Dear Editor,
It is instructive that the persistent peaceful protests of the Toshaos, on behalf of the residents of Indigenous Communities, have now earned the latter increased grants, in addition to Supplementary Budget allocation of 3 Billion Guyana Dollars. It is perhaps too early to learn of details of such a developmental investment, and consequently, over what periodicity this enticement would be spent, and the degree of accountability, which must impute a higher level of competency than that attributed to the Ministry so far.
It may not have been noticed, but there would have appeared to be a substantively contradictory response to the more boisterous protest that obtained in Region Four some weeks ago – a visit to Buxton Village by a carefully selected group of ministerial representatives, clearly indicative of the communities’ ineligibility for the attention of the President of ‘One Nation’. There has been no explicit announcement from, or on behalf of, the placating visitors regarding any form of economic assistance – indeed in respect of all Region Four. There was, however, a commitment to infrastructural development in the form of a ‘basketball court’ – the closest indication of hope for a ‘basket’ of the size of that for Indigenous Communities.
Apart from these residents from a perceived ‘Opposition stronghold’, one wonders how is it presumed that the ‘care-givers’ in this ‘Village’ do not pause to reflect that there are comparable CARICOM Communities monitoring what is perceivable discrimination in the distribution of benefits to those who have long made, and continue to make, substantive contributions to the management and sustenance of the Public Service (and other Public Sector Agencies); the Education system where everyone’s children are taught, and the medical profession, particularly in Nursing – in all the Ten Regions.
It is in this most ‘human’ context the question needs to be answered as to whether Regions 4, 5 and 10, for example, are not part of ONE NATION – even within a personal construct. For is it not the one proprietor’s nation (village)?
Sincerely,
E.B. John
