est. 2007

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People Who Claim to be Academics and Political Scientists

Dear Editor, Last Friday (July 12), the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) ordered President David Granger and his Cabinet in Guyana to resign immediately from Government and call elections within three (3) months. This now seven-month elections’ delay has clearly brought out the political and ethnic biases of academics in Guyana such as Dr David…

,
Dr.Mahabir
Submitted by Dr Kumar Mahabir

Dear Editor,

Last Friday (July 12), the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) ordered President David Granger and his Cabinet in Guyana to resign immediately from Government and call elections within three (3) months.

This now seven-month elections’ delay has clearly brought out the political and ethnic biases of academics in Guyana such as Dr David Hinds who is also a member of the ruling coalition Government. It seems that the two Davids think alike in their insistence that the illegal government should remain in power.

At a history conference in Guyana two weeks ago which I attended, Hinds again showed his ethnic biases. He gave the feature address on the topic of Dr Walter Rodney, whom he described glowingly as a “black nationalist” and “a Pan Africanist.”

Hinds pointed out the marginalisation of certain groups such as Rastafarians in the Caribbean but did not utter a word about the alienation or tokenism of (East) Indians in regional institutions like the very CCJ, CARICOM, the Caribbean Reparations Commission, etc.

During the Questions and Answers (Q and A) session, I asked Hinds why he spoke about trade union leaders such as Tubal Uriah “Buzz” Butler and not mention even once the name of Bhadase Sagan Maraj, Adrian Kola Rienzi (Krishna Deonarine) or Basdeo Panday.

I also asked Hinds why he spoke about Guyanese and Trinidadian icons such as CLR James, Makandal Dagga, Eusi Kwayana and George Padmore and not even once mentioned the name of Cheddi Jagan or VS Naipaul, the only Nobel Prize laureate from Trinidad and Tobago.

I also asked Hinds why did he talk about cultural creations in the Caribbean such as calypso, steelpan and ska and made no reference to chutney music as well as “doubles” street food or the curried “sour” sauce and “puri” roti from Guyana.

Hinds replied about not having enough time to mention everybody [Indians particularly] in his hour-long address. Pity these people who claim to be objective academics and political scientists in the Caribbean.

 

Dr Kumar Mahabir

San Juan, Trinidad and Tobago

62 responses to “People Who Claim to be Academics and Political Scientists”

  1. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    Paradoxical Iqbal

    What Makes One a Bajan?

    I was born and grew up in a working class neighbourhood in Bridgetown. I went to school with Bajans from all walks of life. I also interacted with Bajans in rural parts when I went out with my old man on his itinerant sales job (“coolie man” as Bajans of all ethnicities refer to it). I studied Barbadian and Caribbean History. I know more about Barbados, its history, culture, government, politics, economy, etc. than the average Bajan. However, to many Bajans, I am not a real Bajan because my ethnicity is Indian and added to that I am a Muslim.

    When I was younger, I would be bothered by the various comments questioning my Bajanness, expressing shock at my Bajanness or insisting absolutely that I am not a Bajan. I was a patriotic Bajan and who were these people to question my Bajanness? One of my favourite ways to react to the ignorance displayed in these comments was to not only speak the rawest Bajan possible in my retorts but also to spice them up with a gigantic dose of Bajan “cussing”. The shock on the faces of those who dared to question my Bajanness was always worth it. You see, growing up in the heart of Bridgetown meant that I was exposed not only to everyday Bajan cuture like food, norms and language but also cussing and by cussing I mean cussing of the worst kind. I was known for having a potty mouth from a young age and it has only been about two years since I severely restricted my use of colourful language, to the disbelief and relief of many.

    Over the past five years though, my patriotism has increasingly waned to the extent that I find myself detached from Barbados and I no longer care whether Bajans accept me as a fellow countryman. I have always had a global outlook but this was alongside a fierce Barbadian patriotism. Working for the government and my mostly negative experiences with this, growing older and seeing things differently have made me realise that in reality, I don’t fit in in Barbados. There is much to unpack in this disconnect I feel with the country of my birth so I won’t delve into it now and will leave it for a future blog. Needless to say, when Bajans question my Bajanness because of how I look, it does not trouble me anymore and if I do counter, it is just to bother them as opposed to responding because I am upset.

    This brings me to an incident that occurred this morning. I am attending a training course for public sector managers this week. Each day there are different sessions with different presenters. This morning we had a session on “Diversity in the Workplace”. The “instructor” in her introduction says she will be speaking in Bajan so that everyone can understand her. Then she proceeds to look at me and ask if I will be able to understand her. Needless to say, I blew my top and let her have it, albeit without the insertion of any cuss words! I did not lose it because she questioned my Bajanness. Nope. I lost it because it upset me that a retired senior civil servant was presenting on diversity in the workplace and had the bleeping audacity to question my Bajanness because I am not black! Then the idiot instead of recognising that what she did was wrong tried to make it seem as if I was the one who did not understand what was going on and again because I am an outsider to this group of Bajans. I therefore decided to have some fun and on a few occasions questioned what she was saying. I also made a point of expressing my absolute contempt for the silly personality exercises she wanted the class to partake in. I took great satisfaction in knowing that she did not at all enjoy my challenges to her supposed expertise on the subject of the session.

    I have always relished making life difficult for teachers, presenters, trainers, religious folk, bosses and persons in authority when they make ridiculous claims and are unable to defend them. Inevitably, they make fools of themselves because people who issue asinine pronouncements are generally the type that are incapable of offering solid arguments and hate being challenged. They will get riled up and dig an even bigger hole for themselves when you tear their weak cases apart. They expose themselves rather easily. I guess I am getting old because I don’t usually do this anymore. However, there are times like this when “hard ears” Mohammed does cahn help he self and he does gots to have some fun 😎

    People like this woman occupy large swathes of the civil service, many in senior positions. It is persons of this ilk that ensure my refusal to buy into this farce called public sector reform. Big loud stupz! But no Rs and other such vivid words : )(Quote)

  2. Miller Avatar
    Miller

    Georgie Porgie July 17, 2019 8:45 AM
    “YOU ARE VERY GOOD IN CONJURING UP FAIRYTALES ON “THE BU PROJECT ” ARENT YOU?
    BUT WHERE IS THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE..”
    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Doctor Dolittle, the Germinated Pea-brain, you can find it in the same hole of evolution you can find the scientific evidence that Yahweh created in 6 solar days the universe and every living thing including aliens like you in America.

    If the story of the flood as plagiarized in your book of myths is true then the scientific evidence would support the theory that Noah’s three sons had to be a white man, a Chinese and an Indian with the black man slaving away in the gallery of the Ark looking after the dumb animals including a charging rhino and a randy chimpanzee.

  3. Georgie Porgie Avatar
    Georgie Porgie

    MILLER

    THE LORD JESUS SPOKE OF PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND THE DEMONS WITHIN YOU WHEN IN MATHEW 17:21 HE SAID
    this kind goes not out but by prayer and fasting.

    OR IN MARK 9:29 This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

  4. Miller Avatar
    Miller

    @ Georgie Porgie July 17, 2019 1:10 PM

    We can see how soft you can become when you are against the wall in your intellectually punch-drunk state of ‘stupidity’ of biblical proportion.

    Instead of attacking the miller with your ‘rot-in-hell’ condemnatory barbs why not ask yourself this most puzzling question:

    How come your all-loving-embracing-forgiving Jesus never saw it fit to select at least one woman to be among his 12 disciples?

    What kind of equal opportunity non-discriminating fisher of folks was he then, eh?

    Were women not as worthy or as good as men to be with him in the garden of Gethsemane during the dark blessed night?

    Your soul mate, the man-hating simple Simon self-appointed President for Life needs to take up her women rights’ cudgel on this.

    It’s rather strange that the Madam President(e) never attacked her sweet Jesus for this blatant act of sexism and male chauvinism even after saying three Hail Marys, mother of God.

  5. Georgie Porgie Avatar
    Georgie Porgie

    miller

    I will in my response refer you to Romand 11:33-34 on the Greatness of God

     O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!  For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

    In verses 33 and 34 Paul borrows phrases from two different Old Testament passages as he asks two rhetorical questions. Paul’s first question/statement concerning the Lord has to do with God’s wisdom and omniscience in which he cites Isaiah 40:13 (Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counseller hath taught him?) is “Who knows the mind of God and who is the person that gives God advise?” The answer is no one!

    God’s mind can be pondered by men through the reading of the Scriptures, but no man can know the mind of God. His mind transcends our ability. He is God and we can never fully understand Him or His ways, Isa. 55:8-9.

    Job 39-40:1 teaches clearly that no man understands the depth of wisdom and knowledge possessed by God. We are not His counselor! He does as He pleases and we are left to praise Him for what He does!

    This is a good lesson for us all to learn as we go through life. We need to stop trying to figure out the why of everything and start simply learning to trust God by faith! He knows what He is doing, we do not! He sees the future and knows what is best for now and then, we do not! Therefore, let us bow before Him and His glory and exalt His worthy Name!

  6. SirSimpleSimonPresidentForLife Avatar
    SirSimpleSimonPresidentForLife

    @Miller July 17, 2019 8:53 PM “Your soul mate, the man-hating simple Simon.”

    Simple Simon loves men.

    The more the merrier.

    Lolll!!!

  7. Miller Avatar
    Miller

    @ SirSimpleSimonPresidentForLife July 17, 2019 10:40 PM
    “Simple Simon loves men.
    The more the merrier.”
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Tell that to doggie man “Whitehill”.

    But the miller promised to ease up on you since that supremely stellar contribution you made recently.

    As a seal of the entente cordiale and the ‘signed’ peace pact between the residents of Venus and those of Mars here is what the miller has written as a testimonial to the change in your anti-male character:

    @ SirSimpleSimonPresidentForLife July 15, 2019 9:45 PM
    “Human beings cannot survive without the sun, perhaps that is why as our friend Miller etc. is so fond of noting that most, perhaps all peoples have worshipped the sun at some period of their history.
    No sun.
    No life.
    We all know that this is true. True today. True millions of years ago.”
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Oh, from the mouth of a baby called Simple Simon the Truth has finally set you free!

    By looking up to the heavens the lamp of enlightenment has shone in your face, at last!

    As a consequence you are forgiven of all those ‘sinfully misandrous’ contributions you have been making over the years.

    “Whitehill” should now be proud of you and put you at the top of his Xmas list with a bulldog and dildo contending for the No.1 gift.

    So when are you going to stop listening to the fairy tales written by Jewish story-writers about Adam & Eve running around with wild abandon passion stark naked in a garden for a world ‘fully formed’ in just 5 Solar days?

    Now that you have seen the Light, why not become like Saul on the way to Damascus and turn into Paulette the Enlightened Simeon?

    The Salvation Army or the Red Crescent could do a lot of good deeds for the ‘broken’ men on skid row with that money you continue to give to the former-slave owning Anglican Church.

  8. SirSimpleSimonPresidentForLife Avatar
    SirSimpleSimonPresidentForLife

    Thanks. Being forgiven feels nice. I already give to the Salvation Army, have been doing so for decades. I don’t believe that our friend whitehill needs any accoutrements

    Accoutrements=additional items of dress or equipment, or other items carried or worn by a person or used for a particular activity.

  9. Felicia Doughtz Avatar
    Felicia Doughtz

    Just saw this ridiculous gaslighting by “Dr.” Kumar Mahabir & i question, what self respecting, CONSCIOUS African caribbean would allow this Narendra Modi fanboy, “Hindu”-Nationalist race-soldier, to speak on his/her platform??? What the F#*% INDIANS have to do with African Caribbean reparations movement, for the enslavement of OUR foreparents?? Indians were PAID LABOURERS! They were legally human beings with rights! They worked on 5 year CONTRACTS, after which they were given a choice to return to india (and many did) or stay on the island as a citizen, GIFTED FREE LAND as incentive to stay!! VAST MAJORITY stayed because they CHOSE to emigrate under indentureship as a means to ESCAPE THEIR ENSLAVEMENT IN INDIA BY THE BRAHMINIC (“HINDU”) racial hierarchy!!! Why are dishonest indians trying to leech off of Enslaved African reparations???? Bajans are unaware of the deviuosly, obnoxiously racist mindset oh Hindu Nationalist politics, the “Hindu” religion & Indians in general.Because of the lack of empathy , hatred & scorn for Black people in the “Hindu” religion, and hind converts to christianity & Islam, Indians generally do not support the upliftment of africans. The idea that a free, paid labourer, who was recognized legally as a Human Being with rights, never being raped or molested or murdered at will like animals, EQUIVOCATES to the CHATTEL SLAVERY over hundreds of years where African children, parents & Grandparents were sold away from one another IS RACIST HATE &UNETHICAL GREED for money by Indians in general but brahminists (“HinduS”) in particular!

    “Doctah” kumar CLAIMS to be an academic & political scientist so…. Questions for him…
    (1)are you a hindu nationalist?
    (2)does your religion teach hatred, scorn, genocide & enslavement of black indigenous Africans?
    (3)do you hate & scorn the way black indigenous africans look?
    (4) is it true that ethnic cleansing of Africans took place at the U.T.T. ,After you were appointed as its President under Kamla?
    (5) is it true that you & david dabydeen fabricate lies about indian indentureship to gain access to Africans’ reparations?
    (6) do you obnoxiouly post on BU as an overt act of paternalistic racism??
    (7) do you hate David Hinds because he goes against Indian\”Hindu” racism & enslavement?
    (8) do you, other “Hindus” & caribbean indians, want a representative in the CCJ to corruptly control judicial outcomes??
    (9) do you & other “Hindus” & indians, plan import other “Hindus” & indians from india to swamp & take over th caribbean??
    (10) Did you read Dr. Kean Gibson’s books???
    (i) The cycle of racial oppression in guyana
    (ii) Hinduism & Violence in guyana

  10. Felicia Doughtz Avatar
    Felicia Doughtz

    https://www.ajc.com/news/crime–law/how-the-ajc-covered-the-sparkle-rai-case-from-atl-homicide/rf800QWBfyOAtttUZrVbjJ/
    https://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=5237459&page=1
    https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/columns/the-roots-of-indian-racism/article18061795.ece

  11. Felicia Doughtz Avatar
    Felicia Doughtz

    https://www.huffingtonpost.in/suraj-yengde/yes-we-indians-are-racist_b_10473962.html
    https://www.huffingtonpost.in/suraj-yengde/why-hinduism-and-the-viol_b_10059872.html
    http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/256639

  12. Felicia Doughtz Avatar
    Felicia Doughtz

    An honest man.

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