PNC applauded for bold policies on awards and UG Chair

Dear Editor,

I write to applaud the PNC led Government for boldly honouring its supporters and party financers at the recent national investiture ceremony. The party gave out 86 awards with just half a dozen to Indians who make up about 45 percent of the population. The party did the same last year and when it ruled between 1966 and 1992 primarily honouring its supporters and financiers; Indians, Chinese, Amerindians, and Portuguese were under-represented. When in office, the PPP largely failed to honour its supporters and activists who fought for the restoration of democracy and who displayed patriotism, as well as made significant contributions to the development of the nation. The PPP needs to learn from the PNC on how bestow recognitions on deserving supporters and financiers. The PNC boldly makes decisions and implement policies to benefit its supporters unconcerned about what others say or how it’s viewed (racially biased). The PPP lacked courage to make such decisions or implement policies to benefit its supporters.

I also wish to applaud the PNC led Government for boldly establishing Dr Clive Thomas Chair at UG. Dr Thomas served UG for several decades. But given Thomas’ bias against the PPP and the racial, as well as political division of the nation, shouldn’t the VC (Griffith) of UG make an effort for balance in establishing Chairs at the premiere institution? Besides Clive, several others like Prof Bishun, Father Malcolm Rodrigues, Paul Singh, First Vice Chancellor Prof Harold Drayton, Suresh Narine, etc, were institutions at UG. A chair for them should also have been named to bring racial and political balance.

When the PPP was in office, suggestions and recommendations were made to party leaders to recognise the significant contributions of several prominent citizens by naming streets, parks and buildings after them and even establishing Chairs at UG (Tain and Turkeyen). Some of these outstanding personalities even worked tirelessly for the PPP helping the party and country in various endeavours. But the party was uninterested in recognising their work, often seeing some of its own dedicated supporters and activists as opportunistic and displaying kulak or bourgeois tendencies. But the PNC has no problem honouring its own or naming sites and chairs after those who back the party.

Since the PPP has not been interested in recognising the work of its own, Prof Griffith should consider also establishing Chairs for others who made more significant contributions to UG and to the nation than Clive Thomas. How about Dr Jagan; he founded UG and many feel his economic vision is far more worthwhile and applicable to Guyana and the third world than Clive.

So how about a Dr Jagan Chair for Sustainable Development or a Dr Bharrat Jagdeo Chair for Climatic Studies, or a Dr Narine Chair for STEM, or Peter D’Aguiar Chair for Business, or a Dr Moses Nagamootoo Chair for Political Studies; Moses did struggle for 28 years for free and fair elections and subsequently for good governance. Give the nation racial and political equity recognising the contributions of the various groups.

Yours truly,

Dr Vishnu Bisram