"I am not interested in picking up crumbs of compassion thrown from the table of someone who considers himself my master. I want the full menu of rights."
---The late Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Recently, circulating on social media was a photograph of former PNCR parliamentarian James Bond holding an umbrella over Azruddin Mohammed of Mohamed's Enterprise.
Depending on the side of the divide, comments ranged from sellout, to stoolie, to currying favour, to snitch, to slave to folk hero. A quick adhoc survey, revealed that it was largely viewed in a dim light by those who share Bond's ethnicity. Many remain unimpressed with what they consider to be subservient behaviour on Bond's part.
Guyana's history is of such, that any gesture of that sort by political figures would likely take on race-based undertones, particularly at this juncture. Further, the jaundiced views of his alleged Plaisance Line Top activities persist. Whether true or not, human nature, dictates that rampant speculation surrounding unproven allegations of murky dealings continue to plague Bond. In April 2021, Bond was among several people charged with three joint counts of conspiring to defraud the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) and its sole shareholder the government of Guyana, of property interest in land at Plantation Peter's Hall. Bond, an officer of the court, is currently on G$150K bail pending the outcome of those cases.
As such, it is one of the reasons, why the activity in which Bond was engaged at the time of umbrella gate, has also been called into question. According to its social media post, Bond organised with Team Mohamed to give back to the communities on the East Coast of Demerara. Reports are that the community of Melanie Damishana, where incidentally Bond owns/runs a bar, was the main recipient of this largesse.
In several quarters, Bond's motives for suddenly aligning himself with Mohamed were questioned. Many of those questions raised generally had the recurring theme of Bond's motives for taking Mohamed to predominantly Afro-Guyanese communities where due to poverty people are vulnerable. Thus, becoming easy prey for their 'initiatives'.
After being flayed on social media, Bond posted a YouTube video in response. I prefer not to speculate as to the thought process behind the video. Therefore, it really is best if one watches the video for him or herself, as I am unable to properly convey whatever is the point of his message. The video begins with a speech by Malcolm X and is punctuated with a somewhat belligerent Bond waxing on "I'd wash his feet. I'd put a crown on their head," all accompanied by Rihanna's umbrella song. That too resulted in a slew of more disparaging comments than supportive ones.
Not to be outdone, the notoriously sycophantic and disingenuous Gerry Gouveia, subsequently posted an obviously staged photograph of himself holding an umbrella over the head of an army officer getting into a vehicle. The caption read umbrella challenge, let's fight racism and extremism in Guyana. As I am still nauseated, I will leave you dear readers to dissect that one.
It is not my intent to unduly speculate on the act of Bond's umbrella holding. My concern mainly lies with the greater issue of not only the continued fostering of a climate of mendicancy among Afro-Guyanese, but the possible ulterior motives behind all the generosity, particularly given the Mohameds' strong ties to the president and PPP government. In this case, as opposed to the proverbial not looking a gift horse in the mouth, I prefer to err on the side of there is no such thing as a free lunch and hidden costs.
Persistent mendicancy among a certain group in society speaks to the larger socio-economic problems of Guyana, and obviously makes this group more vulnerable and open to manipulation. It is clear, that unlike the short- sighted and apparently hapless APNU, the ruling PPP has a comprehensive blueprint on how it plans to retain power ad infinitum. It is not rocket science to determine that that is where it begins at the grassroots level in impoverished communities. Then come election time, there is tangible evidence to show how the government via its cohorts came to the people's assistance, while the opposition has not really done anything for them.
Meanwhile, during the insidious scheming and handouts, the perpetually distracted APNU, is on a collision course to a now inevitable showdown between the PNCR leader Aubrey Norton and leader of the opposition Joe Harmon. The struggle to retain a position and its perks is apparently more important than the best interests of its constituents who exist in a disadvantaged and discriminate state.
As to whether Bond who has been left out in the APNU wilderness for some time now, perhaps unwittingly or wittingly allowed himself to become a pawn in the larger game plan of the PPP's sole ownership of Guyana is anyone's guess.
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