Dear Editor,
It is finally
happening. Guyanese immigrants in Barbados are now being
murdered.
The attack in which
Christopher Griffith was killed, and Seelochanie Samuels
wounded, was not merely the work of bandits.
It was an
anti-immigrant political killing. Apparently, Griffith was
an advocate for the Guyanese community.
For many Guyanese
this might be a surprise, because, after all, we are all
West Indians, and on top of that, Barbados has this image of
being an island Paradise.
Political violence
is not supposed to happen there. Barbados is supposed to be
the Singapore of the Caribbean – highly globalized, high per
capita GDP, and outranked only by the OECD countries in the
UNDP’s Human Development Index.
But something
ominous and enormously complicated is occurring in Barbados
. There is an unbelievable level of hatred against Guyanese
in general and Indo-Guyanese in particular.
The magnitude and
depth of hatred against the Guyanese is now bordering on
neo-fascism.
In this short
letter I am arguing that the developments in Barbados have
direct linkages to the campaign to construct the Government
of Guyana as racist.
By ‘construct’ I
mean that in contradistinction to objective reality, a
platoon of opposition elements have been using various media
(TV, daily columns, letters to the editor, blogs etc.) to
give the impression that the PPP government is deliberately
victimizing the Afro-Guyanese population.
This particular
racialized construction of the political climate in Guyana,
I submit, is linked to the vitriol against Guyanese in
Barbados.
I am also
suggesting that the murder of Christopher Griffith and the
wounding of Seelochnie Samuels are linked to the said
campaign. Now let me develop the arguments with evidence.
Several months ago
I happened upon an internet news source called "Barbados
Underground" (hereafter, BU). I was shocked by the contents.
Writers openly called for mass deportation of all Guyanese.
Others called for the annihilation of Indians.
Yet another
commentator suggested that only Guyanese who had proven
themselves should remain in the country. In this
commentator’s view only one Guyanese met the qualification –
Dr. Kean Gibson.
It so happens that
Kean Gibson is the lead writer on the BU blog dealing with a
topic labeled "Indian Racism Against Afro Guyanese in Guyana
."
Sister Gibson, as
she is lovingly called by some of her followers, penned the
opening act under the title "Racism and the degeneration of
Guyana."
She promised to
follow that up with Part II in which she stated "I will look
at the response of the people to the violence that is being
inflicted on them by the state."
I am confident that
when she does, it will be a defence of the insurgents who
have been destroying innocent lives in Guyana. Prove me
wrong.
Gibson’s views are
well known, and her BU article is a simple continuation of
the predictable. Here are some quotations from her:
(1) "If the word
"discrimination" is a poor choice for the experiences of
African-Guyanese since racism is not legal in Guyana, then a
more apt word is "victimization" where a group of people are
singled out for cruel and unjust treatment."
(2) "…Africans are
victims of what is in the hearts of East Indians…,";
(3) The racism, and
thus inequality, that is promoted in the Hindu sacred texts
is a valuable resource which bestows benefits, rights and
duties to a group of people and thus must be maintained at
all costs and by any means necessary;" and finally
(4) "We see that
one set of laws and behaviors that apply to a particular
group, does not apply to another.
Young African men
and the poor in the society are summarily executed while
surrendering, or killed without firing at police…"
Gibson goes on to
say that white collar crimes go unpunished, in part because
the state has "been reconstituted to become a criminal
enterprise." Now here are some commentaries inspired by
"Sister Gibson’s" followers.
A blogger who goes
by the name Anonymous writes "I hope after this article by a
respected researcher from the UWI, Dr. Kean Gibson, that I
don’t hear no damn foolishness from those seeking to push
their evil agenda under disguise…" The writer is admonishing
someone who is calling for calm and reason.
He continues –
"Bajans deserve everything that could happen to them here in
Barbados with this influx of these Indians…" (sic).
Once he found his
length and line, Anonymous became nagging. " Barbados will
become like Guyana or Trinidad UNLESS DAVID THOMPSON TAKES A
BOLD STAND AND STARTS REPATRIATING THESE PEOPLE BACK TO
GUYANA" (emphasis in the original). He continues – "It is
like a homeowner given a small pit-bull puppy as a pet; it
seems all fluffy and nice for the first 6 months because
after all it depends on you to feed it and protect it since
it is unable to fend for itself in this strange new
environment.
However as soon as
this puppy becomes a dog and is confident enough, well then,
the fangs come out, and you see the real viciousness of the
animal."
He closes off this
particular installment with – "Remember Dr. Kean Gibson
instructed us that this mindset has been laid down for them
(i.e. Guyanese-Indians) in their teachings.
Another writer
hiding under the name Bimbro is even more fascistic than his
other Sister Gibson follower. Here he is: "Doan give them
nuh exotic name…That’ll only make the bastards feel more
important than they should be!! Call the shits what they are
and let’s hurry and bring them to justice."
"As far as I’m
concerned, ANYBODY who attempts to hijack our democracy!
deserves just one solution!! The Final One" "Get my
drift?!!!!"
Another person
writing under the name Analyst praises Kean Gibson’s
research and then states the following – "The pit bull
analogy given by Anonymous hits right home.
"East Indians
became a real problem in Guyana only after DDT cut malaria
and reduced their infant mortality in the 1940’s and 1950’s
and their population increased exponentially.
Then the PPP
asserted itself…now there is a democratic dictatorship in
Guyana that controls every facet of life."
The Kaieteur
columnist Frederick Kissoon’s name also pops up on the
website. The just mentioned Analyst circulated Mr. Kissoon’s
February 2 article "War of the Flea" and stated that the
article "…gives insight as to WHY the bloody massacres in
Guyana underlie (sic) a guerrilla war…" (emphasis in the
original).
I want to be fair
to Kissoon here. I am not linking him with Gibson. Kissoon,
after all, has been critical of her.
I point to the
circulation of the flea article because it has in fact been
used by the nativist elements in BU to bolster their
xenophobia against Guyanese in Barbados.
I am confident Mr.
Kissoon would not be happy that his work is being used to
justify vitriol against fellow Guyanese overseas. I urge him
to write to the BU editor and clarify his position.
Rickford Burke, the
New York based writer who consistently characterizes the PPP
as a race-based party is also quoted by Gibson’s followers
as an authoritative source.
His work is also
used to justify assaults against Guyanese immigrants in
general, and Indians in particular.
Last month, while
in Colombia for the Caribbean Studies Association Annual
Convention I had the good fortune of watching the film On
the Map – produced and directed by Annalee Davis, a
Barbadian.
The film depicts
the despicable treatment of Guyanese in the once lovely
Caribbean island.
I sat beside Dr.
David Hinds and we were both moved by what our fellow
Guyanese are enduring in Barbados.
Annalee Davis told
us that, of recent, there has been a surge of resentment
against all Guyanese, but especially Indians.
She mentioned that
she has reports of Guyanese being forced into the back of
buses, just like old times in the Southern United States.
On other occasions,
Guyanese have to get up and give their seats to Bajans, all
through which they are verbally assaulted.
The point of this
article should not be lost. I claim here that the hatred of,
and creeping violence against Guyanese has two central
elements. Firstly, there is a form of generalized resentment
against all Guyanese.
This aspect of the
anti-immigrant outbursts is actually (believe it or not)
quite ‘normal’ in societies that go through rapid
demographic, social and cultural change associated with
immigration.
I argue that the
second element, namely, the anti-Indian dimension, has links
to the ways in which opposition elements have been painting
Guyana as a bastion of victimization against Africans.
In closing, I
should let you know that about three months ago, I wrote to
BU and pleaded with them not to allow its pages to be used
as a site for anti-immigrant hatred. I hope the descent into
physical violence will now force them to think about this.
To date, BU’s
official position is that they have found nothing offensive
on their site. Kean Gibson’s article is still there as the
lead off piece.
I know that
President Jagdeo and the Guyanese Ambassador to Barbados
have been trying to help Guyanese in Barbados in whatever
way they can.
Those efforts must
both be applauded and re-doubled. I also urge President
Jagdeo to send a special team to investigate and document
the treatment of Guyanese immigrants to Barbados. If On the
Map has not been aired in Guyana yet, it should be.
Dr.
Randy Persaud