By Rev Kwame Gilbert
THE Question was asked of me once: “What is Guyana’s greatest hindrance to economic and social development?” My immediate response was: “Racial conflict.”

Conflict as a whole is very complex and has many factors and conditions that contribute to its emergence and continued existence. There are structural and relational factors. Conflict is a product of structural factors, involving political, social, economic and institutional dynamics, and relational factors, reflecting antithetical goals, values, interests and motivations. Conflicts tend to emerge out of complex interaction between material/economic, political, historic, psychological, and cultural factors that shape the divergent goals of the parties. Some conflicts rise out of long-term hostile relationships between members of different identity groups, and are marked by sporadic outbreaks of violence. This pattern, in a general sense, is especially common in multi-ethnic communities where multiple politicised groups exist but political control is dominated by one group that is unresponsive to the needs of other groups. Such conditions give rise to Protracted Social Conflict.

“Protracted Social Conflicts are based in deep-seated racial, ethnic and religious tension combined with political domination that results in the victimization of one or more groups.” (Levy 1996)

In the context of Guyana, we must examine the historical context of the racial conflict and its interrelatedness with Guyana’s post colonialism political history. To fully understand the influence of racial conflict on national development, one must examine the social, cultural, political, religious and, of course, the economical aspects of national life.

The genesis of racial conflict in Guyana, I would suggest, stretches way back to a time in our history that most of our young people are too young to know of, and for the older folks, too painful to forget.

The saddest period in Guyana’s history were those years of the early sixties, when the two major races, Indians and Africans, were divided over who should lead the country into Independence. This was not the doing of the people themselves, but rather an orchestration by political players to divide and rule. This plot was further perpetrated through foreign intervention, which eventually led Guyana into a season of racial disturbance unlike any this country had ever experienced.

The conflict between Guyana’s two major races, Indians and Africans, came to the fore in 1955 when Forbes Burnham, whose main support was derived from the Africans, broke away from the People’s Progressive Party leaving the party with mainly Indians, and formed the People’s National Congress. In an attempt to secure the loyalty and support of their constituents, leaders of both parties began their appeal primarily on the basis of race and not on issues of policy or any such consideration. Violent conflicts characterised this divide, and the years succeeding the 1960s were punctuated with the beatings and killings of persons perceived to be supporters of the other party. Dynamiting and the burning of public buildings also contributed significantly to prolonging this racial conflict.

The race politics practised in Guyana where political exclusivity aligned one group against another is extremely harmful to this country. In recent years, however, Guyana has made tremendous strides in bridging this gap between the two major races. The work of both major political parties as well as the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) in deliberately working towards greater social cohesion and transparency has created, not necessarily, an ideal environment but one that by far represents tremendous progress from our painful history.

It is now our responsibility as citizens to put an end to this madness in principle and practice. We must speak out against any attempt by political players, or anyone for that matter, who seeks to perpetuate racial disharmony in our country. We must confront this evil and forever eradicate it from our society. We can return this great nation to being: One People, One Nation, One Destiny. Let us stop this madness.