50 years of pain

Ramesh Sujanani, Contributor

When I left high school in 1961, our Independence came the following year, and I recall Bustamante's victory over Manley, and the satisfaction and happiness that most Jamaicans felt. I was able to go to night school, and complete my bachelor's in physics, but it became difficult around 1967-1970 when trouble started.

There were violent exchanges. That time was also a period of innovation and new business: The University of the West Indies blossomed into greater glory during that period, and many persons benefited from part-time studies.

Banks, stores, and all commercial activity became victim to the gunman and his affiliations. Thieves attacked constantly, taking lives and property, but mostly robbing businesses. Money, I suspect, was going into politics, backing gangs and garrisons. The PNP came to power in 1972, and we were given our fill of socialism and social justice.

Then ensued a battle between Seaga and Manley in the late '70s and early '80s. I do not know where the guns came from, but they were numerous, and both parties had them, so they are both culpable.

In election year 1980, I was in my business at North Parade when a message was sent to me saying all owners of businesses on North Parade would be assassinated.

The following morning, Mr Lue, the baker at 1 North Parade, was shot and killed. A day or two later, Mr Joe Gibbs, the recording and music specialist at 3 North Parade, was gunned down, critically wounded. Then Mr Lovemore of No. 18 was shot five times while working one Sunday, but he survived, in much pain.

Thereafter, Mr Vaswani, the garment manufacturer, was shot, but he survived, because his neighbour, Campi Redwood, left his business and rushed him to KPH.

The JLP won the 1980 election, and Mr Seaga became prime minister. Within a few weeks there were many changes, one of them being that all the incentives given to the manufacturer for exports, for manufacturing, were discontinued.

DOWNWARD SPIRAL

The productive capacity of the country was removed, and the banking centres flourished with interest rates of 68 per cent. Capital flight was at its maximum, and migration of skilled employees continued non-stop.

Eventually, in the early 1990s, the banks trembled and had to be bailed out with $1.5 billion by the Government. This was a time of great hardship, similar to the 1970s and to this past decade of confusion and corruption.

The IMF, which, early in the '80s, was consulted to streamline the economy at the request of Mr Seaga and Dr Paul Chen Young, had to be banished by Seaga himself in 1987 on the basis that its policies were not working out for the good of the country. Jamaica had changed from being a producer and became a supermarket. (Seaga's words)

When I think of my neighbours and friends, suppliers and customers, and their unhappy experiences with violence, a sadness comes over me.

That humble persons, by their effort and persistence in building their business, were shot, wounded or killed, and their businesses closed by acts of violence.

That leaders of a country like Jamaica would, by their careless negligence, their indifferent attention to anything human, their callous attentiveness to politics over people, value their self-interests above their responsibilities.

I weep for my adopted country, my terrestrial mother, and I wish, for the next 50 years, that there be more care and consideration from her children.

The last 50 years are best forgotten, and plans should be made for a more just and humane country, starting now and continuing for the next 50 years. I hope my children will have opportunities galore even better than I had.

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