Dear Editor,
The appointments of Messrs Norton, Collins, and Best, as presidential advisers, represent the identification of durable, trusted insiders, and of men with known histories. Now I sound another advisory note to the new president: it is less of a critical nature, and more within the realm of a watchman’s role and responsibility.
President Granger needs to move quickly to name advisers who could (would) cover outstandingly the large Indian and Amerindian camps. This should offer comfort, however minutely, to those members. It would continue the solid start embedded in cabinet and parliamentary presences.
It would reiterate commitment and give muscle to the visions of healing and inclusion.
In this vein, I venture to recommend to the President that strong consideration be given to early additional advisory appointments that will speak for those Indian and Amerindian communities. With the right choices, the President gets to 1) hear a diversity of opinions and ideas; 2) present a rainbow ‘kitchen cabinet’; 3) be near the interests of those outlying citizens; 4) bridge the yawning gaps; 5) cultivate some optimism; 6) start to overcome embedded rancour and disillusionment; and 7) incorporate a tangible plank in the edifice of his vision and programme.
Through such sensitive appointments − and the right ones − the President avails himself of two more things: First, he gathers the concerns of those constituents, who and which may not necessarily be heavily outlined on the radar of the three advisers just named. Second, and most important, the President gets to learn firsthand what he has not heard before, and what he may not have wanted to hear.
To make this mantra of change work, to involve communities of conversation, he has to travel the long road. It can be neither pro forma nor cosmetic, but must be tangible and meaningful.
Yours faithfully,
GHK Lall
