On the occasion of the 101st birth anniversary of Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, Attorney at Law Nigel Hughes delivered a thought-provoking address, emphasizing the urgent need for Guyana to embark on a profound reset characterized by “Zero Sum Politics.”
In his reflective discourse, Hughes delved into the historical narrative to pave the way for a constructive and forward-thinking future. He eloquently reminded us that, “We see more and farther than our predecessors, not because we have keener vision or greater height, but because we are lifted up on their gigantic stature. We master their wisdom and move beyond it. Due to their wisdom, we grow wise and are able to say all that we say, but not because we are greater than they.”
Hughes’ call for a reset from “Ground Zero” echoes the necessity of shedding past political paradigms and adopting a zero-sum approach – one that transcends traditional politics to create a more inclusive, progressive, and equitable society. This perspective challenges the status quo, urging Guyana to learn from the past, build upon the wisdom of those who came before, and chart a new course for collective growth and development.
As Guyana navigates its complex socio-political landscape, Hughes’ words serve as a rallying cry for a fresh start, emphasizing the importance of leveraging historical insights to forge a path toward a more enlightened and harmonious future. The 101st birth anniversary celebration becomes not only a commemoration of Burnham’s legacy but a call to action for a transformative and inclusive political journey. In embracing “Zero Sum Politics,” Guyana stands poised to transcend previous limitations and build a future that reflects the collective wisdom and aspirations of its people.
Below is the text from Hughes’ speech.
GUYANA NEEDS TO RESTART FROM GROUND ZERO. ZERO SUM POLITICS.
Good evening Mr. Chairperson, honored and celebrated Elders, distinguished guests, brothers and sisters present and those who have joined us virtually, the faithful representatives of our next generations and those who have joined us for other purposes.
On the 101st birth Anniversary of Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham you have honoured and humbled me by this extraordinary invitation to address you on the subject “ GUYANA NEEDS TO RESTART FROM GROUND ZERO. ZERO SUM POLITICS.
I am deeply appreciative of this most gracious opportunity you have afforded me. There is an African proverb which says “If we stand tall, it is because we stand on the shoulders of many ancestors.”
This proverb teaches us the importance of studying the past to derive lessons from it for the purpose of shaping our future. It reminds us that we are who we are because of those who have come before us. Whatever we identify ourselves with today is because of a lot of work that has been accumulated over time, generation after generation.
Sir Isaac Newton adopted it and put it this way “If I have seen further, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.”
“Standing on the shoulders of giants” is a metaphor which means “using the understanding of major thinkers who have gone before in order to make intellectual progress.”
We see more and farther than our predecessors, not because we have keener vision or greater height, but because we are lifted up on their gigantic stature. We master their wisdom and move beyond it. Due to their wisdom we grow wise and are able to say all that we say, but not because we are greater than they.
There is no doubt that Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham’s enormous shoulders upon which we stand today, provided the basis for new and different approaches to the struggles of the peoples of the developing world in an era of a vicious apartheid economic, political and social structures in the southern hemisphere of Africa, the commitment to non alignment in a world divided between east and west, and for us here in Guyana, the struggle to remove the colonial political, economic and social structures in our quest for true independence by controlling and developing our national resources for our own benefit.
In order to assess how far we have advanced or retreated we must start with our examination of our journey after 74 years from our ground zero, the formation of the PPP on the 1st January 1950.
In the words of our National Poet Martin Carter “and only where our foot prints end can tell whether the journey was an old advance or a new retreat.”
The underlying fundamental principle of our progressive political philosophy at ground zero in whatever formation it manifested itself, was that it was necessary to have the two principal ethnic groups in the composition and leadership of Guyana.
The Political Affairs Committee which preceded the PPP had Cheddie Jagan and Ashton Chase. This was followed by the development of the first mass based multi racial political party PPP which at its inception had Forbes Burnham ( Chairman) and Cheddie Jagan (leader).
It is proffered by most, that the formation of the People`s Progressive Party, as a multi-racial mass party, in 1950, and the Party`s electoral success in 1953 were seen to be seminal moments in the emergence of British Guiana as an independent nation.
The hopes for a new progressive united political movement were dashed in 1955 when the Party was split due to ideological differences.
It is useful to remember that the world at that time was divided between east and west.
It is important to appreciate that while the leadership split on ideological grounds the membership split along ethnic lines.
The differences were manifested in the left wingers backing Jagan in the leadership contestation and the more moderates backing Burnham. Ideology was the chasm.
J B Latchmansingh and Jainarine Singh accompanied Burnham where they became Chairman and secretary of the PNC while Kwayana, Benn and Carter remained with Jagan.
The split at the level of the citizens was not ideological as the people were not ideological. They were not yet ideologically committed or driven by either communism or socialism.
The split was ethnic at the level of the membership and the population.
The split along ethnic lines created a new incentive regime in politics. The primary objective was votes and ethnicity emerged as the principal marketing focus. Both overt and covert.
Politics in British Guiana/Guyana has been characterized by ideological differences, ethnic division and stark political contestation to the extent that the emergent nation has been unable to emerge and realize its full socio-economic potential.
Unlike the rest of the Caribbean whose political development was characterized by parties which were both left and right of center, Guyana had the unique political history of its principal political parties both being left of center in an ethnically divided society.
With the political incentive regime driven by ethnic politics, a world divided between east and west, the rapid nationalization of the large external principal business operations in less than a decade, supported by both major parties , the migration of the management skills which were located principally in the middle class and the OPEC oil crisis, Guyana was in desperate straits by the late 1970s and early 80s.
Prior to his death efforts were made at a national reconciliation driven by what must have been the realization that neither ethnic group was capable of managing Guyana on its own.
The Berlin Wall came down and with it the cessation of the cold war.
The emergence of the free market economy, as the dominant economic and political philosophy was embraced completely on both sides of the political spectrum in Guyana.
This effectively illuminated the ideological differences between the major political parties.
From the era of Desmond Hoyte for the first time since 1950 were the political ideologies of both major political parties the same.
In theory it may be argued that the impediments to a national, united effort, as a precondition for Guyana`s developmental thrust, had been dissipated and removed.
However, our problems persisted and persist and appear to remain intractable and beyond resolution.
Our anachronistic political contestation, grounded in histrionics and opportunistic postures remain part of the obstacles to our development.
Mutual historic allegations and finger pointing consisting of
(a) Allegations of foreign support and intervention in our politics.
(b) Cultivation of ethnic enclaves as power bases.
(c) Stereotyping
(d) Allocation of state resources based on party/ ethnic affiliation,
(e) Rigged electoral practices from bloated lists to manipulation of the count.
And the list goes on.
Prior to the discovery of oil, which had nothing to do with the efforts of either political party, we failed miserably to develop and diversify the economy. It was obvious from the mid 1970s that we were unable to compete globally in the production of sugar yet we persisted for years for political reasons to maintain an industry which could have only survived in a protected market.
We continued to lose our tertiary educated graduates at a rate of attrition of 80% and above.
Our politics inhibited the development of our country.
So now we are back at 1950, without ideological differences between the major parties, sufficient financial resources to develop the country but a divide perhaps even greater than that of the 1950s, persists between our peoples.
The major difference is we are at ground zero minus one.
The reason for this description is that in 1950 at the time of the formation of the PPP with Forbes Burnham and Cheddie Jagan at the helm, there was the promise of a united people, without ideological differences committed to the creation of a new nation state based on equality, justice and control of our natural resources to be exploited for our own benefit.
Then the struggle was against inequality and justice, today we are creators of inequality and injustice in an ethnically divided society.
Elder Kwayana says there is no guilty race, I, with great deference and humility would like to suggest that we are all guilty.
Perhaps embrace truth and reconciliation, equal responsibility for past heresies, and a commitment to mutual respect and good governance, all built on the recognition that we are in the same boat, which can only go forward if there is cohesive paddling in a direction collectively agreed upon.
The question is where do we restart from a position of zero minus one.
Building a nation from ground zero minus one.
We must start with a commitment to build a country based on equality, equal participation, equal rights and justice for all.
- We must embrace truth and reconciliation, accept equal responsibility for past heresies, and demonstrate a commitment to mutual respect and good governance, all built on the recognition that we are in the same boat, which can only go forward if there is cohesive paddling in a direction collectively agreed upon.
- We must start by acknowledging our ethnic realities, economic, social and political.
- We must start with a commitment to the fair, just and realistic participation of the citizenry in the decision making processes of the country.
- We must start by acknowledging that the current political architecture of the country is woefully inadequate and inappropriate for the development of fair, just and modern Guyana.
- We must engage.
Inequality and rumors of inequality can only be addressed if we start off from a position that disaggregated data is a critical element for identifying unserved, underserved and disserved communities in our Guyana.
We must find truth and reconciliation, which in the absence of ideological differences, ought not to prove too difficult.
The role of the state in a modern market economy has changed from the times when the state could aspire to control the commanding heights of the economy.
Everything is now determined by the marketplace.
Education, information, information technology, their management and the advent of artificial intelligence are the areas which must preoccupy our national development planning.
How do we prepare our citizens to compete in a new world of oil wealth which will demand the highest levels of management and investment skills in order to avoid the vagaries of a very sophisticated, militarized and polarized world?
How do we keep manage, control and leverage our natural resources for our national collective benefit?
How do we develop our greatest national resource, our people, in the creation of new modern society?
The role and influence of the State at Zero minus one is severely restricted in a market economy, it is primarily regulatory but with the freedom by way of policies, to create structured diversified economic development.
Government funded Business incubator’s for the business development of our people at all levels, community schools, high school , secondary school, technical colleges and Universities are now mandatory.
Disaggregated data collection and its deployment to drive policy must be a mandatory requirement of a new Guyana.
Policies driven by the disaggregated data must be embedded in the National development Programme.
Permit me to quote Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham on the question of racial integration in “A Destiny to mould “ Another aspect to which we must pay careful attention is that of race. There are some of my race ground ( African) who express such sentiments as “Blackman must be on top” and a similar tendency on the part of Comrade Latchmansingh’s race group (Indian) to say “ collie man must be on. Top.” Such sentiments are inspired by enemies of our party and movement and the British government will give anything for them to gain wide currency. This is no laughing matter. If the racialist feeling, latent or rather patent in these sentiments is allowed to spread it will have a most ruinous effect.”
He warned us in a Destiny to Mould “ If we are to continue in unity we must banish racialism. Each racial group is entitled to feel pride in its cultural traditions and heritage but we must not have racial differences reflected in the politics of our country.”
Race is the most potent and most destructive force which engulfs us today.
With the not too distant second of decolonization after a long proud history of non alignment.
Tragically we would have walked ourselves backwards all on our own, unaided and without excuse.
We all will be consumed.
You have been very gracious in indulging me for so long.
Permit me to leave you with the final paragraph of Martin Carter’s “Only where our foot prints end.”
I quote “ and only where our footprints end can tell whether in the dust our heel marks and our toe marks are confused.”
C.A. Nigel Hughes.
Citizen.
Georgetown.
16th Feb 2024
