Four months ago, PM Rowley proclaimed he is a “Proud Black man”, yes the PM of multiracial of TnT is proud of his race and people. Now go ask Kamla if she’s a proud Indian woman, and, more importantly say that to the public. Go ask Basdeo Panday, Irfaan Ali, Bharrat Jagdeo, the Jagans, and Ramoutar if they’re proud to be Indian. I’m willing to bet they’re too ashamed to be labeled “Indian leader” or even worse “Proud Indian”
You see, Indian leaders and intellectuals are in a never ending quest to gain the approval of Afros, as such, they have to deny their “Indianness” and even attack “Indianness” to do so. Of course, they never gain the approval of Afros, so this futile quest never ends. Even if they’re aware of this self-depredation behavior, they continue on this road. Like I said, the road to hell is usually paved with good intention. Let us look at some examples of this self-depredation behavior in action.
In 1992, the Indian PPP ran full page ads boasting that 95% of all public housing they built during their last administration went to Afros. Yes, an Indian party boasting about its racism against its own supporters.
Cheddi Jagan, in a speech at York University in Toronto repeated that the PPP is not an Indian party. While Black leaders repeatedly mentioned they represent Afros.
When proud Indian nationalist Balram Rai was winning the PPP Chairmanship position, Jagan was upset, he wanted an Afro to win so he rigged the election in favor of Brindley Benn, just to show Africans that an Afro has a high position in his party. Similarly, Panday attacked Lawrence Maharaj, he wanted Carlos John to be his running mate to show Afros he is multiracial.
In 1998, as Indians were being beaten, once again, in Guyana, Joey Jagan, (Cheddi Jagan’s son) and a member of Parliament, grabbed the microphone and warned Indians not to attack Blacks, “you will have to answer to me” he proclaimed at Port Mourant race track. He didn’t talk about the hundreds of Indian victims.
In Oct. 1992, on WLIB, (NY) radio Amit Parsnauth, an Indian host was streaming the election results emanating from Guyana, quite a few Afro Guyanese called into the program, voicing hatred towards Indo Guyanese. Mr. Parsnauth tried to reasure these racists by inviting them for a drink.
Bharrat Jagdeo spoke at The Indian arriving day celebrations and used the term “YOU”, not “we”. But when addressing Afro Guyanese at the Emancipation day celebrations he used the term “WE”, not “you,” he chose to side with Afros, he’s one of them, and pushed away his “Indianness”
In 1998, the PPP owned Chronicle newspaper repeatedly used the term “Certain people” were beaten during the riots. They were too embarrassed and ashamed to say “Indians were beaten up.
Basdeo Panday was asked if racism existed against Indians in Trinidad, he refused to answer and proclaimed he didn’t want to be the “Indian” leader.
The WPA poised itself as a multi-racial Party in Guyana as an alternative to the race based PPP/PNC. A closer examination revealed the senior Afros in the WPA are all Black Nationalists, fighting for not only Afro rights, but special treatment for Afros. What about the senior Indians in the Party? … dead silent, so silent they can’t even talk about justice for the recent Indian victims. They don’t want to upset their Afro compatriots or be seen as an advocate for Indians.
It has been four months since Guyana once again erupted into anti Indian attacks, hundreds of Indians were robbed, chopped or murder. Today, like so many times in the past, these events have disappeared from the public discourse, no updates into the investigations are given. However, when two Afro boys were killed, the Gov’t quickly okayed foreign investigators to solve the case. Indian blood is indeed cheap.
Unfortunately, the Indian masses are hood wink into supporting these castrated leaders and intellectuals, they only know about “indianness” during election or fundraising times.
Mr. Budhu can be reached at Guyana1838@gmail.com