The secrets of some people who have to remain untouched until…
Kaieteur News – I get inquiries every year from people who want to know about this or that person or event. Many emails would contain useful information about things, places, events and people for a long time, some of which have never been published and cannot be published in case of libel.
The examples are numerous and space would only allow for one percent. I got an email from a Guyanese living in London who was a close colleague of a certain controversial and racist trade unionist. I found out about the betrayal things this trade unionist has done in the past that remain secret to this day.
The information is very detailed, and I was advised to contact three well-known people, all of whom are of advanced age. Only one of them found him in trade union circles and showed him the email.
I simply do not have the time or resources to pursue many of the things I receive, and in many cases, it is difficult to find information because many of the advanced age people are in lands foreign. I was told that a former newspaper salesman is nearing his nineties living in Annandale, who has knowledge of many of Eusi Kwayana’s racist acts when they were both young.
It turns out the man no longer lives in Annandale and lives in Lusignan. I am not going to repeat the racist disiscretions about Kwayana in the 1960s that the gentleman described. I’m leaving it at that for now. To me Kwayana is an iconic failure but these things need to be recorded. A caveat is in order. Many politicians of those days were the Indian version of Kwayana.
Once I’m alive and writing, I’ll record history. The generations to come need to know the history of their country. Of course, you must avoid a libel track when writing about those who are still alive. Nothing in Guyana is more ubiquitous than libel grudges. You can find more libel writs in Guyana than the national flower – the Victoria Regia.
Before I move on, a libel verdict was recently introduced which is of immense value to the media and political society. He passed without being exposed. Justice Gino Persaud at the time denied Minister Annette Ferguson an injunction against the Guyana Times and then Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo. Every Guyanese should read his delivery. It is based on a sound philosophical view of society’s right to know in circumstances where that information is important to society. There is no space available, but I will return to it in a future column.
Back to the recording of history. Those who are alive will sue for exposure of the grave wrongs they have committed. Those who committed many such wrongs and are dead, the present generation needs to know their wrongs. Former Chief Justice Ian Chang has died. Former GRA Chief Minister Khurshid Sattaur has died. Former army commander Godwin McPherson has died. Many of the lieutenants of Burnham and Hoyte who violated people’s rights have died. Of course, Hamilton Green is alive.
I have no problem with people issuing extravagant praises about prominent Guyanese; that is their right. As a social activist for over 50 years, a media activist for over 32 years and an academic for over 40 years, I know things about my country that must be passed on to future generations. I will write because I know that is my obligation to history and my country.
I will finish with a few encounters. I was at the northern entrance of Movie Towne waiting for Charandass Persaud, who was from Berbice. I was standing at the entrance when a car with a young man and a young woman drove up and stopped. The gentleman greeted me, identified himself as the son of the late GRA boss Khurshid Sattaur, and said he was happy that I had written about his father, telling me he had nothing against me.
Then I asked for $ 72,000 from the young man. I told him that his father owed me. In his chapters of persecution, he left all white-collar workers in Guyana and all AS lecturers and demanded that poor souls like me pay property tax go back seven years. Christopher Ram did the work for me for free. I ended up paying $ 72,000 to GRA. I couldn’t have afforded it and it was wrong what Sattaur did to me. His son has promised to pay. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper.)