Dear Editor,
I found a cartoon in a recent edition of Israel’s Jerusalem Post, and it reminded me of the few privileged ‘haves’ and the thousands of underprivileged ‘have-nots’ in our country struggling for their basic needs for life’s survival.
When one traverses the streets of Georgetown and other towns (New Amsterdam, Rose Hall, etc) in this country, one can behold hundreds of older and weaker (and even younger folks of both sexes), who had given a lifetime of labour for this country sleeping on cardboard boxes with cardboard as their covers, while ever so often one reads or learns about, or is privileged to see Pradovilles mushrooming overnight to satisfy the insatiable greed of the ‘haves.’
I saw, and still can see in my country many getting and eating their only meal for the day from dustbins too, while the privileged ‘haves’ can have the best of a three-course meal without a sweat. Every Friday morning one can witness the long lines of underprivileged and hungry queuing up in front of business places in Regent Street begging, while every week that number increases.
The thousands of ‘have-nots’ in Georgetown reminds me of the song by Ralph McTell ‘The streets of London.’ I wonder what song for the disadvantaged ‘have-nots’ Dr Jagan (Sr) would sing if he had still been around today?
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address provided)
