On January 30th, 1948, 65 years ago, Mahata Gandhi was assassinated by extremism that could not tolerate his politics of principle and his fight against corruption, injustice and inequity. Gandhi famously wrote, “I have derived my politics from ethics…It is because I swear by ethics that I find myself in politics”. Even President Obama has stated that his politics is influenced by Gandhi’s principles.
We in the Alliance For Change (AFC) also find much value in Gandhi’s politics and on his 65th death anniversary, seek to remind all Guyanese that we have an ethical deficit in governance and public life by many top leaders of our country. The awakening among citizens to battle against graft is truly inspiring to the AFC as we interact with them in our grounding exercises country-wide. Only a few weeks ago on the Essequibo Coast, the people’s agitation caused to be exposed, the dumping of medical waste with no respect for life and limb.
In Parliament, because of the people’s agitation, President Ramotar has on his desk a Bill to bring equity to the benefits due to retired President comparable to what all other retirees are due.
As Gandhi reminded us in 1921 when he argued that one of the core objectives of the freedom movement was to purify India. Similarly, the AFC stand ready to lead the struggle to purify the way we use taxpayer resources to follow the rule of law. The AFC will continue to struggle against these vices identified by Gandhi such as deceit, corruption, and terrorism in political life and against those who would use the Treasury as if it was their personal bank book while at the same time only crumbs are available for the rice farmers, sugar workers, bauxite workers and public servants including nurses, teachers and policemen. This is wrong and the AFC stands that sullies our image; not only nationally but internationally.
Writing in Young India on 6 December 1928, Gandhi prophetically stated, “Corruption will be out one day, however much one may try to conceal it: and the public can, as it is its right and duty in every case of justifiable suspicion, call its servants to strict account, dismiss them, sue them in a law court, or appoint an arbitrator or inspector to scrutinize their conduct, as it likes”. The aforementioned predictive words of Gandhi have come true today in a corrupt infested Guyana.
In the same year Mahatma Gandhi exhorted people to take proactive measures to expose bribery and sleaze and nip them in the bud. Mahatma Gandhi’s prescription that people’s watchfulness would be an antidote to corruption assumes critical significance for Guyana. The AFC will continue to expose corruption and encourages all righteous Guyanese to stand vigil with us as pursue a lean and clean administration.
It would be highly educative to note that a few days before his assassination he referred to the issue of corruption in a prayer meeting in Delhi. He said, “Corruption will go when the large number of persons given to the unworthy practice realizes that the nation does not exist for them, but that they do for the nation. It requires a high code of morals, extreme vigilance on the part of those who are free from the corrupt practice and also have influence over corrupt servants. Indifference in such matters is criminal.” What he said then sounds so contemporary and meaningful our people here in Guyana.
Mounting levels of corruption in Guyana and the collapse of the rule of law under the PPP/C are matters of serious concern. The spectres of corruption draining the life blood of our people and thus demands a movement to detoxify our corrupt leaders in Government. Let us therefore in memory of the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi recommit ourselves to generating moral momentum which is absolutely necessary to cleanse our mind and society.
Thus invoking Mahatma Gandhi’s name to fight against corruption means cultivating values and ethical norms, taking steps to remain vigilant against corrupt practices, and most importantly removing income equality by taking a stand on the expanding divide between the rich and the poor in Guyana today.
The AFC takes this opportunity to salute Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. [END]
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