The Swami - and woman-police Sarswattie

A robust media-watchdog spotlight Fearful streets, private security

Even after the late GAWU’s Komal Chand “revealed” to me the Holy Man’s original Hindu name, I remained a fan of the West Demerara-based Swami Aksharananda. (For some reason the late PPP stalwart Komal was not a fan.)

I notice that besides being original “lords” or owners, a Swami is an (ascetic) Hindu religious teacher. I can only speculate about the intense, sustained spiritual self-denial orientation and training necessary before the status of Swami is attained. But it’s obvious that our own Headmaster/Principal Swami Aksharananda recognises some supplementary duty to offer strong views on such social matters as discrimination racism, anti-Hindu sentiments and group relations in this society generally.

Thus, it is the Swami’s correspondence published in SN (Wednesday May 04, 2022) and captioned “Unshakeable and systemic ethnic imbalances”, which has occasioned this, my own response, even repetitive commentary.

(By the way I’m sure that those interested would be aware that editors and sub-editors exercise their right to offer captions to letters used - or to pluck captions from within those letters. In this instance the caption seems selected on the Swami’s behalf.)

In our now racially-conscious society many of our commentators, social analysts, civil group-activists, even “political persons” seem to make it a duty - or pastime - to call for “diversity, equity, including, racially- balanced practices” at various levels. (Even if an organisation is Hindu or Rastafarian or First People

Tribe??) The Swami’s letter of May 04 was one such. But with additional potent provocative elements which all prompted these observation.

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The clichés, the history - moral and legal

At my age and stage - especially too my experience with political propaganda, if only to engender social expectation - I tend to shrug off, ignore the popular clichés - “One People, unity, One Guyana, productive diversity, inclusivity” etc.etc. Still necessary to motivate action? Or sterile rhetoric to fool?

No need here for the repetition as to why Afro people, after the 1838 Emancipation, along with the colonial sabotage of their doggedly successful Village Movement, took to professions and security service; and the fact that the then freed - Indentured Indos sometimes assisted by estate and state authorities, stuck to the land and agriculture before successful infiltration of the professions and government employment also.

Historical analyses all you- like, the legacy still persists - Indo - Business/ Commerce/ Industry/Agriculture/Land.

Afro - professions yes, but security uniforms, vending and lowly-paid jobs. I often wonder: even if the financial institutions still find reason to deny AfroGuyanese funding, why can’t five/ten Afro-Guyanese, successful overseas, fund and establish schools, medical clinics or manufacturing entities here? Like the “others do”?

But, Frankly Speaking, perhaps specific social behaviours have been allowed to “infect” certain groups.

The Swami was almost explosive. He recounted the findings of various commissions of inquiry into racial histories and “imbalances”. He pointed to racial imbalance at the U.G., the CARICOM

and the CXC. He wondered about employment policies at those institutions; at Bishops’ and Queen’s College. It was obvious that he is troubled over some “one-race” tradition at these places.

Perhaps frivolously, but with some intent, I now respectfully invite the Swami to select fifty eligible Indoyouths to join the army; fifty two for

Commissioner Hicken’s police force.

And if Swami identifies just 20 Indogirls excited to join the GPF, I’ll buy him lots of boiled channa, roti and baigan choka, all with coconut water. Ho-HoHo!

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Fiercely protecting media freedom!

Frankly speaking, I might be guilty of old-age naivete, but I can’t see the government’s young Media- InformationCommunication Czar, Minister Mc Coy ever contemplating private independent media control in 2022. Naah man. Never!

Never-the-less, these are just brief sentence to register my complete admiration for the past week’s robust, analytical and sustained defence of local press freedom.

Motivated by a government-sponsored forum on the media and Communication etc; the Guyana Press Association (GPA) launched a blistering post-conference assessment which was critical of the perceived intent to restrain, restrict, even control the private media. (I appreciated the advice about Social Media [journalistic] pretenders - fake media-practitioners.)

Then there were SN editorials and a warning from Science-Oriented Alfred Bhulai about our right to information. I therefore celebrate the fact that a robust defence of Press Freedom exists here. But even thought I sometimes detect anti-PPP sentiments from the GPA, I’ll give the government’s Coursera/ Media and Communication Academy a fair chance. Stay tuned.

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Seriously ponder…

● 1) Numerous letters to the print media have beaten me to this but I endorse the view that our roadways are now venues of injuries and death.

But don’t blame the streets. It’s the socalled “drivers” at faults. And our Police are outnumbered by indiscipline and ignorance.

Next week I’ll return to Private Security and Community Policing

● 2) Minister Robeson Benn must be given to understandable cynicism when he sees what has become of the GPSU building in Thomas Lands. Why?

● 3) Excellent SN editorial (Sat May 07, 2022) “How consumers pay for oligopolies”.

● 4) Why is not the stadium at Providence (EBD) named the “KanhaiLloyd Cricket Stadium”?

● 5) In an isolated Afghanistan, the Taliban has a Ministry of Vice and Virtue. Look out ladies!

Til next week! (allanafenty@yahoo.com)