Friday, March 18, 2011

Evidence of 'Blood' on David Granger's hands in his own writings.



D. Ramroop: Recently, there has been a lot of attention on Rtd. Brigadier David Granger, especially since his election as the Presidential Candidate of the PNCR. A lot of commentators seem to be concerned with what they called “efforts to delve into Mr. Granger’s past”. But what is so wrong with that? Here is a gentleman who is aspiring for the highest office in the Land. To want to investigate his past, understand his views and position and gather information on his involvement in public life is perfectly in order.

This sort of scrutiny of public officials is necessary and happens in every corner of the world. For example, we have seen the lengthy process of scrutiny that Supreme Court nominees in the United States are subjected to, and this is not even the highest office in that federation.

Scrutiny of persons, especially in the instance of wanting to be President in Guyana, is especially important if we remember the famous quote: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
A significant portion of our populace, and moreso, our electorate are too young to have firsthand experience of the past. But let us not allow the PNC to pull wool over our eyes and pretend that they have always cared about a united Guyana.

It is in this light that I wish to revisit, not hearsay, but Mr. Granger’s published works.

In 2003, in Chile, Mr. Granger presented a paper entitled “Civil Violence, Domestic Terrorism and Internal Security in Guyana, 1953 – 2003”, wherein he referred to the sinking of MV Sun Chapman when 40 African Guyanese were killed as “the most alarming slaughter of the ‘disturbances’ between the period 1953 – 2004.

Yet, nowhere in this work were the beatings, rape and murder of hundreds of innocent Indian Guyanese residing in Wismar ever mentioned. Indians were forced out of their own homes, which were then permanently occupied by the perpetrators; yet this was not considered in Granger’s writing of the history of civil violence in Guyana.

If this is not blatant racism and intellectual dishonesty on the part of Mr. Granger then what is? Was Mr. Granger trying to portray an image that the Wismar massacre never occurred, or should not be considered civil violence?

Please tell us why this horrific event never made its way into your report, Sir? It should also be noted that in this lecture no mention was made of January 12, 1998, when supporters of the PPP were beaten, robbed and stripped, with females–even young students being molested on the streets of Georgetown.

The PNC and even some sections of the media are outraged with the President’s Babu John comments - that Mr. Granger has blood on his bands.

However, it was the same Mr. Granger, who claimed to have been stationed at Atkinson Field (now Timehri) and thus had no hand in the 1973 Ballot Box shooting at Number 63 Village, Corentyne, that later published “The New Road – A Short History of the Guyana Defence Force – 1966 – 1976” that incidentally bore prominent the flags of the PNC, GDF and Guyana. One can only imagine what the reaction would be like if Commodore Gary Best or any serving officer of the GDF were to issue a publication with the PPP’s flag embedded in it.

In “The New Road – A Short History of the Guyana Defence Force – 1966 – 1976” Mr Granger wrote, “National elections were scheduled for July 1973. Realising that their hold on the electorate was slipping further and in an abortive attempt to forestall an obvious and overwhelming PNC victory, a campaign of violence and resistance was planned by the PPP.

The GDF was called in to aid the civil power and prevent a breakdown of law and order that was planned by the gangsters. The operation established the maturity and competence of the Force and through sensible precautions and deployment, the PPP plan was frustrated. The soldiers behaved splendidly in the face of provocation. The sound political education that the officers and soldiers received during 1971 and 1972 enabled them to act with tact, discretion and firmness in 1973 and this saved the day. The GDF, fully aware of the government’s policy and dedicated to serving the working masses, performed really creditably.”

How can shooting and then allowing two men to bleed to death simply because they demanded that the ballots be counted at the place of polls rather than taken away by the GDF be endorsed as “splendid” and “discretionary” behaviour?

Where was the “discretion” in murdering these two young men for protesting their democratic right to have their votes counted? What was “really credible” in the army taking the ballot boxes to the GDF base?

Yet there is objection to the comment that Mr. Granger has blood on his hands. One would be perfectly in order to say I was not even born in 1973, much less was nine years old, but Mr. Granger I am only reading from your history books.

There is no dispute that the 1973 election was rigged. This fact is documented by both local as well as international organisations.

Yet Mr. Granger had the audacity to refer to the PPP as wanting to “forestall an obvious and overwhelming PNC victory” in 1973. Now that he is older and hopefully wiser with age one wonders if he is not ashamed at the blatant lies and distortion of history that he promoted in his booklet.

Mr. Granger, you may have conveniently forgotten your role in promoting a racially divided Guyana, but your writings are there for all of us to examine and indeed revisit history.

Finally, I wish to remind those who criticise the PPP, of a statement from the “Declaration of Sophia”, where then Prime Minister Forbes Burnham, in 1974, reminded those gathered, perhaps including Rtd Brigadier Granger, that it was decided “that the Party should assume unapologetically its paramountcy over the government, which is merely one of its executive arms.”
Source: Guyana Chronicle

8 comments:

  1. One may be young,but one can also read the history of this country to know that Granger is indeed danger and no role module for the young generation of this country.The people who are supporting Granger might as well start digging hole for the young people who will be killed for protesting their democratic right should Granger be president of this country.

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  2. Why are they PNC and other media house trying to deny the fact that Granger has blood on his hands when it is written in his book the dirt that he did in the past.Are they blind or are they looking to start a war within this country.

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  3. many Guyanese has lost there love ones at the hands a of Gangs runs by the PNC.The PNC strives to continue taking the lives of young Guyanese men with there new leader Granger who has the training to direct an army.

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  4. Let us assume for argument sake that the allegation has any truth in it; CAN SOMEONE WHO IS PROVEN IN MORE RECENT TIMES OF HAVING BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS BE CREDIBLE ENOUGH TO ARGUE AGAINST GRANGER? I don't think so! Cut the crap, it is end of days for the PPP!!

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  5. All the elections were rigged not only 1973, but I understand why you highlight 1973 because of Granger's involvement of helping to rig the election.

    You forget to mention how our stores were burnt down and looted in the early 1960's riots insitgated by the PNC against fellow Guyanese.

    What the PNC did to Guyana can never be forgiven by me, and I think that is the sentiment of most Guyanese, we must always remember how they cheated and bruk down our country and we must tell the little ones so they too can make wise choices with their right of the vote.

    I don't think those people in Chile believed a word Granger said, the outside world knows how they rigged the elections and brutalised some segments of poulation, why they brutalise their own supporters, muchless nonsuppporters, they care not for Guyana, but themselves, no to to the lone ranger granger.

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  6. 16 years gone and the only thing we as guyanese can use is the past make up our minds about who to vote for. i think the rest of the world is showing guyana the most that current issues are the most important things. the question should not be who did what in 1973 but rather who would be best to run the god damn country into a future of prosperity. it aches me to read about guyana still dwelling on the past. tell me what the ppp will do for the country in 5 years time, tell me what pnc will do for the country in 5 years time, tell me what afc will do for the country in 5 years time. stop telling me crap about rigged what when i was still in my mothers womb or my father was still a "girls man". I ONLY WANT TO HEAR ABOUT THE FUTURE!!!!!

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  7. I will tell yuh what the PNC will do for the country in five years, BRUK UM UP/DOWN, have your choice of up or down it is all the same, and the AFC they are jumbies we know nothing about them. Yuh want jumbie ruling Guyana and people that all they know to do is bruk up and bruk down well that is the future from PNC and AFC, now if you forget the past then we know for sure that your right to vote should be revoked.

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  8. Don't forget the african rioters publicly raped Indian women and girls in the wismar massacre. That can never be forgiven. I hope they all burn in hell for what they did.

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