Freddie incorrect on UG political appointees

Dear Editor,

In a recent commentary, controversial columnist Freddie Kissoon claimed that Forbes Burnham and the PNC never appointed Members of Parliament or politicians or politically connected to UG’s Board. He is completely wrong as evidence reveals. Although Freddie is not taken seriously by Guyanese readers, except by those who despise Indians or hate the PPP, his misinformation cannot go uncorrected or unchallenged. Hence, my response to set straight the UG record on PNC political appointments. Unfortunately, Freddie has a tendency of making unsubstantiated claims. And when corrected, he never issues an apology or heeds the correction. As the letter editor of his publication, he refuses to publish my responses. Freddie is not qualified to be editor of any publication (not a journalist) because of his inherent bias against people with intellect.

Readers, I spoke of how Freddie fabricates information and does not do much research to buttress claims or arguments. This is one of reasons, among several others they say why, Freddie was denied his doctorate at the University of Toronto and deported back to Guyana. It has been my experience in exchanges with Freddie that he does not comprehend what he reads and often misstates information and facts. Not surprisingly, Freddie is thoroughly discredited among Guyanese even among his closest friends and confidants, all of whom see him as a hustler for freebies. Even his publishing boss and his editor-in-chief poke fun at him, recognising him as someone who sings for his supper. Privately, his so-called friends say they have no respect for him, but they use him as an attack dog against Indians and the PPP. Readers will note that Freddie constantly attacks Indians.

On PNC political appointees on UG Board, minutes of a meeting held on March 3, 1982, reveal the following PNC Members of Parliament, Ministers or Cabinet members: D Ainsworth; V Burnham (Vice President Women Affairs); E Gilbert; Hammie Green (Minister of Sports and Deputy Prime Minister); Sase Narine (Minister). There were several others who were members of the PNC or closely affiliated with it – C Baird (Pro-Chancellor); LT Bowen; E Burrowes; Laurie Lewis (later Police Commissioner and the man who exempted Freddie from National Service hardship duties in the jungle); W A Davidson; K Denny; J Holder; C Jarvis; Rex McKay (legal adviser to the PNC); A Munroe; Malcolm Parris (PNC Election Commissioner and Minister); C Philadelphia; B Raghubir (later PNC Police Commissioner); L Scotland (not sure if related to Speaker Barton Scotland); SM Shakoor (friend of Burnham), G Sharma (Burnham’s man at Maha Sabha); J Sinclair; KA Yhap; N Younge and Havelock Brewester, among others. On a Board of about 29, Burnham appointed only four Indians and the two Opposition appointees were Indians. The composition of the UG Board was not much different prior to 1982 (from 1965) and did not undergo any significant change during the remaining tenure of the PNC (thru 1992). The ethnic composition of the Board under PNC tenure reveal virtually no Portuguese or White, occasionally one Chinese and one Amerindian and about 25 per cent Indians (who in the 1980s comprised about 55 per cent of the population thereby making them severely underrepresented). Under PPP tenure in office, Indians continued to be under-represented on the UG Board as PPP did not want to upset the apple cart. The few Indians on the massive Board did not speak up on matters affecting or supportive of Indians at UG. The PPP did not want independent Indian thinkers on the Board or anyone who was perceived as a potential competitor for political leadership of Indians. As a result, several Indian scholars were denied employment at UG or their contracts were not renewed. Several Indians in administrative positions left UG (Tain and Turkeyen) out of frustration over the difficult time they faced from the Board; they could not obtain support from the PPP Government to transform UG into a premier institution. Over the last year under the coalition regime, Indian and Amerindian students and intellectuals say they have found themselves in a worse situation now than under the PPP regime. The PNC (APNU) appointees continue to dominate UG Board. One Indian scholar noted that when reading the first edition of a publication, “Renaissance”, released under the new Vice Chancellor, they wondered whether “UG has no Indians or Amerindians”. Yet Freddie peddles misinformation on Indians and political appointments at UG. Freddie needs to stop his rewriting of history regarding the misrule of PNC.

The discredited columnist would do well to conduct thorough credible research before making claims. Or better yet, Freddie should not make pronouncements on matters on which he lacks intellectual scholarship.

Yours truly,

Vishnu Bisram