Dear Editor,
Donna Hightower sang, “The world is in a mess.” As the G7 Summit rapped up its business in Italy after meeting for three days, the world is far from being in a ‘neat’ mess and nearer to being in a ‘cluttered’ mess. Ravaged with war, starvation, displacement, poverty, disease, deaths, sickness, climatic effects, crime and corruption to say the least, the free-for-all frenzy created by politics, paves the way for furious fussiness in economics and flaps its wings to erode the basis for sociological welfare. The duel of double identity, devours the dignity of sincerity and masks the camouflage of distrust. Even the G7 countries are challenged to shirk the “playboy” image of the ‘rich and famous’ and forced to align themselves with the consciousness of reality, undermining the will to survive by the struggling suppressed countries.
A hop around the globe captures a grim picture. Think about Italy and what comes to the mind is art, opera, architecture, Sophia Loren and yes, the Mafia’s Don. It was not an act of civility when fistfights erupted in the Italian Parliament in the lower house last week over a government proposal that opponents say will further impoverish the poorer south. An opposition law maker, Leonardo Donno, was sent to the hospital as a result of injuries received on his head and chest. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani expressed his disappointment, “I have no words. We need to set another example, not punches to resolve political problems. It’s not braggadocio, it’s not shouting, it’s ideas that need to be explained well to persuade voters.”
Guyana’s Parliament is famous for many such escapades. December 2017 saw heavy scuffling when police attempted to evict Minister Juan Edghill (then an opposition member), during a parliamentary debate. Other colleagues were also hurt in the scuffle when they tried to protect him, including now Minister Priya Manickchand. December 2018, Mr. Chandan Persaud (then a PNC Government MP) was cuffed and hassled by his own colleagues when he voted ‘yes’ with the PPP Opposition in the “No Confidence Vote” against the PNC Government. He had to be whisked out by his friends for his own safety. December 2021, eight PNC MPs were involved in another disorderly behavior and disrespectful manner when they grabbed the Parliamentary mace and it was broken. A staff of the Parliamentary office was also assaulted and injured. Those MPs had to be suspended.
India is at the cross road with her ally, Russia. Sharing cooperation in defense, oil, nuclear energy and space exploration, India avoided voting against Russia at the United Nations or criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. At the said time, India, along with Sri Lanka and Nepal are asking Russia to return their fellow countrymen who they claim, have been duped into working for the Russian army and lured under the pretext of giving them jobs and Russian citizenship. Many of the Asians were killed. In the 60’s under Burnham dictatorship, many Guyanese fled the country and went to the US and enlisted in the Army when the US was at war with Vietnam. They did so primarily to gain US citizenship so that they can sponsor their families to escape the draconian PNC government.
The Commission of Enquiry from the UN Human Rights Council has concluded that both Israel and Hamas have committed war crimes, crimes against humanity and violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. Over 37,000 Palestinians were killed and over 80,000 injured. Some 1,200 odd Israelis died and hundreds injured. Figures for the Russian/ Ukraine war casualties remain fussy and unconfirmed because they are secretly guarded. But the NY Times reported that the total amount of deaths could be over half a million and over 300,000 wounded. Closer home, Maduro is sounding the war drum. His army has over a hundred thousand soldiers as against Guyana’s 5,000. Should Maduro attack Guyana, Guyana will have to rely on all of her allies to defend this nation.
Earlier this year, the US conducted naval and air exercises with Guyana while Venezuela felt offended. A confluence of Russian, Canadian and US Naval ships displayed their pride and power in Cuba last week. A Russian navy Frigate and a nuclear-powered submarine sailed into Havana’s harbour, followed by Canada’s patrol boat and a US first-attack submarine in the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay. Havana is 100 miles away from Key West, Florida, home to a US Naval Air Station. Was this show heavier on ‘symbolism than substance?’ The Pentagon, Canada and Cuba downplayed any risk factor.
A wooden boat carrying some 270 people capsized with 80 of them drowned in DR Congo this month. River travel is common and preferably to the few roadways. A similar accident occurred last October with over 50 deaths from a boat overfilled with 300 people. Also, this month, a boat carrying 260 Somalians and Ethiopians refugees sank while travelling from the Horn of Africa to Yemen. 49 died and over 160 are missing. So far, some 1,860 people died while plying this route to escape African war-torn countries.
The lyrics of Bob Marley’s song, “War”, hold great pertinence with war escalating in all directions on the globe, be it of variable nature, military, food, famine, poverty etc. Putin is threating the world with his nuclear weapons and his recent meeting with North Korea’s Leader, Kim Jong Un, is unsettling. China’s claim over Taiwan is a threat to crush whoever try to split them. Israel’s show of force is devastating in the Hamas and Africans continue to be displaced by the millions through constant fights over rulership and power. Nicaragua and Venezuela remain a constant threat in Latin America and Haiti is reeling from gangsterism. Will the world see the likes of a duplication of a Pearl Harbour type attack and the repercussions of a Hiroshima and Nagasaki victims?
The sober, somber and serious tone of Guyana’s President Ali, is timely when he warned this week that, “no one is above the law.” The UN Security Council certainly has its hands full and should take note of this message. Guyana occupies a non-permanent seat.
Yours respectfully,
Jai Lall.
