the ‘dumbing' of
the Guyanese people?
Kaieteur News, 10 October 2007
Dear Editor,
Who had, has, and will, profit from a weakened educational institution
of higher learning (The University of Guyana) and the consequent
“dumbing” of Guyana during the President Burnham/PNC years and
currently from the President Jagdeo/PPP reign?
We all know that the Burnham/PNC Government was the first to benefit
from the ‘dumbing' of Guyana . We all expected a reversal of fortunes
under the PPP.
But now we find the Jagdeo/PPP Government and his ruling elite are both
actively promoting and profiting from the ‘dumbing' of Guyana . This is
because the current Jagdeo/PPP Government, in its copycat mode, has
embarked on a policy of emulating its most hateful predecessor and has
now become just as despised as the Burnham/PNC Government.
The people are so despondent they think that they have been most
brutally betrayed by this Government, because they are seeing the
regular dictatorial impositions and appointments, unprecedented
corruption, lack of even input from grass-roots PPP party members, and
departure from known Dr Cheddi Jagan/PPP policies/traditions
(voice/welfare of the working people, UG, etc).
The Jagan/PPP-founded independent University of Guyana is now overseen
by a PPP-dominated Council and a PPP-VC that executes the personal
wishes of the powerful PPP President, Bharrat Jagdeo. That is, the PPP
President has his own man in charge of UG to actively execute the
‘dumbing' down of Guyanese. With the PPP-dominated Council and the
President's choice for VC, the few dissenting voices are easily
controlled, or are forced to leave voluntarily, or involuntarily. Those
who remain are too intimidated to express views not in tandem with that
of the President. As a consequence, the University is not a place of
any proper intellectual discourse of any of the serious issues facing
the nation.
So, once again, control of the thought processes of the nation is in
vogue, except that the Jagdeo Government is more sophisticated in their
domination of all higher education. Our children are once again the
innocent victims of this continued loss of high educational standards,
wilful neglect, and deprivation; and consequently, the stage is set for
their continued poverty. They are not being trained to harness their
potential and compete in a modern world. It is a tyrannical and heinous
crime against our young people.
It may well be the implementation of a new “Compelled Indentured
System” to produce workers to serve the Jagdeo Government and its
ruling elite. The people under this system are given just enough skills
to be functionally useful to the new masters. This system is common in
dictatorships.
Sending large numbers of students to Cuba is another way of
perpetuating the “Compelled Indentured System,” where the possible
future leaders in various fields learn how to be compliant and
subservient to the ruling political elite. The growing “Compelled
Indentured System” of so many is bound to lock us into poverty
(intellectual, social, cultural, educational, and economic, etc) for a
long time.
In addition, the ruling political elite (the Privileged) is
conditioning the future generation so that no one would dare question
anything. A “Compelled Indentured System,” or ‘obedience training,' or
‘dumbing' regimen makes the people much easier to control and
subjugate. That is, the Jagdeo Government and the ruling elite are
profiting from the absence of independent critical analyses and
oversight by the society -- in particular the nation's academics,
social activists, media personnel, and citizens. Of paramount
importance is that the ‘Ruling elite' must not, in any way, be
compromised -- that is, the corruption, wrong-doings, and poor
governance practices must not be exposed.
Under the Jagdeo/PPP regime, the Guyanese people are again suffering,
this time not only at the hands of the local ruling elite, but also at
the mercy of the foreign companies. The deal-making occurs behind close
doors - with gag laws preventing public scrutiny. No one seems to be
representing the best interests of the people.
Fortunately, for us, a few remaining critics (Academic and professional
people, e.g. Ms Janette Bulkan and Mr Mahadeo Kowlessar) remain (loyal
to Guyana), who consistently spoke out on the forestry issues on behalf
of the Guyanese people and who sought to inform us despite the attacks
(sometimes vicious and personal) by the entrenched foreign interests
and local collaborators. Those who spoke out are mainly outside the
system of control. (See the compilation of letters at:
http://www.guyanaforestryblog
The fact that the local University plays no leading role in the life of
the society implies that the University and its current leadership
(Council and VC, etc) are dysfunctional. However, this silence and
compliancy indicate that the “compelled indentured system” and/or
‘dumbing' is already fully established and is successful.
The Diaspora is told that they, the Jagdeo/PPP Government and ruling
elites, are making progress but development is hindered by the phantom
PNC. The Jagdeo/Government consistently and skilfully manipulates the
Diaspora for funding and support, when Guyanese know that the PNC is no
longer a viable productive force to be reckoned with.
Sad that UG is not allowed to fulfill its role as envisaged by the
founders, but is now dominated by the interests of the ruling elite.
They have turned UG into a travesty and a perversion. UG was once a
proud beacon of hope conceived by the late Dr C.B. Jagan and the then
PPP. The Diaspora must know that Burnham/PNC Government are long dead,
but that this Jagdeo/PPP Government and its ruling elite have now been
implementing policies that have their tentacles encircling us and
strangling us economically, socially, culturally, etc.
Shall we survive? We do know that irreparable harm is being done to yet
another generation. Our silence means consent, the Diaspora lives in
countries where others have fought for the rights that the Diaspora now
enjoys wherever we live. Do we (Diaspora) not have a necessary moral
responsibility to speak out on behalf of those left behind? Ask the PPP
why there is no progress after 15 years?
Seelochan Beharry
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