This is not the country we grew up in.
It was disheartening to see that after a perfunctory three days of mourning for the Mahdia students, the bread and circus show resumed. Money must be made, citizens distracted. One wonders if those foreign artists would have performed in their own country had there been a similar tragedy in the same week? One wonders if the promoters would have continued and the coastal dwellers would have danced and drunk the nights away if it had been a school or dormitory on the coast?
The bodies weren’t even buried.
The injured must have heard the music from their hospital rooms. The least we could have done is not let them know how little we cared.
Where were the private sector organisations to declare how inappropriate these concerts were? Their only concern is for their own interests including maintaining the present government in office. After all, was it not one of their executives who said they hated elections back in 2015?
Finally the charging of the minor for the deaths of her fellow students is troubling, as put forth in a letter signed by 58 citizens, many of whom are experts in issues to do with adolescent mental health and the plight of indigenous peoples. But the masses want their pound of flesh and since the government is determined to avoid responsibility, a mere wisp of a girl becomes the scapegoat upon whom we can lay our collective sins.
This avoidable tragedy at Mahdia has also unearthed a deeper issue. The long running hypocrisy towards our fellow Amerindian Guyanese. We honour them as our First People while putting them last in every category of public services.
That’s not talking. Take it from The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child which has pointed to the existence of discrimination against indigenous children and adults in Guyana.
This discrimination has its tangible effects in the provision of basic services as outlined in the 2017 UNICEF report study on Indigenous Women and Children:
“Lower access to healthcare: `In terms of infrastructure and availability of medical tools, equipment and medication, the overall situation in all health facilities that were visited is below reasonable standards. Many health posts and health centres do not have electricity, making it impossible for them to keep vaccines, blood tests and other materials that demand refrigeration.
*Only 54 percent of the indigenous children between ages of two and three years were fully vaccinated, a 24 percentage point difference to the country’s average
“Lower access to potable water and sanitation: `When clean water and improved sanitation are put together, only 39 percent of the indigenous peoples have access to both, that is, 44 percentage points smaller than the national average.”
“In Paramakatoi, pit latrines used by secondary students were dilapidated or in poor conditions – some without doors. In Aishalton, the toilets used by girls in the primary school did not have locks.”
“Lower access to electricity: “almost 44 percent of the households in the hinterlands are without electricity… (compared with the 13 percent at the national level and 6 percent in urban areas). The qualitative assessment found that the majority of the villages would have their electric power generated by solar panels but many people reported that the panels were not working properly.”
What has been the reaction of the government to the Mahdia tragedy aside from carefully staged shows of grief? Compensation for the victims’ families and communities after careful and equitable consultation would be appropriate. It should be VP Jagdeo offering 1000 part time make believe jobs in the area. It’s hard to engage with people who think everyone else thinks it’s just about the money. This is simply a natural progression from the outboard engines, quad bikes and tractors that are routinely handed out as part of what has been the de facto purchasing of votes in the interior. Who can forget the government ahead of the 2011 elections handing out flood relief cash from its PPP/C office in Lethem?
Clearly the party is nervous that the Mahdia deaths will affect their popularity among Amerindians. As well they should. Some have described them as the swing vote although it is not as fluid as some may suggest.
This is a watershed moment for the First People and they would consider carefully what they want for their long term interests.
