New York's "Little Berbice" in Bridgetown
October 1, 2008 | By knews | Filed Under Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon
In Barbados, there is a rising tide of suspicion against Guyanese East Indians. I do not read blogs (real people must express themselves to other real people, if not, then the whole relationship is farcical and the minds involved in such invisible exchanges will become perverted) but I understand that some Barbadian blogs contain very nasty material on Guyanese Indians"”material that comes close to race hate.

It is unfortunate that Guyanese Indians are running out of their country again. And this time, the citizens of one of the smallest nations (in both land size and population) in the world are complaining of being deluged by them.

One letter writer wrote a long letter in the newspapers here in which he called on me to denounce these race-baiting blogs. He complained that some of them cite my Kaieteur News articles. I had every intention of replying to this writer (I am glad that he has the courage to write in his own name and he should be respected for that) but I am taken up with analyzing so much that goes on here that I truly forgot to pen a comment on his request.

Exactly what is going on in Barbados? The situation is not easy to assess. Many factors have to be taken into consideration when arriving at judgement on Indian bashing in the Barbadian media.

Before we discuss the Barbados situation, one should sadly reflect on what is taking place in the East Indian community. The Indians left en mass in the seventies and eighties. The illegal methods to secure a visa overwhelmed the foreign embassies; the Canadian High Commission buckled under the traffic. It moved its consular service to Trinidad, never ever to think of bringing it back even in the light of President Jagdeo's proclamation that Guyana has the most open economy in the Caribbean.

The deluge at the Canadian High Commission was massive. Two of its consular officers were engaged in sex for visa, participated in sex orgies and eventually were jailed in Canada for their illegal activities.

Despite the PPP coming to power since 1992, Indians have restarted the exodus train. Canadian self-sponsorship and Caricom's CSME have aided the movement of skilled Guyanese out of this country.

Barbados was bound to show a reaction because its land space and population are too small for there to be an influx of Guyanese without an ethnic backlash.

There are complications in Bridgetown that do not exist in Ontario and New York. Here is where one has to understand the Bajan problematic. First, Barbados is a neighbour of Guyana; news between the two countries travels fast.

There are sections of the Bajan society that believe that the PPP Government discriminates against African Guyanese. This is bound to stir suspicion because Barbados is predominantly African. The reaction is that Indians have an Indian Government that favours them so why should they come to Barbados and tilt the balance.

Secondly, the stereotype has come into play that Indians will come to Barbados in large numbers, set up shop and within a short space of time become a separate community with their own values. The Bajans refuse to think in similar terms about the Grenadians and Vincentians. The deciding factor is ethnicity.

Politics comprise the third explanation. In the US, the African and Indian Guyanese have settled in different parts of New York. There has emerged a small PPP constituency in what is commonly referred to as "Little Berbice." The PPP leaders touch down there and the dollars are stitched to the garlands.

African Guyanese in Brooklyn live alongside many Bajans who migrated to the US over the decades. They both know about "Little Berbice." News gets around. Barbadians in Barbados know about "Little Berbice" in New York. The question uppermost in the minds of Barbadians is could there emerge another Little Berbice in Bridgetown.

Commentators and academics in Bridgetown have not helped the situation. For them the process is untenable in that Indians are coming to Barbados to live and when they remain on the island, they show support for the PPP.

Accusations have been made against Guyana's Honorary Consul on the island that he operates more like a party man than a civil servant who does his work with objective neutrality. Of course, the letter writer didn't serve the cause of Indians in Barbados well when he wrote his long letter of racial bigotry against Guyanese Indians in the Barbadian media.

Those very "bigoted" Bajans would point to the letter writer himself, who left Guyana a long time ago but openly supports the PPP. The nagging question remains – why are East Indians leaving in such large numbers?

It was barbados which advocated for freedom of travel within Caricom, so why are they bytching now?

One of those race hate blogs, might belong to CaribJ.

What is Bonus doing?

Is he being paid to promote Kissoon on GNI?


If I need to need read Kissoon I can go to the publication on line and read him.

In T&T Guyanese Indians are also unpopular, one high ranking PPP party guy even goes around T&T with Panday by his side, many guyanese also help to worsen race relations in T&T writing fake letters in newspapers(one even claimed that Eric Williams was put into office by the CIA!)

some showed up to vote claiming to be living in T&T for 20 yrs etc (after the Cops took her I.D card she could'nt tell the officer the name of the street she lived on for 20 yrs!)

Does rich indians suspected as poor indians.

Sir Ramphal is building a superior house on the island and plans to make the island his home.

Will he be treated with racists contempt.

Bajan are bigots and I have a house there. My bajan lawyer takes my money but I can see it in him that he doan like the idea of his island inhabited by indoes.

Wonder how Guyanese Indians (especially PPPites) will feel if Blacks from the islands begin to migrate to GY in significant numbers?

Will they like it?

quote:

Originally posted by BLACKBEARD:
Wonder how Guyanese Indians (especially PPPites) will feel if Blacks from the islands begin to migrate to GY in significant numbers?

Will they like it?

Good point.

I believe the GOG invited Bajans to come to Guyana and do farming. I believe they encouraged Haitians as well.

quote:

Originally posted by seignet:

quote:

Originally posted by BLACKBEARD:
Wonder how Guyanese Indians (especially PPPites) will feel if Blacks from the islands begin to migrate to GY in significant numbers?

Will they like it?

Good point.

I believe the GOG invited Bajans to come to Guyana and do farming. I believe they encouraged Haitians as well.

Any idea why the Bajans/Haitians did not accept this "invitation" from the GOG?

In addition, did the Bajans also reciprocate by extending an invitations to Guyanese? Or are Guyanese turning up there uninvited?

They were allowed to stay on the island-that is acceptance.

The Bajans just a pain in the ass-they complain about black guyanese as well.

Financially, they are well off-so they think they have the right to discriminate.

They are a rude ppl and full of pride-but sunday morning they all going to church. They claim they are christian nation.

They complain the muslims, the hindus and generally all guyanese.

quote:

Originally posted by seignet:
Does rich indians suspected as poor indians.

Sir Ramphal is building a superior house on the island and plans to make the island his home.

Will he be treated with racists contempt.

Bajan are bigots and I have a house there. My bajan lawyer takes my money but I can see it in him that he doan like the idea of his island inhabited by indoes.

You all are known political ethnic trouble makers, how come Indo trini visiters are popular with Bajans? some yrs ago Rickey Singh got himself in big trouble after "writing" bad things about the PM of Barbados.

The Barbadians have been known to be a lazy lot, that is why its necessary to import all foreign labor. Make no mistake, if the Barbadian govt felt that they didn't need outside labor they would find ways to close the floodgates. But this nation of lazy bums need the services of foreigners. In the past they embraced the Black Guyanese because they were the same race, but then the choke and rob started. Now they hate the Indians because they are so progressive. Little do they know that if they had the same dedication as Indians they could achieve the same prosperity. In my opinion, the IndoGuyanese workers in Barbadoes are providing a valuable service to their economy. And not all are common laborers. Look how after they murdered that IndoG recently, they heap praise on him.

quote:

Originally posted by Eric's_Revenge:

quote:

Originally posted by seignet:
Does rich indians suspected as poor indians.

Sir Ramphal is building a superior house on the island and plans to make the island his home.

Will he be treated with racists contempt.

Bajan are bigots and I have a house there. My bajan lawyer takes my money but I can see it in him that he doan like the idea of his island inhabited by indoes.

You all are known political ethnic trouble makers, how come Indo trini visiters are popular with Bajans? some yrs ago Rickey Singh got himself in big trouble after "writing" bad things about the PM of Barbados.

u must be a red skin fella-that is why yuh so confused.

No one likes yuh.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by BGurd_See:
Now they hate the Indians because they are so progressive. In my opinion, the IndoGuyanese workers in Barbadoes are [QUOTE]

Yes any employer would love employees who they pay little to and can threaten with deportation the minute that they protest about it. There are many stories about Guyanese heading to Bdos and exploited by Bajan employers, many of whom are BLACK for your info drugb.

Using your propaganda one can say that WHITE Americans are lazy because as so many illegals from Mexico are hired to do "valuable" work.

quote:

Originally posted by BLACKBEARD:
Any idea why the Bajans/Haitians did not accept this "invitation" from the GOG?

?

Because they saw Guyanese fleeing to their countries and figure dout clearly life in GY cannot be that good.

quote:

Originally posted by seignet:
My bajan lawyer takes my money but I can see it in him that he doan like the idea of his island inhabited by indoes.

If they bring with them racist attitudes towards blacks as many Bajans allege why should he like them? He will be well aware of the problems of Trinidad and Bdos, and that neither country, despite having vastly more resources than little Bdos, offers the quality of life available in that island. Clearly incompetent and corrupt political leadeship brought about by ethnic distrust explains the problems of Trinidad and Guyana vs the much more limited Barbados, whish still manages to offer better living standards than their more endowed neighbors. This as evidenced by their Human Development Index, per capita income and higher educational standards.

quote:

Originally posted by BLACKBEARD:
Wonder how Guyanese Indians (especially PPPites) will feel if Blacks from the islands begin to migrate to GY in significant numbers?

Will they like it?

They didnt in the late 1950s when Federation was available to the then British Guiana as was the prospect of significant immigration by Bajans, Guyanese, Vincentians and St Lucians which would have quickly altered the ethnic mix, and in the opinion of the PPP, guaranteeing their loss of power.

This is why I really HATE the PPP! For as long as Indos have to migrate to these tourism republics, I will hate the PPP! This useless part has to be destroyed!

As to me I have made a promise never to go back to Barbados.

quote:

As to me I have made a promise never to go back to Barbados.

You would not be miss

BONUS, you missed the point ...just like Freddi! Don't worry the tide will turn...

quote:

Originally posted by TK:
BONUS, you missed the point ...just like Freddi! Don't worry the tide will turn...

Why did you say I miss the point? Are you saying that the uptight bajans will miss you?

Bonus is a liar. The Indians fleeing are in fact PNC supporters.

quote:

Originally posted by Mr.T:
Bonus is a liar. The Indians fleeing are in fact PNC supporters.

Wow. so many Indians vote for the PNC?

these indians hate the black man so much but yet they run to barbadoes, a country developed and run by the black man. If the indians put the pnc back in power they would not have to flee their own country, the pnc will make guyana a paradise once again by applying burnham theories that the same bastard ppp are stealing. look how the country was florishing under hoyte until the ppp conspire with carter to drive the man out, indian even refer to hoyte as desmond persaud.