Pomeroon labourer’s lesson
February 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Dear Editor,
After reading about the death of a labourer of Warapana, Upper Pomeroon River, and how he actually lost his life, I was very perturbed. The unfortunate man died two days after he was bitten by a Labaria.
Daniels, a father of four, was doing the norm – cleaning the Warapana Canal, at the time, when he was attacked, by the venomous reptile. Now this is reason number one, for my being so perturbed.
Dear Editor and Readers, people must take some precautionary measures, after any kind of flooding. In fact, it is wise to practise ‘safety measures’ always. Folk from Pomeroon must know that water animals will encroach, when the water rises. I live on the Coastal plain, and ‘rain or no rain, ‘I ‘make some threatening noise, if and when I go to the outside bathroom or toilet, especially if it is dark. Snakes, even the ‘Congo-heel,’ always drive the fear of the Devil in me. I take no chance.
The second thing on my mind is that of the apparent financial constraints and the remoteness of the area that definitely jeopardised accessing medical attention. I feel great remorse for his bereaving fraternity. Now when it comes to the possible tardiness, in transporting the ‘now deceased’ to the Oscar Joseph Hospital at Charity, and then to the Georgetown Hospital, I have a question or two.
Was this because of a lack of transportation? Even if he was poor (and even downright lazy – make it that bad), does this preclude human mercy? I mean (come on) was there not a single person who could have been moved to assist? People ‘run to the rescue,’ even if an animal is in danger, so how this ‘turning a blind eye/deaf ear’ to this ‘father of four’ resulted?
I hope readers get the big picture: Guyanese must be much more responsible and caring. We love when ‘outsiders’ compliment us on our hospitality, but what about ‘letting charity begin at home.’?
As a closing note, I hope that the Ministry of Health do some field work in the riverain areas, and come up with contingency plans. Another incident must not occur.
Yours truly,
Ryhen King
No doubt Sarwan will prove himself again
February 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Dear Sir,
I am elated to have read in the newspaper that Ramnaresh Sarwan has been signed as Leicestershire’s overseas player for the 2012 season. Good for him. But did it come as a surprise to fans? I don’t think so. Sarwan is a well experienced and world-rated batsman and he still has many years of good cricket ahead of him, this is why he is one of the most sought after players. I am sure that he will make a mark yet again for himself.
Based on news reports, Sarwan will join the county for the entire season, subject to gaining clearance from the West Indies Cricket Board and a UK work permit. He will also be part of Leicestershire’s pre-season tour of Barbados in mid-March, before flying to the UK.
Most avid cricket fans would know that Sarwan has not been a part of the West Indies setup since the home series against India in June 2011, and has not played any cricket since then due to confusion over his fitness. It was very unfortunate that the Guyana Cricket Board left Sarwan out of their squad for the Caribbean T20, saying they were unsure of his fitness.
No doubt Sarwan will be an exceptional player as he is knowledgeable about English conditions considering that he has previously played for Gloucestershire. Also, he has an impressive Test record and his availability to play all forms of the game during the 2012 season is an added bonus to Leicestershire.
Yours truly,
M Khan
Press Value
February 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Dear Editor,
‘If me na bin come, me na bin know,’ came to me all weekend, when I was visiting Lusignan, East Coast Demerara. My cousin and I were doing some construction work on his house, and I helped, even as I made quite a few mental notes.
First, the road leading ‘to and from’ the Main Road is indeed in bad shape. I did read that there were two big holes at the very ‘turn off,’ from the Main Road, leading south. Well these were filled, but overall, the road is ‘not too good.’ It can do with a lot of ‘proper and better work.’ In fact, even the ‘filling’ for the two holes was a badly done job.
Now what was most baffling was the condition of one single road, in the Latchman Singh Housing Scheme area. At best, this particular street is atrocious. I did read, and I was told, that for some strange reason, this was the only road left undone. Well, I can attest that indeed there are heavy duty equipment on it, and ‘heavy’ I mean, and even triple parked – two on one side, and one on the other.
Lusignan is a beautiful ancient village. With the ‘right things’ it can become, yet again, that picturesque place it used to be. I missed the Golf Club experience though. I was told that some insensitive intruder dug up the greens and burned the tractor. Hopefully the ground would be restored, and golfing can resume.
Yours truly,
Dhanpaul Ramesh
Animal nuisance
February 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Dear Editor,
I am thinking about the issue of animals on the roads, even in the village roads. It is a ‘humbug.’ It must be dealt with and very quickly too.
‘Strays’ on the roads have led to many fatal accidents and damaging of properties. It is terrible what people have to put up with! Now I am reading about what is happening in Chateau Margot. The story is that cattle are causing damage to residents’ properties, fences, gardens, and bridges. Now the animal issue in Guyana is like a plague.
The Ministry of Home Affairs must do something. I know of cases where these kinds of issues have led to all kinds of feuds. I suggest that the ministry implement a system of ‘combing’ the villages and streets at about anytime. If and when animals are found, they should become the property of the government. This may sound harsh, but the problem is so entrenched that some dramatic measures have to be taken.
Now, when it comes to cows, there is no question these animals are very vital. Yes they are seen as sacred for the Hindus, but the issue of meat and milk is another story. Many people assess their wealth by the number of cows they own. So just dismissing these cattle owners is not the nicest of things.
Dear Complainers, I am aware of the ‘pains’ and ‘vexations’ of these animals, but I am sure a very peaceful resolution can be attained. It may mean having a designated place in the village for these animals. This will call for fencing and an attendant, as cattle are wont to roam and rove.
Also, when property is damaged, the matter must be reported to the police, and adequate compensation be given to the victims. I am sure that if the ‘sufferers’ all agree to get serious (collective effort) and they be consistent in their cry, a change will come about. Both sides can have their positive ways.
Yours truly,
Amar Gopaul
Women Lawyers Association statement premature
February 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Dear Editor,
I wish to refer to the article dated February 10, 2012 Kaieteur News; pages one and three in which reference was made to a statement by the Women Lawyers’ Association (WLA) concerning the admission of consensual sex by Commissioner Henry Greene. I wish to crave your indulgence by pointing out the WLA seems to have misinterpreted the issue and is clearly misleading the public.
In the first place the matter is sub judice, and, therefore, all the facts and circumstances may not have yet been revealed. The WLA should have waited for all the facts to be made public prior to making such a bold statement.
I do not wish to commit a similar error but would terminate my concern by highlighting the fact that even if there are moral concerns that should be pronounced upon by a tribunal or other inquiry. The issue under focus currently relates to an allegation of rape.
Finally, being a female lawyer, I wonder on whose behalf the WLA is speaking. In the absence of a general meeting summoning women lawyers, and the opportunity given for them to represent their views on the matter, I find it reprehensible that the president or the executive member of the bodys hould seek to make a pronouncement in the name of women lawyers.
Respectfully,
Woman Lawyer
The public awaits an explanation as to how this breach occurred
February 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Dear Editor,
Where were the officials tasked with manning our international airport when a Guyanese only a few days ago managed to smuggle five kilograms of cocaine to the United States. Whatever the excuse is, I am sure that all of us would agree that our officers here lapsed seriously as it was only after the man arrived in NY that officials there were able to make the discovery.
Editor, I am personally dissatisfied that in spite of all the investments – both in terms of human and financing – being made in this area of crime fighting, our local officers seem not to be on top of their game. The Customs Anti Narcotics Unit (CANU) in Guyana should launch an investigation to ascertain where the breach occurred, as for too long our country is placed in a negative light due to the incompetence of a few persons.
For sure, security at various ports still remains a challenge, but the unit would need to step up its game in order to fight the battle against drug trafficking. In the meantime, the public awaits a proper and reasonable explanation from the persons responsible about the matter.
Yours truly,
M Augustus
Little Ramdhani is an inspiration to many other young persons
February 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Dear Editor,
I was very impressed with your coverage of this year’s national sport awards, in particular the story on the 10-year-old badminton champion, Priyanna Ramdhani. Truly this youngster is an inspiration to many children and even adults as this shows that irrespective of age, one can assume great heights with hard work and dedication. I am sure that not many Guyanese would have heard about her prior to your news report.
This is a true champion at such a young age and surely she deserves the publicity afforded to her. I should mention that Priyanna has not only won the Junior Sportswoman-of-the-Year award for 2011, but also stamped her name in history as the youngest person to ever win a National Sports Commission accolade since it became an annual feature in the 1950s.
Even though Priyanna is only 10, she already has quite a number of achievements to her name. Apart from the bronze medal at the Pan American Junior Championship, she won 10 local competitions, namely the GBA Open Doubles; NSC Mashramani Under-11 Singles; a clean sweep of the Easter Junior tournament (copping first in the Under-13 Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles) among others.
Priyana is now ranked as the Caribbean number one at the Under-11 category and number two at Under-13. In table tennis, Priyanna finished as runner-up in the 10 and under category at the National Championship, and third in the same category at both the annual Independence tournament and the Mashramani championship.
Editor, I am indeed happy to see that such a young person won the award. I hope this would serve now as an inspiration to the youngsters who want to play the game. I know for sure that her fellow students would be motivated by her achievements.
Yours truly,
R Persaud
Recalling ‘Deslyn’s “Parliament’ in Linden”
February 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Dear Editor,
I refer to a wonderful nostalgic piece “Recalling ‘Deslyn’s Parliament” in Linden, which appeared in the letter column, Monday February 13, in one of the dailies. It is refreshing to read such a socio-cultural reawakening treatise, on a topic that is not related to the current political dynamics, dominating our over-charged political landscape. Reading Fyffe invokes Guyana’s grandmaster of nostalgia prose, the late Godfrey Chin, who has left such big shoes to fill that it will take the collective effort of several Fyffe-like contributors, before trying for a fit. So in this Mashramani season, we can appropriately start the journey by sharing stories about community parliaments and other similar historical social happenings that captured our interest, as observers, backbenchers, shadow ministers or cabinet members.
Mr Fyffe referred to certain features of Desmond Trotz’s ‘Deslyn’s Parliament’. They included: 1) a snackette and bar that facilitated members desire to imbibe ; 2) presence of other individuals, though not consuming would take up strategic positions, to soak up whatever was discussed; 3) a special spot/table reserved within the premises for ‘members of parliament’; 4) a multiplicity of local, national and international topics covered, oftentimes at boisterous levels late into the night; and 5) though debates sometimes reached a critical point and men had to be restrained, “when that was over, it was done, no ill feeling remained”; I consider this noteworthy, when compared to the growing propensity by some in society to ratchet up rancour and violence, once there is disagreement.
From my childhood at Bartica to working life as a field officer in West Berbice, East/Central Mahaicony from where scores of family members migrated to the bauxite communities of Linden and Kwakwani, I had the rewarding experience of observing several parliaments in session, similar to that highlighted by Mr Fyffe. Such parliaments were of invaluable assistance to the work of public servants in law enforcement as well as those engaged in the social sciences. Perhaps that experience might be a contributing factor that led many retired public servants to continue the pursuit of certain social habits, well into the twilight of their existence. The parliaments I observed over time had characteristics similar to the five noted above, along with some additional attributes that I would now proceed to underscore.
Apart from the pull factor of social drinking, parliament usually had other forms of attraction that enticed its regulars. The card game of bridge was a sweetener at Alwin Prince’s establishment at Lichfield Village. Alwin’s succeeded Archie Naipaul and Felicia Fung grocery and rum shop after the passing of Ms Fung. Forshaw Ross’s and Joe Saul’s at Number 41 and Seafield also hosted mini parliaments but were no match for Alwin’s which was operating a stone’s throw from the dormant grand daddy of them all, Robbie Wade’s “store” front. Alwin, a tailor and farmer who would be hobbling from sewing machines to drinks stations, held the advantage because of the late-night access by patrons. The late Clement B Rodney, headmaster of Lichfield Primary School who followed other accomplished heads like Felix Carmichael and Allan Ramlall at St Judes, was the consensus Speaker of that parliament.
At Hopetown, Zando’s butcher shop took over from Percy Issacs’s after a long run of hosting parliament. It would not be far-fetched to conclude that men like the late Senior Counsel Peter Britton, lawyer and Mayor Maurice Hanniff, and Head teacher Thomas Robertson, may have “cut their eye teeth” as great debaters at Percy’s parliament. Others who also apprenticed at “Scandal Bridge”, an extension of Percy’s parliament would be the likes of Eddie Johnson, Evan Brewster Semple, Joe Alfred T R Joseph and the brothers Michael and Stanley Hamilton whose father also occasionally hosted sittings at his tailor shop. At Zando’s, a pot bubbling with “beef rice”, a West Berbice’s delicacy, and the occasional “dry food” was an integral part of the parliamentary interaction. So were indoor games such as dominoes and draughts.
Human resource was also a factor that influenced the making and sustainability of parliament. At Bartica in the 60’s a parliament was located at Oscar Smartt’s first Avenue establishment. And though its location, next to the only cinema may have assisted in it being so recognised over CD Persaud or Maikoo’s; Smartt’s beautiful daughters motivated many a prospective suitor to sit at parliament often with the hope of gaining attention by exhibiting their prowess at trivia and current affairs with self-assured gusto.
Least one might imagine that parliament was exclusively a rural activity occurring only at evenings, let me hasten to dismiss such thinking. There is a popular place in the City of Georgetown that parliament is held religiously at midday from Monday to Saturday.
If you doubt me, check out a building at Quamina and Waterloo Street corner at lunchtime. I guarantee you would be intrigued after taking in speaker Clem and the boys in action. Trust me!
Yours faithfully,
Derrick Cummings
A sad story but a timely reminder
February 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment