Dear Editor,

I was in the land of my birth for eight days recently, taking in some delightful cricket and the scenery.

Arriving at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, I once again felt a deep sense of belonging. The people, although looking beat and tired were relentless in going about their business with broad smiles and with resignation. This was evident all over the country. My trip to the Corentyne Coast was uneventful...meeting old school chums and reminiscing about the good old days.I was taken with full surprise when I arrived there to see that Bush Lot, Corentyne was at last given electricity . The people in the area could not have been happier. At all times one could hear the rhythmic sounds of Indian songs emanating in the still air from each and every home. The road on Saturday night was like a ghost town from as early as 7:00 P.M as every household competed with one another in seeing the latest videos. But what made the people in this area extremely happy was the fact that their high school is now equipped with the latest state of the art computer systems, thanks to the generous donations by the Karag family of Bush Lot, who now reside in New York City. This family, although they lost a huge portion of their business as a result of the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center, they gave back to the community with magnanimous generosity. Not only did they make huge contributions to this area but they have made other donations to other schools and centres. They stand tall.

On Thursday, April 11, 2002 I returned to Georgetown. Rumours were like wild flower. There was an alleged kidnapping of a young woman and a middle aged businessman. One taxi driver told me that he saw pictures of this young lady and man (on TV) the said morning dead , badly beaten and raped. This is how vicious rumours are spread in this country. Everyone in the taxi was in a state of sadness and one could feel the air of fear. To top it off, blame was immediately levelled on the five escaped bandits. The next day or so, these people were freed, unharmed, with their cell phones on them. Is their story credible? Was there indeed a kidnapping? These are some of the questions that require urgent and correct answers. The police and the population should not be taken in for a free roller coaster ride. To create fear, despair , a sense of helplessness and anguish is totally unwarranted. News of such situations have long lasting effect on people, not only in Guyana but also abroad who still have relatives and friends in Guyana.

I really enjoyed my few days of the test matches. The crowd were friendly and excited. The reception for and against the home team was equally shared. I encountered no problems. The night life on Sheriff Street is comparable to that of the big cities in North America. At least the folks can now have good entertainment to drown their sense of hopelessness and frustration.

Over all, I enjoyed my visit.