Ramon Gaskin: The many faces of Guyanese politics
Kaieteur News – My daughter would say to me from time to time, “When are you going to write your book?” But do you know how many people have told me that? What is ashamed of this piece of mine is that I don’t think it will happen. Lazy? Yes. Lack of research funding? Yes. But there is a more important reason.
When you write history, make it as factual, as true, as far as possible because that content will remain forever. Hundreds of years later, people will see the past through accurate lenses. In this context, I remember punishing Eusi Kwayana for a pathetic nonsensical attitude he has towards writing history.
Last year, he informed Guyanese readers by letter in the newspapers that he had taken notes in the case of Donald Rodney, presided over by a “dedicated magistrate.” That magistrate is dead and gone. That magistrate was horrific and an embarrassment to the rule of law. Her name was Norma Jackman. Kwayana was obliged to factually record history and was being silly by using the words, “a certain magistrate.”
If the circumstances became promising and attractive for me to write the book, it will be a half baked mix. Here are some lines from one of my favorite love songs of all time, called MacArthur’s Park.
“MacArthur Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet green icing flowing down
Someone dropped the cake out in the rain
I don’t think I can take it
‘Because it took so long to bake
And I’ll never have that recipe again ”
If I write that book, the omissions will be countless because in telling him as he was, I will receive literally hundreds of libel writs. Guyana is a human tragedy. Guyana has been one of the ongoing tragedies of the world. Will it change? No one can predict the future and if you love Guyana, then you have to hope for the best and dream that it will one day become good.
If I publish the book with those innumerable omissions then it becomes a scandal. Too many of the invaluable dimensions of history will get lost. At my age, I will never have that recipe again to bake my cake and let people see the real ingredients that make it delectable.
Do you know how many people I have encountered during my 50 years of social activism who were and are more unacceptable than the following presidents who were actively involved in opposing them are: Forbes Burnham, Cheddi Jagan, Janet Jagan, Bharrat Jagdeo, Donald Ramotar, David Granger, etc.
These thoughts flew into my mind and formed the basis of this column when I read in the media a letter from Ramon Gaskin on the jetty dispute between BK Tiwari and the Attorney General. Gaskin noted that he was BK Tiwari’s consultant 14 years ago when the deal was searched.
What left Gaskin out was that he had been a consultant to BK for more than 14 years and still is. When I wrote about industrial crime by BK (I called him on the phone one day when I was practicing in the National Park about complaints I received from some of his employees; complaints I still get) and I quoted Gaskin’s double standards as an employee high level. . Gaskin replied in a letter saying he was not an employee.
He was right and wrong. The issue here was fraud. He used legal language to deceive readers. A consultant is not legally an employee, but in practical life, a consultant is an employee. That’s how he earns his income. To make it simpler – a company employs a consultant.
Throughout all the years Gaskin spent inclusively criticizing presidents from Burnham to Granger, he was in no position to do so when his own employer did not exemplify the integrity of industrial relations. I would like to inform readers that in 2019 I received complaints of crime at BK Tiwari Company.
This is the same Gaskin who appeared three times as chief witness in the three libel presses filed by Dr. Walter Ramsahoye against this columnist and Kaieteur News. He lost it all. In his testimony, Gaskin referred to Ramsahoye as a great Guyanese and his (at the time) best friend. Ramsahoye was one of the most obnoxious human beings that produced this world and a man with one of the most tranquil minds in the world. For more on her mental acuity see my column on Saturday, August 22, 2020, under the title: “Walter Ramsahoye, the nature of human beings and the correction of history.” I never liked Gaskin. See my rebuttal of him as a Stabroek News columnist in 1989. That is 31 years ago. I still cherish the identical hatred.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper.)