Cheddi cheated....
Cheddi Jagan who felt betrayed and cheated, but not defeated was cloaked in the bittersweet garments of dubious "satisfaction." The political independence he had struggled for since 1948 had finally been handed on a platter to Burnham, the lawyer politician whom he Cheddi, had fast-forwarded into the chairmanship of the original PPP, instead of the dedicated Ashton Chase. Burnham, the lesser of two evils to the superpowers, had formed his own PPP faction, later renaming it PNC; had benefited from the general strike of 63 and the sustained race-based riots and terror of the '62 - 64' period, and finally, had suckered a willing D'Aguiar into a coalition government to keep out a remorseful but resilient Jagan for a virtual generation - twenty-eight years.

Those of us old enough to be conscious and objective too, would know what those 28 years brought us. We experienced the highs and the lows. Those who, for whatever reason, took Burnham into our aspirations and psyche or - had him forced upon us, would know, intimately sometimes, of the statesmanlike vision he had at the beginning - the sense of proud patriotism and the practice of self-reliance - the true embryo of genuine independence - he sought to imbue into the former colonials during the first few years of independence. Even when he had ulterior motives some institution he caused to be established paved the way for some semblance of belonging and hopefully, nationhood - the Youth Corps, the National Service, the dubious People's Militia, the Ideological Institutes, the aggressive Foreign Policy executed and prosecuted by fine minds versed in the art of diplomacy.

Democracy? Decline!
Alas, however, the international oil crisis of the mid-70's exposed our economic vulnerability and the science of electoral rigging to stay in power quickly brought our "independent" house crashing down around us - never to be really re-structured properly again. By 1978 and 1980, a "Referendum" and general elections PNC-style exposed the world to Burnham's brand of "electoral engineering." Others smiled whilst cheating, stealing, corruption, discrimination and moral decay became a way of life here. Our post-Independence ideals and Burnham's real programmes were shattered as more than half of the fledgling "Nation" voted with its feet and fled to other people's countries. If we older ones want to be honest, whichever "our party", we would know that is how and when the whole decline started. No one - or one group - has had the ability, or support, to reverse it yet.

No doubt even Forbes Burnham - statesman turned autocrat - was disappointed, impatient and somewhat beaten. (Many times by his very own). In trying to force his pace on a people not yet ready, he assumed more "power" to railroad his programmes and dreams. That near absolute power - what a constitution! - Corrupted absolutely.

This May - 37 years on...
So just where are we as an independent country, today? As we go through the paces of "observing" the anniversary this week-end? Well perhaps more than half of "us" are not resident within our borders. We/those "love" the country from afar. Many of us still actually here do not want to be here; or are fearful of being here, especially in some villages or rural locations. We do not truly qualify to be defined, technically as a nation. We don't pull together these days; we are not cohesive or homogeneous; our objectives are hardly identical. How can we seriously think of ourselves as a nation?

And even if we were - or are - a "nation" which under-developed "nation" in this economically globalised world could be truly independent? Little fractured Guyana seems destined to be forever "a land with vast potential". Even if the developed world owes us a living for their past misdeeds, exploitation and current polities, they have us depending on them and the institutions they control. What darn Independence!?

Say we're at the UN? So what? Economically, the market prices and the fuel are not ours to determine. We have to beg for "international co-operation." The opposition activities influence non-investment. Culturally, even our music, speech, dress, tastes, aesthetic interest and priorities are foisted upon us.

Our very souls - especially those of the under-30's - are being sold to non-Guyanese sources. Politically, the "independence" we celebrate is compromised by the demands and alliances of the powerful. We, the poor and dispossessed, can call no shots purely on our own. Our Ministry of Foreign Affairs and President's Office must run for political support when one of our neighbours acts up. "So what independence? Perhaps it has to be all in the mind.

Disagree with all your might with my negative assessments even in the face of the decay you see all around you. Congrats on your positive constructive outlook. Me? I'll still persist in doing whatever little I'm capable of to promote patriotism - and the understanding and expressions of our diverse but identifiable cultural heritage. In all its traditions. (But I can't stop the mental migration).

However, despite the social carnage wreaked by wicked politicians and incompetent managers, I'm still proud to be here. And to be 100% Guyanese!