Dear Editor,
In years to come, many who now condemn MP Charrandas Persaud as a traitor may look back at his fateful action of December 21st and recognise him as the man who took the brave first step of forcing politicians to take responsibility for their actions.
The PPP as a party should not celebrate but use this as time to reflect on the ills they have done.
It is sad that Dr Luncheon, Sam Hinds, Lumumba, Edghill et al did not protest for the rights of blacks under the PPP’s elective dictatorship.
In my humble opinion, rather than calling my new hero MP Persaud a traitor, they should recognise where the real traitors live: Pradoville. Dr Luncheon, who defended 23 years without a black ambassador, foolishly saying that no black was qualified to fill that role. 23 years. An insult to black professionals from their own.
Bishop Edghill as head of the Ethnic Relations Commission saw widespread discrimination against blacks and turned a blind eye while serving his PPP-aligned god. Lumumba enjoying his party privileges and women was too preoccupied to focus on issues affecting his people. Sam Hinds, a product but yet a great destructor of Linden. Kwame McCoy, a political minion who was happy to attack his own; Mark Benschop comes to mind. Brindley Benn, happy to harass the poor vendors. Clement Rohee, bitten by a goat and lost his senses. And the list goes on. Check their pockets and you will find 30 pieces of silver.
To me, this vote highlighted the difference between the two groups. One who feels for their brotherly own and others who feel for their material own. Listen to MP Persaud. He was defending his own. The sugar workers. You may not like it but I admire him as a principled man who stood up for his own.
The PPP black tokens are happy to sell out their own for a few quids and neighbourly relations in Pradoville with those who do not respect their people.
It’s a sad reality but a reality that Guyanese have to grapple with. The continued exclusion of one group.
One friend gleefully said to me, ‘Long live the PPP’. I politely said, ‘mate don’t get besides yourself. Turn the political refrigerator on. They may be dead sooner than you think. There is only so much a people can take.’
Yours faithfully,
Dr. Mark Devonish MBBS MSc MRCP (UK) FRCP (Edin)
Consultant Acute Medicine
Nottingham University Hospital, UK
