Dear Editor,
The recent unfortunate death of David de Caires has left a void in the Stabroek News which would be difficult to fill. Who would pick up and carry on this important mantle of leadership? From recent indications, it appears that the credibility and courage of the newspaper has already taken a dive. The reason for my statement is that while I understand I do not dictate, and wish not to, the decisions of Stabroek News, I am baffled as to why the newspaper has been so reluctant to publish my views on the secession of Berbice.
I personally commend the paper for publishing one letter on Berbice secession. Nonetheless, in recent times, the newspaper has rejected many other letters. I thought Mr de Caires encouraged diverse and even radical views in the letter column. For the sake of basic human decency, could someone simply tell me why my letters on Berbice secession were rejected? What is Stabroek News afraid of? Did the editorial staff slip into a state of paranoia? What is now the new direction of the newspaper?
Yours faithfully,
Lomarsh Roopnarine
Editor’s note
Stabroek News has no new direction. As for Mr Roopnarine’s letters, we published the first; the second was not published and the third was received recently. Where the second is concerned, we operated according to a principle instituted by Mr de Caires himself, namely, that we do not carry letters which have already appeared in other sections of the press, and in this instance Mr Roopnarine’s letter was published in Kaieteur News on November 6. The third letter is very long, and recently we have not had the space to accommodate it. Other than the three letters referred to above, we do not know of the “many other letters” by Mr Roopnarine which have been rejected by this newspaper “in recent times.”
Mr. Roopnarine,
Secession results in civil war at worst, civil unrest at best. Right now such a situation is taking place in Bolivia, whereby clandestine forces are being armed and encouraged by known western covert agencies to seceed. The reason behind this is the oil found in the region.
If you are a person so determined to pursue this mindset of yours, my I remind you that it is considered treasonous, and you are very presumptious to demand that a news media print, your treasonous viewpoint.
I read your earlier article, it contained no revolutionary fervor, it held no fire or inspiration, it only revealed that you are one disgruntled individual, looking for the limelight.
Are you prepared for armed struggle? Are you ready to give your life for this cause? I am willing to bet you are no Che Guevara, or Nelson Mandela. At the first sign of real conflict you will turn tail and run.
So give up this oneman obsessive dream of yours, it is not your calling, because I am sure you are not prepared to die for it or spend 27 years in prison for this delusional cause of yours.
Get yourself a job and assist the people of the Berbice region to develop the country and stop harassing SN.
Joe.
Joe, I appreciate your advice to Lomarsh as you implored him to give up his “obsessive dream” of Berbice secceeding from “Guyana”. However, your inference to “27 years in prison” (time spent by Mr. Mandela in a South African jail) was not for a “delusional cause”, but for justice. Lomarsh is one of many who is so frustrated by his dysfunctional Government that his only recourse is to advocate secession. But Lomarsh’s call cannot even approximate the minimal standard set by Nelson in his fight for the oppressed. Nelson is my hero, Lomarsh is not ISNM
Yeah, but the Government prosecuted Hinckson for his comments but has not uttered a word in response to Roopnarine’s assinine and subterfuged racist proposals. This is an indication of what free speech means to those who have the power. Some people are free to write and say what they wish, while others like Benschop, Waddell and Hinckson pay a penalty for their utterances. Guyana is an elected dictatorship.
I’ve already expressed the view that Roopnarine’s first letter should not have been published at all. An incitement to secession is tantamount to treason. Suriname wants more Lomarsh Roopnarines in Berbice.
Thank you Mr. Editor for publishing my enquiry and commenting on it. While I respect your rules that letters appearing elsewhere should not be published in SN, I have read the same letters in your newspaper and others. Maybe this has to do with timing with regard to when the letters were received and oversight. But you can simply resolve the issue that the third letter is long by publishing it in two parts. You or I can make the decision to where the first part ends
Free speech, what a wondeerful thing!! But if you were in Guyana, you might now be facing a charge of treason. Your call should not be one of succession, but a call of encouragement to Guyanese who feel the same as you do to change the way things are now done in Guyana, under the pretext of “serving the people” ISNM
I ran the seccession of Berbice by my African friend, who replied saying: “What seccession are you talking about-Cuffy died in Berbice to free the slaves, Damon died in Essequibo to free the slaves, Quamina died in Demarara to free the slaves. Africans occupied every county and gave their labour and lives to build Guyana. We are not going to allow some people to destroy the unity our people died for.” I am sharing this as food for thought.
A new direction, But where? Please say.
In a world where nation-states are coalescing together to FORM TRADING BLOCKS, I find it incredible that Lomarsh Roopnarine may be prescribing the DIVIDING UP OF GUYANA.
We are all in the GLOBAL VILLAGE now my good man.
You choose for yourself, and not for others, if you want to be a hermit.
This man Lomarsh is some dreamer.
RL
Hi “Lomarsh Roopnarine”; You wrote inter alia in your letter to SN: “[....I am baffled as to why the newspaper has been so reluctant to publish my views on the secession of Berbice.
I personally commend the paper for publishing one letter on Berbice secession. Nonetheless, in recent times, the newspaper has rejected many other letters. I thought Mr de Caires encouraged diverse and even radical views in the letter column. For the sake of basic human decency, could someone simply tell me why my letters on Berbice secession were rejected? What is Stabroek News afraid of? Did the editorial staff slip into a state of paranoia? What is now the new direction of the newspaper?...]”
One simple answer as to why it is believed SN chose not to publish your many letters; and if it is all about the “CGX OIL”… then your ranting on a “secession of Berbice” borders on sheer “GREED”. It did not happen over the last Five Hundred (500) Years and it will not happen now or any time in the future.
Ulric, I never meant to infer that Nelson Mandela’s great struggle against apartheid was delusional, that adjective referred purely to Mr. Roopnarine.
I also wish to express, that I do respect his right to free expression, so I am by no means telling him to be silent. I was just making it clear to him that secession is not a one man endeavor, and his writings are by no means inspirational enough as to attract a blind sheep following.
Joe.