Elvin McDavid, an ex-minister of information in the PNC administration, has criticized the organizers of CARIFESTA X for failing to credit the vision of late President Forbes Burnham.
“There are those at the Office of the President and State House who don’t want to acknowledge it,” McDavid said, at a cultural tribute to the former President held on Saturday night at the Triveldt Community Development Centre, Festival City. “They ignored the great man who created it but history has a way of biting,” he added. He credited the success of the first festival, staged in 1972 in Guyana, to Burnham’s leadership, saying that he led by example and inspired the nation to follow him. “We must never, never forget [L.F.S] Burnham because he is the greatest living Guyanese we will ever have,” he said to applause from the small crowd.
Dancers on stage at a cultural tribute to the late President Forbes Burnham at Festival City on Saturday night.
McDavid also said Burnham’s policies, once discarded by the current administration, are being quietly re-implemented in new guises. He cited the Guyana National Service (GNS), which he said was being reorganized without a military service component. He also argued that Burnham’s Feed, Clothe and House (FCH) plan has also been adopted by the administration. “As time goes by, it becomes clear that Burnham’s policy was correct for his people,” McDavid said. “Once you care about your people’s development, you have nowhere to go but back to Burnham,” he added.
He painted a dismal picture of the current state of the nation, and the PNC, charging that “the promised land” is farther away from ever before, while “Burnham’s flock is now leaderless!” Nonetheless, he was optimistic that the country could be regained; being sure that Burnham’s spirit was indomitable.
The night featured dances by several small troupes, drumming as well as folk singing. Festival City was built to house the delegates who attended the first CARIFESTA.
There would always be parallel between the the administration and pnc past policy. The pnc is a “lost child of the ppp”.many of the pnc policies were pulled right out of the ppp archives.
The pnc not being democratic did not see success and alienate the population.
Before 1947 with dr jagan in parliament was a rubber stamp for the plantocracy and the petit bourghese.to vote you had to own property.
His 2 hr speech in parliament to allow universal adult suffrage was the marathon
That made him the conscious of that body.
The 1953 election saw the victory of his ppp.the recruitment of members of this team was based on being nationalistic.
Many joined for different reasons, but being ppp was the thing to do for all the good reasons.
Being in parliament and government the choice was now living the good life and keeping the status quo, or struggling and achieving independence.
To make long story short, look who were members of the interim government and who became members of the pnc.
McDavid is correct Burnham should have been acknowledged. It was his idea. i dont know when our politics in Guyana will mature. the PPP afraid to even mention a dead man name.
like it or not Burnham was a visionary.
he said to produce locally so we can feed , house and clothe the nation. the PPP now says grow more not sure what for though.
All that being said, had nothing to do with the vision and wisdom of Forbes Burnham.
well what you expect from this regime MR MCDAVID
this regime would not accept that it is following the foot steps of MR L F S BURNHAM they dont have a blue print of their own to govern guyana they
are going back to the archives of the PNC that is the right way to govern guyana
like it or not ppp supporters its the only way long live L F S BURNHAM MEMORIES
it was dr.jagan that call the caribbean the American backyard.Read his book the caribbean revolution.he was calling for a carribean block long before caifesta.
It is sad that the current government did not acknowledge LFS Burnham at this Carifesta celebration. This we should never forget !!!!!
Jagdeo !!!! shame on you and your minister of culture.
It seems like Guyana has relocated to INDIA?
Guyana did not relocated to india,guyana is in south america.many of times india
was alone ,calling to release mandella and one man one vote.
If the pnc had cooperate with india you would have said forbes /corbin is doing this to get indian support.
Go see how much is helping/cooperating south africa ,botswana ,etc.i guess the they are saying the same as you.
……mcdavid and all de aders,,,, juss doan seem to get it ? en no badi,, want anyting fuh duh wid anyting wid burnham and de pnc ,, ! y’all is a disgrace ,, and on top of all dis ,, y’all still tryin fuh feed we the same old ,, same old ,, well guess
what ??? we nat interested ,, and we doan want nutten fuh duh wid burnham u and de pnc ,, GET IT ?
LIKE IT OR NOT BGSBNY YAL HAV FEH LIV WIT BURNHAM MESSAGE ,,GET IT?
I’m quite sure it’s the disgrace that gave free education to you, your parents and grandparents. Do you remember any other country that had free education and health when Guyana had theirs? It’s a shame, because I left the country on the same ignorance and guise as you and the others that are against the previous administration. But the reason I’m staying away now is because I realize that I may have made a mistake then, because I had to work my behind and pay for everything that I was getting free.
The last time I visited in 2006, I was ashamed at the condition of our beautiful Guyana. Georgetown stinks. Tell you beloved President, first impression plays a great deal. We may not have had the kind of food, clothes or jobs during the previous administration, but the one thing we had was PRIDE. The word is missing from this administrations dictionary, and they have no shame about it.
the pnc was right to introduce carifesta to guyana it is truly an economic boost
to the treasury of guyana also mash, thousands of people visit the shores of
guyana to celebrate, however i think that phagwah, diwali and indian arrival day
should not be a public holiday because there is no economic gains to achieve during those holidays nobody shops business close their doors.
…… i am in total agreement with ur suggestion that the days put aside for indian clebrations should not be “holidays” ,, so too ,, if there r any muslim holidays ,, if
the muslim and hindu sectors of the nation ,, want to celebrate recognised days of their religious beliefs ,, then they should be free to do so ,, on their time ,, not at the expense of the nation ! an doan fuhget “emancipation day ” must by resaoning,, be included ,,,
blame the english for taking your culture not the indians for conserving thiers.
There are certain things in Life that you don’t want, but hey not everytime you don’t want something means that it aint good for you. Take for instance apart from all the wrong done, the GOOD that anybody is able to accomplish so as to make a nation better, Bush will be remembered whether they in the US like it or not, be it good or bad, but undoubtedly for his good more than his bad, Likewise we should remember both Burnham and Jagan for their good, and give “CREDIT WHRE CREDIT IS DUE”,
In order to effect reconcilliation and forward movement things of the past must be Acknowledged thus allowing what happened before us to be appreciated and influence the direction we head to in the Future…
Like it or not Burnham will always be the historical figure for the introduction of Carifesta. It was his and the pnc’s idea, and despite the critics he will always remembered whenever this time comes along.
This would have bring down the curtin for Carifesta X if this government had put aside their petty differences to acknowledge that it was Burnham’s brain child to host Carifesta in Guyana. No one can erase history and many need to know that Burnham had a vision and a great one for his people.
For those who are saying that the PNC is an Afro Guyanese Party you need to think again -almost all the Ministers with Burnham was indian. When we had holidays to celebrated Christmas he made it possible for the Indians to have holiday to celebrate Phagwa and for the Muslims to celebrate Eid Mubarak.
Education which was free and some of the same people that holding high offices in this government had benefited free education.
Acknowledgement of this Leader Burnham cannot be hidden the world recognise him for his vision and that will go down in history.
The current president was one who benefited from free education under the Burnham regime. He was sent to study economics in Russia.
Re: “For those who are saying that the PNC is an Afro Guyanese Party you need to think again -almost all the Ministers with Burnham was (were) Indians…” Your are quite right, Look who were some of his closest friends and colleagues:
“The Luckhoo Dynasty”
http://www.genealogymagazine.com/luckhoo.html
i am trying to remember how many elections the PNC and LFSB won
in guyana or did the american CIA put him there and took the PNC out of office
and what is your point
What you should remember, bishnu, is that he was themost effective and I repeat MOST EFFECTIVE LEADER GUYANA HAD TO DATE! At least the Americans recognised leadership!