Dear Editor,
I reply to the query of Mr Eusi Kwayana posed in his letter of Sept 8, (‘A mirror image,’ SN). (I wonder why he did not send the letter to KN in which my column is published.)
In my column of September 5, ‘Political Hypocrisy’ in KN, I cautioned Dr David Hinds about calling for Buxtonians to “agitate” against the government for the development of their village while denouncing what he termed the “growing “accommodationist attitude” of some Buxtonions. I reminded him about the experience of Mr Eusi Kwayana:
“During the riots of the 1960s, the latter declared that he adopted the role of organising the ‘defence’ of Buxton against what he concluded then to be the hostile surrounding Indian communities of Annandale and Lusignan. By the time he accepted that he had been wrong, Buxton had cleansed itself of all its Indian inhabitants and had earned a reputation it still hasn’t shaken off. Buxton has not been led astray only by ‘outside political sophisticates.’”
In his letter Mr Kwayana questioned the source of the first sentence of my statement. It was from guyanacaribbeanpolitics.com (hosted by Dr David Hinds); posted September 8, 2002: “An Open Letter to the Gunmen of Buxton-Friendship and to those who gave them guns.” I quote:
“Moreover I am the person who in 1964 after Buxtonian casualties took charge of the defence of Buxton Friendship. I can say that we feared an attack from our neighbours in Annandale, but they did not ever attack or attempt to attack. Get that in your pipe and smoke it.”
In my article I referred to Mr Kwayana as the “eminence grise” of Buxton, to which he pointed out that “One dictionary defines the French phrase as ‘a person who wields unofficial power esp. through another person and often surreptitiously or selfishly.” My Merriam-Webster gives the meaning as, “a confidential agent, especially one exercising unexpected or unofficial power.” “Selfish” or “surreptitious” would be the last words I would apply to Mr Kwayana.
In a similar vein I would like to point out that for the last 20 years I have referred to Mr Kwayana as “Elder Kwayana” as a mark of respect; as I was taught in the mixed village of Uitvlugt that raised me – and where I still live. It would appear from his riposte that Mr Kwayana is offended by the appellation, ‘Elder,’ and I will desist henceforth from using it.
Yours faithfully,
Ravi Dev
