Dear Editor,
It would appear that the recent protest by the Opposition has had a serious effect on the minds of the Government Leader; His Excellency, President David Arthur Granger, and officials of the Government, including the Guyana Police Force. The experience at the Pegasus, which was shocking to all citizens, sent vibrations of crisis into the hearts of most Guyanese which reverberated also around the world.
I am not a political soul and hence I do not go easily for certain kinds of behaviour, I do not know if what they did was right or wrong but to behave in that manner at the Pegasus – with the diplomats, major manufacturers and industrialists – was not the right thing to do, to my opinion. Personally I feel a bit confused. It would appear that the opposition is using every opportunity to call out onto the conscience of the diplomats representing their Heads of State and their respective countries. Notwithstanding, it is my view that while they raised their protest and their voices, the President is the President. And in respect, they should have allowed the gentleman to speak. I know some main members of the Opposition would say that it is an illegal Government and therefore he had no right to speak.
My view is that whether it is a Government in full power, or a caretaker Government, the president has his right to speak. You see people of Guyana, I do not believe in nastiness and my parents trained me to respect Leaders, Heads of State etc. etc. I do not have the compunction to be rude or pompous. Hence, I believe personally, that the President, David Arthur Granger, should have been allowed to speak after an initial protest. I also do not think that the President was in his right to say that “someone will pay.” That to my opinion sounds like a threat that could create fear in the country. Guyana is known to be a land of mostly peace, respect for religions & ethnicities. We must at all times, do the best we can to safeguard this gift of peace and goodwill that exists in the land of Guyana.
The lockdown of major parts of the city on Monday September 16th, 2019, which prevented the free flow of movement created an enormous inconvenience, annoyance, shock and mental fatigue with the people of this country, especially when they want to have their work, business and lives uninterrupted. It might have been that there was a threat coming from some misguided persons to create some confusion yet I think it was a bit too farfetched and heavy.
The protest at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre, on the occasion of the 70th Anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, hosted by His Excellency Cui Jianchun and Mrs. Liang Huili, created an atmosphere of inconvenience and even fear. The security was so heavy that it appeared to look as if fear persisted in the minds of the Leaders that the Opposition protesters would have penetrated with placards and misbehaved. The riot squad was in full swing, along with the Police. You could even see undercover officers; it showed the ability of the Government and the Police Force to react to situations when necessary. The Opposition protesters in the candlelight vigil were kept locked away at a far distance, so to not be of any kind of nuisance to the Ambassador’s party. Personally I find it annoying that they would have chosen a diplomatic event hosted by a true and great friend of Guyana: that is the People’s Republic of China, to create this ugly atmosphere of fear. My view is that they should not have taken the protest to a location like this. However, in fairness I must say that some of my friends, who are journalists, seem to think that yes, they had the right, due to the fact that the Government is illegal and they needed to press their points onto the Diplomats, particularly the Diplomats that hosted the event. Because of the reaction of the police and other government security forces, it would appear that the opposition has created a fear factor in the minds of the government. The concomitant result that inconveniences the citizens, to my opinion, displays the reality that the opposition has won by putting the government on the defensive and in fear of the opposition.
It is truly unfortunate that these brilliant minds of the Government and Opposition cannot sit and talk as big people to solve whatever petty, and I mean petty matters, that divide them as it relates to Governance of Guyana and the development of our peoples and country.
Yours faithfully,
Hajji Dr. Roshan Khan Snr.
Chairman/Founder
RK’s Guyana Security
Services
