Dear Editor,
Perforce, this is a long letter – a mixed bag – mitigated by the use of bullet points.
* Belated congratulations! You are a worthy successor to Stabroek News. Quality and standards are, of course, important. That said, avoid being too highbrow; you will lose the crowd. In that vein, encourage the submission of letters and the writing of comments below them. Make it easy for people to post comments. That was a big draw for Stabroek. Show the heading of all current letters on your home page. Discourage habitual letter writers becoming ‘regulars’. The letters section is just that – meant for letters from a wide cross section of people, not as a substitute for a regular column. Vary the letters you accept and publish.
* Mr. Christopher Ram is a top notch writer and analyst. I enjoy his contributions and I am sure others do. Learned senior counsel Ralph Ramkarran is also a valuable contributor; fair and balanced.
* Why are so many Guyanese misusing and abusing the conditional perfect (or past conditional) tense, which has a narrow, very specific and limited use? They are saying “I would have done this…..he would have said this….they would have gone…etc.”. What nonsense is this? Do they think it makes for more sophisticated and polished speech? It does not. Please! Stop! Just say “I did…he said….they went…”
* I was in Guyana in May this year. The East Bank road is disgraceful and really mars anyone’s first impression of Guyana. It took nearly an hour and a half to get from CJI airport to the Ramada Princess hotel at Providence. The Ramada, though aged, has a lot going for it; reasonably priced, large rooms, beautiful pool and it is obliquely across from the Amazonia Mall, where there is a choice of fast food places and restaurants. The Expedia website stated that a continental breakfast is included at the hotel. In fact, it was a full breakfast, including Guyanese dishes and an egg station, with eggs made to order. Kudos Ramada! The only negative experience was that the power to the elevator was cut briefly while we were in it. My wife and I looked at each other and smiled. Within a minute or so, power came on and we were moving again.
* Some time back, I wrote a letter urging government to bring Uber to Guyana. I take that back. The local service “Book-A-Ride” is Uber-like. It is not cheap but it provides a good service. The driver told me their fleet of cars is fifty strong. Their app is easy to use and works well.
* Why in heaven’s name is the foreign exchange rate still so ridiculously high? Many moons ago, Sparrow crooned “Ten to one is murder”. Well, how would you describe living at 220 (or is it 240?) to 1? The finance minister is a very bright man; a Guyana Scholar I believe. Can he not bring down the rate? Doing that would automatically ease things for everyone.
* Cricketing superstar, philanthropist and former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been languishing in a Pakistani jail for three years. His health is deteriorating alarmingly. He is losing vison in one eye. “The quality of mercy is not strained…” The Guyana government should make an appeal for clemency and compassion. It can lobby the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to plead for Mr. Khan’s release.
* I am writing this on Youman Nabi. Prophet Muhammad (On whom be peace) had simple tastes. He was frugal and his lifestyle was spartan. Looking back, the Barima tragedy will demarcate two phases of Guyana’s socio-political life in this period – Before Barima (BB) and After Barima (AB). The mass drowning has thrown class reality into stark relief. People are now more sensitive to disparities in wealth, income, power and privileges; sensitive to real and perceived corruption, sensitive to the way the nation’s money is spent.
* The recent goings on at Guyana’s Apex Court concern and dismay me. Wherever the truth lies, the President of the Court and, to a lesser extent, the Court as a whole have lost face. One Judge described the work environment as toxic. Having no higher authority to appeal to, the distinguished jurists should try to work things out. Going forward after the story ‘buss out’, the collegiate vibe might be strained and awkward. At the interpersonal level, it could take some time for judicial comity to be fully restored. My hope is that it will happen. Time heals.
Sincerely,
Sieyf Shahabuddeen
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