I refer to the column by Peter Ramsaroop, captioned ‘Economic diversification – sugar to ethanol,’ published in SN on March 30. The PPP/C inherited a government with a state machinery, in addition to an opposition (with which he was once associated) which was set from day one against any possible progress, because any stagnation intended and/or accomplished gave the critics and opposition forces reasons to dissent. Many are aware that the government had to dig in to consolidate its victory, while it had to see programmes and projects go on. The government was never left alone to utilize all its energies/resources to move the nation forward. Was the government wrong to try to consolidate its gains at the polls? Was there any peaceful time in our history when the PPP government was allowed to govern peacefully without some form of destabilization?
Over the past years of the government’s tenure the critics have claimed that virtually nothing was done with the economy. Let me ask the critics how much cooperation did the oft belittled government get from the super opposition (the acclaimed former bosses, executives and specialists)?
Not only the Brazil programme had to engage the attention of the government, on which Mr Ramsaroop claimed they were sleeping for ten years, but a host of other programmes and projects which were vital to the nation were being attended to in the meantime. These include the vexing drainage and irrigation fiasco they inherited, and a host of agriculture, health, housing, education and infrastructure programmes which were deliberately allowed to falter under the previous regime.
Was there nothing of note to show progress was made? Mr Ramsaroop et al should not stick their heads in the sand and write of the darkness they see around them. Indeed much was done and the oft belittled regime can shout about what they have accomplished, while the dissenters see isolated cases of apparent failures.
When a single issue is identified in isolation the world is not given the accurate picture on the ground. How many times have I pointed out that comparisons with other countries must be factored in before a pious judgment is made?
Yours faithfully,
Seopaul Singh
