Dear Editor,
Why must Africans in Guyana, Surinam and Trinidad get an easy pass for the wrongs they did to Indians in these three countries without any challenge from our elected and intellectual Indian activists. In Trinidad our prime educated and elected Indians such as Trinidad’s Kamla Bissessar and now Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali are calling on the Europeans who profited from slavery to pay reparations to ex – slaves. President Irfaan Ali on the 7th August 2023 in the Voice written, by Sinal Fleary stated ” slavery left a permanent stain on Guyanese civilization” and demanded reparations for Guyana’s ex – slaves, which amounts to trillion of dollars.
President Irfaan Ali of Guyana said, “African enslavement represents, ‘ one of the darkest chapters in human history”, and he paid tribute to African contributions to Guyana. The President of Guyana was shedding light on African. Emancipation Day celebrations for the abolishment of slavery.
In Trinidad Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley hosted a dinner for His Royal Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu 11, the Asantehene King from Ghana whose ancestors historically sold Prime Minister Keith Rowley and President Forbes Burnham ancestors into slavery. Why isn’t President Irfaan Ali and others like him? demanding reparations from tribal chiefs on the continent of Africa and the Arabs who was more brutal in the history of slavery. No one is disputing that slavery was cruel, but so, was indentureship.
The questions that Indians are asking why an easy pass is there for the wrongs that Africans did and are doing to Indians in Trinidad, Guyana and Surinam to just blow in the wind, while African drums keep beating for reparations.
In Guyana, Surinam and Trinidad the Black / African leaders for the past 50 years designed the method using violence to force Indians to immigrate to reduce their numerical electoral advantage. so much that in Guyana the Indians have only a one seat majority. In Surinam Indians have to join with other parties to win elections. In Trinidad the Black leaders gerrymandered electoral boundaries, thus rigging elections and imported thousands of Blacks from the Caribbean to out vote Indians making it impossible for Indians to win an election to have equal representation.
Because of the marginalization that Indians faced and suffered by violence, brutal crimes and home invasions each day due to Black rule, why aren’t our Indian activists and leaders seeking reparations. from Africans in these three countries?
We all must understand long before the 15 century Africa had and still has intra continental slavery selling African people to the Arabs before transatlantic slavery. in which the Whiteman purchased slaves from the tribal Kings of Africa. It’s also important. to know that the Whiteman abolished slavery with opposition from African tribal Kings.
Therefore, why President Irfaan Ali want only Europeans and not the Arabs and tribal Africans to pay reparations? And as for Indians there must be reparations for the wrong Africans did to us. It’s time there must be affirmative action to increase the percentages of Indians in the public service. An Indian VOTE cast should be counted as 4 votes as our affirmative reparations due to force migrations and structural racisms.
Vassan Ramracha.