Dear Editor,
It is refreshing to see a respected Christian leader such as Father Malcolm Rodrigues, make socio-political statements in times of uncertainty and tension. Reading the SN article (11-02-08), you get the feeling that he is sensitive to the hurting and less fortunate. According to the article, Fr Rodrigues states that “the administration needs to look at the root of the problem, sit with those labelled criminals and terrorists in the interest of the nation and have a real dialogue with them.” I would like to know if Fr Rodrigues considers those who annihilated Ronald Waddell, Satyadeo Sawh, those at the Nathoo bar, and those in Agricola, the Kaieteur News employees, and those in Lusignan, “criminals” or “terrorists”. Or should they be labelled “freedom fighters”, or “justice boys”, who have an agenda with the administration? I would like to know how Fr Rodrigues defines ‘criminal’, and ‘terrorist’.
In the article, Fr Rodrigues used the terms ‘marginalisation’, and people being in ‘margins’, several times. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ‘marginalisation’ as follows: “to remove to or keep in a position without influence in a society or group”. It connotes the idea of relegating or confining an entity to a lower or outer limit or edge. Again, the SN reporter needs to interview the good priest, and let him clarify his definition of ‘marginalisation’.
The reporter stated that “Giving an easy example of being on the margins, he said that most mornings while going to say mass at the Ursuline Convent on Camp and Church streets from Brickdam, he sees a number (going into double digits) of young people, mostly young African-Guyanese, sleeping on the pavement”.
The vast number of people living in Georgetown is African-Guyanese. I am quite sure that if another ethnic group resided in the capital city, one would spot people from that ethnic group in a similar situation. In Toronto during the hot or cold season, the people you find sleeping on the streets are ‘white’, for example. In Manchester, England, where apparently many Indians live, I am sure that you’d have your fair share of Indians sleeping on the streets.
Instead of a nebulous example of ‘marginalisation’, Fr Rodrigues, along with concerned outfits such as ACDA should spell out paradigms palpably and elucidate contextually and substantially. Only then can we truly start tackling the problem(s).
Fr Rodrigues reminds me of an incident, however, about two years ago. In Georgetown, I met the son of a wonderful family friend who lived in Mahaicony. I asked him where he was working. He related that he was unemployed, and that there is no way a black man could find a job in Guyana. I told him to meet me the next day, and assured him of getting a job, though not one with a fantastic salary. But he was not interested! Instead, he was thinking of (devious) ways of making his child-mother happy (in Buxton).
A careful glance of the goings-on in Guyana does indeed reflect marginalization. As one lands at the airport, one cannot help wondering if Guyana was a multi-racial country, looking at the airport personnel, who are overwhelmingly from one ethnic group. Look at the government departments, the government corporations, etc. What you see is staggering! It seems as if this is a clear case of marginalization – keeping others out from within. The same thing could be observed in certain private institutions, such as a certain bank and insurance company. Such cases of marginalization should be brought into the open by the likes of Fr Rodrigues, and tackled head on. Issues that affect young African Guyanese should be dealt with. Indeed, they need to be listened to, and let them know that they are respected and have a stake in the present and future of the country. However, the same should be for Indian Guyanese, and Amerindian Guyanese, and all other Guyanese.
Oh – I am sure that the Guyanese people would also be interested to know the profile of those sleeping on the streets during the previous administration, as Fr Rodrigues was going to mass.
Yours faithfully,
Devanand Bhagwan
