Ruminations wish our Guyanese sisters and brothers a joyous Christmas and a blessed holiday season. We wish people in our region a happy holiday season and extend the same to people everywhere in the world. Guyanese across the country have been preparing for this holiday season with every reason that Christmas 2024 and the extended end-of-the-year 2024 holiday period would be a merry one. No matter what our differences, Guyanese acknowledge that our country has had another phenomenal year. We have every reason to celebrate as ONE GUYANA.
Our country and our people are a generous and charitable people. We look at our neighbours in Venezuela and our hearts sink to see their desperation. As Guyanese, we know the desperation our sisters and brothers in Venezuela face. The leader of that country, Nicolás Maduro, had designated July as Christmas. But no matter which month he wants the people to celebrate Christmas, our Venezuelan sisters and brothers have no reason to celebrate. Let us, therefore, be kind and generous to those who escaped the desperation and are trying to survive in our country. Ruminations urges our people to keep Venezuela in our prayers and hope that Venezuela will win back their freedom sooner than later.
While we celebrate, let us not forget the horrendous situation in many parts of the world. The people in Gaza and in the Occupied Palestine West Bank have had to face the most inhumane conditions. These people are facing genocidal conditions as Israel use the most powerful and most deadly weapons against them. For the developed world which has supplied the arms and ammunition and bankrolled the war against Gaza, we hope that the Christmas spirit will enter their hearts and they will work harder to bring peace for the people of Gaza. To look at images from Gaza and not feel nauseated would mean we are less than human. Let us remember our sisters and brothers in Gaza; let us pray for them, especially for the children.
But this Christmas, there are others who are victims of war and other man-made maladies. Wars have denied the people in Ukraine, Syria and other places a normal life. At least Syria now has a chance of using their newly-achieved freedom to begin improving their living conditions. We hope that early in 2025, we find a way to end the war in Ukraine and other places. Terrorism has not taken a backseat and this Christmas reared its head as a terrorist drove a vehicle into a crowd of Germans in a Christmas market. I fear that terrorism, given that the hundreds of thousands of children traumatised in Gaza and other places turn to terrorism as a way to fight back.
But climate change is also bringing its own brand of chaos, destruction and desperation. In Mozambique, and Mayotte and other places, the tropical cyclone Chido accounted for thousands of deaths and destruction as it slammed into communities with wind speeds of over 250 km/hour. An earthquake brought death and destruction to Vanuatu.
All in all, Guyanese have much to be grateful for as we celebrate over the Christmas season. It does not mean that we do not have our own grinches. There are those among us who are desperate to imitate the grinch and steal our Christmas and our holidays. But as the children in Whoville did, we hope that our own grinches will learn to appreciate the beautiful and blessed country we live in. While the naysayers will continue to find fault, they will enjoy Christmas and the holiday season like everyone else.
As much, Ruminations was disappointed to see a letter in the newspaper written by the former President of Guyana, David Granger, who decided that this is the time he had to deny he had claimed victory in the March 2020 elections. My driver and I were passing by the Lamaha Street site in Georgetown that day in March 2020 where the PNC had set up camp for its supporters. We noted the commotion and we found a safe spot to observe. We saw David Granger and entourage and we listened. He did claim victory and he did join the “victory” celebration. It is good that citizens from various walks of life in Guyana have been posting video clips to remind David Granger that he had claimed victory. In spite of disappointment in the obvious lie that David Granger engaged in through his letter to the press, we wish him and his family a blessed Christmas. We hope that his love for his country would eventually win out and he would embrace democracy and freedom in his country.
Public Servants and their families have received hefty backpay with the 10% increase in salaries. Some will receive much more because of changes in designations. The Joint Services will receive an additional one- month bonus. Many Guyanese will receive their $100,000 cash grant. There is an optimism all around Guyana. But this has not daunted the naysayers. While grabbing his hefty backpay, Aubrey Norton preaches doom and dismay. Nigel Hughes, the leader of AFC, consolidates his strategy for gaining support – lies and more lies. The President of the Teachers Union was suspended by his executive for standing up for teachers and negotiating the best deal ever for teachers for the period 2024 to 2026. We pray he and his family have a merry Christmas.
Ruminations wishes those Guyanese citizens in our hospitals a speedy recovery and we want them to know that our prayers are with them and their families. We wish our doctors, nurses and all health workers the best for this season. We wish President Ali and his family, VP Bharrat Jagdeo and his family, PM Mark Phillips and his family, the Government, the Opposition, and all Guyanese a wonderful and safe holiday season.