By 
Over the years, I’ve sent many letters to the newspapers (mostly Kaieteur News and Stabroek News) on various topics. I’ve written about garbage burning, poor service from utility companies, issues related to the education sector, politics, archaic rules at public institutions etc., but one issue seems to be off limits when it comes to getting my views published: discrimination against Indo-Guyanese. Yet, very often articles/letters, mostly opinion pieces suggesting that Afro-Guyanese are ‘constantly’ being discriminated against are published in the so-called independent newspapers, Kaieteur News and Stabroek News.
Narrative of the Media
It appears that the media is pushing the narrative both locally and internationally for many years now that only Afro-Guyanese face discrimination here and hence they contribute to making the ‘race problems’ worse. Since they have a ‘victim’ then there must be a villain and the most fitting choice is Indo-Guyanese given the historic tensions between these two groups. And as the villain one cannot be seen as a victim or be subjected to discrimination by other groups particularly Afro-Guyanese. I can find no other explanation for the blatantly biased position of the media; this is my opinion.
The Print Media in Guyana
There are four major newspapers in the country: The Guyana Chronicle, Guyana Times, Kaieteur News and Stabroek News. The Guyana Chronicle is state owned and therefore aligned to whichever party is in government. Then there is the Guyana Times which is seen as a PPP/C party newspaper, it usually publishes positive news about the party and nothing much otherwise. And unto the two so-called independent newspapers: the Kaieteur News and the Stabroek News.
Ordinary people are given a voice
The society in swathe in corruption, classism, discrimination and other detestable behaviours. Often, the common folk are silenced and left to fend for themselves when they encounter problems including very simple ones which can easily be solved. For instance, years ago my next-door neighbour started burning all the trash from his bar including Styrofoam utensils that release so many toxins into the air. At night, I had to wait until he finished burning (often early in the morning) to sleep because my room would be filled with smoke and almost every day I sneezed constantly. The neighbourhood and regional councillors; local government ministry and EPA couldn’t deal with this simple matter. I wrote about my ordeal on my blog: https://lifeingy.com/air-pollution-indifference-and-corruption/. After not getting any assistance from the relevant entities/persons I turned to the media. The exposure through the media made the biggest impact but still the problem wasn’t completely resolved. However, I have given up on that. Here, you would find almost everyone knows about the dangers that come from smoking cigarettes yet many see garbage burning as normal and harmless.
Nevertheless, the media (Stabroek News and Kaieteur News) helped me then and continued helping me throughout the years by publishing my letters on matters which affected me. Also, by giving me a voice on other issues in my environment and in the wider societal sphere. Other ordinary Guyanese are given the same opportunity to let their voices be heard and subsequently their problems may be addressed/resolved through media exposure.
Discrimination against Indo-Guyanese is not seen as important
While the media does give the ordinary Guyanese a platform that is free and considerably powerful to highlight their grievances and express their opinions it does have its own narrative that it pushes unto the public and international community especially in areas such as politics and race relations.
I’ve sent many ‘Letters to the Editor’ over the years on a wide range of topics and the majority were published however, most of the time my letters on discrimination detailing my own experiences and how I’ve been affected are not. I work in the public sector and the majority of workers in the public sector are Afro-Guyanese therefore the likelihood of facing problems with a person(s) who happens to be Afro-Guyanese (not relevant to the problem) is very high. Yet, it seems from my own experiences that I can never get a fair hearing or even have my issues addressed in the first place if the person being complained about is Afro-Guyanese. I would have never even considered writing to the media if those people whose duty it is to address and resolve such problems (internally) had just listened to me and treated me fairly.
I wrote on my blog about how poor management and leadership skills contribute to racial disunity and how I’ve been affected: https://lifeingy.com/the-ministry-of-education-guyana-condoned-discrimination-by-failing-to-act-fairly-and-decisively/. The newspapers would not publish a shorter version of this (minus all photos, some paragraphs and even further editing) although it shows how administrative staff at the Ministry of Education due to poor leadership and a prejudiced disposition condone discrimination and unprofessionalism by those they identify with or favour. The print media often publish long letters, it has even published such letters by me on other topics.
Can’t complain about entities that are seen as Afro-Guyanese
Due to my problems at work being ignored by the relevant education officers, the situation deteriorated to the point where a news entity, HGP Nightly News (an Afro-Guyanese owned station, a fact which may or may not be relevant) was used to broadcast a defamatory story about me. At the time, although I contacted the station after they broadcasted their biased piece, they did not allow my side to be aired. I wrote about the matter on my blog: https://lifeingy.com/hgp-nightly-news-broadcasted-one-sided-story-fake-protesters/.
However, I tried to get my side out through the newspapers because I was slandered in front of my students, the community and thousands of people who viewed the news item. Since my side was never aired or a retraction done by HGP Nightly News, the story was presented as if true. I visited both Kaieteur News and Stabroek News and spoke with a female reporter at both places to get my story out but it was apparently seen as too trivial. The Kaieteur News reporter listened to me then said she would contact me but never did and the Stabroek News one wasn’t interested in the story but advised me to speak with an education officer or the union. Since, my previous letters to the union and DoE/MoE were never acknowledge this path was a dead-end. Needless to say, the newspapers often publish articles/letters on mundane matters so I found it hard to believe that my issue wasn’t at least interesting enough to warrant a few paragraphs on a back page.
News stories and letters about discrimination or suggesting discrimination against other ethnic groups
Regularly, one would find articles in the print media which suggest that other ethnic groups particularly Afro-Guyanese face discrimination. Most of these pieces are opinions and not the personal experiences of the writers however, that does not take away from the story. These views could be exactly what is happening but why can’t Indo-Guyanese be given the same opportunity to highlight their plight and give their views regarding discrimination against Indo-Guyanese?
I can recall an Afro-Guyanese columnist, Akola Thompson complaining about discrimination against her by an (Afro-Guyanese) sales person and this story received a lot of media coverage: her story, store’s response, ERC probe, letters on the matter 1 & 2 and even more opinions were published on the matter. This could be ‘casual’ racism or poor customer service but the columnist felt greatly offended and was able to have her story published; why can’t the same consideration be given to ordinary Indo-Guyanese? From my own experiences, I have noted that poor and very poor to the point of being atrocious customer service is rampant in Guyana; it’s everywhere in this country and I’m sure people of all ethnicities have experienced this. I have also had to deal with countless instances of ‘casual’ racism, the sort that spoils my mood and maybe the day but does not affect the trajectory of my life. And unfortunately, I have experienced racism which has greatly affected the course of my life in terms of education, occupation and the path I find myself on yet as an Indo-Guyanese I wouldn’t get ‘justice’, a fair hearing or my views published.
Just a few recent ‘Letters to the Editor’ outlining/suggesting discrimination against Afro-Guyanese:
https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2024/07/28/whats-new-masquerading-african-guyanese/
https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2024/07/19/resist-contempt-for-the-rights-of-africans/
https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2024/07/16/respect-and-protect-african-emancipation-celebrations/
By doing an internet search one would find many many articles suggesting that Afro-Guyanese are facing discrimination but few by other groups although they are just as affected. What this does is give the impression to the international community that Indo-Guyanese are a favoured group, do not face discrimination but are possibly the ‘oppressors’.
I personally feel that ‘Letters to the Editor’, articles and news stories suggesting that Indo-Guyanese face discrimination are deliberately suppressed. So, I wrote a blog piece and referenced a video by Little Rock Television, now the video is PRIVATE!
I wasn’t involved, the station did video(s) on protest actions in Berbice and now has made their own video private probably because it showed Indo-Guyanese being attacked. How cowardly, what does it say about the credibility of a ‘news entity’ which chooses to hide it’s own videos? Then HGP Nightly News did the same, it broadcasted a defamatory story about me using Afro-Guyanese protesters and since I called them out on their fake news they have now chosen to make their video private! This is the media in Guyana; lack of credibility and objectivity.
Biased media create more problems
By being biased the media adds to the racial tensions in the country. Most problems occur between individuals and entire groups against each other and in a multi-ethnic society problems tend to arise between individuals who happen to be of different ethnicities. The problems could be about discrimination, poor customer service, petty competition and jealousies etc., but by being biased the media worsens the already tense racial issues in the country. From individuals it spread to others. One becomes empowered and the other aggrieved; and the rift widens.
