Dear Editor,
Every era demands fresh thinking. In most societies intellectuals are at the leading edge of building out the general framework of a new political and cultural renaissance.
It is this spirit that I have kept an open mind regarding the accession of Dr David Hind to the National Assembly. I regret to say that instead of new ideas grounded in forward movement, Hinds has renewed his vows with racial antagonism. I contend here that his perspective on Tiger Bay is not a mere “drive-by shooting” but the product of a grand concept, namely racial capital.
In Guyana, we are fortunate to have a leader, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, who is not only the president but also an intellectual and author in his own right.
Capital, as a concept, has been around for centuries. The economic concept of capital was systematically theorised by writers like Adam Smith and Karl Marx. Human capital is also an economic concept, but it emerged only in the 20th century in any systematic manner.
The concept of social capital through networks of cooperation was fully developed by the likes of Robert Putnam and William Julius Wilson, among others.
The perspectives on capital above have one thing in common, namely, to bring clarity to seemingly disparate or misunderstood phenomena.
Hind’s racial capital is unique in that it is regressive. You see, racial capital is a particular form of investment in division and antagonism. The specificity of racial capital is that it allows the user, in this case David Hinds, to prosecute narratives of oppression and marginalisation under an abstract idea.
Hinds has no use for things like empirical evidence. He does not care that Tiger Bay is in dire need of urgent attention. He is oblivious to their need for better housing, schools, places for recreation, and cries to be fully integrated into the rapid development of Guyana.
He is astoundingly oblivious to the neglect and abandonment of the area by successive PNC and APNU-AFC Governments.
David Hinds will learn that governing takes careful analysis, hard work, sound policies, and unremitting dedication. He will soon discover that the distinctive signature of the PPP/C is that it makes promises based on sound policies and then keeps those promises. Tiger Bay will prove this, yet again.
Hind’s racial capital is bound to collapse in ignominy right there in Tiger Bay. And, like the rest of the nation, Tiger Bay will rise.