-laws without being inked with the tattoo.

That the practice continued for generations in the Caribbean, far from the villages where it began, speaks to an enduring cultural commitment to family and tradition.

Apparently, the subaltern body could speak, in the case of indentured women. Their vow of housewifely devotion was written on their very bodies,” Bahadur explained.

From speaking to several other older women, it seems that in Guyana the tradition of tattooing a husband’s name/initials on a married Indian (Hindu) woman’s arms is solely known as gudna. Anything other than husbands’ names/initials are simply known as “tattoos”.

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

By Petamber Persaud

The Shaping of Guyanese Literature

33

Centennial End to Indentureship

Part IV

(“Centenary History of the East Indians of British Guiana, 1838-1938”, by Peter Ruhomon with a Foreword by then Governor, Sir Gordon Lethem, first published in 1947 by the Daily Chronicle’s ‘Guiana Edition’, reprinted in 1988 by the 150th Anniversary Committee of the Arrival of Indian in Guyana May 5, 1838.)

T

he “Centenary History of East Indians of British Guiana” covers the hundred-year period from 1838 – the beginning of indentureship in Guyana - to 1938 when the centenary of the arrival was celebrated with much pomp and dignity.

According to Ruhomon “the celebration was … marked with the pomp and circumstance befitting the occasion and the great event it was intended to commemorate.” Although there was no public holiday, despite efforts to obtain public recognition, activities were centred in the city and around the country.

“The first event of the day took place in the spacious pavilion of the East Indian Cricket Club…” presided over by Governor Sir Wilfred Jackson who, in his remarks, declared “that the advent of the East Indian settler had been a decisive factor in determing (sic) the lines of development and thus shaping

the destiny of the Country”.

The hundred-year-period history included the end of indentureship in 1917 with the recording of events adjourned at the year 1938 but not before the author was able to lay the foundation of an exciting future as alluded to in the book’s final chapter titled, ‘The Close of a Century’ where the “people who from the toil and moil of a new slavery had emerged into the light of a new day”!

The ‘new day’ unfolded in academic texts and fictional accounts published by writers after 1947. A few of the scholarship on the Indian presence in Guyana would include “The Weston Trial” by Dr. Cheddi Jagan, first published by Michael Joseph Limited, London in 1966;“A Historyof Indians in British Guiana” by Dwarka Nath, London 1970; “Indiansin Guyana”

by Basdeo Mangru, Adams Press, Chicago, Illinois 2000;“Tigerin the Stars, The Anatomy of Indian Achievement in BG 1919 -1929”, by Clem Seecharan, Macmillan Education Ltd., 1997;“The Settlementof Indians in Guyana 1890 – 1930” by Dale Bisnauth, Peepal Tree Press, 2000, and others. So Ruhomon’s book is a seminal work in this area of study.

This history by Peter Ruhomon is a well-researched work evidenced in the details with whichissues are ventilated and supported by official records. That it was some seventeen years in the making indicates the thoroughness with which the author approached the task, taking pains to avoid pitfalls that plagued historians before him. Ruhomon was always questioning the text and so he was able to find answers that were deliberately hidden. In his introduction he declared “as I peered into the musty records of the past, the drama slowly unfolded before my eyes in all its luridness and vividness of details; with the tragic happenings that have punctuated the course of our long and chequered history, our aspirations and strivings through cloud and sunshine, through hopes and despairs, through joys and sorrows; the influences that operated to shape our life as a community; and present position in which we now find ourselves and our prospects in the great future that lies ahead of us”. The-then Governor of the colony, Sir Gordon Lethem, was in full support of the work as he declared in the foreword:“…the compilation of the historical facts recorded in his book is the result of praiseworthy

employment of much of his leisure time”. Sir Lethem in that foreword made a magnanimous observation that “Mr. Ruhomon’s book… should be a useful addition to the literature of British Guiana and especially to that section relating to the Indians of British Guiana which up to now has not received the attention from the literati of the Colony which is deserves”.

It was not until the 1960s that we see works of fictional and autobiographical representations of IndoGuyanese lives written

by Indo-Guyanese. Before then we had nothing giving us an insight into the inner feelings, ways of seeing or even the intimate social texture of Indo-Guyanese lives. The book is made up of twenty-three chapters, a preface to the second printing, a foreword, an introduction, a few illustrations and photographs and an index, designed to satisfy the lay reader’s search for the facts and to inspire the academics to further scholarship. Although each chapter is important to the whole, some chapters could stand on their own like ‘Emancipation and its effects on the labour situa-

tion’, ‘Plantation life’, ‘Land settlements’, ‘The Rice Industry’, ‘Political awakening’, ‘Social Movements’ and ‘Tragic events of the century’ tabulating Indian resistance, all of which were designed for us to appreciate the Indian pres-

ence in Guyana.

Responses to this author telephone (592) 226-0065 or email: oraltradition2002@ yahoo.com What’s Happening: Coming soon a new pocketbook “Guyanese Writers of Indian Ancestry”

34 news

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Teen appears in Court over murder of Top Cop’s brother

A

15-year-old Sophia, Greater Georgetown teen, who allegedly killed Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud’s brother was slapped with a murder charge on Tuesday.

The teen appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

The teen, who is accused of killing Hemant Persaud on February 19, 2017, was sobbing throughout the court proceedings.

The prosecution is contending that on the day of the murder, the juvenile in the company of another at the Stabroek Market Square, noticed Persaud in a drunken state. The court was further told that the deceased had reportedly just returned from the interior and was seen making “wild” purchases from a vendor, after which he (the teen)

trailed him to the back of the market and attempted to rob him of his valuables. In the process of the robbery, the teen stabbed Persaud.

The 51-year-old of Affiance Village, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) by public spirited citizens where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The teen when arrested on March 3, at his Sophia, Georgetown home, had allegedly admitted in the presence of his family and Police officers to committing crime. Guyana Times Internationalreported that a woman suspected to be involved in the stabbing to death of Persaud, was arrested but was released since at that time, the Police were unaware of the identity of the man.

Dead: Hemant Persaud

Persaud remained unidentified for approximately two weeks at the GPHC mortuary, as his family had believed he was in the interior.

However, it was not until Police released information seeking the public’s assistance in the identification of the man, that the body was confirmed to be that of Hemant Persaud.

Meanwhile, the teen was remanded to the Sophia Juvenile Detention Centre until March 15, when the matter will continue.

Guyanese music icon appointed as visiting artist-in-residence

T

he University of Guyana recently appointed overseas-based Guyanese Keith Waithe as the Visiting Distinguished Artist-in-Residence.

The appointment was made by Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith.

Waithe has been employed for the period of February 20-April 8, 2017. He is expected to undertake both theoretic and practical engagements of the music department at UG. Waithe is a flautist with expertise in Guyanese folk music and jazz. Residing in the United Kingdom, the musician serves as a visiting lecturer attached to the University of London and Royal Holloway University of London, as well as other institutions. He is an awardwinning composer who

Keith Waithe

leads “The Macusi Players”, known for blending music with origins from the Caribbean, South America, Asia and Africa. Adding to the list, Waithe is a trained educator who holds an enhanced DBS certificate.

His appointment will see him conducting master classes at both the Turkeyen and Tain campuses. He will be focusing on a range of musical genres and styles, using the flute and drum-

ming as the key instruments. Waithe also sits on the planning committee for the forthcoming Diaspora Engagement Conference with the main duties of organising the cultural aspect of the week-long event and mobilising Guyanese of the UK diaspora to participate, adding diversity to the historic affair.

Vice Chancellor Griffith explained that Waithe was an outstanding cultural ambassador of Guyana. He also noted that the flautist was one of the few music leaders who can command respect across racial, cultural and geographical margins. Professor Griffith is pleased to leverage for benefit of both the staff and students Waithe’s presence and welcomed the all-rounder to the University of Guyana as the Visiting Distinguished Artist-inResidence.

Bird smuggler fined G$140,000 Brazilian pastor remanded

A

Canadian man was on Tuesday fined G$140,000 when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, charged with attempting to smuggle birds out of Guyana.

Devendra Narine, 38, admitted that on March 7 at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), without obtaining a permit, he attempted to export 10 birds out of the jurisdiction.

The prosecution’s case contended that Narine was busted with the birds in the screening area of the airport, when his hand luggage was checked by Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit officials.

When questioned by the authorities, the man reportedly admitted to ownership of the birds, stating that he was taking them to Canada. He was then arrested, investigated and charged with the present offence.

When given the opportunity to speak, Narine was heard saying “I love birds; I do not have any kids so that is

on causing death charge

Davendra Narine

my hobby…”

The Magistrate then ordered he pay a fine of G$140,000 or a default of eight months imprisonment. He was also disqualified from obtaining an import/export permit for a period of 12 months.

Accused: Haleno Luiz and victim Maurice Mosely (inset)

S

enior pastor at the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG), popular television host HalenoLuiz, was on Monday arraigned before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, and has been remanded to prison for causing the death of pensioner Maurice Mosely by dangerous driving.

It is alleged that on March 3, 2017, at Hadfield and Smyth Streets, Georgetown, the 35-year-old pastor drove motor vehicle PVV 4765 in a manner dangerous to the public, thereby causing the pensioner’s death.

Luiz was not required to plead to the indictable charge.

Defence attorney Sase Gunraj related to the court that his client is a Brazilian, is married with three children,

and had been residing in Guyana with his family for the past three years as he spreads the word of God. He also said that his client is prepared to lodge his passport with the relevant authorities, and is willing to comply with any condition that the court may impose in regard to bail.

The attorney’s application for bail for his client was, however, unsuccessful, as Police Prosecutor Deniro Jones objected to the granting of bail based on the gravity of the offence and the penalty attached thereto. Jones argued that the accused is not a resident of this country, and has not given a caution statement to the police nor provided any travel documents for the police to peruse; thus he can be considered a flight risk if bail should be granted.

The prosecution also disclosed that because

a post-mortem has not been performed on the deceased, the prosecution’s file is still incomplete.

Prosecutor Jones related that on the day of the incident, the pastor was proceeding east along Hadfield Street at a fast rate. He failed to stop upon approaching the intersection at Smyth Street, and collided with the motorcycle the deceased was driving. Rushed to the hospital, the injured man was pronounced dead on arrival.

Attorney Gunraj contended that his client’s passport was never requested during the investigation process, making same an unreasonable basis for objecting to bail. Moreover, he declared the charge a bailable offence, and asserted that the constitution vests in a defendant the right to remain silent, with the exercise of this right not being held against that defendant.

Several members of the church crowded the courtroom in support of the pastor, and were seen praying throughout the session.

The Chief Magistrate denied the defendant bail, ruling that Luiz must be considered a flight risk owing to the flexible access across the Guyana-Brazil border.

The pastor was remanded to prison and the matter stands adjourned until March 14.

news 35

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Guyana hoping to set up electronic visa system to clamp down on fraud

I

n an effort to clamp down on fraudulent migration, the European Union (EU) will be collaborating with the Citizenship Ministry to set up an electronic visa system for travellers entering Guyana.

Citizenship Ministry, Winston Felix, received the policy recommendations and guidelines for establishing an Electronic Visa (E-Visa) and work visa system.

This is expected to aid in the implementation and development of a modernised visa issuance

Citizenship Minister Winston Felix

Accused denies killing teen T he accused on trial for the 2012 murder of Rayaad Khan, who was fatally stabbed to his chest with a broken glass bottle after an altercation, has denied responsibility for the crime. The defendant, Christopher DaSilva, appeared before Justice Navindra Singh at the High Court in Georgetown on Wednesday where he entered a not guilty plea when the allegation was put to him.

Moments before, a 12-member mixed jury was selected. This group will sit throughout the trial and will later determine whether or not the accused is guilty or innocent.

The prosecution’s team will be contending that the stabbing occurred at about 20:00h on June 28, 2012, at 17th Avenue, Diamond New Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

According to the postmortem examination, Khan died from shock and hemorrhage due to a single stab wound to the chest. Khan, formerly of Section C, Golden Grove, EBD, was 17 years old at the time of his demise, while the alleged perpetrator, DaSilva was 18.

At the time of the incident, reports were the two young men argued over the attention DaSilva’s girlfriend had paid to Khan.

Detective Lance Corporal of Police Desmond Johnny was the first witness to testify at Wednesday morning’s trial. The Policeman was one of the investigative officers at the murder scene. At that time, he was attached to the Brickdam Police Station.

Detective Johnny recalled that he went to the crime scene after he

Deceased: Rayaad Khan

received instructions around 21:30h that night.

The witness testified to witnessing what appeared to be blood at several spots on the road, near the murder scene. The jury heard that Johnny retrieved a right side pink slipper and a “New York” cap in the grass on the western side of 17th Avenue. Questioned by the State prosecutor, the Policeman admitted that lighting conditions were “poor” when he conducted the investigation at Diamond, EBD almost five years ago. He however clarified that despite these conditions, he was able to recognise the faces of the Police ranks that accompanied him.

As his investigations continued, the Police rank said he found a “bunch of keys” the next day. Later on in his testimony, the witness positively identified 13 pictures from the murder scene which he had initialled. Eleven other witnesses are expected to testify in the trial, which is being presented by State Prosecutors Siand Dhurjon and Tuanna Hardy.

Da Silva is represented by Attorneys Maxwell McKay and Mark Waldron. The trial continues today (Thursday) before Justice Singh at the High Court.

system.

It comes almost two years after seeking assistance for policy guidelines on its establishment. Minister Felix explained that Guyana’s visa application process saw immigration officers using a rubber stamp.

This process, he noted, was the same since independence. He pointed to cases being reported by immigration officers of foreigners presenting their passports with bogus Guyana stamps.

“How long must we contend with a situation in which our immigration system is easily defrauded? And once we recognise fraud in a legitimate system it is our duty to ensure that we protect it.”

“I am happy to receive it because it would

EU Ambassador to Guyana, Jernej Videtič

be the source for correcting many issues associated with our visa system currently in operation.

The world is changing, but the migration policy in Guyana has not changed.”

“We have had our im-

migration laws and visa facilities available since we became independent, with very little change to it. But in this changing world, which sees human trafficking, transnational crime, irregular migration patterns, we in Guyana are now seeking to harden the soft parts of our immigration system.”

EU Ambassador to Guyana, JernejVidetič, personally handed over the report to Citizenship Minister Felix. He noted the European Union’s commitment to improving the visa system which is slated to reduce fraudulent practices in the migration process.

“Guyana’s economy will benefit from a system which makes tourism more attractive and provides more transparency for foreign in-

vestment and a genuine need for foreign labour.

Safety and security will be enhanced through a well-managed, easily traceable system, which prevents the unregulated inflow of non-citizens.

It will also bring social, educational and cultural benefits and meet humanitarian objectives,” Videtič said.

The report was compiled by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). The work on it began after a request from Guyana to the African, CaribbeanEuropean Union (ACPEU) Migration Action Programme in June 2015 for technical assistance, in order to improve the local visa processing and issuance system, as well as immigration services.

36

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

This week's Crossword

This week's Puzzle

see solution on page 47

Profits…

Y

…and the Hezekiah doctrine

our Eyewitness has been around the block – and then some. So, he’s not easily fazed, especially by politicians in the age of Trump. But this Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman has him thrown for a loop. Discussing the revenues he believes will flow our way from the Exxon’s Stabroek field, he revealed he was operating under the tenets of the Hezekiah doctrine.

What was that, you asked, Dear Reader? Well, your Eyewitness also did a double take…and was forced to google. Seems Hezekiah was a Biblical King who showed off his wealth to a Babylonian ambassador and was warned by the prophet Isaiah.

Stimulating Babylonians’ greed wasn’t a good move: even “the children you will beget will be taken to be eunuchs,” said Isaiah.

Now Trotman, deathly afraid of our children becoming eunuchs of some foreign invader, refused to reveal the terms of our oil contract with Exxon since the untold wealth exposed would make some unnamed foreign invader unleash his legions against us. Hezekiah’s doctrine! While the Minister – as befits a man trained in International Relations – didn’t openly name the new Babylonians he just happened to mention the imminence of a possible settlement of the Venezuelan border controversy by the UN or the World Court.

Now your Eyewitness would’ve thought with Venezuelans pumping out oil over the last five decades they’d have a pretty good idea of what we’d be making since the Minister had already revealed that Guyana was getting a 50 per cent share of revenues – after development costs and extraction costs are deducted! The only thing they don’t have to determine our share of the profits is the price we’d be getting four years hence.

So it would appear Trotman’s figured this out – and it’s back in the US$100+ range – since he’s predicting wealth to make an invasion a cert if the details of the contract is revealed!! Thing is… if Trotman has an algorithm to figure out oil prices, Guyana doesn’t even need oil. Just plunk down our reserves on oil futures!! And then again, we’re talking about Exxon’s 50 per cent also being threatened by the Hezekiah doctrine.

Their immediate past CEO just happens to be the Secretary of State of the greatest power on Planet Earth, whose president is just rubbing his hands in glee and muttering, “Make my day, Maduro!!”

So exactly what is Trotman hiding under the fake Hezekiah Doctrine?

But back to the question of counting our “oil wealth”. Does Trotman know Exxon just plunked down US$6 BILLION to enter the shale-oil business – that can make profits at US$30??

And that the coming shale glut will temper any price rise his algorithm might’ve projected? …and private education Some folks are still trying to square the circle of the Government slapping VAT on private education.

One excuse is that private schools are making money hand over fist? Well, as your Eyewitness said before – tax the schools on their profits! And if they were granted “tax free” status, then as with all the other tax concessions that are being stripped from businesses, do the same with private schools that are essentially businesses.

The apologists take the public for fools. The VAT isn’t going to come from the schools – they’ll be merely collecting it from the students and passing it on to the Government. So let’s cut all the BS! What’s really going on was revealed in the very first outburst by the Finance Minister: those who can afford to send their kids to private schools can afford to pay the VAT for the Government.

This betrays the envious reflex of this Government’s functionaries towards those they think have money.

Think parking meters, SARU, etc…etc.. …from sugar When all is said and done, the Government’s going to sell off the estates – and they’re not going to give it away to cronies.

So are the workers getting their 60 per cent profit sharing?

feature 37

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Ashook Ramsaran at Kolkata Memorial

By Ashook Ramsaran

I

ndian indentureship followed British emancipation of slaves in 1834. The urgent need for labour in the British plantations across the world necessitated a system which could provide continuous flow of cheap labour from India with its abundant availability. It was an intense and harrowing period of Indian migration to faraway lands of then British colonies, on the basis of an indentureship contract with very strict terms and conditions, rosy promises and hope for a better livelihood.

March 20, 2017 marks the centennial of the official abolition of Indian indentureship, an era spanning the years 18341917. The majority of those labourers came from the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry.

The journey beginning in 1834 from Kolkata and Chennai (Madras) to plantations in the colonies was the beginning of wholesale Indian labour as a commodity for profit and new multi-ethnic colonies, many contentious at times.

The history and consequences of Indian indentureship are deeply embedded with tremendous significance, importance, meaningful history and reflections to millions of descendants living in many countries which were the recipients of Indian Indentured labourers seeking better livelihoods.

These countries in-

cluded: Mauritius, Fiji, Malaysia, South Africa, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname, Jamaica, Belize and other countries of the Caribbean, as well as former French colonies of Reunion Island, Seychelles, Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guiana.

The 100th anniversary of the abolition of Indian indentureship is a fitting recognition and honoured tribute to those who made the hazardous journey, endured unexpected hardships and achieved beyond expectations. The descendants of Indian indentureship have achieved through hard work, thrift and resilience, and progressed in all segments of society in their countries of birth, as well as in countries of adoption by those who have made second journeys.

Indian heritage is a powerful asset in the Indian diaspora that some other colonial powers marginalized persons of Indian origin curbing cultural observances and by making it difficult to maintain cultural traditions; despite such efforts, those Indians persevered and sought more to preserve and protect Indian by culture, heritage and values, and survived and remained vibrant.

Indian heritage has undoubtedly influenced our lives and in time, we have also influenced the lives of others (non-Indians) in our midst. Visible examples include Gadar movement spawned and encouraged others in diaspora countries in their

struggle for their independence; Gandhi as model of tolerance and perseverance for those seeking peace, civil rights and equality in U.S.A., South Africa and other countries; celebration and general acceptance of Holi (Phagwah) and Diwali by non-Indians.

Courage, reliance, determination, thrift and hard work, competitiveness, faith reverence and respect – hallmarks of “Indianness” derived from culture, heritage and values that are maintained, nurtured and remain with us beyond the shores of India. As a precaution, it behoves us to take steps to promote and preserve Indian culture, heritage and values among the younger generation in the diaspora who could be easily swayed by the influences of technology, mobility and inter-marriage - lest the diaspora wanes in these attributes that are serving it well.

The Indian Diaspora Council, in collaboration with its global affiliates and many prominent and well established organizations and institutions in various countries, is coordinating a series of high profile global events to mark the centennial of abolition of Indian indentureship befitting of this historic occasion. The big finale is the Indian Diaspora World Convention 2017, a series of events marking the 100th anniversary commemoration of abolition of Indian

Indian Arrival Monument in Trinidad

indentureship,from March 17 to March 20, 2017 in Trinidad & Tobago. The convention’s theme is "Centennial of Abolition of Indian Indentureship: End of an Era of Indian Migration & Embarking on New Frontiers and Achievements”. Events are planned for India, Fiji, Mauritius, Guyana, Suriname, South Africa, Netherlands, France and UK. This historic milestone in the journey of people of Indian origin who left India generations ago is another significant marker of their journey to other lands seeking better livelihoods. In recognition of this milestone, a commemoration monument is to be unveiled on March 20, 2017 in the City of Chaguanas in Trinidad &

Tobago. This monument would be following the highly acclaimed Kolkata Memorial, Kolkata, India (2011) in recognition of all of those who left India as indentures during the period 1834-1917; Indian Arrival Monuments in Highbury and Monument Gardens in Georgetown, Guyana (1913); Indian Arrival Monument at Waterloo-by-the-Sea in Trinidad & Tobago on May 29, 2014; and several similar markers in Mauritius, Reunion Island, Guadeloupe and other countries impacted

by Indian indentureship.

We are always reminded of the Indian indenturedlabourers and their pioneering spirit, determination, persistence and endurance under extremely harsh conditions. While survival

Highbury monument in Berbice

must have been the primary concern, they persevered to maintain their sense of origin, traditions, culture and religion.

Their children, grandchildren and following generations will always take pride in this unique accomplishment, recognizing and appreciating the sacrifices and achievements made on their behalf. We also recognize the invaluable contributions they have made to the diverse culture and economic development of these many lands far away from their ancestral home.

On Indian Arrival Day 2015 in Guyana, I remarked that “our ancestors came here partially by choice, many forced but resolved and persevered under very difficult and harrowing conditions. That shared experience, that saga of shared history, fostered an unusual kindred spirit of resolve, togetherness and kinship – a triumph over obstacles and difficulties with dreams and aspirations of a destiny intertwined by history and fate. We pay homage to those who came before us – from Kolkata, Madras, Madeira, Macao, Gambia and Congo.

We have roots in India, Africa, China, Portugal and the Americas, yet we have nurtured stronger roots here, moulded in this land, from whence the descendants have gone to other lands and established themselves with remarkable successes. Such is the special nature of a Guyanese – making it better with each journey, looking for opportunities and excelling in pursuits”.

38

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

feature 39

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Recollections of Indentureship

famines.

Millions were also thrown out of work when the British forbade Indian weavers from producing cotton yarn and the cotton fabrics that had enthralled E u r o p e .

Henceforth, only cotton woven by British looms could be sold in India!

Where were the weavers to get the money

Under the British, India suffered countless famines.

But the worst hit was Bengal The first of these was in 1770, followed by severe ones in 1783, 1866, 1873, 1892

B

etween 1838 and 1917, 239,000 Indians were brought as “indentured labourers” for the sugar plantations of Guyana – and a like number to the West Indies. The question arises as to why these persons left their country when their custom forbade “crossing the “Black Waters” (Kala Pani)”. The short answer is structurally, it was ultimately a matter of life and death.

While indentured labour might be seen as a transitory passage of human labour from chattel slavery to the so called “free labour” of today, the conditions that herded Indians into that option were man made. The sugar planters had no faith that free Africans would sell their labour at a rate to make sugar profitable. They therefore actively sought a new supply that would guarantee such cheap labour on demand.

But where would such rates that could not attract freed slaves be a “pull factor” for indentureship? The answer was British India.

The story begins in 1757 when the troops of the British East India Company captured Bengal from the Moguls and completed their inexorable conquest of the legendarily rich India within 50 years. Less than a decade later – between 1768 and 1771

from Bengal andeastern Bihar (from where most Guyanese immigrants originated) – more than 10 million persons: one third of the population – died from a “famine”.

Why? Two reasons.

Firstly, the farmers that supplied the bulk of the population with foodstuff were forced by the British into producing cash crops for export – even while they were forced to pay onerous taxes at the threat of death and violence.

We quote the words of then British Governor, Warren Hastings who boasted to the home office: “Notwithstanding the loss of at least onethird of the inhabitants of the province, and the consequent decrease of the cultivation, the nett collections of the year 1771 exceeded even those of I768… It was naturally to be expected that the diminution of the revenue should have kept an equal pace with the other consequences of so great a calamity.

That it did not was owing to its being violently kept up to its former standard.”

The cash crops the farmers were forced to grow included cotton, opium, indigo and, as described above, this was simply to keep paying off the extortionate demands of the British who exported rice and wheat even during the

to buy food much less clothes?

Incidentally, Britain became the largest drug dealers up to the present, where the opium – up to 800 tons annually – were shipped to China so that the British could buy Chinese tea.

Between the Bengal famine of 1768 and the end of indentureship in 1917, conservatively, more than 54 million Indians perished from famine. In the book Late Victorian Holocausts (2001) Mike Davis describes how Viceroy Lord Lytton,

insisted that wheat be exported to England.

In 1877 and 1878, at the height of the famine, when 10.3 million persons perished, grain merchants exported a record 800,000 tons of wheat and 1.9 million tons of rice. As the peasants began to starve, officials were ordered “to discourage relief works in every possible way”.

And this is why the upsurge of indentured Indians correlated with the Britishinduced famines.

40 feature

Devendra Bishoo

By Ravi Madholall

S

h i v n a r i n e Chanderpaul’s auspicious start to international cricket at the famous and now

abandoned Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) ground Bourda in 1994 was a continuation of the Indian’s contribution to both Guyana and West Indies cricket.

After twenty consecutive years, the 42-year-old stalwart Chanderpaul has undoubtedly made Guyana proud. An epic career that was certainly admirable in the coveted maroon colours!

Chanderpaul, the elegant left-hander, surged to one of Guyana’s most distinguished batsmen to have graced the cricketing field. He joined another man with an illustrious career for Guyana and by extension West

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Rohan Kanhai

Indies, Berbician Rohan Kanhai.

In comparison to Chanderpaul’s talent and his predictable accomplishments, Kanhai’s won the bat-

tle of great admirers for his flamboyance and his trademark on-the-back sweep-shot that made him a unique legendary with the display. Kanhai only went about 79 tests whereas Chanderpaul featured in an incredible 164 games.

From the beginning Chanderpaul trekked out as a diminutive batsman only to churn out a debut half-century (62) against the England’s touring side in front of a capacity facility, rich history loomed for him.

They remained two great sons of Guyana’s soil for their exploitations on the cricket field.

Their contributions are terrifically wonderful!

Cricket statistics of these two phenomenal Guyanese cricketers speak volume and without a doubt to emulate them will obviously need a herculean task.

When Chanderpaul hit the first triple-century (303*) for Guyana at the annual West Indies Cricket Board regional four-day tournament against traditional Caribbean giant team Jamaica at Sabina Park in 1996, he was seen as one of the greatest Guyanese East Indian batsmen to bat with that amount of great application and fortitude.

He was a meticulously prime batsman for Guyana and West Indies, and at that time he resonated to become a leading batsman for the West Indian too.

The man from Unity, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara fortified his dominance as an athlete with tremendous talent.

He shared numerous partnerships for Guyana and West Indies with Ramnaresh Sarwan. Sarwan, a neater right-handed batsman born in Wakenaam, an Essequibo Island, but honed most of his cricketing skills after his parents decided to move up to Georgetown.

In most of their presence at the crease, both Chanderpaul and Sarwan possessed the qualities to bring home victories on a consummate ease fortunately, Guyanese cricket fanatics saw them on plenty occasions.

Among these three established East Indian Guyanese cricketers, another name that would have brought delight to Guyanese fans was the little left-handed batting star from Berbice, Alvin Kallicharran.

Good thing for Kallicharran he was in the era when the regional side was dominating world cricket, particularly in the game’s longest version.

His 66 test appearances for West Indies placed him in the elite list of East Indian productive cricketers able to represent Guyana at the highest level and more prestigiously West Indies high-profile side.

Alvin grew up in the Ancient County with cricket surrounded him.

A cousin of the famous Kanhai and the uncle of former West Indies leg-spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo. All born in Port Mourant, Berbice.

Ramnaresh Sarwan

His brother Dereck was equally talented and promising as well but only achieved regional cricket status.

Other Berbician cricketers would have probably inspired

by Kallicharran and Kanhai steady selection for Guyana and West Indies and they would have tried with the utmost determination. At least three tests for Leonard Baichan showed that he had also prospered to the ultimate level joining these ranks of Kanhai and Kallicharran.

Faoud Bacchus was a superb talent, and his batting temperament was very indicative of his ability to score runs regularly not only for Guyana but the West Indies team as well.

Bacchus learned most of his game and the techniques of batting at GCC and 19 test caps demonstrated his potential.

Like what Kanhai and the late Johnny Teekasingh, a Berbician player in the Colonia British Guiana days, started off most of his cricketing journey at Everest Cricket Club in Georgetown. He spoke enthusiastically about the contribution made

by Everest to the success of Guyanese East Indian ball-players.

Ryan Ramdass was a long-time member of Everest and would have gone on to represent West Indies in test and one-day cricket. He now lives in Toronto Canada, and is currently vying for a spot on the Canadian side. Like the others of Narsingh Deonarine, Devendra Bishoo, Veerasammy Permaul and Assad Fudadin, they all plied their trade at Everest ground and showcased their talent with runs and wickets in galore.

They have been impressive with their various outings for Guyana.

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

The first “Indians”

T

onight, the inaugural event kicking off a month-long series of activities to mark the “100th Anniversary of the End of Indian Indentureship” kicks off at the National Cultural Centre at 19:00h (7pm). A historic THIRTEEN groups from the Indian Guyanese Community have come together to host the joint event.

It is reminiscent of the struggle in the Indian Parliament during 1916 to pass a resolution calling upon the British Parliament to end indentureship, when the sparring factions of the Indian National Congress – the “Radicals” and the “Moderates” together with the departed Muslim League – joined hands on the issue.

On March 12, 1917, Governor General of India, Hardinge ordered the immediate cessation of all recruitment and shipping of Indian indentured labour. Except for a few hundred returnees over the next four years, when the official end of indentureship ended on January 1, 1920, with all contracts expiring then, that was it for indentured labourers.

Congress had picked up the issue because over in Natal, South Africa, the whites – especially the Afrikaans section – insisted on treating ALL persons from India as second class – indentured and non-indentured – and not having rights accorded to whites. This infuriated professional Indians like Gandhi who had been hired as an attorney by some wealthy Gujarati merchants who had freely emigrated as “citizens” of the British Empire with all the rights and privileges of such status. Or so they thought.

After being thrown off the first-class section of a train in favour of a white, Gandhi began to make common cause with the indentureds of Natal and brought their ill-treatment to the attention of the head of the Moderate faction of the INC – Gokhale. The status of indentured Indians in the colonies thus helped to awaken the Indian elite to the hypocrisy of British pretences of full citizenship for her colonial subjects, after a period of “tutelage”. The issue also helped to bring together not only the ideological factions of Congress

but the regional blocks that were even more entrenched.

In Guyana, on the other hand, by the turn of the century, that lesson had long been imbibed by the immigrants whose indenturship had expired and had decided to remain in Guyana: they were all defined as “Indians” and were treated uniformly with contempt by the authorities and others in the society. The divisions of regions (10 per cent were from Madras Presidency in the South and the remainder from United Provinces in the North); caste (the net cast by recruiters had brought a representative sample of North India) and religion (also representative of North India between Hindu and Muslim) had become attenuated.

The hardships of the two-month long passage from India had combined with the “total institution” of the plantation to create a new identity which was affirmed by the census category of “East Indians.

But it was not just an external designation – combined with profound “internal” changes” that served to solidify their “Indian” group identity ahead of an analogous process in India.

Mandirs and Masjids had been built from as early as 1870, but especially with the Hindus who were less uniform and rigorous with their practices, there were many “adaptations” such as weekly “satsanghs” on their one day off on Sundays with a “Pandit” functioning much as Christian priests did.

“Creole English”, learnt from the ex-slaves who remained on the plantations, had become the dominant lingua franca.

Women had become more equal with men in the home than in India, since they earned wages like the former outside of the home.

C h r i s t i a n proselytisation did not have much success by the end of Indentureship – but a beachhead had been formed that would widen rapidly with the increased exposure to western education which was conducted solely in Church-run schools. That education had produced the first medical doctor and lawyer and while the urban segment was a mere 7000 compared to more than one hundred

By Ravi Dev thousand in the rural areas, at least half of the latter were living outside the “loges” surrounding the sugar factory.

In 1916, members of their incipient elite launched the “British Guiana East Indian Association” to secure their interests. This was the beginning of the use of their new group identity to solidify their place in their new country.

41

42 feature

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Eastern Architecture

Upholding religious heritage

localized architecture that employs traditional Indian elements and features alongside Christian and western influences.

Decorative and intricate fretwork can be seen on panels, doors, and open areas; there are also stained glass, turned columns, jalousies, and ornate fenestration (window design).

Another prominent ornamental feature is the decorative railings or balustrades encircling the structure. This is evidenced in the turned supports of the handrails of staircases and along the galleries and porches.

The centrally placed tower or sikhara is the focal point of this ocProvidence Mandir, EBD (National Trust) tagonal mandir.

S u c h eight-faced parts represent the reProvidence Mandir gents of the four cardinal points of the compass, and Described as an eloquent reminder of our the ninth panel or segment in the centre of the ceilEastern heritage, the Providence Mandir, built in ing is topped by a sikhara that represents Brahma, 1932, is a fine example of timber craftsmanship and the creator deity of the Supreme Hindu Triad.

(National Trust of Guyana)

The Eidgah

The Eidgah, formerly known as the Open Air Mosque,located at Cumberland, Canje in Berbice, is a typical representation of traditional Indian Islamic architecture.

Today, it remains a testament to the diversity of culture that has shaped Guyanese tradition.

Built during the latter half of the 1800s by Muslim immigrants who had come to British Guiana as indentured labourers, it was constructed originally of bricks donated by the Bookers’ Sugar Estate; the land too was a gift from the estate.

Believed to be oldest structure of Muslim worship in Guyana, it remained until 1932 when it was demolished and rebuilt of reinforced concrete. Constructed to provide the Muslims with a place to perform Eid Salaat (Eid prayers) for Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha, the Eidgahis unlike other later constructions.

As the name suggests, it is open air: there is no separation between the internal and external space nor are there any full length walls covered by a roof.

Some of the structure’s features reflect Indian Islamic architecture. These include the courtyard, minarets and mihrab. The courtyard, entered from

Pardesi

�

We were on another boat, returning to quench this thirst, utterly alone.

Always a pardesi in speechless contemplation.

A bird charted its music between us, like a satellite in cosmic range.

A man counted coins in his corner, as if gold measured his reason for leaving.

Ahh, the length and breadth of his contract provided sustenance for awhile.

The granite pace of cloud made my body ache.

I yearn for the spring of liberation to be near Durga .� Again we are on the turbulent sea returning, breath and life to retrace sacred rituals to reinvigorate with mother earth.

Will there be a familiar being to open the gate?

Wet sheets lift and splash and rise and splash again – everything exposed.

Now night storm demands anchorage.

I depart from the land I toiled and return to you like a sojourner swimming across waves of bondage.

Suddenly a shoreline emerges.

At the Depot again, seemingly free, the shrinking sun removes my saffron veil ending a lifetime of plantation labour.

Now I know the impossible dream.

The unimaginable voyage seems worthy of some reward like a conditional greeting guarded with high expectations: Jihaji bhai, from Damra?� Always leaving and returning, I imagine an old acquaintance waiting near the Hugli ,� singing the song of a charioteer I once knew in my childhood.

Perhaps he holds a bowl of water to quench my thirst.

Now I am home Now Kala Pani� purifies my body

Eidgah at Cumberland, Berbice (LJH)

the west, boasts an arched gateway decorated with bosses and bulbous widgets at the top of the arch.

Opposite the courtyard’s entrance, the mihrab is located in the eastern section. It is so situated that when worshipping, one faces Mecca. The minarets complement the structure at the four corners and are approximately 30 feet high, slender and square in shape which is finished by a half moon and star structure, while the western wall is decorated by various diamond shaped accentuations. (From a 2011 article by the National Trust of Guyana)

I appeal to the riverbank, shivering.

I feel my way against natural foliage and channel of muddied water – Will it cleanse me out of the tunnel of leaving and returning to a place without stains? © Janet Naidu Published in the poetry collection, “Rainwater” - 2005 � Foreign Traveler � Hindu Goddess � Jihaji Bhai (brothers of the ship), included men and women. Damra – Demerara. � River in India where Indentured laborers departed for other destinations. � Kala Pani – Black water

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

43

44

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

45

46 NEWS

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

84-year-old Mabaruma woman burnt to death

A

n 84-year-old woman was burnt to death on Monday in a midnight fire which destroyed her home in the community of Morawhanna, Mabaruma, Region One (Barima-Waini).

Dead is Pearl Savory who celebrated her birthday just several days before her unforeseen demise. Guyana Times International understands that she lived alone in the wooden building but family and friends would visit her from time to time.

Authorities were un-

able to confirm the source of the blaze but residents believe the fire originated from a gas stove. One of the neighbours told this publication that he heard a loud explosion and when he rushed to the scene, the house was already ablaze.

He suspected that the elderly woman was making a meal and either forgot to turn off the stove or fell asleep. He said he heard the sound of the gas bottle exploding.

The fire spread rapidly to another unoccupied wooden building which was just a few feet away.

What’s the scoop…

Pearl Savory’s house was completely destroyed by the raging fire

Residents told this newspaper the other house also belonged to the el-

derly woman. (Devina Samaroo)

Bartica to get radio station by May

T

he town of Bartica is scheduled to have its own radio station by May 2017, Region Seven’s, Regional Chairman, Gordon Bradford was quoted by the Government Information Agency (GINA) as saying earlier today.

The establishment of the radio station, the Chairman said, means that the dissemination of information to the public will become much easier.

“Many times you would invite people, but how many people would come to a meeting to hear, and how many people would take the information they receive back their community? But, when we can speak on the radio and you tune in, we will be able to disseminate more information and people would have a

better grasp and understanding of what we are really talking about,” the Chairman explained.

The Bartica Learning Research Centre has been identified as the building where the radio station will be housed, GINA said.

The Office of the Prime Minister recently advertised for bids for the construction of facilities for the Bartica Radio Station.

The aim of the government’s community radio stations project is to link the indigenous communities through communication. The established radio stations are all affiliates of the National Communications Network (NCN) and are broadcasting on the national frequency.

Kowsilla: Tribute to an ordinary woman who did extraordinary things

M

onday marked the 53rd anniversary of the death of the humble housewife, Alice, more famously known as Kowsilla, who met with her demise during a demonstration against the denial of work to labourers at the Leonora Sugar Estate. Tribute was paid to the heroine of the sugar workers, on the West Coast of Demerara.

On March 6, 1964, Kowsilla, along with a group of striking workers, squatted at the factory’s

gate in Leonora as they staged a protest against the denial of labour to the estate workers. At the time, they were also rallying for the recognition of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU). The then General Manager of the Estate instructed the driver of a tractor to proceed through the bridge where the demonstration was being staged.

The act, which took the protesters for granted, resulted in the death of Kowsilla and 14 persons be-

ing injured. Kowsilla, thereafter, became known as the heroine of sugar workers for her sacrificial act against the injustice to estate labourers.

This year, commemorations to honour the heroine, Kowsilla, took place as usual with scores of participants marching from the Leonora Public School to the Anna Catherina Cemetery where she was interred. A ceremony was conducted, during which wreaths were laid at her tomb and tributes were presented by sugar workers’ activists.

Offering words of tribute were General Secretary of GAWU, Seepaul Narine; President of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana, Carvil Duncan and President of the Women’s Progressive Organisation (WPO) among others.

The speakers maximised on the forum to highlight the current series of events which have been affecting sugar workers across Guyana. They alluded to the proposal by the Government to discontinue operations at several sugar estates. The activists noted that severe repercussions are to follow if the callous intentions are executed. In reference to the sacrificial act of Kowsilla, persons in attendance were reminded of challenges faced by the sugar industry in its history.

Furthermore, they were encouraged to stand with the community against the projections which will not only negatively impact the livelihood of the sugar workers, but also have a damaging ripple effect on the country’s economy.

T

…on sugar workers’ salaries?

alk about trying to influence the jury!!

Knowing their cold-blooded decision to amputate four sugar estates and hock it to private interests for a song will cause widespread outrage, the Government claims sugar workers EARN ON AN AVERAGE $200,000 per month!! They emphasised this was FOUR TIMES THE MINIMUM WAGE!!! They’re pitching this to their Government worker supporters, of course, to show how the PPP was having sugar workers live high off the hog.

But of course, it’s all hogwash! To show how ridiculous the statement is, your Eyewitness has one question for the Government and all the gullible folks who’ll believe their assertion. IF SUGAR WORKERS ARE EARNING SO MUCH MONEY, WHY AREN’T ALL THOSE MINIMUM WAGE FOLKS LINING UP TO BECOME SUGAR WORKERS SINCE YEAR IN, YEAR OUT, GUYSUCO CAN’T GET BETTER THAN A 60 PER CENT ATTENDANCE?? Especially the “working poor” as some in Government service are called.

Don’t they want to haul in the big bucks?

The truth, of course, is it just ain’t so. DURING THE CROP some cane cutters do in fact take home fat paychecks. But this is dependent on the tonnage of cane they cut and load onto punts under a brutal sun. If a fella is willing to work like they did back in the days of slavery, he might make even more than that. But at what cost? There’s a reason why very few male ex-sugar workers live to collect their pensions. Cane cutters are paid by the ton – no work, no money! But that’s the job requirement that drives away all minimum wagers! They’d like to rake in that dough while lolling around in air conditioned offices.

But during the “out of crop” seasons – and we must remember cane cutters are employed for only half the year – they take home zilch! And who has the discipline to keep half their wages for the lean months? Especially when Income Tax was deducted during the months of fat as if that was their pay all year long. Very few of them ever file adjusted returns at the end of the year to claim overpayments of taxes!

What these egghead consultants, who’re drawing millions in salaries obviously did was to take the total “wage bill” of GuySuCo and divide it by the number of employees! Are these people for real? Even they had to note the mega salaries of admin managers. Did they consider the salaries of the other top heavy managers? What about the staff at HQ…and all the other “central expenses” that get lumped into “wages”.

Just shows you why GuySuCo’s gone backwards and to the dogs! …on Steve’s qualifications They say the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Personally, your Eyewitness isn’t too big on puddings but he’ll accept the wisdom of the voxpopulii, on the methodology for deciding on a good GECOM Chairman. Steve Surujbally’s been a good Chairman – that he’s pi55ed off folks from both sides of the divide is prima facie evidence of that!

So rather than arguing like the Churchmen of yore about how many angels can stand on the head of a pin, shouldn’t the powers-that-be look at the evidence? Are we still stuck in the pre-Galilean era?

Was the Honourable AG’s tortured and tortuous exegesis of “and”, “or” and “other” anything but sophistry and casuistry?

Steve Surujbally wasn’t a judge but he had “judge like” qualities. Meaning he had the requisite knowledge as Chair to weigh arguments put forward by his fractious Commissioners – and the patience to allow the evidence (votes) to come in.

His refusal to suffer fools, helped – but may not be necessary! Let’s get it on!!

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Remembering the leader

S

atiricus was in a ticklish situation.

He wasn’t all that excited about the gathering at the Back Street Bar to remember the old departed leader – but the drinks were free. And even more importantly, the drinks were being sponsored by Georgie, who was visiting from New York and would have the latest scoop on their old buddy Cappo, who was illegal in NY. “How long will you fellas keep turning over the ashes of Old man Bhagan?” he teased his buddies. “If he’d been buried, he’d be turning over in his grave!!”

“Well, we will remember the Old Man as long as your leader Nagga Man does,” replied Georgie without a pause. “Imagine the man quit the party but he still quoting the Old Man!” “It’s not the man…but the ideas!” quippedSatiricus, as he polished off his beer.

“But Nagga Man swear de Ole Man bin a wan Mahatma,” pointed out Bungi. “An’ he a de chela!”

“OK fellas, tell me what’s really going on?”

Georgie asked as he changed the subject.

“Just that Cappo cut the right card when he decided to stay over in NY on his tourist visa,” said Hari. “I hear the man already bought a car!”

“Yeah!” said Bungi sourly. “Imagine me and hewuk fifteen year and abeenabin able fuh buy wan bicycle!”

“Well, with Trump going after illegals, he’s pretty worried right now,” reported Georgie.

“What y’all think? He should come back?”

“NO!!” everyone around the table shouted, including Satiricus. Everyone looked at him.

“You too, Sato?” asked Georgie. “But you used to tell Cappo everything will improve in sugar now that Nagga Man and Rum Jhaat in power.”

“Well,” said Satiricus slowly with a sheepish smile. “You know it’s like what the Old Man used to say about he and the British?”

“What?” asked everyone.

“Nagga and Rum Jhaat in office, but not in power!” said Satiricus as he signalled for another round of beers.

CROSSWORD SOLUTION

Anu Dev

By AnuDev

“W

e celebrate Holi with gaiety and abandon – because a young boy, Prahalad, reminded us we must always speak truth to power!” - Me This week, the Indian community began to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the abolition of indentureship. And this weekend, the entire country will be splashed with colours as Hindus and also non-Hindus celebrate Phagwah – the festival of colours, which those immigrants brought with them from India. We will honour their memory if we remember the essential message of Holi – we celebrate because someone decided to stand up for the truth. And this is what they did so many times from 1838 to 1917.

But today, I want to remind one and all of the customs they be-

Holi and End of Indentureship! queathed on the celebratory aspect of Holi as well as the “standing up” part”!! In the morning, females of the home will be busy cooking all types of traditional Holi sweets like Gujiya, Gulgula, RasMilai, and Gulab Jamoon so that everyone will be free to go out and play Phagwah.

Unfortunately, this year I’ll be missing Phagwah at home and instead I’ll be holed up in my apartment preparing for my upcoming exams.

Phagwah commemorates the beginning of Spring, the triumph of good over evil and a time for new beginnings for everyone. It’s a story set many eons ago among a people called “Asuras” – traditionally opposed to the gods but incorrectly called ‘demons”.

A young Asura prince named Prahalad – had the courage to stand up to his own father, King Hiranyakashipu who had started to challenge the Gods. Because of a boon he received from Lord Brahma, he was nearly invincible and so filled with arrogance and pride, he demanded he be worshipped by his subjects.

To paraphrase Albus Dumbledore, “It takes great courage to stand up to our enemies but it takes even greater courage to stand up to our family (friends)”. And Prahalad had that courage. No matter how many times his father and teachers tried to convince him otherwise, Prahalad always kept his belief in Lord Vishnu.

And his prayers didn’t go in vain. The king had his minions try every which way to kill his obstinate son but to no avail: the boy was protected by Lord Vishnu. Even when his Aunt Holika, immune to fire, tried to burn him in a pyre.

F i n a l l y , Hiranyakashipu scornfully challenged Prahalad to prove that Lord Vishnu was indeed in everything and everyone.

Lord Vishnu appeared out of a pillar as Narsimha – half man-half lion.

Hiranyakashipu’s boon was that he couldn’t be killed by man nor animal; not by hand nor by any weapon; not in the day nor in the night; not in a house, outside nor on the ground nor in the air.

Lord Narsimha killed

47

Hiranyakashipu with his claws, on his knee, on the doorstep of the Palace at exactly dusk. Prahalad was crowned King.

The lesson, of course, is that anyone can be a Prahalad – even or especially the young – by standing up to the Hiranyakashipus in their life. Life isn’t about always being a passive person who doesn’t have opinions or who doesn’t stand up for their beliefs.

That’s not to say you should always pick up cudgels whenever someone steps on your toes.

But you should always let them know firmly, that you’re not just someone they can take advantage of.

The message of Phagwah is a very strong one. Stand up for what you believe in; don’t be a carpet that everyone walks over. Always remember Prahalad, a young boy who has the strength, the courage to stand up for his beliefs.

Don’t just go along to get along.

So everyone, go out next weekend and have a wonderful, colourful Phagwah! Holi Re!

Roiling…

Y

…in all the wrong places

our Eyewitness figures the higher reaches of the Public Service must be wondering what hit them over the weekend. It was like the night of the long knives at the Splashmin’s retreat they’d been taken to – ostensibly to review performances. They ended up splashing in the blood that ran like rivulets after the Minister of the Presidency was done.

Permanent Secretaries were sent “on leave”, some were transferred to other ministries, some were switched and a number of senior staff were bumped up. Some ran here, some ran there…and the weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth were a thing to behold! The reason given for the roiling at the top of the governmental bureaucratic food chain was they hadn’t spent their budgetary allocations. In some cases, there were only 15 per cent completion rates! Which, of course, makes the Government look bad and the economy worse. But is it really the fault of the Permanent Secretaries?

What about where the buck really stops in the Government Ministries – the senior and junior Ministers? Gosh knows there’s enough of THEM around – 27 at the last count. What’s their responsibility for the abysmal performance? Remember the old folk wisdom – the fish starts to stink at the head? Well, a number of ministerial heads really stink – but they’re still drawing their fat salaries, which were further augmented by the 50 per cent self-awarded raise.

Don’t these Ministers review the performance of their departments on a systematic basis? Is it only at the end of the year that someone woke up and discovered everyone was sitting on their big, fat heinies in their airconditioned offices? But back to the point we made – which can be made more explicit with an example – the Ministry of Agriculture. Here is a Minister that seems to be lost in space when it comes to his portfolio. How can he drive a process when he doesn’t have a clue about

the difference, for instance, between sugar cane or wild cane?

Holder’s management style is reminiscent of GuySuCo’s where we have Field Managers who’ve never seen a field! They sit in their offices and only HEAR about them. And when the cat’s napping, the mice will play! Fact of the matter, this Government thinks it can run on autopilot – with Ministers making grand pronouncements and expecting things to get done by themselves.

There seems to be no urgency with the top-heavy ministerial team. What’s actually needed is for some head rolling to be practised at that level.

Prezzie has to quit with the avuncular style and pull out his own long knife! …US borders You’ve got to hand it to the new President of the US of A…the fella doesn’t give up when it comes to pandering to get what he wants. While there appeared to be near unanimous condemnation of his travel ban on citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries, polls showed more than one out of two Americans actually supported him! And we shouldn’t be surprised then, he’s just re-imposed the ban – this time leaving out Iraq.

Your Eyewitness really doesn’t want to get into the merits or demerits of the ban at this time, but simply to point out Trump’s once again demonstrated he knows what Main Street America wants. And that America’s Fleet Street – and its judiciary – are really out of touch with the ordinary Joe and Josephine out there.

They’ve confirmed Trump’s charge they’re actually very “elitist”. Now some may say average Americans don’t want Muslims to enter America, because as the polls showed they have “fears” of terrorism and that it’s Trump who’s stoked those fears.

But “stoking” isn’t “creating”, is it? …oil side deals We return to Minister Trotman insisting he won’t reveal the ALTERED terms of the contract with Exxon?

Any connection to Trump changing the law so US oil companies don’t have to reveal who they paid off?

48 Bollywood

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Sushmita Sen on women Pleasantly surprised empowerment, heartbreaks as censor board was and her Bollywood comeback ‘reasonable’ to Begum Jaan: Director Srijit Mukherji

A

cclaimed filmmakers Mahesh Bhatt and Srijit Mukherji on Wednesday said they were “pleasantly surprised” when the censor board allowed some words to be retained in the forthcoming film Begum Jaan which otherwise would have been a strict no-no.

There were a couple of abuses that were sanitised and that was because of the censor code (rules), Mukherji and Bhatt told select mediapersons in a chat here ahead of the launch of the trailer on March 14.

“In fact, they had gone against the code for various words and they allowed them. They said the film has forced us to contextualise those words which otherwise would have been a strict no-no,” Mukherji said when asked on the film

facing any issues with the censor board. He said it was a “reasonable” act on the censor’s part.

Produced by Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt, the film is helmed by National Award winner SrijitMukherji.

Set against the backdrop of Partition, the high-voltage drama, a Hindi adaptation of Mukherji’s stellar Bengali offering “Rajkahini”, is a story of survivors who defy nations to save their homes.

VidyaBalan plays the title role of the madam of a brothel in the film.

The film also stars Naseeruddin Shah, IlaArun, Gauahar Khan, Pallavi Sharda, Rajit Kapoor, AshishVidyarthi, Vivek Mushran, Chunky Pandey, Poonam Singh Rajput, Ridheema Tiwari, Flora Saini,

Priyanka Setia, Mishti Chakraborty, Sumit Nijhawan, Pitobash and Rajesh Sharma.

Bhatt dubbed it as a “very human response” to allow certain words and noted they were “awestruck by the pure heat of the narrative” of Begum Jaan.

“Their entire physical demeanour was that of being humbled. I felt that they felt inadequate, they were reined by code. Had it not been for what was enshrined in the code, they would have perhaps allowed us a field day,” Bhatt said.

Asked on whether the code needs to be changed, Bhatt said the “bars are a little broader but we are still within that prison”.

Begum Jaan is slated to release on April 14.

(Indian Express)

Ranveer Singh just revealed about his Hollywood plans

R

anveer Singh is working on a Hollywood project. Well, that’s what the actor has spoken about in a conversation with his fans on Facebook.

Ranveer said that he has got some Hollywood offers but he has not signed on anything as yet. On being asked if he doesn’t like Hollywood, Ranveer said, “It’s not that I don’t like Hollywood. I watch a lot of Hollywood films.

I am getting offers from

Hollywood but for now, I have better things to do in Mumbai, and I am excited about it. I would definitely do an English film and shoot for it in Los Angeles. I am open for it if something very interesting comes my way.”

The actor is at present spending his vacation in Switzerland. Ranveer, who is prepping up for Padmavati, shared what he would never do. When a fan asked if he would

ever work on television or become a judge on a reality show, he said, “That is something I will never do. I did judge a personality contest in Jamnabai College.

But becoming a judge is not my thing, there are others who can do it better. So not anytime soon.”

The 31-year-old actor quashed rumours of a sequel of Gunday, which released in 2014. Ranveer, who starred in the film with ArjunKapoor, said, “Gunday 2 is not happening but let’s see, I will talk about it when I am in Yash Raj office for the next time.” (Indian Express)

M

iss Universe and Bollywood actor Sushmita Sen has some wise words to share with her fans on International Women’s Day. The actor said if “you wish to respect a woman, start treating her equal,” and many such statements, which make you believe that she truly personifies beauty with the brains. During a Twitter chat with her followers, Sushmita also spoke about her comeback.

When asked which character from the literature would she love to enact on the big screen, the actor picked Cleopatra. We can totally imagine her playing the character on the big screen and we just cannot wait for her comeback.

Amid many followers, there was one particular fan who stole the entire chat, and he was

none other than Kapil Sharma. The comedianturned-actor, in his own way, tried to grab the attention of Sushmita, to which the former beauty queen replied, “why are you sooooo cute!!! I am YOUR fan!!!! Always will be!!! Lots of love.”

Sushmita also spoke about heartbreaks and the natural tendency to feel hurt. In response to a tweet, she wrote, “Breakups R suppose to hurt!they hurt me too… but d growth n strength n experience that follows brings me closer 2 love than ever before.”

While we define her as the queen of beauty, she says she is more than how she looks and that beauty is to be felt.

She also cleared that she would never join politics as they both are like ‘oil and water.’

The 41-year-old actor is happily single and

raising two beautiful daughters. Naturally, a lot of questions regarding her marital status comes her way, but recently she batted well against all of them by saying, “Why not (single)? I am secure in my choice and in being so, I can respect and appreciate another’s choice, whatever it may be.

After all, singles or doubles, we play to win. As for me let’s just say, ‘I am yet to meet that sire, who loves to play with fire.”

The actor has been away from films for a long time. Her last onscreen appearance was in 2010 film No Problem, which did not do well at the box office. While we all await her comeback, she says she wouldn’t take up an offer without it having any substance.

Well, we hope the time comes soon when we would see her on screen.

(Indian Express)

Kangana Ranaut: Will not compromise on what I deserve

T

he on-going verbal spat between Karan Johar and Kangana Ranaut is not going to end anytime soon. The actor who had put Karan in a spot on his own show, Koffee With Karan, was attacked by the director at an event where he said he is “done with Kangana playing woman and victim card”.

In fact, he went on to say she should leave the industry if she is so terrorised by it.

Now, it seems Kangana has equipped

herself with an answer to his statements. She says in an interview to Rajeev Masand, “I am hell bent on not compromising on what I really deserve,” adding that she is her own rule maker.

Well, the Rangoon actor also spoke about how ‘women are taken for a ride’ and she is not really in favour of the jokes that are made on women in real or the reel life. It is yet to be seen if she would yet again talk about Karan and his recently passed state-

ments on her. The cold war between KJo and Kangana began when the latter had accused the director of being the flag bearer of nepotism in the industry. She also said that she would want Karan to play the villain in her biography if it is ever made.

On the work front, Kangana’s film Rangoon did not do as well as expected at the box office. Talking about if the failure has ever affected her, the National Award winning actor told PTI, “I don’t fear losing out. One needs to know the trick to move on to see the constant growth. That is what my endeavour is.

I know it is not possible that I will always succeed in whatever I do.

But it is all right.”

Karan, on the other hand, is having a successful run with back to back hits. Soon, he would start directing his next, Student Of The Year 2 with Tiger Shroff.

(Indian Express)

Hollywood 49

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Emilia Clarke not going to justify ‘Game of Thrones’ nude scenes

A

ctor Emilia Clarke rose to fame with her role as Daenerys Targaryen in the hit HBO series Game of Thrones. The trailer of the next season was released just last week and fans are waiting eagerly to watch the new season, which is expected to release in April.

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Emilia Clarke wrote a blog for All Women Everywhere edition of The Huffington Post, UK. With the blog, she hopes to let people know that boys and girls are equal, and she hopes to do so by writing about how her family treated her and her brother, and recounting her experience as an actor.

She said, “With my voice, I hope the feminist mindset my family instilled in me becomes the new normal, and boys and girls are raised to know they are equal,” and added, “As my best friend

would put it, I am a girl-boss, and I am in an industry where if I speak out against inequality I have a platform and might be lucky enough to have a chance of being heard. The roles I’ve played have given me an insight into what it feels like to be a woman who stands up to inequality and hate and stands out as a feminist. That aside, it hasn’t stopped me from walking away from situations and people who have assumed I am weak because I’m a woman; it has forced me to stand by my actions and be ok with the consequences.”

About her work and her role in GOT, she said, “Do I get treated equally at work? Not always. Does every woman?

No, and the statistics back that up. Do I get asked questions at press junkets by men and women alike, specifically because they will get headline grabbing responses coming from a young woman? Yes,” and added even with all of this she doesn’t feel the need to justify her scenes.

She said, “If you’ve watched Game of Thrones then, spoiler, you will have seen me in the nude. There are plenty of ways in which people want me to respond to questions about this fact.

And plenty of reasons why I do not feel the need to justify myself.” (Indian Express)

Gal Gadot, DC Universe’s Wonder Woman says girls now have superhero

G

al Gadot says young girls finally have a role model like Wonder Woman to look up to and is thrilled to be essaying the superhero on celluloid.

The 31-year-old actress, who stars as the titular role in Wonder Woman, says her character in the film does not believe in gender discrimination, reported Collider.com. “She doesn’t see (that) difference between any gender. It’s not even an issue. She comes from this world where men and

women are equal and it’s not a thing to be a man or to be a woman,” says Gadot.

She feels proud that the movie is in works and adds that Wonder Woman fills the void for every little girl who needed an inspirational figure in her life. “I feel very proud that finally this movie is being made, because all of you guys, all men and all boys, always had a figure to look up to, whether it’s Superman or Batman or Spider-Man, or whatever it is, they always

had heroes to look up to and for girls, it’s always the princesses who are being saved or being passive and finally Wonder Woman, she’sfearless, she’s proactive, she believes in herself.

She believes she can do everything, and that’s a true woman for me,” says Gadot.

The film is the fourth instalment in the DC Extended Universe and is a superhero film based on the popular DC Comic Books character, Amazon princess Diana. The movie also stars Chris Pine, Connie Nielsen, David Thewlis, Danny Huston, Robin Wright, Elena Anaya, Lucy Davis, Saïd Taghmaoui and Ewen Bremner and is expected to hit the screens on June 2, 2017. (Indian Express)

US President Donald Trump is in love with me: Arnold Schwarzenegger ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ star Dakota like the road: the left and the right is

A

ctor Arnold Schwarzenegger poked fun at US President Donald Trump for tweeting about him so much, saying that it appears the President is “in love” with him.

Schwarzenegger poked fun at Trump at “The Michael Smerconish Program” on Tuesday, reports dailymail.co.uk.

The former celebrity Apprentice host said: “I think he’s in love with me.”

When Smerconish asked if that was what prompted the tweets, the Terminator star replied: “Yeah, I think so.”

When asked to weigh in on the President’s performance, the former Governor of California was very diplomatic.

He said: “I believe very strongly what Eisenhower said. That politics is

like the gutter, and the center is drivable. And I believe that the action is in the center.

“I hope that the politicians wake up one day and just decide that they want to do the people’s work rather than the party’s work. Because the way it is right now, it doesn’t work, nothing gets accomplished.”

The actor’s comments come after Trump took aim at Schwarzenegger last week following the actor’s decision to not return to Apprentice.

“Arnold Schwarzenegger isn’t voluntarily leaving the Apprentice, he was fired by his bad (pathetic) ratings, not by me. Sad end to great show,” Trump wrote on Twitter.

It is well known that Trump was a popular face in the television world before running for president. In 2003, he became the executive producer and host of NBC’s reality show The Apprentice.

Later, he also hosted The Celebrity Apprentice along with British TV producer Mark Burnett. Nominated twice for an Emmy Award, he has made cameo appearances in 12 films and 14 television series.

At the opening of the National Prayer Breakfast, instead of talking about religion or the nation, Trump chose to take a dig at Arnold Schwarzenegger, who hosted The Apprentice after him. (Indian Express)

Johnson to star in courtroom drama Unfit

F

ifty Shades of Grey star Dakota Johnson has signed on to star in and executive produce the upcoming historical courtroom drama film Unfit.

The film is based on Adam Cohen’s 2016 book “Imbeciles: The Supreme Court, American Eugenics, and the Sterilisation of Carrie Buck”, reports variety.com.

Buck was the plaintiff in 1927 Supreme Court case Buck versus Bell, which she lost. She had been sterilised three years earlier at the age of 18 under a Virginia law that legalised sterilisation of “undesirable” citizens. Buck died in 1983 at the age of 76.

“Like many, I was not privy to this shocking and fascinating moment in American history,” Johnson said.

“I quickly became obsessed with the pros-

pect of shedding light on the massive misstep in American justice. Carrie Buck’s story is poignant and galvanising, and certain aspects are unnervingly congruent with the relationship between the government and women today.

“It is an important story that alongside RatPac and Amazon, I am honoured and eager to tell,” she added. Other details about the film are yet to be revealed.

Johnson had sometime back said that there’s pressure in

Hollywood to find a new face every now and then, hence she is not sure about her future in the industry.

“When I think about filmmakers and actresses that I have admired my whole life, I’ve admired their entire body of work. I have admired what they began with and what they’re doing now. And now I feel like there’s such a weird pressure to find the new face. I don’t get it at all. I want to see women evolve. I want to see a body of work. I want to see all of it. It seems like the world is so fast to move its interest to someone else,” Johnson had said.

The 27-year-old actor had recently walked the red carpet of the 89th Academy Awards 2017, wearing a gold Gucci gown. Her look received mixed to negative reviews from her fans.

(Indian Express)

‘I’ll Be Your Everything’ singer Tommy Page dies at 46

S

inger-songwriter and music industry executive Tommy Page, best known for his single “I’ll be your everything”, has died. He was 46.

He was found dead on Friday. The cause of death was unclear, but according to reports quoting multiple friends, it was an apparent suicide, reports billboard.com.

Page started his career as a recording artiste for Sire Records and topped the Billboard Hot 100 with his single “I’ll be your

everything” in April 1990. The song was written by Page, along with Jordan Knight and Danny Wood of Page’s tourmates New Kids on the Block. The group’s Donnie Wahlberg, along with Knight, also had a hand in producing the track.

Page later returned to New York University’s Stern School of Business to pursue his career as a music executive. He recorded nine studio albums and continued to tour throughout his career.

“My whole life I dreamed of having a number one record, ever since I could remember getting into music. I wanted to be on top of the Billboard charts,” Page said in 2011.

Page later joined Warner Bros/Reprise Records, where he served as an artists and repertoire executive and vice president of top 40 promotion. During that time, he helped shape the careers of many successful artistes, including Michael Buble, Alanis Morissette and Green

Day. In 2011, Page left Warner Bros/Reprise to join Billboard as associate publisher. The following year he was promoted to publisher.

In 2013, Page left Billboard to become Pandora’s Vice President of artists and brand partnerships.

Two years later, he joined Cumulus Media as senior vice president of brand partnerships.

Page most recently served as vice president of music partner-

ships at the Village Voice. He continued to record and perform regularly, particularly in Asia.

“We are all mourning the loss of our friend and colleague Tommy Page,” said Billboard Entertainment Group President John Amato.

“He was a magnetic soul and a true entertainer. Our thoughts are with his family.”

Page is survived by his partner, Charlie, and their three children. (Indian Express)

50 sport

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

‘Speed Queen’ leading the way for women in motor racing

By Akeem Greene

I

n a sport which dates back to the 1950s in Guyana, with the formation of the British Guiana Motor-Cycle Club (BGMCC) that showcased their daredevilry at the No 63 beach, men have dominated motor racing.

However, over the past four years, there has been the emergence of fiercely competitive female drivers in the Caribbean region and in Guyana,Sharima Khan has acted as the change agent.

With the racing name of “Speed Queen”, Khan has gone bumper to bumper with the men, both young and old, and has managed to drive off with the precious chequered flag, doing something no other female has done for the sport in Guyana to date.

Leading the way! Sharima Khan’s Honda Civic heads the pack at the South Dakota Circuit (Rohindra Mahase photo)

The 21-year-old, speaking of some of her outstanding achievements, stated, “It is a very proud and confident feeling, because all my life I have worked to be where I am now and there is only room for improvement.”

Khan firmly believes once behind the wheel, the issue of gender does not matter since “competition is competition and it is the best driver who crosses the finish in first

place”.

Interestingly, the driver said it was not as easy for her to enter the sport as it was for her male compatriots, since she was put under immense pressure to assert her skills as a circuit racer.

However, she is hoping that her success encourages more females to enter the sport, adding that “the hard work is done”.

In giving a viewpoint

on why many women do not race in Guyana, she posited, “I think the reason why a lot of females are not in the sport is just because, to me, they are just scared to do it: because, at first, it was a bit hard for me to get in it, because I would have been the first to try after such a long time; there were females that used to race back in the day but not professionally.”

The GuyOilsponsored driver hopes that women can have a more open mind to racing, since it is “not based on male and female; it is based on what you want and how bad you want it”.

With the focus returning to her life as a racer, the former Covent Garden Secondary School student recollected her most memorable moment on the track when she and her father, Rafeeq

Sharima Khan showcasing one of her many accolades

Khan, drove together at h e r first endurance race meet and won the title. “It was an amazing feeling.”

In looking ahead to her 2017 goals, Khan plans to use the words of encouragement from the Caribbean drivers

at the Caribbean Motor Racing Championships (CMRC) after they saw her exploits at S o u t h

Dakota Circuit, to fuel her endeavours to tour at the championships which also visits Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Barbados.

In the interim, the racer said she would be go-karting at the GT motorsport facility to tune her skills ahead of the pending racing season.

New GPC Guyanese female referee shines in Martinique committed to sport development campus. “The experience was wonderful. It was a very intense game.”

“It’s the first time I have actually been in a big stadium in front of a big crowd, so I was nervous at first, but it was good because I had the exposure, so I know now how to referee when I go to do international games.”

Linden-born Prescott’s achievements coincide with International

L

imacol was the title sponsor for the popular Caribbean Premier League (CPL) in 2013 and for two consecutive years a domestic football competition organized by the Petra Organisation was funded by the product and referred to as the Limacol Round Robin Knock Out Football tournament.

Additionally, for the 2016-17 Limacol Football Tournament, the referees’ apparel came compliments of Xcite, another product like Limacol manufactured by the New GPC. New GPC’s International Sales and Marketing Associate, Elizabeth Ram in speaking to this publication at the conclusion of the 2016-17 grand football finals explained that the company is pleased to be associated with the event and sport in general.

“We are very pleased to be a part of the event, we recognized that sport development in Guyana is important so we are embracing that as much as we can through our brands especially Limacol because Limacol is a household name, it has been around for generations and it is trusted so we are going to use that brand to support as many sports as we can,” Ram posited.

Ram hinted that the company will expand their support for sports and other events in tandem with other company products.

“New GPHC has a wide range of brands and in the future you may not only be hearing of Limacol, you will be hearing about other brands coming on board with other sports or other events which may not be sporting related,” the company representative stated.

In Ram’s overall assessment of the recent football tournament she expressed elation in the enormous turnout and hailed it a success.

en into football and to give them as many opportunities as possible with a clear development pathway,” said GFF Technical Director Ian Greenwood.

“Under our new approach and through developing links across the Caribbean, we are also giving young players and referees like Kenisha the exposure they need at a high level to learn and to progress.”

Y

oung Guyanese referee Kenisha Prescott has become the first female match official to take charge of a game at the International Tournoi Paul Chillan in Martinique, and the first to accompany a travelling Guyanese national youth squad, under the Guyana Football Federation’s new technical development plan.

The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Technical Department’s new policy involves giving as much international exposure as possible to both its young players and referees, in order to accelerate their development and to increase their potential for career advancement in football.

Prescott, who is studying for a degree in social work at the University of Guyana, took charge of the Guadeloupe versus Martinique match on March 3 at the Tournoi Paul Chillan, which brought together under-17 boys’ teams from Guyana and French-speaking Caribbean territories including Haiti and French Guiana.

“To know I was the first female referee at the ‘PC’ tournament was a good achievement and an honour,” Prescott said in an interview on the Turkeyen

Kenisha Prescott takes control of the Guadeloupe versus Martinique match

Women’s Day (8th March) and underline the GFF’s commitment to increasing female participation in football at all levels of the game, from playing and coaching to refereeing and governance. The GFF currently has about 30 registered female referees who are active in the game, but is working to increase this number significantly this year.

“We want to bring more young wom-

The young Lindener is hoping to follow in the footsteps of internationally-renowned female Guyanese referees such as Dianne Ferreira-James and 2016 CONCACAF Female Referee of the Year nominee MaureesSkeete “I see myself becoming a FIFA referee,” she said.

“That would mean that I would go to international matches like the World Cup and the Olympics.”

Blyden hits match winning 71 for UWI

G

uyanese all-rounder Travis Blyden hit 71 to lead University of West Indies (UWI) St. Augustine Campus past El Socorro Youth Movement (EYM) in the Trinidad and Tobago 50 overs Championship League at the Boundary Road Recreation Ground, San Juan.

In overcast conditions and a heavy outfield, UWI won the toss and decid-

ed to take first strike making 243 in 43.1 overs. Blyden struck nine boundaries in his top score while Barbadian Rachad Forde made a quick-fire 51 with five sixes and three fours. Kevon Thomas chipped in with 36.

EYM best bowlers were Selvin Jacobs and Shahid Mohammed with 3-32 and 2-31 respectively.

In reply, EYM folded for 156 in 32

overs with Deepak Kumar top scoring with 40 runs while Kewsi Alfred supported with 35. UWI triumphed by 87 runs.

Ryan Churaman led UWI’s bowling with 4-59 from 10 overs and JameelLashley claimed 3-13.

It was UWI’s second victory from three matches with one loss to Curepe Sports.

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

sport 51

Russell says has preference for CPL finals to remain in the Caribbean

By Akeem Greene

T

he Caribbean Premier League continues to grow exponentially and heading into its fifth year, there have been talks about the possibility of the gala final being played outside the Caribbean namely Florida and as far as Singapore.

The previous four finals has been split between Trinidad and Tobago and St. Kitts and Nevis and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of CPL Pete Russell in an interview with Guyana Times International Sport stated that the idea is to keep the Caribbean Premier League finals in the Caribbean.

“There is interest in Florida to host the finals and we will look at very single offer on its merit, but to us the idea is to keep the games in the Caribbean,” Russell disclosed.

He added, “I would doubt it, for us we would hope to always host the finals in the Caribbean, it is possible if anyone comes up with a good enough reason why we should not host it in the Caribbean we will always look at it.”

Interestingly, the COO revealed that it is not only the finals that were up for a new venue but rather team owners looking to have their franchise play in foreign territories.

Chief Operating Officer, Pete Russell

“There are certain team owners who are looking whether they would like to host some of their games outside the Caribbean and that may very well happen this season, we just have to wait and see,” the official revealed.

Last year, Guyanese fans were tantalized over the prospects of hosting the finals after some sections of reported that the event would be held here (in Guyana) which proved opposite.

In giving clarity to the how venue for the finals is done, Russell explained, “there is a tender process for the finals, we are in position where now we know who or which governments are willing to host and

obviously we then have con- cricket you walk up to that ing brought out in Guyana , versations with them all to ground and everyone is ex- they have been very unlucky see whether it fits in with cited about CPL and seeing in three finals, we feel they dethe strategy for the year.” games, the crowd comes out in serve to win one but the supMore so the COO stat- there thousands, and I think port CPL gets in Guyana is ed the time will come when anyone who has not been to second to none.”

The player draft for the Guyana gets its it opportu- a game in Guyana they are August 1 to September 9 tournity to host the finals, stat- missing a threat.” ing “we had very fruitful disHe added, “We very much nament is slated for Friday in cussions with the Guyana see the heartbeat of CPL be- Barbados. government last year and I know it was reported more acrimonious than that and there is no doubt that is interest to host the finals at some point in Guyana, that time will come but it is not necessarily now.”

Heart Beat of CPL Throughout the CPL, Guyana has produced massive and festive crowds for the Amazon Warriors home matches. It is such attributes that make the National Stadium at Providence a perfect host for the “Biggest Party in Sport.”

The COO opinioned that “Guyana is such The Caribbean Premier League has held four finals with two a special place for being in Trinidad and Tobago and the others in St Kitts and Nevis

52 sport

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Chanderpaul honoured by UWI for outstanding contribution to West Indies cricket

V

eteran Guyanese cricketer and former captain of the West Indies Cricket team, Shivnarine Chanderpaul was honoured by The University of the West Indies (The UWI) during an international friendly 50-overs match on Saturday 25 February 2016.

The UWI ViceChancellor’s XI Cricket Match, a ‘warm-up’ preceding England’s tour of theWest Indies for a three-match ODI series was held at Warner Park, Basseterre, St. Kitts. It ended in an amicable defeat for The UWI team despite a century scored

by Captain Chadwick Walton.

During the half-time break, a brief ceremony was held to recognise Chanderpaul’s outstanding contribution to cricket during his 22-year international career. He ended on 11,867 test runs, a few runs shy of the 12,000

by Trinidad and Tobago’s Brian Lara and is recorded in the history books as one of the greatest players in West Indies Cricket. A citation read at the ceremony lauded some of his major achievements, including: Being one of only three batsmen to have scored seven consecutive test match fifties — the other two being West Indian, Everton Weekes and South African, Andy Flower.

Holding the record of facing the most balls without being dismissed; he faced 1,051 balls against India in 2002 over four innings.

Batting for 1,513 minutes (in excess of 25 hours); a world record well clear of South Africa’s Jacque Kallis’ 1,246 minutes.

Scoring 558 runs at 111.60 in 2007 and 909 at 101 in 2008. Other than Australian, Sir Don Bradman he is the only other batsman to have scored over 500 runs at a 100plus average in consecutive

St Lucia Zouks rebranded T

he Hero Caribbean Premier League’s St. Lucia Zouks has launched a new visual and brand identity known as St. Lucia Stars with a logo that is inspired from the home country of the team, St. Lucia.

According to a press statement, the new logo and the identity is meant to give the team, St. Lucia Stars, a new bold and vibrant identity. The decision comes from the franchise owners and management who decided to rebrand the name, keeping in mind the lineup of the team’s superstars.

The Chairman of the franchise, Jay Pandya, who leads this change said, “We wanted the identity to represent St. Lucia and anyone who supports the team associates with the traits of being St. Lucian. When we were making the decision to bring this change and we were looking for inspiration, we just had to look within and bring out the spirit of St. Lucia. They are stars in every might and proud to be Born Lucians.” He feels positive and looks forward to this year’s CPL. The design of the logo stems from the home country of the team.

Three core elements that form the logo are The

Tagenarine Chanderpaul accepts a commemorative plaque on behalf of his father Shivnarine Chanderpaul from Governor General of St Kitts and Nevis, Sir SW Tapley Seaton

years.

Scoring 2,528 runs at 64.82 batting at number six: averaging the most for anyone with over 2,000 runs at that position — way clear of West Indian Garry Sobers’ 53.34. Scoring the sixth-fastest test hundred —in only 69 balls — against Australia at Bourda in 2002-03.Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s son Tagenarine Chanderpaul,

who played in the match as a member of the ViceChancellor’s XI team, accepted a special tribute and commemorative plaque on his behalf.

Giving brief remarks, the younger Chanderpaul stated, “On behalf of my father Shivnarine Chanderpaul, and our family, I would like to thank UWI Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles

and the University for recognising the contribution of my father to West Indies cricket. Unfortunately he is unable to be here to receive this prestigious award, but I can share with you that he is humbled and truly honored to be one of the recipients in a long line of great cricketers who have received this award in the past. My father is passionate about West Indies cricket and wishes, like all of us, to see it rise again. I believe he still has an important role to play in mentoring and bringing younger players through, including myself. Thank you again ViceChancellor for this honour.”

Among the match’s special guests were Governor General of St. Kitts and Nevis, Sir S. W. Tapley Seaton, who participated in the presentation ceremony honouring Chanderpaul; and President of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), Mr. Dave Cameron. (St. Lucia Times)

Guyana set for historic hosting of Pan American Cup qualifiers

F

Guyana has successfully hosted international hockey at the National Gymnasium

World Heritage Pitons, the colour of the flag and the cheer – Born Lucian.

The Pitons signify the height this team can achieve and the impact it can have on the people of Saint Lucia. The colours of the flag are splashed on the logo which everyone around the globe associates with St. Lucia.

St. Lucians are warm, welcoming and are deeply connected to their roots which is what makes them ideal global citizens of this world.

They take pride in what they do and make sure they are the best while playing the sport in the right spirit. They also enjoy these moments to the fullest just like every proud St. Lucian

does. The cheer – “Born Lucian” – captures this and the team represents these traits making them one of the most likeable teams in the Hero Caribbean Premier League.

The captain of the team, Daren Sammy, is excited about this new identity. He said, “We definitely want to live up to what the logo represents and play like stars as we look to win the CPL this season. Hopefully, this change will bring in good luck for us. To be “Born Lucian” means we take pride in what we do and we do it wholeheartedly. And we want this to resonate with our fans and make them feel proud.”

or the first time in the history of the Pan American Games, Guyana will host the Pan American Hockey Federation’s Indoor Pan American Cup Qualifying tournament 2017.

Guyana was on Tuesday confirmed as the host nation for the highly competitive tournament for both the male and female divisions prior to the International Hockey Federation’s Indoor World Cup 2018.

The land of many waters was selected based on the recommendations made by the Bid Evaluation Committee with the Board of Directors approving Guyana.

The Games will be played in Georgetown

with the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue being the likely venue for the games.

While the definitive date for the tournament has not been set, the period of the tournament will be between October 14 and 22.

However, the exact dates will be confirmed when the exact number of teams are finalized.

President of the host country’s Hockey Board, Philip Fernandes, said that “it’s an exciting moment for us and we intend to showcase Guyana in the best possible way by making the tournament one of the biggest successes in recent times.”

Meanwhile, Pan American Hockey Federation President,

Alberto “Coco” Budeisky is of the belief that by virtue of having a new country hosting a Pan American Hockey Federation tournament, it will bring motivation for more countries to apply for future events.

In recent times, Guyana successfully staged tournaments that have involved a number of international teams from countries such as United States of America, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda among others.

The National Gymnasium has also been the beneficiary of praises for the way the facility is being used to garner the development of indoor hockey in the country.

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

53

54

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2017| guyanatimeSinternational.com

55