Dear Editor,

I disagree with Mr Clarence Ellis’s assertion that “Breaking into the East Indian voting bloc is difficult because of their greater cultural cohesion” (07.11.27). Does Mr Ellis believe that there is a monolithic East Indian voting structure that provides one hundred percent unquestioned support to the PPP?

The fact is that many East Indians are not completely satisfied with the governance of the PPP/Civic administration. What prevents them from defecting en masse from the ranks of the PPP? Not cultural cohesion. There are many cultural streams in East Indian culture. For example, the Hindus are divided into Aryans and Sanatanist groups who often do not see eye to eye on every issue. Then there are also divisions along caste (varna) lines, Brahmins versus Shudras, etc.

The cementing factor is fear. Fear of what a PNC government and its supporters will do to them. Do we really think that East Indians have forgotten our deadly racial conflicts of the sixties? And the fact that in many instances they were on the “losing” end? Do we really imagine that East Indians are not perceptive enough to realize that they have been, and are, the major targets in past and current violent robberies? And this is happening when “their” government is in power!

The unfortunate thing is that many PNC leaders in the past and even today reinforce that sense of fear by using threatening language. Remember the Hoyte, “We will make Guyana ungovernable”, statement?

Therefore, I would rephrase Mr Ellis’s sentence to read: “Breaking into the East Indian bloc is more difficult than breaking into the African bloc because of the greater sense of ethnic insecurity, that is, ethnic fear”.

The African bloc, with some justification, also has its share of ethnic insecurity. Therefore, it should be clear to all Guyanese that our country is deeply fractured by the mutual ethnic insecurity between our African and East Indian blocs.

The solution to our national dilemma will not be found in widening the ethnic divide and inciting the retreat to separate racial fortresses. A lasting solution lies in our willingness to engage in a programme of national reconciliation and healing.

We have to promote unity and peace.

Yours faithfully,

Wilbert M Stephenson