People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Member of Parliament (MP) Anil Nandlall has expressed surprise at Government’s response to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo’s claim made in New York that “there is an assault on people of Indian origin.”
Government in a statement noted that this particular claim by Jagdeo is “without any basis, and is a complete figment of imagination.”
Nandlall at a press conference today presented a list of misdeeds against people of Indian origin, these included allegations of systematic removal of street lamps from certain Indo- Guyanese villages in West Coast Berbice, while at the same time installing street lights in Afro-Guyanese communities.
It is also being alleged that there is wanton dismissal of senior management staff of predominantly Indo-Guyanese descent at GUYSUCO as well as attempts and continuous attempts to expropriate private properties owned by Transport and Certificate of Title, predominantly by Indo-Guyanese by State agencies.
Some of these, Nandlall said have attracted legal action, some of which he has filed in the courts.
The Opposition MP stated that the list is not exhaustive, “neither are any of the cases to which I have referred is the figment of anyone’s imagination. Each case is real and factual. I have names, addresses and Affidavit evidence from many of the victims.”
Nandlall noted that action has also been filed on behalf of Afro-Guyanese rice farmers who, according to him have had their leases revoked by the President on the suspicion that they have allegiance to the PPP. The MP made it clear that the discrimination being highlighted is both ethnic and political.
He said the discrimination against Indo-Guyanese was highlighted first since that claim seem to have attracted the “wrath” of Government.
He went on to point out that “ironically, many commentators have publicly pointed out that Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and Minister Khemraj Ramjattan are themselves victims of discrimination within the Coalition Government. It is public knowledge that the Prime Minister has not been given the type of functional responsibilities contemplated by the Cummingsburg Accord.”
It was further noted that the PPP has a history of struggle for racial, ethnic and class unity in Guyana and stressed that the accusations against the Government are not figments of anyone’s imagination, but “are real facts.”
His claims were supported by PPP Chief Whip Gail Teixeira who pointed to Ethnic inequality in the composition of State boards and Government offices, which she said could be justified by a browse of the Official Gazette.
