Dear Editor,
It was completely appalling to see such a high level of misconduct by Persaud during his assignment in India. I watched the video in disbelief that this was taking place. More stunning is the lack of response on the part of the Government when the matter occurred over a year ago.
Persaud should have made the Government immediately aware of the situation, so that they could have dealt with it in a timely manner. If they were aware and chose not to do anything, then that is another matter, for which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would have to be held accountable.
At the end of the day, His Excellency did make the correct call. This sort of misconduct should never occur in the future, and those appointed to such a post should be shown this video as part of their training: as to what not to do when in a confrontation while representing their country.
There is obviously a training gap in the national diplomatic corps and among the Government-appointed executives. Persaud’s behaviour does remind me of some other high-profile appointees whose behaviour has resulted in a similar cry for change. There is room for significant improvement. The Opposition could not have planned this better themselves, and the cost is our nation’s relationship with India, the motherland of most of the population, and the support base of the current Government. We must be more vigilant and mindful of how we move forward. I am confident that our nation will recover its good name.
With concern,
Jamil Changlee
