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This was from SN. The writer calling for changing of date fr in dependence. Where exactly is Wismar?

 

May 26 is the anniversary of the Wismar atrocities and not just independence

Dear Editor,

May 26 is upon us. Again. Many Guyanese know it to be the date of Guyana’s Independence. However, many Guyanese do not know that May 26 is also the date when there was extraordinary racial violence against some 3,000 Guianese East Indians in Wismar and the upper Demerara area.  Guyana was born on May 26, 1966, or precisely two years after these East Indians, colonial subjects of the British Crown but with equal civil rights as all other native-born Guianese, were affected in one way or another including being expelled from their homes to become ‘refugees’ in their country.

The business of independence from colonial powers is almost always, historically speaking, one of violence and mistrust. Guyana’s was no different on May 26, 1966. Violence and mistrust have since characterized the past fifty years of Guyana’s life due to unhealthy race relations.

The time has come to change Guyana’s date of independence because May 26 is a date steeped in violence and mistrust. On each independence anniversary, while some celebrate with flags and fête, others in quietude recall the atrocities and the expulsions.

There are still survivors of Wismar 1964 among us. What transpired is resurrected with each celebrated day of independence, but not in a manner that would invite mutual respect and reconciliation. Instead, there is encouraged silence on the matter. No wreaths are laid, no prayers are offered, no poem is recited, and there is no mention of events in textbooks by successive ministries of education of Wismar. This silence has forced parents to pass the story of expulsion quietly from one generation to another by oral tradition, after which a talk of independence is hardly ever the same.

Such is the case because a song of independence is a song of birth, while a song of expulsion is a song of death. It is difficult to sing them at the same time with the same breath. Yet, for fifty years, this is what some Guyanese have been asked to do.

Many, of course, have been made to feel by Guyana’s political culture that there is nothing disturbing about the date May 26. Its leading politicians today are, arguably, likely to avoid the issue, despite having over 300 days to choose from to celebrate. They may prefer to quarrel about who is the architect who lowered the Union Jack. It is a quarrel one should avoid, as independence is the gift of no one person or party, but the result of efforts of many persons with varying allegiances.

For example, Mr Jai Narine Singh, I believe, brought the first motion for independence, when he was unsupported by Dr Jagan or Mr Forbes Burnham. He was seconded by Mr Anthony Martin Fredericks. Senator Vernon Nunes is believed to have picked the date of May 26, in 1962.

What is more important today is that the PNC and PPP never bothered to change the date, except that after the atrocities at Wismar in 1964, the latter did object to it in a November 1965 press release:

“The Party fails to understand, however, the significance of the date, May 26, unless it is the wish of the of the British and British Guiana Governments to make it symbolic contempt for the Guyanese people and a grim reminder of the unfortunate events of May 25-26, 1964 and their aim to keep the Guyanese people divided.”

 

Yours faithfully,

Rakesh Rampertab

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Nehru posted:

LET US NOT FORGET WISMAR!!!!!  BURNHAM CHOOSE MAY 26 FOR THAT REASON, HE WANTED TO PROJECT THE PNC HATE, INHUMANITY, VIOLENCE, CORRUPTION AND IGNORANCE!!!!!!!!!!!

May the 26th was chosen to let Indians never forget what's waiting below the surface.  I met a woman (then in her 50's) in NJ in the 80's and she was from McKenzie.  She still, at that time, had never found the body of her husband.  People told her he was cornered by some Black goons, never to be heard from or seen again!!

FM
Last edited by Former Member
ba$eman posted:
Nehru posted:

LET US NOT FORGET WISMAR!!!!!  BURNHAM CHOOSE MAY 26 FOR THAT REASON, HE WANTED TO PROJECT THE PNC HATE, INHUMANITY, VIOLENCE, CORRUPTION AND IGNORANCE!!!!!!!!!!!

May the 26th was chosen to let Indians never forget what's waiting below the surface.  I met a woman (then in her 50's) in NJ in the 80's and she was from McKenzie.  She still, at that time, had never found the body of her husband.  People told her he was cornered by some Black goons, never to be heard from of seen again!!

It must never be forgotten. Some of the people  involved are now in Govt!!!!!!!!!!  The Barbaric nature of these ANIMALS cannot be discounted and Guyanese need to keep their guards up as long as they are in Govt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nehru
Nehru posted:

LET US NOT FORGET WISMAR!!!!!  BURNHAM CHOOSE MAY 26 FOR THAT REASON, HE WANTED TO PROJECT THE PNC HATE, INHUMANITY, VIOLENCE, CORRUPTION AND IGNORANCE!!!!!!!!!!!

simply NOT true u petty, stupid little man

stop screaming

FM
Nehru posted:
ba$eman posted:
Nehru posted:

LET US NOT FORGET WISMAR!!!!!  BURNHAM CHOOSE MAY 26 FOR THAT REASON, HE WANTED TO PROJECT THE PNC HATE, INHUMANITY, VIOLENCE, CORRUPTION AND IGNORANCE!!!!!!!!!!!

May the 26th was chosen to let Indians never forget what's waiting below the surface.  I met a woman (then in her 50's) in NJ in the 80's and she was from McKenzie.  She still, at that time, had never found the body of her husband.  People told her he was cornered by some Black goons, never to be heard from of seen again!!

It must never be forgotten. Some of the people  involved are now in Govt!!!!!!!!!!  The Barbaric nature of these ANIMALS cannot be discounted and Guyanese need to keep their guards up as long as they are in Govt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then again, there are the Django's and Mitwah's!!

FM
ba$eman posted:
Nehru posted:

LET US NOT FORGET WISMAR!!!!!  BURNHAM CHOOSE MAY 26 FOR THAT REASON, HE WANTED TO PROJECT THE PNC HATE, INHUMANITY, VIOLENCE, CORRUPTION AND IGNORANCE!!!!!!!!!!!

May the 26th was chosen to let Indians never forget what's waiting below the surface.  I met a woman (then in her 50's) in NJ in the 80's and she was from McKenzie.  She still, at that time, had never found the body of her husband.  People told her he was cornered by some Black goons, never to be heard from or seen again!!

CHAPTER 4

ACCOUNT OF NUMBER OF DEATHS, EXTENT OF INJURIES, LOSS AND DAMAGE

(a) Deaths

When one considers the number of East Indians evacuated, the large number of Africans in the area and the negligible opposition which the attackers encountered, the number of fatalities was indeed very small.

There were two East Indians who died on the 25th May, 1964. Richard Khan, aged about 18 years, died at the Mackenzie Hospital two hours after admission. He had been attending high school in Georgetown. The other, Pau1 Mirgin, who operated a tug, was married and lived with his wife and four sons in the Valley of Tears.

Gussie English* an African was shot on the 25th May, 1964. He died the same day.

On the 28th May, 1964, Isaac Bridgewater was killed. He was the father of Senator Christina Ramjattan and lived at Section C, Christianburg.

On the 27th May, 1964, Byron Wharton*, an African, died because of extensive burns suffered when he was trapped in a burning building.

Following the Sun Chapman disaster the bodies of 35 persons were taken to Mackenzie and 12 others were listed as missing or unidentified. All of these were Africans. The Sun Chapman incident resulted in five East Indians being murdered at Mackenzie.

There are no official records of the deaths of these persons as no entry has been made in the Register of Births and Deaths. The dispenser who is also the Sub-Registrar for Births and Deaths left for Georgetown on the 24th May and never returned. His place was looted. The present dispenser did not even prepare a temporary list of deaths from the Police record pending the report from the coroner. He did not attend at the Inquiry in order to be of some assistance to the Commissioners. The Assistant District Commissioner who supervises the Sub-Registrar has done nothing to regularise the position. Up to the time when evidence was being taken at the Inquiry the coroner's court had not started to enquire into these deaths.

[Editor's Note: * Gussie English and Byron Wharton met their deaths while they were involved in looting.]

Title -- REPORT OF THE WISMAR, CHRISTIANBURG AND MACKENZIE COMMISSION

Source -- http://www.guyana.org/features/wismar_report.html

=============================

Relationship to Demerara_Guy

1. Richard Khan -- Cousin.

2. Paul Mirgin - Family member.

3. Isaac Bridgewater - Godfather.

FM
Last edited by Former Member
ba$eman posted:
Nehru posted:

LET US NOT FORGET WISMAR!!!!!  BURNHAM CHOOSE MAY 26 FOR THAT REASON, HE WANTED TO PROJECT THE PNC HATE, INHUMANITY, VIOLENCE, CORRUPTION AND IGNORANCE!!!!!!!!!!!

May the 26th was chosen to let Indians never forget what's waiting below the surface.  I met a woman (then in her 50's) in NJ in the 80's and she was from McKenzie.  She still, at that time, had never found the body of her husband.  People told her he was cornered by some Black goons, never to be heard from or seen again!!

Burnham did NOT chose May 26th.  If you don't know sit down and learn.

Vernon Nunes was supposed to have selected the day according to the letter writer.  Which party was he in?  PPP.

Note that Burnham emphasized the Republic Day, Feb 23rd.

Its the PPP which began to emphasize May 26th, and deemphasize May 26th.

Obviously the date doesn't bother the PPP.

FM
ba$eman posted:

May the 26th was chosen to let Indians never forget what's waiting below the surface.  I met a woman (then in her 50's) in NJ in the 80's and she was from McKenzie.  She still, at that time, had never found the body of her husband.  People told her he was cornered by some Black goons, never to be heard from or seen again!!

u are a poor messenger . . . a PROVEN (but resilient) liar!

yesss. . . tell us some more about your "uncle" who was unfairly kicked out of the "Presidential Guard" in 1966??! by Forbes Burnham

FM
Last edited by Former Member
Demerara_Guy posted:
ba$eman posted:
.

 

Following the Sun Chapman disaster the bodies of 35 persons were taken to Mackenzie and 12 others were listed as missing or unidentified. All of these were Africans. The Sun Chapman incident resulted in five East Indians being murdered at Mackenzie.

 

[Editor's Note: * Gussie English and Byron Wharton met their deaths while they were involved in looting.]

Title -- REPORT OF THE WISMAR, CHRISTIANBURG AND MACKENZIE COMMISSION

Source -- http://www.guyana.org/features/wismar_report.html

=============================

Relationship to Demerara_Guy

1. Richard Khan -- Cousin.

2. Paul Mirgin - Family member.

3. Isaac Bridgewater - Godfather.

More Africans died than East Indians, and yet the screams from the brown KKK.

Rational people will deplore the atrocities committed by BOTH sides, and the horrendous impacts that people from BOTH sides suffered.

Its interesting that rational people are dismissed as racists by most Indians on GNI, not just the brown KKK.

FM
Last edited by Former Member
redux posted:
ba$eman posted:

May the 26th was chosen to let Indians never forget what's waiting below the surface.  I met a woman (then in her 50's) in NJ in the 80's and she was from McKenzie.  She still, at that time, had never found the body of her husband.  People told her he was cornered by some Black goons, never to be heard from or seen again!!

u are a poor messenger . . . a PROVEN (but resilient) liar!

yesss. . . tell us some more about your "uncle" who was unfairly kicked out of the "Presidential Guard" in 1966??! by Forbes Burnham

Yes, he lives in Florida now, retired and ok but old!!  He was one on Jagan's personal body guards back in the day!

FM
ba$eman posted:
redux posted:
ba$eman posted:

May the 26th was chosen to let Indians never forget what's waiting below the surface.  I met a woman (then in her 50's) in NJ in the 80's and she was from McKenzie.  She still, at that time, had never found the body of her husband.  People told her he was cornered by some Black goons, never to be heard from or seen again!!

u are a poor messenger . . . a PROVEN (but resilient) liar!

yesss. . . tell us some more about your "uncle" who was unfairly kicked out of the "Presidential Guard" in 1966??! by Forbes Burnham

Yes, he lives in Florida now, retired and ok but old!!  He was one on Jagan's personal body guards back in the day!

there was no Presidential Guard Service (indeed, no President!) in 1966

wtf are u talking about?

FM
ba$eman posted:
Nehru posted:
ba$eman posted:
Nehru posted:

LET US NOT FORGET WISMAR!!!!!  BURNHAM CHOOSE MAY 26 FOR THAT REASON, HE WANTED TO PROJECT THE PNC HATE, INHUMANITY, VIOLENCE, CORRUPTION AND IGNORANCE!!!!!!!!!!!

May the 26th was chosen to let Indians never forget what's waiting below the surface.  I met a woman (then in her 50's) in NJ in the 80's and she was from McKenzie.  She still, at that time, had never found the body of her husband.  People told her he was cornered by some Black goons, never to be heard from of seen again!!

It must never be forgotten. Some of the people  involved are now in Govt!!!!!!!!!!  The Barbaric nature of these ANIMALS cannot be discounted and Guyanese need to keep their guards up as long as they are in Govt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then again, there are the Django's and Mitwah's!!

I was merely a teen have no clue what was happening,i can recall we were awoken by the British Soldiers in the wee hours of one morning when they raided my grandfather home,my younger siblings and my self were all huddled near my mother.

I grew up in the Burnham era,had my own struggles to survive without a father never paid attention what caused the problems,after deciding to research what happened,I cast the blame on Jagan and Burnham for all the problems that affected my family and my self living in Guyana,their ideology was no good for a multi ethnic country,50 yrs of Independence and the country is still in a quagmire.

Django
Last edited by Django
Django posted:
ba$eman posted:
Nehru posted:
ba$eman posted:
Nehru posted:

LET US NOT FORGET WISMAR!!!!!  BURNHAM CHOOSE MAY 26 FOR THAT REASON, HE WANTED TO PROJECT THE PNC HATE, INHUMANITY, VIOLENCE, CORRUPTION AND IGNORANCE!!!!!!!!!!!

May the 26th was chosen to let Indians never forget what's waiting below the surface.  I met a woman (then in her 50's) in NJ in the 80's and she was from McKenzie.  She still, at that time, had never found the body of her husband.  People told her he was cornered by some Black goons, never to be heard from of seen again!!

It must never be forgotten. Some of the people  involved are now in Govt!!!!!!!!!!  The Barbaric nature of these ANIMALS cannot be discounted and Guyanese need to keep their guards up as long as they are in Govt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then again, there are the Django's and Mitwah's!!

,I cast the blame on Jagan and Burnham for all the problems that affected my family.

Please tell us what Chedie did!!

FM

As a teenager I read Cheddi Jagan's account of the disturbance in the West on trial. I came to the conclusion that East Indians should never strive to rule Africans but should rule themselves.

Prashad
Prashad posted:

As a teenager I read Cheddi Jagan's account of the disturbance in the West on trial. I came to the conclusion that East Indians should never strive to rule Africans but should rule themselves.

Oh yes.  A true sign of "objectivity" is when reads only one side of the story, and then thinks that this accurately described the events.

This is as silly as if some one read Burnham's analysis and then deduced that this fully explained the events of the era.

FM

There will be a day of rekoning. Regardless how we look at it, lots of people lost their lives. Those who set up the scenario will be answering at the opportune time. 

For those who did not loose love ones, those incidents means nothing to them.

For the people of Linden, they mark that day every year. They remember it. 

Unfortunately for Indians, they doan care about it. And the ones who suffered no relatives, dem nah care wan razz. As long it doan hurt dem why bother. 

 

S

These chaps can spin it any which way dey want. The reality is, black people done severe damages to Indians in Wismar. Yes, they did it, as clear as day.

The Sun Chapman, on the other hand, did blowup. And Black people lost their lives. No Indian was seen leaving vessel before ferrying. No Indian was on the vessel. The strangest thing, the vessel blewup close to Wismar. The explosion was heard and some even say, the bodies were recovered quickly. Whether the CIA did it, they would not have recruited an Indian to set the dynamite. Maybe, it was Black person who did it for the PNC-they were in cohots with the CIA. Their X13 plan was hatched by the CIA. During that period, in Africa it was blacks upon blacks to promote instability. I am surprised CBJ was not assasinated as Allende and Arbenz. All CIA handy works.

One should not discount TUF, that putagee fella had a definite dislike for CBJ. How dare that cooolie can come and want  to govern.

From Guyana's history, the putagees were known for disrespecting the Negroes. The Sun Chapman perhaps was just another way of keeping them in poverty. Knowing, they will fight for generations with East Indians. 

S

These chaps can spin it any which way dey want. The reality is, black people done severe damages to Indians in Wismar. Yes, they did it, as clear as day.

The Sun Chapman, on the other hand, did blowup. And Black people lost their lives. No Indian was seen leaving vessel before ferrying. No Indian was on the vessel. The strangest thing, the vessel blewup close to Wismar. The explosion was heard and some even say, the bodies were recovered quickly. Whether the CIA did it, they would not have recruited an Indian to set the dynamite. Maybe, it was Black person who did it for the PNC-they were in cohots with the CIA. Their X13 plan was hatched by the CIA. During that period, in Africa it was blacks upon blacks to promote instability. I am surprised CBJ was not assasinated as Allende and Arbenz. All CIA handy works.

One should not discount TUF, that putagee fella had a definite dislike for CBJ. How dare that cooolie can come and want  to govern.

From Guyana's history, the putagees were known for disrespecting the Negroes. The Sun Chapman perhaps was just another way of keeping them in poverty. Knowing, they will fight for generations with East Indians. 

Siggy trying to make up story, first is black people dem blowin up a boat, all of a sudden he get a brainwave....is Putagge peeps who carried out the dastardly deed. At no time could it ever be dem East Indian saints, nahhhh, dem jus sittin pon de sidelines watchin, hehehehe,

carry on baie we watchin how a man can lie likea rass.

 

This is how yall rass want PNC fo apologize, yehhhh right, keep waitin.

cain
Last edited by cain
seignet posted:

These chaps can spin it any which way dey want. The reality is, black people done severe damages to Indians in Wismar. Yes, they did it, as clear as day.

The Sun Chapman, on the other hand, did blowup. And Black people lost their lives. No Indian was seen leaving vessel before ferrying. No Indian was on the vessel. The strangest thing, the vessel blewup close to Wismar. The explosion was heard and some even say, the bodies were recovered quickly. Whether the CIA did it, they would not have recruited an Indian to set the dynamite. Maybe, it was Black person who did it for the PNC-they were in cohots with the CIA. Their X13 plan was hatched by the CIA. During that period, in Africa it was blacks upon blacks to promote instability. I am surprised CBJ was not assasinated as Allende and Arbenz. All CIA handy works.

One should not discount TUF, that putagee fella had a definite dislike for CBJ. How dare that cooolie can come and want  to govern.

From Guyana's history, the putagees were known for disrespecting the Negroes. The Sun Chapman perhaps was just another way of keeping them in poverty. Knowing, they will fight for generations with East Indians. 

http://2001-2009.state.gov/r/p...onlb/xxxii/44659.htm

Special Group/303 Committee-approved funds again were used between July 1963 and April 1964 in connection with the 1964 general strike in British Guiana. When Jagan’s and Burnham’s supporters clashed in labor strife in the sugar plantations that year, the United States joined with the British Government in urging Burnham not to retaliate with violence, but rather to commit to a mediated end to the conflict. At the same time, the United States provided training to certain of the anti-Jagan forces to enable them to defend themselves if attacked and to boost their morale


 

Why will the PNC do that when they were asked not to retailiate.

 

Django
seignet posted:

The Sun Chapman, on the other hand, did blowup. And Black people lost their lives. No Indian was seen leaving vessel before ferrying. No Indian was on the vessel. The strangest thing, the vessel blewup close to Wismar. The explosion was heard and some even say, the bodies were recovered quickly.

more lies, fantasy and nonsense

Horadia is 15 miles from Mackenzie/Wismar . . . that is not "close"

and what are these rambling, reaching, flights of your demented imagination about the explosion "being heard" and the bodies recovered "quickly"?

are you on drugs?

FM
Django posted:
seignet posted:

These chaps can spin it any which way dey want. The reality is, black people done severe damages to Indians in Wismar. Yes, they did it, as clear as day.

The Sun Chapman, on the other hand, did blowup. And Black people lost their lives. No Indian was seen leaving vessel before ferrying. No Indian was on the vessel. The strangest thing, the vessel blewup close to Wismar. The explosion was heard and some even say, the bodies were recovered quickly. Whether the CIA did it, they would not have recruited an Indian to set the dynamite. Maybe, it was Black person who did it for the PNC-they were in cohots with the CIA. Their X13 plan was hatched by the CIA. During that period, in Africa it was blacks upon blacks to promote instability. I am surprised CBJ was not assasinated as Allende and Arbenz. All CIA handy works.

One should not discount TUF, that putagee fella had a definite dislike for CBJ. How dare that cooolie can come and want  to govern.

From Guyana's history, the putagees were known for disrespecting the Negroes. The Sun Chapman perhaps was just another way of keeping them in poverty. Knowing, they will fight for generations with East Indians. 

http://2001-2009.state.gov/r/p...onlb/xxxii/44659.htm

Special Group/303 Committee-approved funds again were used between July 1963 and April 1964 in connection with the 1964 general strike in British Guiana. When Jagan’s and Burnham’s supporters clashed in labor strife in the sugar plantations that year, the United States joined with the British Government in urging Burnham not to retaliate with violence, but rather to commit to a mediated end to the conflict. At the same time, the United States provided training to certain of the anti-Jagan forces to enable them to defend themselves if attacked and to boost their morale


 

Why will the PNC do that when they were asked not to retailiate.

 

In that era, there were no absolute truths. The CIA did anything, everything and said everything to stop communism in the world. Including lies. Those incidents in Wismar and the Sun Chapman were just colatteral damages in stopping cmmunism in Guyana. YOu might not be old enogh to know that as early as 1950, Peter D'Auguiar had a campaign in the villages throughout the coast with his trucks showing films against communism and distributing pamphlets. The fight was a long time going on. And Indians were determined to support CBJ. He had to be stopped.

Suh, all this is not about racism, it just happened that way to combat communism.

S
Drugb posted:

Maybe this is what Granger and his supporters celebrating. So far the pnc has not issued a public apology to Indians for those atrocities.

Its a celebration of conquest.  Granger and the PNC boys want compliant indians who suck up.  there are many who are ready as lng as the get their piece of the action.

FM
ba$eman posted:

Its a celebration of conquest.  Granger and the PNC boys want compliant indians who suck up.  there are many who are ready as lng as the get their piece of the action.

proven liar and prancing dunce

all you have left is a curl of the lip, a snarl and nuff nuff bitter race talk

thank gawd u and the other no morals PPP antimen will never sniff political power in Guyana again

rat's jock will have to suffice in your lifetime

FM
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