Less than 24 hours ago His Excellency President Donald Ramotar named the big day: May 11, 2015. Campaign material flooded social media almost immediately and, of course, the inter-party battles begun. Guyanese will be attacking each other in the safety of cyber world with the worst possible weapon: words. But must it really be this way? Not so long ago, my elderly neighbour collapsed in … Continue reading Remember…We’re all Guyanese
In the land of the blind, one-eye man is king… From now until May 11, some of us will contemplate the answer to this question with much fear, hope or a combination of both. Will the People’s Progressive Party (PPP)win? Or will they lose? Before I answer this, I believe it is worth clarifying where I stand: I am the Bharrat who stands in the … Continue reading Will the PPP win in 2015?
Earlier, the sky was a clear kind of blue that floods the soul with happy, happy feelings. Now, the rain clouds have descended upon Craig Old Road. It isn’t a storm but it isn’t quite the sort of early evening calm that usually greets us at this time of day. Nani sits in her usual spot on the couch, the neighbours are quarreling about the … Continue reading An Independence Conversation with Nani
“My name is… Bharrat. I am an East Indian Guyanese…” (The beginning of a Primary School composition in the early 90s). The relative of a high ranking public official engaged me in conversation on January 15, 2014. We spoke briefly about the connotations of a certain word. They believe the word is an insult to Guyana and Indians. “…the beloved country you are fighting for … Continue reading For Tribe or Country
In memory of Blackie Tonight I want to shed tears for my villager, my friend, my brother. But the tears will not come. There is that familiar heaviness in my chest. But the pain is not the same. Because I have acknowledged my country man as my own, as my family, as my blood, the pain spreads. And still, I cannot cry for my brother … Continue reading Be a brother to your brother, for you, not him
