In a recent letter Mr Eusi Kwayana had some things to say that are well worth our attention. Referring to the "April-May nightmare of Buxton Friendship" he stated:

"I can only condemn the desperate and dangerous idiots who went into that village and gave young people the idea that attacks on PPP supporters, that is, Indians, were a way to deliverance. They may be a younger generation, but they also rely on cannon fodder, pushing hopeful people into so-called action. They divide politics into clean work and dirty work. The dirty work, it seems, is for the nameless to do.."

And again: "I now know that my suspicions of persons acting behind the scenes was not far off the mark. I know too that both Dr David Hinds and Mr Deon Abrams (as villagers) condemned the reckless behaviour in clear words."

And finally: "I can see that 'protestors' were being assured behind the scenes by cowards that violence against persons was the only way and would bring down the government."

If Mr Kwayana is right, and it has not been his practice to speak lightly on such serious matters, it means that the violent attacks on Indians at Buxton after the elections were not spontaneous outbursts of anger as many had suggested but were deliberately organised by certain "desperate and dangerous" persons. It is a sobering and chilling thought. Apart from being wrong in themselves and criminal such wanton attacks do untold damage to ethnic relations and to the fabric of the society.

It is hard, too, to understand the mindset of those who were involved. It is most unlikely, as Mr Kwayana implies, to lead to the overthrow of the government. Moreover, in these days of hemispheric democracy, there would seem to be no prospects of recognition for any revolutionary cabal.

It is surely in the interest of all the parties to dissociate themselves explicitly from such elements. Guyana can have no prospects for a prosperous, democratic future with that kind of politics. We have our real problems of poverty, unemployment and underdevelopment. To add to these murderous attacks on other ethnic groups can only lead eventually to chaos and the destruction of the little we have left.