Indo Caribbean World  October 9, 2002

Reader's Response

Jagdeo should act with firmness, or resign

The Editor:

This is a call from a concerned expatriate Guyanese in the U.K. We abroad must all speak out with one voice and combine our efforts to bring pressure on Bharat Jagdeo to act now or step down from office. We are fed with a daily dose of carnage in Guyana perpetrated by criminals with political backing. Nothing is done to bring those who incite mayhem, to justice. Enough is not done to pursue to the bitter end the criminals who target people of Indian descent. Nothing is
done to eradicate injustice on the whole in
Guyana. 

Bharat Jagdeo is a nice person who prefers the 'softly, softly' approach who wants dialogue, all good principles, but what good has it brought the ever suffering people of Guyana? Your paper has cited the many known cases of murder, rape, arson, and countless other crimes against our Indian brothers and sisters in Guyana.

Guyana wants a fair but Firm leader, a no nonsense President that leads from the front. One who is not going to be dictated to by the opposition, one who is not going to succumb to blackmail, or threats from anyone

. A person in the mould of Rudy Guliani of New York. One who confronts all criminals face on, talk tough and get the job done, not begging for compromises. Bharat's government won the mandate of the people at a free and fair democratic election on policies that were put to the people. The forum for discussions is Parliament; all debates must be open and done in the public arena. If Hoyte and his Party want to boycott Parliament, then tough! The Government must get on with the business and govern. The stumbling block is the absence of a trusting police force and army to maintain law and order. I suggest this problem must be targeted now. You either move the seat of government to a safer environment, say in Berbice, or tackle the/attitude of the law enforcement bodies with a firm hand.

Bharat Jagdeo has tried the conciliatory route without any significant success. He is unable to look Desmond Hoyte in the eyes and call his bluff. Take it from me - come the next general elections in Guyana, if the PPP/ Civic were to win - Georgetown will again be torched - history will repeat itself unless the criminal fraternity is pursued to the bitter end, the Police Force is cleansed of corruption, dunce police officers off loaded, racial imbalance is addressed, and professionalism returned to the Police Force once again. 

Bharat Jagdeo must ask members of Caricom/USA/UK to loan Police or Army personnel to help Guyana with cleansing of the Police force, and putting it back on a professional level. I have seen the President's recent statement on the initiatives to help the police force fight crime. How or why should anybody provide more training and more equipment to a body that you cannot trust? I suggest that Jagdeo dense the police force, remove corruption, racial imbalance, and the attitude problem, then by all means assist their effectiveness. Jagdeo should not settle for a short term, cosmetic job. He should act now, ask for help. Positive discrimination or affirmative action is necessary to redress the racial imbalance. Offer a good salary to attract educated and well intentioned candidates to the force, and have confidence in our Indian people to head the Police Force and Army. I was a Police Officer in the Guyana Police Force, I was a serving member of the Special Branch, I am now a Criminal Lawyer in the U.K. and the Chairman of the Caribbean Indian Social and Cultural Association here in the U.K. I am prepared to give whatever help or advice is deemed necessary to put the Guyana. Police Force on a well balanced professional level and bring back respect for law and order once again in Guyana.

Guyana will not progress as long as fear continues - fear for one's life, fear for the lives of innocent Guyanese still in that country, for one's businesses, fear to walk the streets of Guyana unmolested, fear to sleep soundly at nights, fear for our women folks being attacked and molested, fear to speak up for one's rights, fear of corrupt Police Officers. Fear must be stamped out now...or Jagdeo should do the honourable thing and step down and give someone else within his party the chance to stamp his authority - a fearless leader, who has the confidence in confronting
the problems in Guyana head on. Delay is detrimental.

I call on all Guyanese Organisations in Canada and USA not to sit idly by whilst our brothers and sisters, the unfortunate ones still in Guyana are being killed, raped, or have their properties destroyed or stolen. They are deprived of many luxuries that we enjoy overseas, they need our help as there is no one else to turn to during this hour of darkness. Bharat has failed to provide them with the necessary protection every Guyanese deserves. They go to bed not knowing if they will see
the next day alive. The loss of one life, is one too many. I do not have any animosity towards Bharat Jagdeo, he is a good person, but he is not made of the sturdy material that is needed to lead Guyana out of this crisis. All Indo Guyanese are in the clutches of fear. Let us try to save the next life in Guyana, now. By organisations acting together with one voice, we can surely persuade Bharat Jagdeo to step down and give another candidate within the PPP, the task of making
Guyana a safer place to live.

Taij Ramnarace (U.K)