Dear Editor,
For years I have pondered responding to the misinformation, the falsification of facts and history, the disregard for historical context and the blatant misinformation peddled by some in our society as it relates to the disturbances in Wismar-Christianburg-Mackenzie in 1964. My concern was that to engage the peddlers of the false narratives about “massacre” will fuel ethnic tension. Unfortunately, they continue along this divisive path, and I must respond to their false categorization and their race baiting writings and arguments.
I object to the view that there was some kind of massacre in Wismar-Christianburg-Mackenzie (now Linden). To address this issue, it is critical to note that the colonial government at the time set up a commission of inquiry to investigate the disturbances in Wismar, Christianburg and Mackenzie (now Linden).
After investigating, the Commission stated in its Report that, “(k) the recent disturbances: in Wismar-Christianburg-McKenzie have been examine by your commissioners in the context of the wider pattern of planned violence, murders, arson, bombings, reprisals and counter-reprisals that characterise life in British Guiana during 1964. Although the number of deaths caused by violence and the amount of property destroyed was greater in the rest of the Colony, Wismar does, however, bring the months of violence into sharp focus.”
This conclusion that the violence and property destroyed in the rest of the country was far more than what happened in Linden precludes the description of what happened in Linden being called a massacre since the activities in the rest of the colony were far more than what happened in Linden, but not being described as massacres.
There was no Afro-Guyanese on the commission and therefore there is little or no scope for it to be seen as biased by African Guyanese sentiments. The Commission comprised three (3) Indo-Guyanese and one Scottish. Noting the Commission’s conclusion; why the Indian Rights Activists continue to push this false and divisive narrative about massacre? It should be brought to an end.
From the foregoing it should be clear that there was no massacre in Wismar-Christianburg-McKenzie, now Linden, and if there was, then based on the pronouncement of the commission there were massacres all over British Guiana. The question should be asked; why Linden was targeted as if violence occurred in Linden alone? – it did not.
The second concern that emerges from the commission’s Report is that the Indian Rights activists are arriving at this erroneous conclusion about massacre, because they fail to place the issues in context and factor in the ethnic and other forms of tension and violence across the country and therefore omitted the critical national context in which the disturbances occurred.
It is also important to note that there was violence in 1962 and 1963 which Linden was not involved in. East Indians lived in peace in Linden while there were disturbances in other parts of Guyana. Why there is no focus on the other violent activities that occurred across the country, involving the murder of African Guyanese? Additionally, why is the focus now solely on May of 1964 and not July of 1964? The answer is glaring; the intention is to isolate and portray Linden and Lindeners as the violent place and people and to not bring into focus the murder of 38 African Guyanese who died as a result of the bombing of the Sun Chapman launch.
A review of the commission’s findings is revealed in Chapter 4 under the section, ACCOUNT OF NUMBER OF DEATHS, EXTENT OF LOSS AND DAMAGE, the following;
(a) Deaths
“When one considers the number of East Indian 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, died at the Mackenzie Hospital two hours after admission. He had been attending high school in Georgetown. The other, Paul Mirgin, who operated a tug, was married and lived with his wife and four sons in the Valley of Tears.
Gussie English, an African who 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.”
It should be clear that in the period, three (3) Indo-Guyanese died, Richard Khan, Paul Mirgin and Isaac Bridgewater and two (2) Afro-Guyanese, Byron Wharton, and Gussie English.
It is important to recall that there were disturbances in many parts of the country in 1962 and 1963 and there were no disturbances in Linden and Indo-Guyanese lived comfortably.
It must be stated that on 6th July, 1964, the Sun Chapman boat heading for Linden was bombed and 38 African Guyanese perished. The Commission Report stated that, “The Sun Chapman incident resulted in five East Indians being murdered at Mackenzie.” It is reasonable to conclude that the bombing of the Sun Chapman infuriated Lindeners. Writers on these issues tend to mask the facts and suggest that the bombing of the Sun Chapman had nothing to do with the deaths in Linden. This is simply not true, and it is an attempt to isolate the incidents that occurred. They cannot be isolated.
While it is true that the loss of one life is one too much, when one looks at the whole era of the disturbances, pre-Sun Chapman, three (3) Indo-Guyanese died. Is that a massacre? Post-Sun Chapman, five (5) Indo-Guyanese died. Again, is that a massacre? If those are massacres why isn’t the burning to death of eight (8) members of the Abraham family, who a PPP arsonist killed, not considered a massacre? I am not saying it is, but if Linden is considered a massacre as some allege, then both the Sun Chapman and the Abraham murders should be massacres. Society cannot be selective in their determination of what constitutes a massacre.
Let it be clear I oppose all forms of violence, especially the murder of innocent people to achieve political goals. But it will be remiss of me if I do not object and challenge the flawed narrative being peddled and allow this false categorisation of Linden and Lindeners by some in the Indian rights activist movement to be seen as gospel.
Time to end this nonsense of a Wismar massacre.