Dear Editor,
President Granger has seized major moments to articulate and reiterate his vision of, and commitment to, national unity and inclusionary democracy. Prior to the elections I indicated my willingness to hope and trust. Though it is early days yet, I now believe some more.
His words, his appointments, and the national awards are all solid, encouraging starting points. But there is more, so much more waiting to be done, begging to be done to send the right signals; to signify a sweeping, continuous determination to turn and harness the tide towards racial and national harmony. By any measurement, this involves the sea change of turning the tide at its crest, and while it heaves with substantial racial dissonance.
The leader cannot do it alone; he should not attempt to do so. It would be persuasive, if not satisfying, to hear each and every minister (juniors included) taking up the mantle of national unity and place it foremost in their portfolios of responsibilities. Ministers must inform their staffs that there is little patience, and no tolerance, for racial dissension in the ranks; or for racial disrespect and discrimination in serving citizens. No exceptions. Whether it is the service commissions, or at the ministerial level, let an obvious meritocracy saturate hiring practices and opportunities for advancement.
Further, security (or insecurity) is a known and dreaded Achilles heel –response times, station house protocols and procedures, and consistency can all go far to alleviate anxiety and pervasive distrust.
It has to be the same story of genuine exertion in the regional offices and outlying districts for this movement, this vision of national unity to gain traction, to attain some level of credibility. Everyone centred on the same page in the same hymnbook, and singing the same song. Doing so by example, doing so consistently, and demanding the same standard and mindset of others. This is setting the tone and the stage to reverse a harrowing tide that has inundated too many for too long. It is a Herculean task, almost Sisyphean in character, and which must come from the heart and cannot be by decree.
To demonstrate unflinching seriousness on this thorniest and most roiling of issues, I suggest holding Town Hall style meetings in the ruling party strongholds to share the vision close up and to condition supporters. The same is recommended for traditional centres of the new opposition; and if the people will not come, then go to them. This action would require a whole lot of patient conditioning in both places. But I tender that if the political capital is invested, the returns could follow. Another way of looking at this is as an early start to campaign 2020; and campaigning for hearts and minds sorely needed.
From my perspective, these are not tremendously difficult standards to implement. They start with no nonsense leadership and cascade downward. The message is clear: no secrets, no cows, no excuses. Now get going and get the job done. The sort of attitude is contagious and tells friends and others in unison: get your act together. It makes reluctant believers out of naysayers.
It the ardent hope that these simple exhortations would find receptive audiences where they count, and that they would be allowed the space to gain traction and momentum through unflagging implementation and practice. In this way, the calls for national unity would not be reduced to effulgent streaks of fleeting intentions. But that there is reinforcing through coalescing underpinnings of continuous effort by the heavy duty involvement of committed team power and players at all levels.
Yours faithfully,
GHK Lall
