Dear Editor,
On July 18, the citizens of Linden town staged a peaceful protest exercise against the high electricity bill imposed upon us by the Guyana government which always claims to be a concerned and caring group of politicians who have its people’s welfare at heart.
That protest march started at Christianburg on the west bank of the Demerara river and proceeded along Burnham Drive towards the Mackenzie-Wismar bridge. The protestors were in good spirits and were chanting “Electricity bills too high we can’t pay,” over and over. It was a day of fun and meeting people and discussing the economic crisis in Linden. Lindeners are a peaceful and contented people, even though the odds are against us, we have the lowest crime rate within Guyana we also strive to be happy, although there is not much money.
On that same day a group protesting for a good cause and without any evil intentions were confronted by a squad of heavily armed policemen in black clothes who threw tear gas into the massive crowd which caused people to run towards the river and across the bridge; then they started shooting indiscriminately into the crowd resulting in the death of three persons and the wounding of many others. Linden town stood still for a moment.
We have seen on our television sets the many protests marches around the world, for example, in Spain, England, USA and France, where protestors threw bricks and bottles at policemen who didn’t retaliate by shooting at them. Not so long ago, twelve persons were shot and killed in the USA; its President travelled hundreds of miles to visit the dead people’s relatives. At home three are dead and many wounded and the citizens of Linden are still awaiting the visit of a senior functionary from the caring government since July 18.
I must say that I’m seriously concerned about the burning of tyres on our roads which will eventually leave holes that will cause us pain.
Our President and ministers seem only interested in the clearing of roads and not in the dead, the wounded and the economic realities of Linden, which is still a depressed region.
Could any economist in Guyana indicate where in the world an item has risen 600%. My electricity bill averages $2,500 monthly; with that increase it would become an average of $16,000 monthly. My question to Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, a former employee of Demba, Guybau, Guymine and a former resident of Linden, who was a senior staff member and like all the others had the privilege of free housing and free transportation, how are we going to pay that increase?
I want my brothers and sisters to understand that Lindeners aren’t paying too low a light bill, you are paying too much. People in Georgetown, Berbice, Essequibo, West Bank, East Bank, West Coast, East Coast and other places are indirectly paying for lights on poles and other places, but could only have few lights at home because of the high light bill.
Lindeners have seen our newly bought water cannon in operation; to our amusement, it sprayed water in all directions, top, bottom, sides, and had the police and soldiers running scared. As a citizen and taxpayer, I’m calling on all citizens to demand an investigation into the purchase of that spray tank.
Let us as a people not forget that all monies spent by the government are ours and not theirs. We have a right to know.
Yours faithfully,
B Winslow Parris
