Dear Editor,
GK Lall wrote, “… The past up to yesterday has failed us. This is the crux of the history lesson. No matter how examined – now versus then; revisionism; relatively; in partisanship; through pretended harmony – the past has failed the peoples of this nation… Surely, there lives a Guyanese man or woman who pulsates with these obvious truths; who is inflamed with the ideals, the visions and patriotism to want to search for a pathway towards finding ourselves, and to be willing to fight for it; even to die for it.” SN 3-28-10
Once again GKL has mesmerized the readers with his host of embellishments in the language which did not truly examine the “issues of the past” or more appropriately the personalities of the past which/who failed us. How deftly Lall has come down to brass tacks with the “pantheon of apotheosized” and the “mythologized” in seeking to place personalities into the equation of our history. Truly the vehicle of the past is inanimate, nebulous, and immaterial and cannot be blamed for the foibles weaknesses or shortcomings of the personalities who were in the driver seat “up to yesterday.”
So, simply blame the personalities who existed in the past, and even in the present if you like, as the ones who may have failed us. Sorry Mr. GK Lall, you have taken the highway and breezed through the topic with accelerated embellishments of language without ever a ride on the ramps or access roads into the issues of the past which you alleged could have failed us. But the real meat of the matter is the people may have been failed by certain personalities who checkered the past.
The same picture was painted by John Milton in Paradise Lost as he looked at the failures of his countrymen in medieval England when he penned that unparalleled Poem. This is the story of every nation under the sun. With a meager selected few the most acclaimed leaders were tried in the balance of history and found wanting. Where in Guyana could you find a man or woman who will command the national blessing. Nay not all would endorse the best among the choices. The days of the ‘gods’ have been relegated to mythology.
GK Lall has raised the bar so high that the Poets and Philosophers do not have any answers. Most of the commentaries which followed the feature article were on the button with the question about where one could find such a person who could be the instrument of change for Guyana. Immediately I was mulling what qualifications he was aiming at in the person who would be most suitable for the task of taking our little Guyana forward. Sorry sir, you are still on planet earth with the fallen nature ruling in the actions and aspirations of mortal men.
We mortals can only choose from among the apparently sincere and humanly qualified in their concern for the nation to put the reins of government in their hands. We do not have angels in the line up and it is the duty of citizens to assess from the list of potential leaders among them who would lead the team of their fellowmen/women into the sacred halls of Government of the nation. Let me be more down to earth in my review, we are still on the plain of fallen men and women who on occasions have risen somewhat above the level of their less accomplished fellow citizens to lead in areas they have shown some mastery.
Yours faithfully,
Seopaul Singh
