Almost two weeks after the most offensive piece of mainstream hate-writing in Guyana was produced by the Guyana Chronicle Editorial of July 2, there is still not a word of condemnation from the ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP), nor the president. The sound of silence emanating from these two institutions seem to reverberate with consent that the writer, now claimed to have been fired, did justice to the issues presented in that belligerent editorial. One cannot help but wonder whether the editorial is part of a greater scheme to spread fear and division in a society that is already steeply divided along racial lines. Is the editorial part of an overarching PPP political strategy?

Another group that flirts occasionally with local political issues is the Private Sector Commission (PSC). Representatives from this group had lots to say during election time last year and even after the results were announced. Yet, there is still not the slightest bit of condemnation from the PSC regarding the Guyana Chronicle editorial, that has so blatantly misrepresented facts and contrived scurrilous accusations along with baseless arguments, designed to deliberately incite racial disharmony in the Guyanese society. Where are the voices of ‘reason’ within the PSC? Does the content of this editorial not bother them, or conversely, do they find the content reasonable?

The hypocrisy in some sections of Guyanese society is appalling as it is devious. Former head of the now defunct Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) Juan Edghill claims that the observations in the Chronicle drivel was based on long observed “facts”. Only the opposition movement and fair minded Guyanese seem to find the contents of that editorial dangerous? Those in the government and the ruling PPP seem to not be bothered with inciting racial tensions in Guyana. The PSC poodle ensconced in the arms of the government, seem to also be comfortable with this decadence in Chronicle’s journalism.

Guyanese need not be fooled. The PPP knows that it is losing the iron grip it had on its hapless constituencies. The time for driving fear into Indians so that they will blindly vote for the PPP is history. Rehashing the Burnham days to Indians is like telling old bedtime stories. The modern Indian in Guyana is deeply concerned with corruption, security and the rising cost of living. The modern enlightened Indian in Guyana knows that the PPP has long lost its way from the doctrines of its founding leader Comrade Cheddi Jagan. They know that only a select few enjoy the auspices of the government. So telling the modern enlightened Indian in Guyana that all Black youth are criminals and that all Black people want to do is rob Indians of their wealth and property is nothing but unadulterated nonsense.

The PPP does not have an impressive record of which to campaign with to garner support from its constituencies. It believes that it must return to the tried and true appeal to Fear in order to arrest the attention and votes of Indians. The PPP knows that without Moses and Ralph they are teetering over the precipice of a major defeat and waiting to make a free-fall into oblivion.

Corruption has severely stained this PPP-led Guyana government. And many of its traditional supporters are tired and fed up with the widespread thievery. One set of PPP die-hards demonstrably unhappy with the continued mismanagement of their livelihood is the sugar workers. The PPP knows that it has failed Guyana and the sugar industry through its spectacular incompetence and mismanagement of GuySuCo. Therefore one must recognise the need of the PPP to rally its disillusioned supporters who have found viable alternatives in the combined opposition.

That the president and others aligned with the government are silent on this most disgusting and dangerous piece of writing highlights complicity so glaring that Guyanese must be cautious. There seem to be an obvious strategy to spread fear and unease in Guyana with the sole intention of scaring Indians once again into PPP submission. Make no mistake; the Chronicle Editorial was designed to incite racial tensions. The PPP has begun to goad the opposition into taking extreme protest actions so that the recently displayed water cannon can be used. The slashing of the annual leave for members of the Guyana Police Force must be justified. The PPP will unleash a plethora of timely tactical maneuvers to engineer racial disharmony, mayhem and chaos.

Guyanese must continue to fight the PPP’s many stratagems to incite violence and racial tensions with nonviolent protest and sagacious reasoning. These must be the weapons of choice against the PPP. When there are no violent protest, no rioting and chaos, no fear; the PPP will try to manufacture the fear it so badly desires through the use of its many black stooges. Guyanese must remain be very vigilant and continue to stand steadfastly in unity against the inherent evil of the PPP.

Guyanese signaled to the PPP on November 28, 2011, their desire to see political change. That change is slowly sweeping the nation. The PPP will be a causality of if its own misguided policies. The fear it so trades on will consume it. Guyanese must continue to hold firm and stand united as one people, one nation, with one destiny as they continue to struggle for political freedom from the PPP.