Dear Editor
African nationalist Mr Lincoln Lewis makes no apologies for speaking as a black man to attack Indo-Guyanese who are mainly supporters of the PPP in his letter to SN of 12-4-23. He showed his blatant bias and open prejudices when he previously wrote in the KN of 1 -3-21 one year ago that “I am a Black man first. I make no apology for my blackness or speaking with pride to the contributions of my people to the development of this nation. Neither do I make any apology for speaking out in defense of my race when the group is under attack or their rights threatened by any in society, regardless of who the aggressor is.”
Why shouldn’t the Indian be similarly offended when his race is attacked by the likes of a Lincoln Lewis. His position is very clear. He is first a black man and not Guyanese. How can he be fair or a nationalistic.? He boldly writes that “African Guyanese, opposition supporters and the armed forces, who are mostly African Guyanese, cannot trust the PPP. And they don’t want promises.” Well ,what does Mr Lewis want?
Mr Lewis must be reminded that It was the PNC government that discriminated against Indians when they scrapped the equally racially balanced 1960s PPP’s SSU by pouring the predominantly African British Guiana Volunteer Force into the fledgling GDF to make it what it has now become.
According to the PNC Declaration of Sophia the GDF was required to pledge paramount loyalty to Mr Forbes Burnham personally and the PNC party and not to the state. Mr Lewis should explain why the PNC didn’t recruit Indians into the armed forces during its 28 years in government?. Mr Lewis should now say if he would recommend that Indians be now armed militarily?
At a time when Guyana is involved in a dispute with Venezuela and national unity is paramount he purports to speak for all black people and now seeks to undermine the armed forces’ loyalty to the government of the day on the basis of racial exhortation..
Mr Lewis wrongfully accuses “ The PPP never taught its supporters how to be (sic) nationalistic, (sic) value nation building and (sic) national unity; the leadership was teaching persons how to slander a government, a race, and bring a government down.” He fails to understand that in a democracy the role of the opposition is to oppose, expose and depose the party in power in a legal manner. Mr Lewis cannot write about nationalism when he is so openly and blatantly narrow minded and racist.
Obviously Mr Lewis can find nothing good or satisfactory about the PPP/C government and by extension all Indo-Guyaese and thus exposes his own racism. Bottom line is the
likes of Mr Lewis Is not good for peace loving Guyanese and much needed national unity since he is habitually accustomed to spewing out his anti Indian venom.
Sincerely,
Vassan Ramracha