Dear Editor,
Most ridiculously, Hamilton Green has attempted to skirt the issue pointed out by letter writer Harry Hergash, who accused Green of being the beneficiary of the divide and rule stratagem which he now condemns; Green responded by simply declaring, “We are all victims of the divide and rule policy” (SN, Mar. 11). Green’s (original) letter in question, “In Guyana we must be careful not to be consumed by policies that lead to inequalities” (SN, Mar. 4) is a typical contemporary pontificated statement by the former strongman in the country. He claims to be moved by the “philosophy of optimism” made in the early 90s (by whom?) “For a moral and spiritual revival”. The term “revival” refers to an act or instance of reviving – revitalizing a particular interest in a partaken
entity. Has there been a time when Green was known for his moral or spiritual compass by the Guyanese people at large for his political, civil or spiritual premise?
To appreciate Hamilton Green’s artifice, one must understand the context of this how this absolutist operated. He was the right-hand man of Forbes Burnham who held absolute power in the country. Burnham was brutal in his quest to hold on to power, and he gave virtually no room for his political opponents to operate. The PNC, during Hamilton Green’s secure and lofty tenure, was morally and spiritually bankrupt. His leader and mentor, L.F.S. Burnham, was a dictator par excellence. He passed the sweeping “National Security Act” to give the police the power to search, seize and arrest anyone virtually at will, and declared that he would not rest until his “enemies are crushed and utterly destroyed.” Burnham had declared to his supporters, “The gauntlet has been thrown down … We asked no quarter, and we shall give none. We shall use every weapon at our disposal. Let there be no weeping or complaints.” It is known and accepted that Burnham rigged all the elections during the years he held power – with total support by Hamilton Green. The only non‐Government daily and Sunday newspaper, The Mirror, was reduced to publishing a single sheet once a week because of Government restraints on newsprint. The Catholic Standard suffered similarly. I do remember the time when the main newspaper (I can’t remember if it was the Guyana Graphic or Guyana Chronicle) carried photos pretty much of only one ethnic group!
Hamilton Green, functioning as Minister of Health, Labour and Housing heaped scorn on the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) and referred to the party as “a small group of the lunatic fringe whose only objective is to disrupt and to destroy.” The question begs, (like Burnham), did Green have any tolerance for people with whom he disagreed? Did Green have a modicum of decency, respect or righteousness when he was known to tell various PNC groups that Desmond Hoyte was “foolish for holding free and fair elections”? So… why blame an entity (“the former imperial power, Great Britain”) for one’s intolerance and absolutism? To paraphrase Shakespeare in today’s context, I declare, “The fault, dear Hammie, is not in our past, but in ourselves, that we are underlings.” That is why Desmond Hoyte chose the more inclusive way!
Yours truly,
Devanand Bhagwan
