Sunday Magazine, May 26, 2019

May 26, 2019

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2 Sunday Times Magazine

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MAY 26, 2019

Feature

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transoney a c w a s tions. It first introduced was norto Guyana by Bank of Guyana mal for them the Dutch colo- (Photo: ksmoses) to write promnists, but there issory notes, was never much which eventualin circulation. ly would be rePreviously, according deemed from their agents in to Guyana.org, there was Amsterdam where they sent an informal barter system their sugar and other proamong the original inhabduce to be sold. itants of the territory beThe Dutch colonists infore they began trading with troduced the guilder and othDutch colonists and traders er coins such as pennings, for European goods such as stivers and bitts whose valknives and cutlasses. ues fluctuated over time.

Even after the Dutch inSide by side with these coins troduced money, they rarefrom other European naly used it for large business

tions circulated. These included the English guinea, the Mexican dollar, and the Portuguese gold ducat, moidore, and joe.

Paper money and English coins By the end of the 18th century, a type of paper money issued by the government or the banks in Europe began appearing in Guyana.

Usually, when a person had accumulated a quantity of paper money, he would exchange the notes for gold at the Receiver's Office for Colonial Taxes. This office would then re-issue the paper money to the public again.

When the British seized Guyana in 1803, English coins began to make a gradu-

al appearance. However, the Dutch coins continued to be the main means of commercial exchange throughout the rest of the century, by which time the Portuguese and Mexican coins could hardly be

found in circulation.

Many slaves saved coins that they acquired by doing odd jobs during their free time, or through the sale of the produce from their provision grounds.

The first bank to be established was a savings b a n k for the slaves in 1828.

This occurred at a time when the British governm e n t was implementing policies aimed at improving the social condition of the slave population in its colonies.

In 1836, two other banks, the Colonial Bank and the British Guiana Bank, were set up.

T h e former, many years later, was taken over by Barclays Bank, while the latter, during the second decade of the 20th century, was absorbed by the Royal Bank of Canada.

In 1900, the Dutch coins were withdrawn and were replaced by British coins such as the half penny, penny, sixpence, twelve pence, shilling, florin, half crown, crown, sovereign and guinea.

Official British paper money was also introduced into Guyana at this time. This system of currency remained until 1951 when Guyana

joined with the British Eastern Caribbean territories to use common Eastern Caribbean coins and currency notes, even though many of the British coins continued to circulate for a while.

Independence Guyana, on attaining independence in 1966, withdrew from the Eastern Caribbean currency board and began to issue its own coins (one

of Georgetown.

The early establishment of the Bank was promoted by an agreement of the U.K. government (acting for the still colonial members of the British Caribbean Currency Board (BCCB) and the Trinidad & Tobago government), for the dissolution of the BCCB by mid-1967 and the cessation of issuance of currency after 1965.

At its establishment, the Bank was housed in temporary premises in three locations. The governor operated from an office assigned to him in the Parliament Building.

Office space was rented from the Colonial Life Insurance Company, High Street, Georgetown, to house

British Guiana currency

cent, five cents, ten cents, twenty-five cents, fifty cents) and currency notes with values of one dollar, five dollars, ten dollars and twenty dollars.

The Bank of Guyana, as noted on its website, was established through the Bank of Guyana Ordinance No. 23 of 1965. Actual operation commenced on Oct. 16, 1965, seven months before the country gained political independence.

This Ordinance established the Central Bank as an ‘autonomous institution' w i t h headquarters in the capital city

the Research Department while the BCCB's office in the General Post Office Building, Georgetown, executed currency operations on behalf of the Bank.

The Bank commenced issuing the new national currency notes on November 15, 1965, to replace the BCCB notes, the issuance of which was expected to cease by December 31, 1965.

However, national coins were not issued until mid-1967.

The Ordinance establishing the Bank was revised and became the Bank of Guyana Act. CAP:85:02. This Act was further revised in 1995, 1998 and late 2004.

guyanatimesgy.com

MAY 26, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine

3

Feature From Independence to Co-Op Republic:

The Constitutional Changes

By Jarryl Bryan

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oday, there is a recognized need for constitutional reform but long before present-day events emphasized this fact, Guyana's Constitution underwent much change since Independence.

Understanding these changes may help understand what more needs to be done.

The Guyana Constitution of 1966 was adopted upon Independence. It provided among other things for the GovernorGeneral as the Queen's representative and the Prime Minister to hold executive power.

This Constitution stipulated that the Prime Minister would be appointed by the party holding the majority in the National Assembly, then a 53-member unicameral body.

Changes to the Constitution in 1970 provided for several things including the removal of the Governor-General as the ceremonial head of state and his replacement with the office of President, also largely ceremonial. But it also empowered the President to dissolve parliament and appoint persons to critical positions in the executive and judiciary.

The 1980 Constitution, assented to by then-President Arthur Chung who was then almost automatically replaced as executive President by his Prime Minister Forbes Burnham, has survived to this day albeit with several modifications. What was never substantially changed was the President's power of appointments and to dissolve Parliament.

The Constitution also kept the clauses for removal of the President. In both the 1970 and 1980 Constitutions, the removal of the President is provided for on the grounds of incapacity, violation of the Constitution or gross misconduct. While laudable inclusions, there was more to them than met the eye.

Article 179 (1) of both Constitutions stipulated that in the case of incapacity, a motion must be moved by a majority of all Members of Parliament for the physical or mental capacity of the President to be investigated.

When this is done, the

Chancellor is then to be tasked with appointing a board of three medical doctors to investigate and then make a report. If the report confirms that the President is incapable of carrying out his functions, the Chancellor will certify this and the President ceases to hold office.

In terms of removal from office for misconduct and Constitutional violations, Article 180 (1) states “If notice in writing is given to the Speaker of the National Assembly, signed by not less than one-half of all the elected members of the Assembly, of a motion alleging that the President has committed any violation of the Constitution or any gross misconduct and specifying the particulars of the allegations and proposing that a tribunal be established under this article to investigate those allegations, the Speaker shall; (a) if Parliament is then sitting or has been summoned to meet within five days, cause the motion to be considered by the Assembly within seven days of the notice; or (b) if Parliament is not then sitting (and notwithstanding that it may be prorogued) summon the Assembly to meet within twenty-one days of the notice and cause the motion to be considered at that meeting.�

According to Article 180 (2), this type of motion will not be up for debate but rather, a vote has to be taken. A two-thirds majority of all elected members is needed before the motion can be passed, after which the Chancellor has to appoint a tribunal of a Chairman and two members who must be current or former judges.

During their investigations, the President will have the right to appear before them. According to the article, this tribunal can either decide the allegations have no merit (in which case no further action based on the allegations can be taken against the President) or that the President is guilty (in which case the President ceases to hold office three days after a resolution to this effect is passed).

This clause has been criticized, especially as Article 180 further stipulated that the President can dissolve parliament and therefore remain in power before his removal from the office takes

effect. In 2000, then President Bharrat Jagdeo assented to the Constitution Amendment (No. 4) Act of 2000, which among other things removed this stipulation.

Article 180 meant that holding the President answerable for any supposed crime done in his official capacity largely depended on the Members of Parliament. Article 182 (1) further went on to provide immunity for the President, stipulating that criminal or civil cases cannot be filed against the President for any breach of the law committed in his private capacity. Again, this provision was inherited from 1970 and the framers of the 1980 Constitution did not change it.

Constitutional reform After 1980, with criticism of the Constitution and the powers and immunities it gave to the President continuing, steps began to be taken towards reforming it through consultations.

From 1995, a Parliamentary select committee began holding hearings and receiving submissions from persons and organisations about what changes ought to be made. Momentarily suspended due to the 1997 election and it's violent aftermath, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) helped broker the Herdmanston Accord between then People's Progressive Party (PPP) leader and President Janet Jagan and then People's National Congress (PNC) leader and former President Desmond Hoyte, to among other things continue the reform process.

It established a Constitution Reform Commission (CRC) with a six-month lifespan. The CRC then travelled across Guyana to meet with individuals and groups in order to receive their submissions on what needed to be changed with the Constitution.

The CRC made 171 recommendations for amending the Constitution, but one of its most critical and especially relevant recommendations, was for the President and Cabinet to resign if a no-confidence motion was passed. Prior to the CRC, article 106 of the 1980 Constitution only spoke of a Cabinet. After the CRC, then President Jagdeo again assented in 2000 to provisions for a

Guyana’s First President Arthur Chung no-confidence motion to be added to the Constitution.

Additional CRC recommendations for curbing the power of the President were for a two-term Presidential limit, the Presidential power to dissolve Parliament to be removed and the clauses pertaining to the majority needed to remove the President to be removed.

Meanwhile, other CRC recommendations pertaining to human rights included the rights and freedom of individuals be amended to include protection from dis-

Former President Cheddi Jagan

Former President Janet Jagan

Former President LFS Burnham crimination, protection for arrested persons, equality of status for children born out of wedlock and the entitlement of children to free primary health care.

While many of the CRC recommendations were implemented, to this day some like the President's power of dissolving parliament, remain. Present attempts at continuing constitutional reform are currently embodied in the Constitutional Reform Consultative Commission, though these attempts have for some time been gridlocked.

4

Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

MAY 26, 2019

Feature

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then 20-year-old reporter Claudette Earle, now a retired newspaper editor, pens her firsthand experience of the festivities during HRH Queen Elizabeth’s visit in the monumental year of 1966 just prior to Guyana gaining independence. With her permission, Guyana Times Sunday Magazine reprints a now historic event.

“The little child and his mother were among the hundreds who had walked miles down the East Bank road before 7 o’clock that morning in order to secure positions of vantage along the streets the queen was scheduled to pass.

They had stood behind the police cordon for more than 90 minutes. They presented a lively picture of colour in their bright holiday attire. The morning was warm, and dozens of multi-coloured umbrellas brought slight respite from the increasing heat.

Guyanese were in a state of suppressed excitement for this was the first time a reigning sovereign had deigned to visit this country.

Seasoned with long waiting, the people suddenly heard the muffled roar of the outriders’ motor cycles, and they strained their necks to see her as she came into sight, seemingly gliding by in the Austin Princess.

To the hundreds of Guyanese assembled so orderly on the streets, she was all they had read about and much more.

Her complexion was an exceptional asset, and her deportment, though regal, was void of haughtiness. Fetchingly attired in a day dress of jade and primrose yellow with a fluffy white hat, she had alighted earlier from the plush luxury of the Royal Yacht Britannia on to the solid greenheart wharf of Sproston’s to begin a two-day tour of the country.

Guyana was the first stop of her Caribbean itinerary and, significantly enough, 1966 was the year of our Independence which occurred four months after her visit. Many felt that her royal presence in this country was England’s manner of making a tacit and graceful seal to the 152 years of colonial rule of British Guiana– a grand exit to the old era.

It was also a time of searching and preparation for the average native, for at that time Guyanese were being urged to assume the independence of spirit. And if the visit was meant to be goodbye, we could not have excelled ourselves.

Indeed, the 40-year-old sovereign actually voiced our thoughts and aspirations when, in replying to the Prime

Minister’s speech of welcome on the balcony of Parliament Building, she exhorted us: “Now is time to look forward with hope and resolution that all of this land, of whatever ancestry or creed, shall enjoy a shared prosperity and happiness as citizens of Guyana.”

Eclipsed only by the independence celebrations, which was the event of the year, Queen Elizabeth’s visit was a most momentous national event in the country. Day and night, wherever she travelled, the streets were heavily lined with people all eager to cheer tumultuously. They came not only from Georgetown and its suburbs, but from the sprawling coastal belt and the farflung areas in the hinterland.

For days prior to the visit, the city has assumed a gay and holiday appearance.

Thousands of multi-coloured bulbs traced sparklingly the definitions of business places at night, while during the day, flags and buntings in a riot of colours fluttered noisily in the breeze.

The Guyanese government had proclaimed Friday, February 2 a holiday in honour of the visit, enabling thousands of the working population the opportunity of seeing the sovereign. And, true to Guyanese style, she was accorded a fantastic and thoroughly warmhearted welcome. Waiting to greet her were Governor Sir Richard and Lady Luyt, Prime Minister Mr Forbes Burnham, and the Chief Justice Sir Joseph Luckhoo. After replying to the speech by the prime minister she visited the emblematically ornate and sombre chamber of the house.

The queen was welcomed by the speaker, Mr. A. P. Alleyne, after which she and Prince Phillip unveiled full-length portraits of themselves, each on either side of the speaker’s chair. Thence the royal party glided slowly through the lined

streets to the civic reception at the Promenade Gardens where a section of Georgetown’s citizens waited.

Coolly confident of carriage, and grateful of person, the queen met and chatted lightly with councillors both of the Georgetown and New Amsterdam Town Councils.

Her sincere interest never lags in the face of any pressure of exhaustion. This commendable aspect of her personality was unfolded before the curious and wondering eyes of the public during her brief stay.

She always appeared fresh and interested in everything about her.

Later that day, when the sunshine was hottest, the queen – ardent racing fan that she is – was the cynosure of all eyes when she and her entourage attended the special meeting of the Demerara Turf Club at D’Urban Park. Thousands had borne the heat of the sun and were converged on the Park to see her. She rewarded them with friendly smiles and waves. And yet her official engagements were not done for that day.

After knighting Sir Lionel Luckhoo at Guyana House during the afternoon, she boarded the yacht for a brief respite before leaving to attend the prime minister’s reception at The Residence.

On the way, she viewed Georgetown, now a fairy city.

The beautifully illuminated Town Hall was the most outstanding of them all. The lofty edifice, with its tall spire, was studded with hundreds of white bulbs; here, it seemed to us, was a precious gem of gigantic proportions artistically cut and set in the heart of the city.

More than 2,000 people were entertained at the reception. And Queen Elizabeth, elaborately begowned and wearing a diamond tiara in her hair, heard for the first time

the thrilling staccato rhythm of the masquerade band, while she gazed, and marvelled, at the tall lady on the stilts.

The night, bewitched with glitter and magic, presented a most suitable background for such an auspicious social function. Guyanese talent and culture in their varied forms impressed deeply all those present. Seven-year-old Pulmattie Gobin Ram proved herself to be an artist with remarkable promise a she danced her way into the hearts of all.

Present also at the function was the 100-strong National Symphony Choir, and the Silvertones Steel Orchestra, which panned the story of “Uncle Joe”, while choreographer Pat Anderson led the Theatre Guild Dance Troupe in some exotic contortions.

If Friday’s schedule was considered tight, Saturday’s was even tighter. In the morning the queen attended the spectacular Children’s Rally which was without argument, the highlight of the festive activities surrounding the Royal visit.

Never before was such a display of channelled inborn grace and rhythm of the Guyanese given. A mass choir of 10,000 voices drawn from 32 schools in and around Georgetown told the stories in songs of “A Coloured Girl in the Ring”, “Bessie Down” and “Hear Auntie Bess”, accompanied by the skilful arrangements of the Police Force Band.

And, in the while, these spirited little imps, 210 of them, cutely attired in short white dresses with coloured frilled panels matching the lovely hibiscus crowns on their heads, danced surely with perfect precision to the delight of the royal party. The queen leaned forward on her chair, her face mirroring pure rapture at the spectacular performance.

The popular Indian song, “Sohani Rhaat”, to which the

girls danced beautifully in a slower tempo, was a wonderful example of cultural integration…the theme of the nation since.

Other displays by the youths of Guyana followed, and songs in blessing of the queen were sung.

Presentations to the queen by three children were made before the royal couple drove around the ground to acknowledge the tumultuous ovation of the children.

Then, in the dazzling heat of the approaching midday sun, Queen Elizabeth travelled up by railway coach eight miles to La Bonne Intention where she viewed a rural display. She was presented with a map of Guyana in gold. Dance groups, including comfa and masquerade bands, performed.

Later that afternoon she was again bound for another engagement, this time to open the Queen Elizabeth National Park on Thomas Lands. And it was an exceptionally fashionable turnout of Guyana’s fairer sex. They excelled themselves in the interpretation of current dress trends. Exquisite creations of chiffon, floral nylon fabrics, and embroidered linens, matched with absurdly fitted picture hats and impossible stiletto heeled shoes, made many men turn for a second glance. The queen herself looked charming in blue silk intricately cut to give a split level effect.

Her other immediate engagement was to open the Industrial Fair at the B.G.C.C. ground. So genuinely interested was she in the display of Guyana’s products that the spent 40 minutes more than her allotted touring time. And while a popular steel orchestra proposed “A unto Her Majesty” in calypso song styling, the queen visited the Amerindian village and evinced keen interest in the making of cassava bread and cotton spinning.

Thus ended the official visit

of the sovereign. And, as the car finally conveyed the royal party to Sproston’s wharf, thousands of Guyanese, jampacked behind the police cordons, strained their bodies in an effort to catch a last look.

“Captain, Captain put me ashore. I doan want to go anymore! Itanami gon drownded me…” caroused hundreds of Guyanese in mock-mournful tones while they swayed rhythmically to the slow tempo of this time-honoured folk song, bidding, as they sang, goodbye to the queen. Her Majesty stood on the deck of the Britannia, visibly affected by the compelling undercurrent of Wet Indian beat.

All the tension and strain of preparation for this brief tour were released in this gay free-for-all sing-song. In fact this was the culmination of the warmth of sincere Guyanese hospitality accorded their monarch.

Yes it was truly the most relaxed period of the visit.

We were happy because everything –every event – had moved smoothly and efficiently. And, as we said goodbye, we tried to convey the message of our culture to the heart of the queen.

Fifty persons, including the governor and the prime minister, had been her guest for dinner. They all stood leaning against the rails, their faces alight with pleasure and excitement as they looked upon the swirling joy-makers.

Drumming her fingers lightly on the rail, the queen kept time to the sultry interpretation of “Lilli Gal”, “Wata Wash a Sea”, and the farewell bidding “Goodnight aye, Good night O”.

And on this note the thrilling tour ended.

Guyana had done herself proud on the two days and had, indeed, showed the rest of the world what she was capable of doing with the utmost ease and grace.”

guyanatimesgy.com

MAY 26, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine 5

Feature

ground with narrow white and black strips along the sides of the arrowhead. The five colours were also seen as symbolic to the country various assets.

Our National Flag

The official heraldic description of the Flag reads as follows: Vert on a pile throughout issuant from the dexter or fimbriated argent a pile gules fimbriated sable upon the same base.

This in simple terms means a mass of green issuing

durance that will sustain the golden arrow’s forward thrust into the future.

The RED triangle symbolises the zeal and the dynamic task of nation building which lies before our young and independent country.

The Garter King of Arms has described the design as being one of the most significant departures in national flag design in modern times.

The Flag is designed to be of a proportion 3X5 on land and 1X2 at sea. The colour proportions are green 50 percent; gold 24 percent; white 6 percent; black 4

T

hroughout early 1966, preparations for Guyana's independence celebrations went into full swing. A special committee appointed by the government designed the new Coat of Arms and selected the Canje pheasant as the national bird.

The design and colours of the new flag, "The Golden Arrowhead", had already been chosen in 1962 from entries submitted through an international competition. The winning five-colour design was submitted by an American, Whitney Smith.

The name of the flag – the Golden Arrowhead, was taken from the golden shape of an arrowhead along its middle, and signifies Guyana's journey into the future. The golden arrowhead, with narrow white and black strips along its sides, was set on a green and red back-

from the right, a pile of gold bordered with white, a pile of red bordered with black upon the same base.

Its Significance

The GREEN background symbolises the agricultural and forested nature of Guyana.

The WHITE border symbolises its waters and rivers potential.

The GOLDEN arrow symbolises Guyana’s mineral wealth and its forward thrust.

The BLACK border, the en-

percent, and red 16 percent.

The Coat-Of-Arms

The national Coat-of-Arms of Guyana is a composite of motifs suggested in separate designs by three Guyanese art-

ists. The design is interpreted as follows: The Amerindian head-dress symbolizes the Amerindians as the indigenous people of the country. The two diamonds at the side of the head-dress represent the country's mining industry. The helmet is the monarchical insignia.

The two jaguars holding a pick axe, a sugar cane and a stalk of rice symbolize labour and the two main agricultural industries of the country - sugar and rice. The shield which is decorated with the National Flower, the Victoria Regia Lily, is to protect the nation.

The three blue wavy lines represent the many waters of Guyana. The Canje Pheasant, the National Bird, at the bottom of the shield represents a rare bird found principally in this part of the world and the rich fauna of Guyana.

The

streamer below the shield bears the Nation's Motto "ONE PEOPLE, ONE NATION, ONE DESTINY” The Coat of Arms was selected on the recommendation of the National History and Arts Council and approved by the College of Arms, England. It was accepted by the House of Assembly on Friday, 25th February 1966.

The National Flower

The Victoria Regia, a water lily, was discovered by Robert Schomburgk, a German Botanist in 1837, while leading an expedition into the interior of what was then British Guiana. In its native habitat of tropical America, the plant is perennial. It grows in 4 to 6 feet of water, the base of the stems being situated in soft mud.

From each plant there are seldom more than 4 or 5 leaves. The largest flowers can measure 10 inches to one foot in diameter. When first open, they are white with a sweet smell rather like a ripe fruit; by the second day they are fully expanded and a deeper pink; by the third day, they start to wither.

The Victoria Amazonia Regia

6 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

MAY 26, 2019

Preserving our literary heritage

Arshana

by Indrani Gayadeen by

Petamber Persaud

T

his first novel published by the author, now in her mid-80s, is an archetype romance story that is entertaining, dramatic and delightful.

‘Arshana’ by Indrani Gayadeen starts off very idyllic with the narrator, Ruth, a 60-year old Guyanese/Canadian/Jewish woman ‘with all the comforts money could buy’, reminiscing and dreaming and planning, sitting under a huge maple [tree], enjoying the soft purple midday sun when she was disturbed by a squirrel, a couple of blue jays, her dog, Flossy, and a girl standing just outside her gate, fragile and hungry looking. The girl, Arshana, turns out to be a ravishing beauty, moving easily between two worlds of extremes – the rich and famous and the slums of decadence, upsetting the balance of both worlds, triggering the story to move to Guyana, Arshana’s homeland and India, Arshana’s ancestral home.

Throughout the novel, there

is that shift between idyllic and anxiety manifested in scenes, events, people and even an animal and a bird. Conflicts and resolutions are also present, if not too contrived, all, however, lending to a fast-paced read with just the correct amount of action-slowing moments.

The story is set probable in late 1970s or early 1980s when Royal Bank of Canada was still operating in Guyana and at a time when ‘backtrack’ – buying visa to enter North America illegally – was prominent: Arshana is an illegal immigrant from Guyana to Canada who was cajoled by her two friends, Sita and Rita, to give up her job at a bank and go to Canada where high-paying jobs were plentiful. Arshana was also attracted to migration because she wanted to experience snow.

Even though she was really attached to her grandmother, she got the elder woman’s blessings to go. After about two weeks living with her friends in among a den of thieves, drug addicts and prostitutes, and with no pros-

pects of a legal job, she decided to change her circumstances, ending up at the gate of Mrs. Weisman, prompted by the elder woman’s handyman, Rene whom Arshana met while the man was gardening and with whom she shares her knowledge on the subject. Mrs. Weisman is a wealthy widow living with her son, David, an eligible bachelor whose prospects in the world were looking rosy but who also has many female admirers and admirers’ relatives wanting to close the deal in their interest.

Arshana, taken in by the older woman and by stealth and deceit on the part of both parties, was able to move into the ranks of the rich and famous, first by proving to be very helpful to Mrs. Weisman, and an amazing cook to the family and their relatives and friends. Later, Arshana was able to assert her-

self, of course, with new connections (she was again fortunate to find another gracious and very rich family to adopt her) to make a name for herself which resulted after she disappeared from the Weisman’s home and was hospitalized attempting to abort the child she was carrying for David of the first family. Arshana and David marry in the end.

Indrani Gayadeen was born in Guyana and has lived in Trinidad, England where she married Dr. Donald Gayadeen, and India where her philanthropy ‘in building lepers clinics, funding food projects and digging wells’ earned her the title ‘Mother Indrani’. She currently lives in Canada.

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

I- Independence and political freedom from Guyana N- No more colonization D- Defence of our country by our own army E- Education free from Nursery to University P- Producing more local food for our nation E- Excelling in sport through hard work and dedication N- Nationalizing our major industries D- Development in all of Guyana's counties E- Empowering the women in our society N- No more gender discrimination in our country C- Creativity thrives alongside cultural diversity E- Ensuring all Guyanese live in peace and harmony!

By Cheryl Winter

guyanatimesgy.com

MAY 26, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine 7

Feature

M

ount Ayanganna is a sandstone tepui in western Guyana that stands 2,041 metres (6,696 feet) in the Cuyuni/Mazaruni Region and is a part of the Pakaraima Mountain Range in western Guyana. It is from the Ayanganna Mountain that the mighty Potaro River is said to be born.

Flagraising on Mount Ayanganna has become a tradition since mountaineer Adrian Thompson led the climb to its summit at Guyana’s first Independence.

As the Golden Arrowhead was being raised for the first time at what is now the National Park in Georgetown, Guyana’s flag was being planted on the summit of Mount Ayanganna, from which the GDF’s Camp Ayanganna takes its name.

There have been several new discoveries of new frog and snake species on the mountain. The GDF has named its main base ‘Camp Ayanganna’ after the mountain.

8 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

MAY 26, 2019

Feature

Lennox J Hernandez

S

oon after the introduction of postage stamps in 1840, countries began using them to portray details about the country in particular, and the move to Independence was one event that was particularly highlighted on many a country’s postage stamps. Guyana issued a new set of stamps to commemorate its Independence on May 26, 1966; new stamps were also required because the country’s name was being changed.

Quite appropriately, the Independence stamps depicted the country’s map and new flag, and it’s new Coat-of-Arms in a set of four stamps – 5c, 15c, 25c & $1.00 (the catalogue numbers for stamp collectors using the British system being SG408, SG409, SG410 and SG411, respectively). In the set, the 5c and 15c depict the map of Guyana (with surround-

ing countries named) and the Golden Arrowhead, whilst the

25c and $1.00 portrays the new Coat-of-Arms of the country,

each stamp having the words “Independence 1966” on a flying banner. All multicoloured photographic printing, the 15c and $1.00 issues have a brown background, whilst the 5c has a dark blue background and the 25c a light blue background.

These stamps were designed by

Victor Whiteley, once described (in 1982 by James Mackay) as the third most prolific stamp designer in the world having then designed 1,033 stamps, and printed by the British stamp printers, Harrison & Sons of London. An interesting inclusion in the design of these stamps is the inscription “South America” in small letters below the word “Guyana.” This would have been necessary then, to ensure the mail reaches these shores.

Technically, however, these new stamps are not Guyana’s first Independence stamps.

Issued on the same date, May 26, 1966, but listed by Stanley Gibbons 2009 Catalogue Commonwealth & British Empire Stamps 1840-1970 before the new Independence stamps, are thirty-two “new” stamps comprising the fifteen stamps of the 1954-1963 issue with a number of varieties, with catalogue numbers SG378 –

SG407b. These British Guiana stamps of 1954-1963 were reprinted with the inscription “Guyana Independence 1966” overprinted in bold, black capital letters on the face of the stamps, the stamps having unchanged values.

This issuing of current stamps with “Independence” overprints seems to have been a regular approach of newly independent countries.

One can put together a neat, informative collection of our Independence stamps issued on May 26, 1966; a collection of thirty-six stamps – this could be a project for our young people. En passant, I should mention that only one other issue of stamps was made in 1966; two stamps, 5c and 25c featuring the Bank of Guyana building for the opening of the Bank of Guyana, and issued on October 11, 1966.

guyanatimesgy.com

MAY 26, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine

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10 Sunday Times Magazine

MAY 26, 2019

guyanatimesgy.com

Feature

showcasing Guyana’s hidden treasures while expanding awareness

By Rupa Seenaraine

W

hen it comes to conservation and awareness of our environmental resources, Reel Guyana has been one of the new production companies to fuel this campaign.

Founded by 26-year-old Alex Arjoon, the plan was drafted some two years ago to magnify the beauty of Guyana and its hidden treasures while being informative on the dangers of practices which can harm natural resources.

In an interview with the Guyana Times, the young producer explained that he has always had a passion for protecting the environment and seeking new ways to present his ideas. There is currently a new series, which was produced by Reel Guyana that shares some of these wonders including breathtaking landscapes and rare animals.

“Reel Guyana is primarily a film production company with a key focus on environment, culture and societal issues. We aim to portray very relevant messages through the art form of film and video production and a little bit of photography as well.”

After returning to Guyana three years ago, Arjoon said he entered into the field of production while managing his business simultaneously. While he does not have a fixed schedule for visiting these locations, it takes months of editing behind a computer before the pieces are ready. The videos are usually short and illustrate different aspects of Guyanese nature and culture.

He explained, “I’ve always had a knack for creativity and I thought that production is a market in Guyana that is not saturated. I wanted to do something that was consequential for Guyana in how we tell our story and shape our identity.”

It was explained that one of the advantages of filming the Land of Many Waters is that the

landscape changes with the season.

For this, there is always something to look forward to when visiting a location multiple times.

“I go to places and I’m always thinking it’s the most mind-blowing place and then I go to another place and it’s even more mind-blowing.

Then I go to the place before and it’s even better because it’s in another season or another time. That’s the beauty of being undiscovered. You can always see new things spontaneously that gives you a sort of great impression,” he described.

According to the producer, the response to Real Guyana has been positive and there is much more to explore outside of the capital city and in the undiscovered areas. For the future, his plans are to feature these discoveries on the world stage.

“The response has been positive. I think people appreciate being able to see Guyana outside of Georgetown. We are on the cusp of serious development within the next five to 10 years and we deserve to be able to tell our story to the rest of the world and define who we are,” Arjoon relayed.

He stated that the only challenge for producers at this stage circles around financial support but he sees it as a personal investment. There is also the exploitation of work from various artists due to the lack of copyright legislation is another setback.

“The industry isn’t where it should be with regard to finding financial backing for work. I do have to give and take with the content that I do and what I chose to do.

This whole Reel series is a personal investment for me because I allocated the time to stop work and put effort behind this.”

He added, “I want Reel Guyana to be a catalyst to take the creative industry to the next step. There needs to be some sort of value recognized on the art. For too long, artists have been subjected to lack of copyright law which allows their work to be stolen and to be repurposed.

Arjoon stated that he is hoping to trademark the work of Reel Guyana so that persons can know of the quality of work he produces.

Some of his captivating videos are found on social media on the Reel Guyana page.

guyanatimesgy.com

MAY 26, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine 11

Home & Cooking

Independence Receipe

Ingredients • • • •

•

1 1/2 lb cassava 2 tbsp butter 6 eggs Salt and black pepper to taste Flour to roll balls in

Instructions

Ingredients

1 lb potatoes, medium size 1 small onion, chopped finely ½ tsp garlic powder 1 tsp cumin powder Salt and Pepper to taste ½ tsp chili powder, optional ¼ cup flour Oil for deep frying Batter ½ cup dry ground yellow split peas ½ tsp garlic powder ½ tsp onion powder Salt and pepper to taste Water

Ingredients • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Preferred fish for frying, seasoned 4 cups coconut milk 1 pound sweet potato, peeled, cubed 1 pound cassava, peeled, cubed 1 pound plantain, peeled, cubed 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped 2 wiri wiri 1 red onion, cut into rings 1 cup flour 2 tablespoons butter, small cubes 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons Water

Preparation •

•

•

•

•

•

Boil the potatoes in their skins. When the skins split, remove from heat and drain.

Peel off the skin carefully. Crush the pulp until the texture is like a smooth pastry dough.

Add the seasonings, mix thoroughly and shape into balls.

Combine all the dry batter ingredients. Add just enough water to make the batter a semi-soft consistency, like thick cream.

Roll each ball in dry flour,then dip into the prepared batter.

Heat the oil to 365°F (185°C). Deep fry the balls in the hot oil until golden brown.

Boil cassava and 5 eggs in salted water for about 25 to 30 mins until cassava is fork tender, drain. Mash cassava until smooth, take out the lumpy bits that cannot be mashed. Peel the eggs and set aside. Add 1 raw egg, butter, salt and pepper to the cassava, mix well. For egg balls, cover the eggs with the cassava to form a ball. The egg should be completely covered by the cassava mixture. Roll in flour and fry until golden brown.

Cassava Puffs Ingredients: • • • • • •

1lb cassava 1 egg ¼ cup margarine Black pepper and salt to taste 1 tsp baking power oil for frying

Instructions:

Boil cassava and while hot crush until smooth.

Add lightly beaten egg, margarine, pepper, salt and baking powder. Mix thoroughly. Form into small balls and coat with flour and fry until golden brown.

Instructions

Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan, sauté onions.

Add cassava, sweet potato, plantain, wiri wiri and continue to sauté for approximately 10 minutes. Add coconut milk and simmer until ground provision is fork tender.

For dumplings: Rub flour and butter together.

Add baking powder, salt, and sugar. Add enough of the water to make a stiff dough.

Form into balls and add to pot and steam for approximately 10 minutes.

Turn off heat, add fried fish and cover before serving.

Ingredients • 1/2 cup water • Juice of 2 limes • 2 tablespoons ginger • 2 tablespoons garlic • 6 large crabs (cleaned) • 1 1/2 cups coconut milk • 3 tablespoons cooking oil • 3 tablespoons curry powder • 1 teaspoon salt, chive, thyme • Pepper

Instructions 1. Cut the crabs in small pieces and use the lime juice for washing them. Use the ginger, minced chive, garlic, thyme to season the crabs.

Pour the oil into a preheated pot.

2. Make a paste by mixing the curry, salt and the pepper and add it to the hot oil. Next add the crab meat along with the coconut milk when the mixture thickens. Simmer curry for about 25 minutes and serve over rice, dumplings or roti.

12 Sunday Times Magazine

MAY 26, 2019

guyanatimesgy.com

Puzzles

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ACROSS

100 Lab glassware Do a double take

102 Icy burg Gateway to the West

103 Hotel staffers Expire, as a policy

104 Foreign body?

Photo setting (hyph.)

108 Bracing Violet lead-in

109 Outfits Fierce look

110 D’Artagnan prop Missouri range 111 Villa Jeweler’s lens

112 Max. opposite Single-masted boat

113 Like the Sahara Bucket of song

115 Coral islets Nut cake

116 Tumbler’s pad Michael Caine role

117 Flit about Ready to pounce

118 Violin parts Admire oneself

120 Work -- -- sweat Makes no progress (2 wds.)

121 Hosp. staffer “Lullaby” composer

123 Position Healing plants

124 Scribbles down PC button

125 Make into leather Crying shame

127 Stumbled upon -- Montgomery of jazz 129 Headache Hairpin curve

131 Improvise (4 wds.)

Sheep-preying parrot

136 Not slouching Tube trophy

138 Get the lead out?

Summer in Savoie

142 Moon valleys Mal de - 143 Secures a contract Hick

144 Take -- --! (scram) Unstable leptons

145 Mineral analysis Billiards stick

146 Leave no choice Verify a recipe

147 Banquet host Tarzan’s transport

148 More coarse Bloodhound’s clues

149 Desist’s partner Helen, in Madrid

150 She took a gander Kayak kin

151 Tech-support callers Mythic archer

152 Throw off heat Warden’s fear

153 Over-publicized Squeezes dry

Short verse DOWN Have a hunch

1 Orange coating Send packing

2 High-fashion mag Roman’s enemy

3 Nefertiti’s god Remind too often

4 Entertainer Bing -Mysteries

5 Narrow down Game official

6 Sirens Rabbit’s foot

7 Tools with teeth Bear in the air

8 Manitoba tribe Roswell crasher

9 Redhead’s dye Ages and ages

10 Jackpot games Cleaning cloth

11 They’re west of Lisbon Playful one (2 wds.)

12 Fixes potatoes Blushes

13 Tijuana Ms. Cow’s “second course”

14 Made do with Office note 15 Defects Grounded birds

16 Comfort Tankards

17 End of a lion’s tail Supervise

18 Mayberry moppet

KATHLEEN SAXE

WORD GAME TODAY'S WORD -- MEDICATE (MEDICATE: MED-ih-kate: To treat with medicine.)

Average mark 40 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 55 or more words in MEDICATE? TODAY'S WORD -- MEDICATE mace made maid mate mead meat media mediate medic meet mete mica mice mite

edema edict edit emetic emit dace dame date deceit d e c i mate deem deet deice

demit dice diet dime iced idea ideate item cadet came cede cite aced acid

acme acted admit aide aimed amice amid tame team teed teem tide tied time

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

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Jury member Burrowing rodent Actor -- Connery Floored Bruce -- of kung fu Amazon source Big-ticket -Hatcher or Garr -- Vonnegut Jr. Hyperion’s daughter Reba of country Bean-sprouts bean Enthusiastic shouts Warm-water shark Fully mature Band together Flower plot Dough Antitoxins Per person Crude Mount Hood locale Carpe --!

Thpeak like thith Balance-sheet gurus Harms

111 Absorbs, as costs 68 Disquiet 114 Tuna anagram

69 Drum companions

115 FNC rival

71 College stat

116 Call together

72 Nose-bag morsel

119 Fads and crazes

73 Chirping

121 Stevedore 76 Elbows

122 Racetrack prizes 77 Withdraw

123 Small bundle

79 Prow projection

124 Milk producer

80 It may be fragile

126 Supermarket area

82 Seizes the throne

127 Property divider

85 Mine and thine

128 “The Wreck of the Mary

88 Singer Tori - 90 Atlanta campus --”

129 Kid’s classic

91 Type of luck 130 Filter

92 In a lather

131 Goody-goody 94 Liquefy

132 Prom rental

98 Competes for

133 Dog food brand

99 Toward sunrise

134 Roquefort hue

100 Mounties’ org.

135 Sweet side dishes

101 Huron neighbor

137 Baba au - 102 Zip 139 PDQ

103 Drop -- -- line

140 Business encl.

105 “Othello” heavy

141 Watched carefully

106 Coup d’- 107 Jarrett and Sparks See Solution

109 Economic fig. on page 14

South American Countries

guyanatimesgy.com

MAY 26, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine 13

Tech

I

n a blog post, Google disclosed that it recently discovered a bug that caused some portion of G Suite users to have their passwords stored in plain text. The bug has been around since 2005, though Google says that it can’t find any evidence that anybody’s password was improperly accessed. It’s resetting any passwords that might be affected and letting G Suite administrators know about the issue.

G Suite is the corporate version of Gmail and Google’s other apps, and apparently the bug came about in this product because of a feature designed specifically for companies. Early on, it was possible for your company adminis-

Huawei executive accused of helping steal trade secrets

A

Huawei executive was involved in a plot to steal trade secrets, claims California-based electronics startup CNEX Labs. Chinese telecommunications company Huawei and CNEX — which was co-founded by a former Huawei employee — have filed dueling lawsuits over trade secret theft. Now, The Wall Street Journal reports that high-level Huawei figure Eric Xu has been accused of helping oversee an alleged conspiracy.

The Journal quotes a newly released hearing transcript that offers some details in a largely locked-down trial. According to its write-up, CNEX claims that Xu — one of Huawei’s rotating chairmen — “directed a Huawei engineer to analyze Cnex’s technical information.” The engineer then allegedly posed as a potential CNEX customer to obtain details about its operations. CNEX also says that Xu was briefed on a plot to surreptitiously gather information from Xiamen University, which had obtained a computer memory board from CNEX. According to the Journal, Huawei lawyers admitted that Xu had been “in the chain of command that had requested” information about CNEX, but they denied that any trade secrets had been stolen. “The relevant reports regarding the CNEX case are misleading and contain unsubstantiated allegations,” said Huawei in a statement to The Verge. “The presiding judge has twice denied CNEX’s attempts to drag Mr. Xu into the litigation. In addition, CNEX’s legal team have such little faith in the Xiamen University conspiracy theory that they did not seek any documents or testimony from the university, its professors, or personnel.” CNEX didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Huawei originally filed a lawsuit against CNEX cofounder Yiren “Ronnie” Huang in 2017, claiming Huang — who left Huawei in 2013 — had poached employees and used its patents to build CNEX’s solid-state drive technology.

CNEX counter-sued, claiming that Huawei had misappropriated its tech and was trying to gather even more information through the lawsuit.

trator for G Suite apps to set user passwords manually — say, before a new employee came on board — and if they did, the admin console would store those passwords in plain text instead of hashing them.

Google has since removed that capability from administrators.

Google’s post goes to great pains to explain how cryptographic hashing works, likely in an effort to make sure the nuances surrounding this bug are clear. Though the passwords were stored in plain text, they were at least stored in plain text inside Google’s servers, so they’d be harder to get to than if they were just out on the open internet. Although

Google didn’t say so explicitly, it seems like it wants to also make sure people don’t lump this bug in the same category

as other plain text password problems where those passwords have leaked out.

And oh, there have been

so many of those, as Wired notes. Twitter advised all 330 million of its users to change passwords back in March due to a breach. Facebook stored “hundreds of millions” of passwords in plain text in a way where up to 20,000 of its employees could have accessed them. Instagram had to fess up that Facebook’s breach had actually affected millions of Instagram users (not the previously disclosed smaller number).

For its part, Google didn’t characterize just how many users might have been affected by this bug beyond saying it affected “a subset of our enterprise G Suite customers” — presumably anybody who was

using G Suite in 2005. And though Google couldn’t find evidence that anybody used this access maliciously, it’s not entirely clear who would have had access to these plain text files either.

In any case, it’s fixed now and Google is appropriately sorry in its post about the whole issue: We take the security of our enterprise customers extremely seriously, and pride ourselves in advancing the industry’s best practices for account security. Here we did not live up to our own standards, nor those of our customers. We apologize to our users and will do better. (The Verge)

14 Sunday Times Magazine

MAY 26, 2019

guyanatimesgy.com

Bollywood/Hollywood

V

eteran actor Mithun Chakraborty’s second son Namashi will be foraying into Bollywood with Rajkumar Santoshi’s upcoming quirky young romantic comedy titled BadBoy. The film will also feature producer Sajid Qureshi’s daughter Amrin. “Rajkumar had several rounds of auditions before deciding on them and put both of them through some acting workshops,” Qureshi said in a statement.

The producer also revealed the film would be on the lines of Shahid Kapoor and Ileana D’cruz’s Phata Poster Nikhla Hero, and Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani featuring Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif.

Mithun was in the US when Namashi was signed for the film, Qureshi said. “But on his return, he met us and discussed the script. Any father would be pleased to have his child launched by Rajkumar Santoshi.

It means he is in safe hands,” he said.

The film will be shot in Bengaluru and Mumbai over the next 65 days. The makers have also planned to shoot few songs

abroad. The film is being bank-rolled by Qureshi’s Inbox Pictures. (Hindustan Times)

Crossword Solution

guyanatimesgy.com

MAY 26, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine 15

16 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

may 26, 2019

Fun Times

Archie

Review how you earn your living and spend your money, (March 21and make adjustments that will April 19) ease your stress and put you in a position to do something you enjoy.

ARIES

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

GEMINI (MAY 28June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

Don’t think about what you want to do; just get started.

Once you step into the limelight, make your intentions clear. A personal change will enhance your love life

Try not to let your enthusiasm put you in a vulnerable position. If someone charms and flatters you, question whether ulterior motives are involved before you willfully offer sensitive information.

Offer help. Whether it’s given to a friend, relative or stranger, a kind word or offer of assistance will be gratefully received and appreciated. Love is highlighted.

Offer suggestions, but don’t feel you must pay for others.

An offer won’t be as good as it’s made out to be. Use your intelligence and stop someone from taking advantage of you.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Put more effort into selfimprovement, grooming and personal growth that will help transform your life. Taking part in an event that brings you in contact with like-minded people is favored.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Be careful how you handle demanding people trying to blame you for something you didn’t do. Protect your reputation by documenting events as they unfold.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Peanuts SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

Taking a day trip, and communicating and sharing with a loved one will lead to long-term plans. Romance will improve an important relationship and your life.

Look at every angle of a situation and make decisions based on your knowledge and desires.

Don’t give in to someone using emotional manipulation.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

Make positive changes at home. Being sensitive to other people’s needs will help you solicit the help and support you require to complete your objective. Romance is in the stars.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

An opportunity looks promising. Go over the details and discuss your thoughts and plans with someone you trust to give you an honest evaluation of your current situation.

Calvin and Hobbes

Make changes based on PISCES (Feb. 20- facts. Help those in need, but not at the expense of risking Mar. 20) your health or financial position. A kind gesture will bring you closer to someone special.