I entered the small store and walked across to the shelves displaying shoes, soon after a salesperson asked me what I wanted. I told her that if I saw anything I wanted to purchase I’d let her know. Although I was still browsing and didn’t ask for help, after five minutes she asked, ‘Heel or no heel?’ So, I moved on to the next little section which sold shirts and immediately another salesperson declared, ‘Yuh come back for the shirt!’ After stating that he’d mistaken my identity and repeating my line about requesting help only when needed I moved on to the dresses.  

Two minutes into my browsing the cashier loudly asked me if I needed something. I mumbled that if I saw something I particularly liked she’d be informed. My answer apparently irked her and in a loud tone from the cashier booth she said, ‘Me nah know wha this gyal want, she nah talk. Allyuh come see wha happen to she.’ I told the woman in a polite but firm tone that she cannot speak to me in that manner. My comment seemed to irritate her more since she began to rant. I was quite shocked at her behaviour, so I informed her that the service was atrocious. I couldn’t help stating the obvious, I can’t recall the last time I was subjected to such appalling customer service. She shot back that I was atrocious!  

The woman’s behaviour was crude and obnoxious especially given the fact that I was a customer visiting the store and on previous occasions had purchased items. When I entered, I was apparently the only customer and maybe ‘desperate for a sale’ the tactic employed was to badger the customer into making a purchase. This most of the time, is a turn off and has the opposite effect. Additionally, there is no excuse for her behaviour and given the level of audacity displayed I can only surmise that she is the owner/part owner of the store. One wonders how the poor employees are being treated.  

The customer is under no obligation to purchase from every store he/she visits and to just look at items already displayed does not require assistance. Many small businesses engage in crass practices that discourage customers. If they don’t up their game where customer service is concerned, they’re going to be crushed by online shopping and bigger entities with quality service in the highly competitive business environment.  

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An anonymous Kaieteur News columnist (Peeping Tom) tried to defend this pitiful display of fawning and subservience by invoking Burnham. He/she touched on Burnham’s style of dress at events which many apparently found comical as if this would counter the public backlash that turned the most symbolic figure of power and authority in Guyana into an object of comedy  

Burham died in 1985, a large percentage of the population were children during his reign or didn’t even exist so apart from his notoriety as the architect of political, social and economic upheaval in Guyana during the period when he wielded incredible power there isn’t a picture in the minds of many of the persona. How does Burnham’s style of dress relate to or excuse the President wearing a keffiyeh in Guyana to welcome Saudi visitors? 

According to the columnist ‘There is nothing improper or unpatriotic about a Guyanese President wearing a guthra (sic) when meeting a representative from the Kingdom.’ Is the ghutra a regular feature/accessory of the President’s dress and does he even wear it when he visits the Masjid? Contrary to the adjectives the columnist used I feel words such as amusing, hilarious and obsequious would be a better fit to describe the spectacle. 

There’s a saying ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do.’ Instead of our President showing ‘respect’ by imitating the Saudis it should have been the other way around. If the Saudis, who were visitors to our country had dressed like Guyanese, then that would have been seen as a mark of appreciation. It is unusual for Heads of State to don the traditional/foreign wear of guests when receiving them in his/her country. 

Furthermore, did the President of Guyana host the meeting with the Saudi delegation in a mosque or at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre? While we all know that he is a Muslim, he is also the President of Guyana, a multicultural and multiethnic secular state; and he is usually featured in the media wearing suits. The departure from the norm and act of imitation which was seen as amusing resulted in some funny jokes and cartoons. 

Another argument that was presented is that of cultural and/or religious similarity. However, Muslims in Guyana make up approximately 7% of the population and many from this group cannot be distinguished from Hindus, Christians or Atheists if walking on the street by clothing alone. Often people would categorise based on surname, wearing a hijab or other clothing associated with Islam but can we really say that the majority of Muslims in Guyana share similar cultural and social beliefs/norms with the Saudis? 

And on the matter of a special desk for Saudi Arabia at the Ministry of Finance while this may be a good initiative is it the norm or preferential treatment? Presently are there desks for other countries at the Ministry of Finance particularly, countries that Guyana usually trades or has good relations with? 

Apart from the investment and trade aspect are there commonalities between Guyana and Saudi Arabia? Persons have mentioned Saudi Arabia’s human rights violations and the gruesome murder of Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Turkey but there is so much more so why the pandering and what has been our historical relationship with the Saudis? Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy governed by strict Sharia laws.  

While it is great news that many new international players are showing interest in investing here the people who have been elected to manage the country for us should exercise due diligence at all times, have dignity and integrity; and make decisions that will benefit Guyana as a whole. 

The post The President’s dress and the Saudis’ desk warranted criticism appeared first on Life in Guyana.

How do I know this? Well, the story featured some ‘protesters’ who were protesting about me with specific allegations and calling for disciplinary action to be taken yet the reporter, editor or station did not even contact me for a comment but went ahead and broadcasted the story. I was not aware of the scope of the incident or of the story being broadcasted until someone mentioned it to me a few days later. I went online and found the video, on viewing it I realised that the entire thing was staged. I have outlined my reasons for this conclusion in the letter below which was sent to some newspapers (three actually) but was not published. In addition, I went to the offices of Kaieteur News and Stabroek News and spoke with reporters about my matter but it was probably seen as too unimportant for them to write about. 

Before I got to the stage of writing to the press, I visited  HGPTV station and spoke with the editor and the reporter who covered the story. After outlining the flaws of their story and giving my side of it I was told that I would be allowed to refute the allegations. Imagine these people told me that they contacted the Ministry of Education with the allegations the protesters made and asked about disciplinary action yet did not seek a comment from me and did not do research to verify the claims of the ‘protesters’. What is the state of journalism in this place? HGP Nightly News is widely viewed, holds credibility with many persons and is broadcasted every night at 8 pm (prime time position). It is not a personal blog or an amateur production. 

So, I was interviewed by the same reporter in their studio and told that my side would be broadcasted that very night. For two nights straight I viewed the news and my side was not aired; not once did the news entity try to contact me. I contacted the station and was told by the reporter that there were technical issues with the video specifically, ‘no sound’. I found it hard to believe that an experienced news outlet would encounter such amateur problems. I was told I could redo the interview however, I chose not to do this because many days had passed since they aired their one-sided broadcast and I was angry with the situation especially, the biased reporting. 

I feel the protest was orchestrated by a person(s) who is a part of the staff to ruin my reputation in front of my students, colleagues and the community. Also, to discredit me as a teacher and cause problems between my employer and me. Who knows what goes on in the heads of people who go to such extremes as organising fake protesters. For years, I’ve complained to the education officials about issues at my workplace and my concerns were never addressed nor any investigations done to verify my claims.

This incident was just another attempt, the most creative so far to discredit me. The editor informed me that she chose not to reveal my name during the broadcast although it was mentioned repeatedly by the ‘protesters’ and the ‘anonymous source’. At my workplace, with the community and students; and the education officials my reputation was tainted and my standing as a professional was attacked regardless.

This is the one-sided broadcast by HGP Nightly News.

Letter to the Editor that was not published

Dear Editor,

HGP Nightly News broadcasted a one-sided story with some ‘fake’ protesters at Ann’s Grove Secondary School

On December 9, 2019, HGP Nightly News broadcasted a story entitled, Parents upset with behaviour of teacher at Ann’s Grove School. The broadcast featured about five parents, as can be seen in the video, protesting that the Spanish and HFLE teacher did not prepare End of Term test questions for their children for the Christmas Term 2019, and as a result, they did not receive marks for these subjects, the parents were also calling for disciplinary action to be taken against the teacher by the Ministry of Education.

I was made aware that the protest action was directed at me, ‘The Spanish and HFLE teacher’ and my name was mentioned by the parents and an anonymous source who claimed to be a senior teacher at the school. Without making any effort to contact me and solicit my response Nightly News decided to air this story which is slanderous, ruined my reputation in front of my students, colleagues and the community and unjustly called for disciplinary action to be taken against me. If the HGP Nightly News crew were of high caliber and competency in the world of journalism and wants to be recognised as such then they should know about balanced reporting especially when a person’s reputation and job are at stake. In this modern age where Google, Facebook and phonebooks exist not having someone’s phone number being given to you by their accusers is not a valid excuse for not contacting the person.

To begin with, I’ve been facing some issues at the school which the Department of Education was informed about and it is my belief that the ‘protest’ was organized by a person(s) who is a member of staff of the school in an attempt to discredit me within the profession since several inaccuracies were paraded as facts by the ‘concerned parents’. In addition to the inaccuracies highlighted below, it was claimed that I have been teaching at the school for ten years, this information is incorrect and I wonder where the parents got it from.

 When I saw the broadcast, I only recognised one parent. She was one of the only two parents who spoke with the media and on numerous occasions, she visited the school regarding disciplinary matters concerning her child. Furthermore, from September 2, 2019, her child was placed in Grade 9, I confirmed this information with his peers and teachers of the school. I was not time-tabled to teach any Grade 9 classes for this academic year starting from September 2, 2019, and Spanish is not on the Grade 9 students’ timetable and not taught at this level. Why would a parent join a protest action and make allegations against a teacher who does not even teach her child? Also, I have never taught the subject, HFLE and this information can be easily confirmed. However, from my interactions with the HFLE teachers, I gathered that no end-of-term examination is written; students are assigned a coursework grade (A, B, C…) which does not contribute to their overall percentage.

This parent also mentioned an incident where her child called me ‘potato head’ as a joke and she claimed that since this incident I have been ‘vindictive’ towards her son. I can state without fear that the allegation of being ‘vindictive’ against her son was never levied against me and I was never informed of it by my superiors. The first time she made this allegation was to the media and to make such an allegation one needs to provide evidence. Regarding her child calling me names other than my correct name, this incident occurred in Grade 8, during the last academic year and not Grade 7 as alleged by the parent.

No teacher is going to allow a student to call her ‘false names’; students and teachers are not friends. This sort of behaviour is disrespectful, insulting and encourages other students to be disrespectful to the teacher. The child repeatedly called me names other than my real name in and outside of the classroom. Luckily, I took the matter to his class teacher and a senior teacher who requested his parent’s presence. The child’s mother visited the school and was told of his behaviour by the senior teacher. That was the end of the matter and I can name both teachers who know of the sequence of events. At no time after was there any allegation made by this parent that I was vindictive to her son.

The parent whose child is in Grade 9 went further by telling the reporter that I said to her son that I was not going to give a test because ‘I don’t have time for that right now’ and she alleged that I am always on my phone. It is a fact that can be easily confirmed that I was not time-tabled to teach any Grade 9 class during the Christmas Term and had no interaction with this child yet a fictitious conversation is readily accepted as true and no evidence provided. And the statement that I am always on my phone is also not questioned. How would a parent who only visits a school for maybe PTA meetings and when requested concerning disciplinary matters involving her child know that a teacher is always on her phone?

The second parent who spoke to the media made a general comment without providing any evidence or stating how she got the information that the teacher is ‘every day minding the other teacha business and “clicking it” on she phone’. When making such serious charges against someone that is broadcasted to the entire country and beyond one needs to at least provide some evidence.

In September of the Christmas term 2019, an official from the Department of Education visited the school and became aware of the fact that although I was given Spanish to teach in Grades 7 and 8 by the administrative staff I had no formal qualifications to teach it and to the best of my knowledge no teacher at the school has any formal qualifications to teach Spanish. I am a Trained Graduate in another field and subsequently, in October I was assigned two subjects in my field of study to teach. I never taught HFLE at the school.

I choose to call these protesters ‘fake’ because during the entire Christmas term no parent came to me with any concerns or complaints and I was not informed of such by anyone from the administrative staff. It is expected that when all avenues are closed to a parent only then would he/she resort to the media and not the other way around. During the term, the school hosted PTA meetings and parents’ conferences. Also, parents were free to visit the school and speak with teachers in a civilised manner about their complaints and concerns yet none approached me but some ‘parents’ chose to make inaccurate statements and allegations to the media without seeking clarification from me or providing evidence. If the ‘protesting parents’ had visited they would have known how HFLE is assessed by the relevant teachers, the state of the subject, Spanish in the school and in which grades it was done. Also, they would have been able to observe for themselves whether I am ‘always on my phone’ and ‘minding teacha business’.

It is my belief that the person whom the reporter dubbed as the anonymous senior functionary in the school-who confirmed the allegations made by the parents- probably played an integral role in organising the protesters. She would have known that at least one parent there, the only one I recognised, had no legitimate reason to protest since I did not teach her child, did not teach HFLE and knew about the visit by the education officer and subsequent new subjects being assigned to me. Also, the allegations made by the ‘senior functionary’ would require evidence in terms of a paper trail…

Dear Editor, I can provide evidence of what I have stated above and have nothing to fear. I do feel sad though that some persons would allow themselves to be used as pawns and HGP Nightly News as a tool in the personal vendettas of others. Nothing beats good and balanced reporting. 

Yours faithfully,

Narissa Deokarran                                                                                                                

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I refer to the article titled, ‘Baramita considers rum ban’ which was published in the Stabroek news on November 21. I believe that the proposed ban on rum would not solve the problems that the community faces, the plight of the victims of sexual assault, domestic violence and self-harm was not addressed and instead of holding people accountable for their despicable, criminal actions excuses were being proffered.

With regard to widespread alcohol abuse, would a ban on alcohol remedy the situation when alcohol is freely available everywhere else in the country; would villagers be monitored and checked? With this proposed measure I reflect on the Prohibition period in the USA and smuggling in Guyana during the 80s. Alcohol can be easily made at home and with demand there will be suppliers peddling unregulated and questionably processed alcoholic beverages. Besides, should the people in Baramita be treated like little children who cannot think for themselves, make wise decisions or take on adult responsibilities? The world is moving towards greater liberalization and freedoms not restrictions and retrogression.

I feel that educating the populace of Baramita on the health conditions that are linked to alcohol abuse would be better. Since this community is so plagued by alcoholism the schools should set aside time each week to guide and educate children on the dangers of alcohol abuse and other social ills affecting them. They should also be taught about responsibility, consent, sexual abuse, domestic violence and the laws of Guyana. The community leaders along with those who have offered assistance can hold educative sessions with the adults using graphic pictures, videos and other relevant materials.

On the issue of suicide, the Toshao stated: ‘Maybe they see suicide as the way out to deal with their problems. I don’t know. Most times they do it under the influence of alcohol.’ Officials should conduct a study/research to find out the ‘why’ instead of speculating. If the ‘why’ is known then appropriate measures can be put in place to reduce the wastage of life. Not because someone commits suicide while intoxicated that means that alcohol is the cause.

People have the habit of focusing on the methods and condition rather than the root causes of the act, in most cases suicide is premeditated and the poison, rope or whatever else is just a method used by the unhappy, desperate, depressed person who was in that state for some time. What counselling services are available and what avenues are there to report rape, domestic violence and other crimes in Baramita?

Given the acts that are occurring in this place and the amount of mentally damaged persons there who have not received counselling and/or justice for the crimes committed against then and the abusive conditions under which they live I wouldn’t be surprised if the root causes of the suicides are things other than alcohol.

When I read about the situation in Baramita I thought of the victims, the young girls who have been sexually assaulted, used as pawns, mentally broken and left to fend for themselves.  In the entire article there was no mention of prosecution of the alleged perpetrators. I am also wondering about what sort of government intervention was implemented, no details were provided, and the Toshao lamented the failure of the visits by officials.

According to the article ‘Sexual abuse of young teenage girls…by adult miners, police and others is rampant, with parents permitting sexual abuse of daughters in exchange for liquor.’ Don’t these paedophiles know that they are committing crimes which carry lengthy prison sentences? Were any of cases of sexual abuse investigated by the police and charges laid? Grown men (especially police officers) who abuse children must know that they are committing serious crimes.  An article informs Guyanese about horrific sex crimes and domestic violence (acts which are criminal) occurring within the borders of Guyana and no mention of the fate of the perpetrators or police investigation into the allegations.

Do the people in Baramita know that offering their daughters to men to be sexually abused is trafficking, a crime in Guyana and do the laws of the land apply to the traffickers and abusers? If not, this has to change. These monstrous acts should be stamped out. People are free to move to any part of the country and out of the country, and these acts would not be condoned anywhere.

The involved officials should educate the people of Baramita that sexual abuse, domestic violence and trafficking are criminal acts for which they can be prosecuted. They need to take responsibility for themselves and their actions. People from Baramita and other communities are free to relocate to other parts of the country including Georgetown, who is going to monitor their alcohol intake, ban them or excuse acts that the rest of the population see as being criminal in nature regardless of whether one is intoxicated or not?

The post Sexual assaults and alcoholism in Baramita appeared first on Life in Guyana.

In September 2010, France through an act of Parliament banned the wearing of face-covering headgear, including masks, helmets, balaclavas, niqabs, face-concealing burqas and other veils covering the face in public places, except under specified circumstances. During the bill’s preparation the grand mufti of the Paris Mosque stated in Parliament that the niqab was not prescribed in Islam. 

The law was then challenged in the European Human Rights Court; it was upheld in July 2014.  In October 2018, the United Nations decided that the ‘burqa ban’ ‘violated’ the human rights of two women who were fined for fully concealing their faces in public. The committee declared: ‘The French law disproportionately harmed the petitioners’ right to manifest their religious beliefs’. The UN has requested that France reviews its law although their decision is non-binding. Apparently, the UN believes that the ‘religious rights’ of a very small minority of niqab wearing women should trump the security concerns of millions of people, national secularity and the empowerment of females. 

The burqa and niqab fully conceal the identity of the wearer, only the eyes can be seen and sometimes even these are hidden behind a mesh. One cannot even tell if a man or woman is beneath, can the sex of a person be determined by just casually observing the eyes? 

 In recent times, the world bore witness to horrific crimes in France; Charlie Hebdo, Bataclan and Nice’s Bastille Day massacres among others. There was no familiarity or grievance between the victims and murderers; people left their homes without a care in the world, for work, fun and celebration. Could they have predicted that monsters in human covering pumped with irrational hate and rage would have viciously taken their lives? For what? France continues to suffer from attacks such as these where random people are murdered who had absolutely no personal grievance with the attackers.  

France is home to pockets of extremists and fanatics of all type, as is the rest of Europe which is very easily accessible via bus, train or plane. Many French citizens fought with ISIS in Syria and for ISIS in Europe and many returned radicalized and damaged. Cunning people have used the burqa as concealment to carry out crimes including suicide bombings, robbery, sexual assault and murder. In August, burqa clad suicide bombers killed at least 29 people in Afghanistan, in another incident in 2017 a NATO patrol was targeted then there were the suicide bombings in Chad and Pakistan among other countries where the bombers concealed their identities using the burqa.  

Due to security concerns, several countries have fully or partially banned the wearing of face concealing garments in the public sphere. The ban had more to do with the fact that the identities of wearers are concealed rather than an attack on religious freedom. Presently in Egypt, a Muslim majority country, lawmakers are considering a ban on the burqa in public spaces due to security concerns. If this law takes effect I wonder if the UN would consider it a violation of human rights and restrictions being placed on the manifestation of religious beliefs. 

In France and other countries where the niqab was banned people are still free to manifest their religious beliefs. The Hijab which identifies millions of women worldwide as belonging to the Muslim faith was not banned. Other religious groups are also free to wear their garments; saris, turbans, kippah etc; even the very conservative nun’s habit does not hide the wearer’s identity like the rest. 

The UN committee further stated, ‘rather than protecting fully veiled women, could have the opposite effect of ”confining them to their homes’’…’ In the first place, many women who wear full Islamic face covering often face severe social restrictions imposed upon them by their families and communities, just look at the lives these women lead in a few countries where the niqab and burqa are common. 

France is not a historically speaking, niqab wearing nation. How does the niqab help its wearers to socially integrate and feel a sense of belonging especially in new environments when others cannot determine whether the person under the niqab is male or female; young or old. When you cannot discern a smile or grimace; observe body language or facial expression. All of these are part of the communication process.  

What great personal loss does a niqab wearing woman suffers if she shows her face and instead wears a hijab in public? Is the loss so great that it should supersede security concerns and state secularism (Law of 1905 which separated Church from State)? In reality, what full concealment does is to ban women from full participation and interaction in diverse situations and with people from various backgrounds. 

Worldwide, the human rights of millions of women continue to be violated. They are restricted from making decisions for themselves, independent travelling, choosing their own clothing and even not being able to have a say in who they marry among other human rights violations. Recently, Saudi Arabia ‘allowed’ women to drive but what followed was the arrest of several women’s rights activists; in many places barbaric ‘honour killings’ are not taken seriously for example, only last year in Jordan did lawmakers correct a legal loophole which allowed light sentences (as little as six months) for men who killed female relatives in the name of ‘family honour’; then there are child marriages and trafficking. 

How many women have been forced to wear the niqab and other garments? Clothing has been used as a weapon to oppress women for centuries. In Syria, ISIS forced women to wear the niqab, many Iranian women were arrested and some received prison sentences for removing their hijabs and all over the world women are blamed for sexual assaults committed on them, they are told that they dress ‘provocatively’ and to cover up. 

Long before the burqa and niqab issue France cemented it secularism which addressed all religious beliefs encroaching on public spaces and places such as the school. Given the very real issue of crime and living in a world with fanatics, extremists and others bent on criminality I do not find it so unreasonable that countries would want to be able to identify people in public. 

 Women and girls in all countries of the world need to be empowered to realize their full potential, to not see themselves as the inferior sex, to not be ashamed of their gender and sexuality, to not be oppressed by archaic and harmful religious and social norms, to let their voices be heard and their opinions resonate and to be the change-makers of today.

My article was published in the Kaieteur news as a Letter to the Editor.

There are many YouTube videos with diverse views on the niqab and burqa and the arguments are very well presented; some are for or against and others present both sides to this issue. However, I personally feel that the niqab and burqu restrict the freedom of women, pose as a barrier to social interaction and exclude them from full societal participation.

The post The UN perplexing decision on France’s ‘burqa ban’ appeared first on Life in Guyana.

The article below was a ‘Letter to the Editor’ by me that was published in a local newspaper. I gave my opinion on the same issue in another article.

I refer to your article in the Sunday Stabroek dated, 21^st October 2018 and titled, ‘PAHO/WHO, health ministry to start work on alcohol control policy’. While this initiative is highly commendable, I do not agree with certain aspects of the article and believe that it fails to identify the real perpetrators and reasons behind many social ills that plague and damage our society and people.

According to the article, ‘Alcohol is said to be a major contributing factor in the large number of suicides and sexual assaults which have been occurring in Baramita, in Region One, over the years’. I believe that this statement excuses the horrors occurring in this place, we have an age of consent and laws to deal with paedophiles, rapists and traffickers, why isn’t there full enforcement of the law with regard to Baramita? Instead of pandering to paedophiles and rapists there should be enforcement of the laws of the land and justice for the victims. Everyone living in Guyana should adhere to these regardless of ethnicity, way of life, religious and personal beliefs. An intoxicated rapist or paedophile is still responsible for his/her actions and alcohol should never be used as an excuse.

People are not sheep, we expect adults to know what is right from wrong. The problem is lack of enforcement of the law and people being allowed to get away with horrific crimes by not being held responsible for their actions, everything is excused and too often inanimate objects and things are made the scapegoats. How many of the alleged cases of rape, incest and trafficking in Baramita were thoroughly investigated and the perpetrators charged? We should think of the victims instead of excusing the monstrous behaviour of the perpetrators. What about the teenage mothers below the age of consent, was forensics employed to determine the fathers of the children? In Guyana, people often pander to the perpetrators and further victimize the victims; many do not report sexual abuse due to shame, stigmatization and victim blaming, the same is true for many cases of domestic violence where the excuse is often, ‘she must have done something’.

With regard to alcohol being a contributing factor in suicides, I wonder if a study was done. If so, did people who attempted suicide or thought of it state this? In Guyana, I believe that alcoholism particularly among women is generally seen as socially unacceptable behaviour. What about domestic violence, the mental pains from sexual assaults and economic reasons being contributing factors?

We live in a patriarchal society where many women are viewed as property by their spouses and male relatives. Abusers are really cowards who use alcohol as an excuse to abuse because they really don’t want their victims to leave and after the act the victims have to take care of them by cleaning, cooking and providing other free services. It is all about the ego; power, domination and subjugation of the perceived weaker sex. Although both sexes are guilty of domestic violence, most aggressors in Guyana are males. Women especially wives and girlfriends are seen as belonging to the man (in many cases) and when there is a belief by the man that his woman is ‘giving him blow’/ being unfaithful he reacts violently because it is a blow to his manliness/ status. When the violence results in death as in murder/suicide I believe the suicide comes about because the abuser loses his victim and now has to face the consequences of his actions.

There are many horrific crimes occurring against women in all parts of the world; female genital mutilation, femicide, severe oppression where women cannot even leave their homes without permission or choose their clothing. What is the contributing factor, inanimate things or medieval beliefs of the people?

We live in a modern, secular country where we enjoy many liberties. Nothing should be done to undermine or limit our freedoms. Way of life, religious views and beliefs are all personal matters and should never take precedence over the laws of the land instead people should be made aware that there are consequences to certain actions and they will be held responsible for unlawful acts. Alcohol doesn’t sexually assault, beat and murder, people do; knives and guns don’t kill, people do. These are all inanimate things that people with brains and the ability to reason use to excuse and commit devious acts. Apart from alcohol, overindulgence in fast food, sugar and salt are all detrimental to our health. Then we have air pollution which is linked to so many terminal conditions. Even sex is highly dangerous to one’s health if not indulged in responsibly. We live in a world surrounded by things which can harm and be used as weapons but as Eleanor Roosevelt famously said, ‘Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility. For the person who is unwilling to grow up, the person who does not carry his own weight, this is a frightening prospect.’ How do we deal with such persons? By enforcement of the laws of the land, which is the most effective deterrent.

There are large communities of Guyanese living in the ABC countries and they respect the laws of the countries in which they live and are model citizens. Many socially unacceptable and criminal acts that people do without thought in Guyana they would not dare do in the foreign countries in which they live or visit because they know that there is enforcement of the law and consequences to face.

Alcohol abuse is a serious health issue and I commend the relevant agencies in their efforts. The population needs to be educated on the dangerous effects of alcohol abuse so as to make better, safer and healthier choices. They should also be educated on the laws of the land.

In Guyana there needs to be strict enforcement of the law with regard to abusers, paedophiles, rapist, traffickers and those who drink above the legal limit and drive among others. They need to take responsibility for their actions and face the consequences.

The post Reduce crime in Baramita through education appeared first on Life in Guyana.

One needs to be exceptional; to have that ‘extra special something’ to gain thousands of admirers and have global influence over people. To win the Nobel prize for Literature and receive a knighthood is for many the pinnacle of international recognition for exceptionalism.  The output-the famous writings, of V.S. Naipaul was regarded by the masses as great although there were of course the critics who considered it ‘less than’. Afterall, how literature is viewed is subjective and depends on the reader. 

With regard to his treatment of women, especially those closest to him there was nothing ‘great’ and worthy of emulating. Many cruelties were laid bare in his authorized biography by Patrick French titled, The World Is What It Is. Naipaul’s brutal frankness and disregard for the feelings of his women were boldly illustrated. Nothing was deemed as too embarrassing: he just didn’t care because it was all about painting an authentic image and not a fakery of half-truths and honeyed characterization to make him a saint in the eyes of the public. 

He told to his biographer that the more he abused his mistress, Margaret Gooding with whom he spent 24yrs, the more she wanted. He even lamented that on one occasion his hand was hurting badly after beating Ms Gooding and her face was too damaged to be shown in public. Apathetically, he further said that she didn’t ‘mind’ the abuse. This elicited the only reaction from her, to his biography although she was prominently mentioned. She simply responded that she did ‘mind’. Naipaul even crudely spoke about their sex life after dumping her for a new woman. The many episodes with his women are too numerous to list here but can be read about in his biography and the articles from leading outlets online.  

Lady Patricia whom he met while he was at Oxford University was his first wife and companion for over 40 years. She was the one who probably suffered the most from his cruelty. She was aware of the other woman because her husband insultingly discussed his escapades and feelings for his mistress with her. From what is revealed she was a broken and beaten figure from years of abuse by Naipaul and apparently had no say in what he did. In one of her diary entries she wrote, “Vidia told me he had not enjoyed making love to me since 1967.” She was merely cook, cleaner and editor of the great man’s books. Summing up the impact of his affair on his wife he said, ‘‘I was liberated. She was destroyed. It was inevitable.”  Then he claimed that Lady Patricia accepted the situation and his own sister, Savi was forced to harshly rebuke him.  

Even before the biography while she was in remission from cancer and had just undergone a mastectomy Lady Patricia learnt that her husband had been sleeping with prostitutes for years through a magazine article! Naipaul described himself as a ‘great prostitute man’ and proudly related his exploits to the magazine knowing that it would make headlines around the world and not caring that his wife was sick and about how it would affect her. Talk about the greatness of the man. 

He was such a cold, narcissistic and emotionally dead person that he was unable to empathize and care about those he tortured with his acts and words. The life that Lady Patricia had with the great V.S. Naipaul reads like a chilling tale of the horrors of a victim with her abuser, certainly not an enviable position. Even while she lay dying from cancer in 1996 he was courting the future Lady Naipaul. He did not spare his dying wife the details of his new conquest. Days later the event of her death failed to provoke feelings of remorse, guilt or compassion in fact, Lady Nadira moved into the house a day after the cremation of Lady Patricia. 

Apart from cruelties which Naipaul visited upon his women who were in awe of him, he harboured an inherent dislike of and belief in the inferiority of women. Statements issued from his own mouth over the decades confirmed this and even in his elderly years he remained steadfastly unapologetic about his misogynistic utterances. Sadly, the women who remained by his side and held him he destroyed and the ones who admired from afar were dismissed as unworthy by his generalized sexist statements. He was a giant in the literary world and is an icon for many established and upcoming writers but can  he ever be associated with female empowerment and promotion of women’s rights?

The man was a Jekyll and Hyde sort of person. Although many women admired him and wrote glowing tributes over the years he famously put them to shame by stating he considered no female writer his equal in an interview at the Royal Geographic Society! Then to put the cherry on top he pronounced that: “a woman is not a complete master of her house and so that comes across in her writing.” When asked for a comment on these pronouncements the Writers Guild of Great Britain, said it would not ‘waste its breath on them’. A very fitting reply for a misogynistic, narcissistic literary genius.

The international icon Jane Austen was even put on the chopping block. He dismissed her writing as sentimental, a quality considered by him as frivolous and feminine. Then Indian women writers were criticized for their ‘banality’ when writing on British colonialism. While his points are arguable, egomania no matter the ‘greatness’ of the source is never an endearing quality in both men and women.

Although, his parents were of Indian descent and he never spoke poorly, publicly of his mother the reasons behind his contempt for women remain a mystery. He famously said that the red dot worn on the forehead of Indian women means ‘my head is empty’. He was admired for his honesty yet his many illogical outbursts on women were just ravings without legitimate reasons. He criticized women writers as not being his equal yet provided no proof. The red dot on the forehead of Indian women means that they are married. Naipaul of course, knew this as he grew up among people of Indian descent yet he chose to insult without reason.

While many of his pronouncements on various topics can be seen as the un-glossed, politically incorrect reality, there was nothing enlightening, educative or factual about his many comments on women. No reasonable argument to ponder on from the man considered by the masses as one of the greatest writers of the 20^th century.

He spent his entire life irking people with the full force of his brutal ‘truths’, he revelled in the discomfort and provoked with all his might. Can he be described as ‘peaceful’? Would he have wanted fawning tributes and pitiful dog-like devotion that praised only the sugar-coated characteristics and achievements? His scornful beliefs and cruel treatment of women which he enjoyed revealing could fill several books. 

His undisputed greatness in the literary world was firmly cemented decades ago but he was a complex person with sides that were not so ‘great’ which nevertheless should be acknowledged by his admirers as being part of the man. Almost every famous and influential person in the world has attributes that are inconsistent with what made them stand out and be worshipped by thousands if not millions. Reflect on the good and the bad; the complete person, the greatness and the faults. It reflects that entire being like it should; we are all the same.

( A condensed version of my article was published in the Stabroek News, Reflect on the good and the bad of Naipaul). Do check out my post, Empowerment through expression,  expressing oneself is food for the mind and a great way to get rid of the bad stuff.

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There are hundreds of news articles, videos and pictures showing the world the chaos and humanitarian disaster occurring in this nation. Most of the reports are from highly respected international news agencies such as the BBC, New York times, Reuters, CNN and Al Jazeera. Some Guyanese even doubt these reports, sometimes when the news doesn’t fit with our agenda we deny the credibility to absolve ourselves from empathizing.

Often, we read about the poor Venezuelan women in search of food for their children being arrested, charged, fined, jailed then deported. How are they going to get the money to pay the fines when they cannot even buy food? If these women had money would they be in poor English-speaking Guyana in the first place? The Venezuelan Bolivar is practically worthless, the government has actually launched a cryptocurrency.

What form of humanitarian aid has Guyana provided for our suffering next door neighbours? Is any aid agency or NGO providing basic food stuff or any sort of help to the few who flee to our country? It is easy to say that those who wish to come here should do so through legal means however, when a country is in a state of chaos how are starving penniless people suppose to afford ‘luxury travel?’ We are basically sending a message that Guyana does not help refugees and we do not welcome the poor.

Other countries in South America have shown far more compassion especially Colombia which has accepted thousands of Venezuelans.  We get 2-digit figures and they are promptly rounded up, publicly humiliated, fined or imprisoned and then swiftly deported. Can’t we show a bit of compassion? We can at least allow women, children and families into the country on a temporary basis until the situation in their country improves.  By criminalizing the helpless they become prey and are exploited by real criminals that are always ready to pounce. The reality is that many Venezuelan children and women have become livestock for traffickers and other criminals.   The ABC countries and Europe has been accepting thousands of Refugees from far-flung places why can’t Guyana help a few from next door?

I personally know far more Guyanese living in the USA and other countries illegally  or who entered through illegal means and have now become citizens than whose who did everything by the book. When we had our own political situation, thousands fled ‘the backtrack’/ illegal way. Presently, although the state of affairs here is quite ‘normal’ people continue to use their tourist visas as if these were green cards and they overstay. They are economic migrants and thousands before were economic migrants yet they were not rounded up and deported by foreign nations. They walk the streets, work and attend school without fear. Eventually many will become citizens of those countries so why can’t we be empathetic and show a bit of compassion to the starving Venezuelans?

(The article above was published as a ‘Letter to the Editor’ in a daily newspaper).

On  the same day I read another news story of Venezuelan women being arrested and charged with illegal entry into Guyana. This is a reoccurring theme. I have not heard nor read of any sort of humanitarian assistance being offered by the Government of Guyana towards the Venezuelans who come here or of any program in place to address this issue. I wrote another missive on this issue which was also published.

The internet is littered with many videos, articles and pictures from the world’s leading news agencies showing the very real crisis in that country. Below I have added some of the many videos that are online with eye-witness accounts. This crisis started a few years ago and has only worsened.

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Recently, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) announced new guidelines for governments to address the situation of persons in need of international protection and humanitarian assistance.  “The UNHCR encourages States to ensure Venezuelans have access to territory and refugee procedures. In addition, UNHCR welcomes and calls on governments to adopt pragmatic protection-oriented responses for the Venezuelan people, such as alternative legal stay arrangements, including visas or temporary residence permits, as well as other regularization programmes, which guarantee access to the basic rights of health care, education, family unity, freedom of movement, shelter and the right to work.”

This body further states, “In view of the situation in Venezuela, it is crucial that people are not deported or forcibly returned there.” What will Guyana’s response be?

The majority of Venezuelans are fleeing to other countries in South America. Colombia is host to thousands and the rest are mainly going to other Spanish speaking countries and Brazil. According to the Organisation for Migration (IOM), in 2017 over 600,000 Venezuelans emigrated. Colombia received 470,000 persons, Argentina over 41,000, Ecuador 39,000 and the others also received figures in the thousands. How many Venezuelans have come here? Probably due to similar culture, language, historical and personal ties with the rest of Latin America our figures are miniscule in comparison.

Apart from showing compassion and empathy to those fleeing the chaos and starvation in their country many Guyanese benefited from the generosity of Venezuela previously. During our own upheaval Guyanese fled there and found sanctuary.

The government along with the international aid agencies should assist those who come. By not helping we condemn the affected to further misery and make them susceptible to exploitation, abuse and to be used by criminals for their own nefarious activities. Surely, some sort of system can be implemented whereby the Venezuelans can be issued with proper documentation which would allow them to remain, at least temporarily without fear of deportation.

We live in an interconnected world where we have benefited from each other immensely through many endeavours including economic, educational and cultural exchanges with Venezuela and the rest of the world. Sometimes, compassion is most needed instead of apathy and cruelty.

(This article was published in the Stabroek Newspaper as a ‘Letter to the Editor’).

It is the second missive on this topic, the first was published in another newspaper.

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Recently, the Minister of Public Security announced that DNA testing will commence ‘sometime’ in 2018 at the Guyana Forensic Science Laboratory which was opened in 2014 with the promise of DNA testing being available since then (article here) . Years later, this building is a ‘dead elephant’ in relation to this most important tool for crime fighting. Apart from a few high-profile murder cases where DNA testing was conducted by having the samples taken overseas I wonder if this was ever done in cases of paedophilia and sexual assault. If the state was serious about protecting its citizens, then this would have been a top priority years ago. Imagine how many murderers, rapists, paedophiles and bandits are walking free because Guyana is still in the stone age in terms of crime fighting in a world governed by awesome technological and scientific knowledge and application!

Guyana has an age of consent, which was upped from 13 to 16 in 2005. This means that a child below the age of 16 cannot legally consent to sexual activity yet too often we read of cases of children being sexually abused and are left to wonder what happens next…

I read an article which featured the interview of a juror in the rape case of a child. This juror claimed that although the girl identified the person who raped her and was examined by a doctor who confirmed the assault the case was dismissed and the accused freed because the doctor failed to show up to testify and basically the jurors ‘felt sorry’ for the accused. What utter rubbish, no mention of forensic evidence being collected, tested and presented to the court!

To identify yourself as a victim of rape takes tremendous courage because of the overwhelming stigma and shame attached to such a title by the society. The rape victim is again victimized, blamed and too often does not receive adequate counselling to get past the ordeal and heal the psychological scars so when I read of such victims I am left in awe at their inner strength to seek justice for themselves. Yet many are denied this by the state.

Is a potential rapist or paedophile going to invite an audience to bear witness? I always scoff when I hear of ‘lack of witnesses’ in sexual assault cases. Which logical person would expect a criminal with the cunning to plan and execute such despicable acts to invite persons to witness the crime? Countless criminals are convicted on forensic evidence alone, yet Guyana is yet to employ this technology. I read comical tales of DNA degradation and ‘wrong’ samples being taken for testing in murder cases when samples were taken overseas. This is laughable and unacceptable in this modern era. DNA testing should be done right here and the government must invest in the correct training of personnel. The taxpayers’ money must be used to protect them!

While the law should see defendants as innocent until proven guilty, in cases involving children below the age of consent who were found to be sexually assaulted there is nothing to prove: it is rape. Someone is responsible and must pay. The excuse of giving consent and ‘wanting it’ are not applicable yet who knows how many paedophiles are convicted by our courts. I cannot recall seeing these statistics in our newspapers – the source of information on what is happening in Guyana used by the masses. Too often I read of child sex abuse cases and then after the article nothing else surfaces. I would like to blame the reporters for not following up but the blame lays entirely on the state for failing Guyana’s children.

DNA testing is old news and its usage has become so widespread that it can be ordered online and is the centrepiece of many TV shows. We are at the end of 2017 and DNA testing locally by the state in sexual assault cases is still just a dream. When will this be realized? Time moves too slowly in Guyana and life is viewed as cheap and disposable. While paedophiles and rapists continue their abominable acts the state plays with the lives of the citizens.

The article above was published as a ‘Letter to the Editor‘ in one of our leading newspapers.  I have also written about air pollution which is an area that is entirely overlooked by the authorities.

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