Dear Editor,
A pension working on behalf of the State (government) is an earned right. Very few Members of Parliament have been denied a pension in any part of the world. Former MP Isahak Basir qualifies for a pension but the PNC and PPP unjustly denied him his pension. Revolutionaries who fought dictatorships and returned their countries to democracy also became eligible for pension; if their countries were not dictatorships, the revolutionaries may very well have been MPs or serving in some government position. Thus, they qualify for a pension. South Africa grants pension and/or other benefits to ANC revolutionaries who fought apartheid. By nature of their struggle against dictatorships, they qualified for a state pension as if they served the state. The same principle applies to those who spent many years to fight apartheid/like rule in Guyana. Those who serve the state under minimum requirements and are not afoul of the laws should be granted their pension. However, several Guyana ex-Members of Parliament who met the requirements for a decent pension were denied it by the PNC dictatorship and the democratic PPP Government out of pure spite and/or incompetence from the PPP. A sad fact is those who did not fight for the restoration of democracy that saw the PPP returned to office after 28 years in “banbas” and who enjoyed the fruits of labour of the freedom fighter were the ones who refused to champion pension for those (like Balram Singh Rai, Dr Fenton Ramsahoye, Isahak Basir) who earned it.
A simple act of Parliament, passing a bill, would have granted these individuals their pension. The PPP refused to do it during its 23 years in office. So Basir and the others have been made to suffer – an injustice from a party that benefited from their struggle – the height of nimakharamism.
Basir is most deserving of a pension for his courage in fighting the ethnic dictatorship. He served in parliament from 1968 and was expelled for a just act against the Speaker who violated parliamentary norms. Had the Parliament a democratically elected Speaker, Basir would not have been expelled and would have served for decades in Parliament. More PPP members would have served in Parliament and in government positions and become eligible for pension if Guyana had free and fair elections. One must not forget the PNC Parliament was illegal – fruit of an illegal rigged election that resulted in Narine becoming Speaker. Thus, those served under the PNC in Parliament were/are ineligible for a pension. Basir qualifies for a pension by virtue of his service to the nation and for his years in the revolutionary struggle to restore democracy in Guyana.
A point is made that those who partook in the struggle for a minimum number of years (say ten) in the liberation of Guyana during the 28 years of PNC ethnic dictatorship should be eligible for a pension. That is a valid point. Individuals like Mel Carpen, Chuck Mohan, Arjune Karshan, Vassan Ramracha, Ravi Dev, Baytoram Ramharack, Joe Kanhai, Vishnu Bandhu, David Hinds, Ogunseye, myself, etc should qualify for a pension by virtue of rendering so many years of service to the nation fighting the dictatorship. I do not seek a pension for myself although I put in almost two decades fighting the apartheid regime. Other freedom fighters should get their pension.
The PPP has done them an injustice while PNC is presenting Bill in Parliament to give pensions to criminals from its party. The time spent fighting the PNC dictatorship would have earned the revolutionaries enormous amounts of wealth if they had joined the dictatorship or gone into private business or not neglected their education. They deserve a pension. Those who supported the PNC dictatorship should not qualify for a pension.
Please grant Basir his pension.
Yours truly,
Dr Vishnu Bisram
