Dear Editor,
I have been trying to follow the illegal-Guyanese-in-Barbados brouhaha and I have come to this conclusion: It is a wake up call for Guyanese at home to change the government in Guyana so that instead of Guyanese running away, they will be running back home.
Last week, I wrote a letter that SN captioned, ‘Why is Suriname better than Guyana?’ in which I laid out the path Suriname took to become a successful country compared to Guyana, even though Suriname is smaller in geographic size and population than Guyana, and also has less natural resources than Guyana. The gist of my letter was to show that Guyana lacked a visionary leader.
Today, the focus is on Barbados, and I want to cite the World Bank as my source. Barbados is 166 square miles compared to Guyana’s 83,000 square miles and has a population of 281,968 compared to Guyana’s 700,000. According to the World Bank, Barbados is a high income economy while Guyana is a developing economy. In fact, the WB says Barbados’ human development index is consistently among the top 75 countries in the world and that in 2006, it was ranked 31st in the world and third in the Americas behind Canada and the United States.
Though it historically depended on sugarcane, in recent years Barbados has diversified into manufacturing and tourism, with solid foreign-exchange earnings support from offshore finance and information services. The government has been described as business friendly, encourages direct foreign investment and is economically sound, and since the late 1990s there has been a construction boom, with the development and redevelopment of hotels, office complexes and homes.
Traditional trading partners include Canada, Caricom nations (but especially Trinidad and Tobago), the UK and the USA. In 2003, the island nation saw a Can$25B in investment holdings, placing Barbados as one of Canada’s top five destinations for Canadian Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
Now here is the kicker: According to the World Bank, while 90 per cent of all Bajans are of African descent, there are other smaller ethnic groups that make up the population. “The Indo-Guyanese,” says the WB, “[are] an important part of the economy due to the increase of immigrants from partner country Guyana. There are reports of a growing Indo-Bajan diaspora originating from Guyana [and India]… but they are smaller than the equivalent communities in Trinidad and Guyana.” The report also said Hinduism is one of Barbados’ growing religions.
So when Guyanese, including the President, start ‘kicking up a stink’ against the Bajan authorities for rounding up illegal Guyanese in Barbados, it is imperative that they be fair and balanced in their raucous ruckus. While we may not like the methods employed arresting illegal Guyanese and their post-arrest detention and treatment, the truth is, there are thousands of Guyanese in Barbados – legal and illegal – so if the Bajan authorities are rounding up a handful of illegal Guyanese while leaving thousands untouched, that is enough proof that the Bajans are not on an anti-Guyanese crusade to purge the island nation of our countrymen and women.
I close by reverting to my opening line in which I say the brouhaha in Barbados should make us realize that we have a country that is blessed with rich resources but cursed with poor political leaders, and the only remedy is to kick the poor political leaders to the curb.
Our Indian Guyanese brothers and sisters who have traditionally voted for the PPP should be at the forefront today leading the fight to change this government in 2011; after all, when the World Bank says Indian Guyanese are an important part of the Barbadian economy due to increased migration from Guyana, it is for Indian Guyanese to see that they cannot keep voting for the PPP and then run to other people’s country, leaving their own country behind at the whims of poor political leadership.
If the President and the PPP have not shown leadership to Guyanese while at home, how can they show leadership to Guyanese caught in a dilemma in another country? Wake up Guyana!
Yours faithfully,
Emile Mervin
As usual Emile, you’re spot on.
Spot on? Where MIECZKIEWICZ? In a dream.
Mr Mervin, I tend to agree with you. they are the same ones who voted them in and left. By the way, how can you say Jagdeo lasks vision when he thinks he is an authority on EVERYTHING.Man you must be joking.The man thinks that he is the last Messaiah..
Guyana needs educated men and women, Professionals, like the Ministers in Barbados and every where else in order to make it happen. Guyana can’t make it with the likes of what they have there. Never. ontariogirl
Are you an educated professional ontariogirl? Do you have anything to contribute to Guyana? If so, when are you going back? The Canadians don’t really want you there you know.
Then what are you doing in the States, you should also go back if what you think what I’ve written is so wrong. There is nothing wrong with some constructive critism. No I am not a professional, I work in a factory here and am quite happy. ontariogirl .
Quote – it is for Indian Guyanese to see that they cannot keep voting for the PPP and then run to other people’s country, leaving their own country behind at the whims of poor political leadership.
Right on the money, Emile Mervin!
Why don’t we put an Indo-Guyanese to head the PNC. This will get the Indians to vote for the PNC.
Maybe it is not the PPP who is the problem. Could it be race-related?
No matter what we observe regarding the development of other countries, where Indo-Guyanese are a dominant force in the economy, in Guyana the political climate mitigates the potential for sustained economic development. You may ask, why? The apanjat factor is my ready answer. In every society there is a structured element that functions based on the perception of their strength (economic, political, religious et al). This perception allows them to exclude others. In Guyana this exclusion is easily achieved and encouraged through political affiliation, but most of all through the perception of economic strength. What is happening in Barbados regarding Guyanese is a direct outgrowth of the Government’s understanding of political and economic development in GUyana. So Emile, you are correct in your understanding of the dynamics of political nepotism as practiced in Guyana, and the devastating effect it has on Guyanese at home and abroad. ISNM
Educate yourself some more and be wiser.Where were you talking about nepotism, when worse than what is occuring in Guyana was happening under a dictatorship of rule until death? Get real.Learn.
Where is the chariot?
“Our Indian Guyanese brothers and sisters who have traditionally voted for the PPP should be at the forefront today leading the fight to change this government in 2011; after all, when the World Bank says Indian Guyanese are an important part of the Barbadian economy due to increased migration from Guyana, it is for Indian Guyanese to see that they cannot keep voting for the PPP and then run to other people’s country, leaving their own country behind at the whims of poor political leadership.”… Well said Emile!
Same can be said for Afro Guyanese. Complaining about principles, then dress in “I love NY” tee shirts and depart on the next outgoing flight. Explain yourself fully before you comment otherwise.
Emile I agree with your comments 100%. I am very surprise that it was printed in the newspaper. I find that people in Guyana don’t like to hear the truth.
Emile spot on. I have bad news for you though. Indians will forever vote PPP then run to other countries, live illegally, get visa or seek refugee status. This I cannot understand. Is like the cup got magnet. Then after they run to Barbados living illegally and Barbados say they will deport them if they don’t regularise their status they accuse Barbados of racial profiling or ethnic cleansing. I can’t understand.I can’t understand how the papers and them big ones making this claim too. I give up. Emile I hope you get get them to see reason but I doubt it.
Raj ! As for the ‘big ones’, think remittances – the lifeline of the Guyana economy. But withal, the people of Barbados know exactly what will happen, if the group of Guyanese who are raising the spectre of racism, become a political force in their tiny island. They see the racial divide in that sorry Guyana and , ‘ a culture that is different from the rest of the Caribbean’. Make no mistake, the rest of the islands in the Caribbean are taking notes. And the sad part of it is that the dominant culture in Guyana has no one to blame but itself. So sad.
This single letter, Mr Mervin ,is worth more and says more than all the hundreds of blogs published in this newspaper on this issue since Prime Minister Thompson announced his immigration policy. Quality before Quantity.
Thank God that there are still people like you around who think with their brains rather than their mouths.
baloner reader Sanderson.Coming from you those words do not mean a thing.
Emile Mervin,
Please stop trying to create discourse and division.
Are you now realizing that Guyanese have been running away from Guyana? Where have YOU been since the 1970s? Guyanese have started the ‘running’ from the racist PNC and LFSB. The exodus has continued and accelerated during the 80s and 90s. You simply cannot blame the current leadership alone because it is the easiest thing to do. It takes a long time for economic policies to erase deficits and show gains.
Barbados has tourist attractions. Guyana does not (beaches are # 1 destination for tourists). Guyana has natural resources; unfortunately, they are not of the best quality (gold, bauxite, etc).
How do you suppose we encourage economic stability and growth? Do you thing we should watch other countries do it and WISH for it in Guyana?
The PNC had their chance. The PPP had their chance. Forget the leadership! IT IS OBVIOUS that the leadership is insignificant. IT IS TIME FOR GUYANA TO REINVENT ITSELF. That is what the other countries did!!!!
Not from gt if you’re not from gt keep out of this discussion.
NotFromGt- You rant and rave but said nothing. Read Emile’s letter again, then make your comment.
I have just as much right as anyone to speak out against bigotry. I experienced PNC bigotry firsthand when I lived in Berbice. PNC morons with no education held the best jobs. They raided my home at will for what they called ‘inspections for contraband’. Humiliated my parents and grandparents. Now I can finally see the true nature of the PNC’s policies. ETHNIC CLEANSING. It worked but they are too stupid to govern. They created the atmosphere that exists today.
Mr Mervin wants me to blame the PPP? I don’t think so.
Your letter proves one thing:
Guyanese will prosper in any other country except Guyana no matter who the leader or political party is. Guyanese will stimulate any other economy except Guyana’s no matter who the leader or political party is. WHY IS THAT Mr Mervin ???????