Another story of an ex British colony being left with demographics that make it hard to form a cohesive country. Well perhaps the nation can learn from the East Indian still then majority how to make a new start in spring. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.
Guyana is derived from the old Portuguese word for black people. With the decline of colonialism, there have been as many as 6 nations basing their name on it. Neighboring Dutch Guyana now goes by Suriname. This is why South America in mentioned on the stamp, it does narrow 6 to three. After the end of slavery blacks were no longer interested in plantation work. Indian, called east Indians to differentiate from natives, were brought in to replace them and by independence were a slight majority of the population. This stamp shows the 1969 Phagwah Festival as something for the east Indians as you might expect. Today Guyana has repurposed the Hindu festival as multi racial celebration of getting along. Papering over troubles you may say, but would it be better to admit hatred? Here is a link to a government video of the 2019 festival, that doesn’t resemble the stamp much.. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=phagwah+in+guyana&qpvt=phagwah+in+guyana&FORM=VDRE
Todays stamp is issue A13, a 6 cent stamp issued by Guyana on February 26th, 1969. It was a four stamp issue in various denominations celebrating that years Phagwah festival. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents whether used or unused or which denomination.
As Britain started to wind down their colony in Guyana, a left wing party formed under east Indian Cheddi Jagan and a marketed as right wing party under black Forbes Burnham. Britain very much favored Burnham as they found it embarrassing when a colony went communist immediately after independence. Taking sides was futile, as both parties were communist the difference was really racial. In the late 50s, Britain was trying to put together a federation of their old African majority Caribbean islands. It was hoped they would be stronger together and Canada could replace Britain as their protector. People of African heritage in Guyana were in favor of such an arrangement. Cheddi Jagan was not, east Indians were a slim majority in Guyana and would be a small minority in such a federation. He vetoed Guyana’s involvement. From then on political parties were strictly on racial lines. Through gerrymandering Britain was able to turn Guyana over to Burnham as head of the black political party. After independence he declared himself also a communist and African style president for life. Guyana is quite poor and loses about one percent of it’s population a year to migration out. These are mostly East Indians, which are now a minority of the country. See https://the-philatelist.com/2018/02/12/british-guiana-going-independant-means-choosing-between-the-indians-and-the-africans/ .
The Hindu Phagwah Festival is an annual event to celebrate spring. The Festival begins with a nighttime circle around a bonfire where prayers are offered that one’s evil spirits will be burned by the fire. The next day is one where caste, age, and class are put aside for frivolity and the friendly spraying of colored water on friend, foe, and stranger alike. You are also to partake of food and a drink called bhang that contains cannabis. The next day is more sober and involves visiting in ones best clothes to cement new friendships.
Well my drink is empty and I am more used to whiskey in my glass than cannabis, so perhaps I should stick to what I know. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting