Lye,
I identify with your sentiments wholly. I guess some of us simply cannot
discuss issues without casting the actors as "good cop/Bad cop." It's very
irritating, and more importantly, it doesn't do PDOIS or any party for that
matter any good. The situation of PDOIS especially is very unfortunate. This
wrangling should not be happening at all. Educated Gambians like you and I
in our thirties, and those younger, are by default -if not by manifest
design, "The PDOIS Generation." We grew up hating the PPP, we really don't
see much of a future in any other party but PDOIS. So we follow them
religiously. As dirt poor a student as I was, I used to cough up D2.50 to
buy some PDOIS issues rather than spend the money on a thousand and one
other things I could be. And for the Sana Manneh case, I bought EVERY single
issue including the Supplementary ones. I was actually a teacher at St.
Theresa's during much of that trial. I was actually making D198/mo for two
months. Then I got a raise to D329/mo. House rent, car fare, PDOIS money.
Get the picture?
I've always had a huge PDOIS stack sitting on a table in my little
apartment. When I came to the US, I brought a whole stack with me. In
typical Gambian style, people would "borrow" some NEVER TO RETURN THEM. But
I was going thru my books some weeks ago, and located some of those
newspapers. I'll give you a sample:
ISSN: 0796-0573, No 19/91, Dated Oct 5th, 1991; Prez' Tour, Arrests &
Detentions (Kukoi,) Death of a Gendarme, etc.
ISSN: 0796-0573, No 19/91 Foroyaa Supplement Dated Oct 21st, 1991; Sanna
Manneh V. Attny Gen before Court of Appeal.
ISSN: 0796-0573, No 19/91 Foroyaa Supplement Dated Oct 23rd, 1991;
Dr. Oldfield and others testify
ISSN: 0796-0573, No 20/91 Dated Oct 30th, 1991; The NSS & the Kukoi Drama,
Stabbing at Hospital, etc
and from 1989: ISSN 0795-0573 No. 13/89 Dated JULY 15th, 1989; The Sanna
Manneh Ruling, Lives at Stake, An eye opener, etc, etc.
There goes your former PDOIS freak. And I won't even go into the tapes I
bought, or how I used to brave 100 degrees temperatures with friends to walk
to Kanifing, or Roxy Cinema to listen to PDOIS symposia, etc. That was how
PDOIS I was. So, excuse me for getting angry at being called names just
because I dare say PDOIS' approach towards Yaya Jammeh, and some of the
things they've said and done during the so-called Transition are shameful.
How many of these so-called PDOIS supporters would rather buy Foroyaa (and
support PDOIS,) than be rational and spend their only few Dalasi on food?
There's a world of difference between sincerity and foolish praise-singing,
you know. But, to butress your point, these people are not doing PDOIS any
good.
Instead of lashing out at those who dare dissent, or at least raise eye
brows, the proper stance would be to admit past mistakes, and work on
improving them. But unfortunately, what we see is a cynical and insidious
plot to demonize anyone who confesses his/her resolve to take PDOIS
positions with a pinch of salt. The "questions" posed to Hamjatta fall in
that category -to me. The motivating, and over-riding factor is not to make
us any wiser, but to "expose" what a hypocrite Hamjatta is. That is not the
proper way to cultivate, or help a public figure cultivate an informed
following. If Mr. Kanteh were feeble-hearted, he would have chickened out by
now, and unsatisfied, go around spreading mischief to anyone who has the
time to listen to him. And I'll add: LIKE MOST Gambians DO! But, is this the
way we want to move forward? Where is the progress here?
You see Lye, back in the late 80s, Jawara had a Press Conference, and Sam
Sarr represented PDOIS. Sam asked Jawara a question. Jawara answered. Being
live, I guess Jawara saw in Mr. Sarr's face that the gentleman wasn't buying
his story. Jawara did something very unfair: he asked Mr. Sarr if he
believed what he (Jawara) said. Naturally, Mr. Sarr did not want to answer
the question. (Reason: If he answers truthfully, he'll offend Jawara. If he
doesn't he'll have to deal with his conscience by lying.) But Jawara
persisted. So, Sam Sarr answered truthfully: "Well Sir, I have my doubts!"
(the exact words.) Jawara fumed, so did the entire establishment. "PDOIS
people are very rude, and arrogant" was the verdict. Jawara declared that he
won't talk to them again as long as they're going to be rude to him. Since
when has confessing one's doubts translate into rudeness? Honesty equals
"rudeness?" C'mon!!! I remember that incident as if it was yesterday. Some
old man told me years ago that having a good memory could be a curse. Was he
being senile? You tell me.
So when I saw the "questions" posed to Hamjatta, I immediately flashed back
to Sam Sarr - Prez Jawara, because there's an obvious parrarel. It's like
d'eja vu all over. You see, in my book, we'll NEVER progress as long as we
apply different rules to different people, who by virtue of their status
should be on an equal footing. What is wrong for Jawara to do to Sam Sarr,
is wrong for Halifa Sallah, or some self-appointed proxy to do to Hamjatta
Kanteh. Justice means treating equals equally, or unequals unequally! The
most Mr. Sallah or the PDOIS org. should do to a Hamjatta Kanteh is to say
"Mborr, I've answered your questions the best I can; you're still
unsatisfied, I don't have any more to say to you. Beleive what you want." Or
something like that. But to encourage this petty, insidious and cynical
attempt by a few mis-guided blind supporters to slash-and-burn anyone who
asks disturbing questions is another shameful episode in PDOIS' evolution.
PDOIS could and should behave better. Let this nonsense (Hamjatta This,
Hamjatta That) end!
Saul.
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