The story about a 32-year-old mother, Indranie Oudit, who killed herself, allegedly in reaction to her son who also committed suicide a few weeks ago in Corentyne, Berbice, is perhaps one of the most tragic news events the local media here covered since the year began. Events such as these, remind us that there are many ills in the society which cannot be ignored. Many persons within our midst are facing some severe personal problems and they need help and guidance in dealing with these issues. Oudit committed suicide because…
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Ending the road carnage
Worldwide, road accidents are a significant cause of death, injury and anguish, and Guyana is one such country where it is glaringly and unfortunately so very evident. It is always a deep tragedy when a productive, much-loved and respected citizen dies in the prime of his or her life. The death of Chief Librarian Gillian Thompson is one such occasion – an occasion in which it has been alleged that dangerous driving played a significant role. Dangerous driving has become a terrifying and all too common trend in Guyana, as…
Read MoreThe New Year
Time and tide, it is said, wait for no man. But that was said as far back as 1225. Nowadays, the tides are rising due to global warming. But it would seem that time, like Ol’ Man River, just keeps flowing along, as if ignoring Albert Einstein’s confirmed prediction that its flow should also change with our speed of movement. And we are moving much more rapidly, in this new millennium. Take information. Undersea fibre-optic cables and satellites have combined to allow us to be in instantaneous direct communication with…
Read MoreSteady progress
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) offers a report card, so to speak, on the economic performance of its members towards the end of the year. It does this even if the country is not participating in one of its adjustment programmes, such as those Barbados and Jamaica are presently executing, to stabilise their economies. Its report for Guyana is extremely encouraging and should bring cheer to the citizenry for the Christmas season. According to the figures, Guyana continues to make steady progress on the economic front. Most citizens would have…
Read MoreGuyana’s sovereignty
In the opposition-induced feeding frenzy over claims that Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud had issued “mining permits” to a Brazilian company (registered in Guyana), there appears to be a troubling willingness by that opposition to compromise the sovereignty of our nation in their quest to score political points. As to the claim itself, this is a question of fact and, like all issues from this quarter, will be settled by reasonable people after considering the evidence presented by both sides. What is undisputed is that it was a…
Read MoreMandela and Guyana
In a world that has, not without good reason, become more jaded about leaders, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, affectionately known by his clan name of Madiba, stood out for his generosity of spirit. In the annals of world history, there are few parallels with the peaceful transfer of power he engineered in South Africa, deconstructing the system of apartheid in which the overwhelming majority of the country were officially denied their basic human rights. In a 1993 speech, while unveiling a statue in honour of Mohandas Mahatma Gandhi at Pietermaritzburg, the…
Read MoreCultural respect
When The Hindu newspapers, described as one of the world’s largest English-speaking newspapers, pledged to no longer refer to tribal communities in India as “primitive”, it was hailed as significant since the term is still widely being insensitively used in that country and global media to describe certain groups of societies. The word “primitive” is a word in India’s educational, political and social systems that some have considered necessary to be removed in its present context when speaking of tribal people. It is often in use when discussing tribes that…
Read MoreNew elections now
At the very best, it could have been said that the standoff between the opposition and the government, since the last elections of November 2011, was not doing the country any good. We would have ignored the damage wrought by the opposition’s intemperate response in Linden to the government’s proposal to equalise the electricity tariffs to that of the rest of the country. But after the ruling by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF), in the wake of the opposition’s refusal to approve the required legislation for compliance, its…
Read MoreSachin Tendulkar
For many cricket fans around the world, especially those in India, cricket will never be the same again as one of the game’s most legendary players, Sachin Tendulkar, has finally called it a day. Tendulkar played his last professional game on Saturday against the West Indies where he was given a grand send-off by his teammates and his fans alike. Watching Sachin Tendulkar play for the very last time wasn’t just a historical moment for the cricketing world but also an emotional one. He has brought the entire India together.…
Read MorePartisan politics
It is unfortunate that in spite of several pleas from almost every stakeholder, including the international community and the Private Sector Commission (PSC), the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (Amendment) Bill (AMLCFT) was defeated in the National Assembly by a majority opposition vote last week. The absence of adequate legislative support had resulted in the country missing an August deadline and the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) granting an extension to November 18. Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall and Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU)…
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