Dear Editor,
A letter in Guyana Times (August 26, 2016 edition) penned by the leader, Paul Nehru Tennassee, of the now defunct DLM; provides evidence of the collaboration and cooperation of the PNC and PPP to emasculate and demolish independent minded thinkers during the struggle for the liberation of the country from the PNC dictatorship during the 1980s.
It appears that both parties saw independent movements and organisations and thinkers, like Mr Tennassee, and even others like myself, as a direct threat to the domination, if not existence, of both major parties.
Editor, those of us who were involved in the liberation struggle abroad were also opposed by groups affiliated with the PPP. Rather than collaborate with us or cooperate to fight the PNC, the enemy of democracy, the PPP often fought those not under its control who were involved in the struggle to restore democratic rule in our nation.
The Tennassee letter makes reference to recorded minutes of a UG Board meeting in 1982 in which only one independent person, former Justice KA Juman-Yassin, was the only one to vote against a motion to terminate the employment of Mr Tennassee. The Board, of some 29 members, was largely dominated by PNC appointees, including several of its Members of Parliament. Tennassee was denied the principles of natural justice when he was fired from UG. Rex McKay and other illustrious lawyers were PNC appointees on the board; they did not vote against the measure under which Tennassee was not given a hearing – a violation of an oath to be a lawyer. Two PPP appointees, Navin Chanderpaul and Feroze Mohammed, a MP, also did not vote against the motion and that was most disturbing.
This action of PPP stalwarts took place right after Dr Walter Rodney and Father Darke and other activists were murdered. So many of us were beaten and threatened that we had to run away from Guyana.
The referendum was rigged and the new Burnham constitution was foisted on a nation without its approval. Jobs were difficult to obtain. People were being employed based on political affiliation and ethnicity; Indians were hardly employed in government jobs. And yet the PPP did not see it fit to instruct its two appointees to vote against the job termination of Tennassee. Ironically, both Chanderpaul and Mohammed were themselves victims of termination from their appointments at UG.
One would have thought the Vice Chancellor and the Dean of Social Sciences, both supposed professionals, would have voted against the motion especially that they raised objections in the manner Tennassee was being suddenly fired and without a hearing and without any knowledge of fabricated charges against him. Hamilton Green and Viola Burnham were members of the Board and present at the meeting.
The DLM leader was not an imposing threat against the PPP in its Indian base. One, therefore, cannot fathom why the two PPPites – Chanderpaul and Mohammed – would be silent on a motion against this illustrious son of the soil putting him on the bread line. One cannot understand why the PPP did not oppose the firing of a freedom fighter like Tennassee, even if there are ideological differences.
This PPP’s action betrayed the spirit of those of us involved in the resistance struggle against the PNC ethnic dictatorship. As Tennassee stated, this only strengthened the resolve of Tennassee to continue the struggle for justice and restoration of democratic rule in Guyana, and it further motivated the handful of us in the US in our resolve to champion human rights causes and the resistance against the PNC dictatorship.
As Tennassee wrote, Juman-Yassin was an inspiration to him because he stood up for justice, unlike the others on the UG Board – “soup drinkers”. Tennassee claimed he “was kidnapped, blindfolded, interrogated and terrorised on February 9-14, 1984” because of his activism against Burnhamism.
Tennassee said there is no bitterness in his heart against those PPPites and PNCites who violated his work rights. But he did note “It is sad that these individuals have been provided rewards, accolades and pensions for hurting so many Guyanese”.
Editor, the behaviour of some figures in the PPP and PNC reveal we are very far from building a decent society free from hate and the principles of natural justice. As an aside, Ravi Dev was treated like an enemy among PPP activists when he tried to advocate for equality for Indians – the leadership saw him as a threat and attacked him in the most debasing way, worse than how the PPP attacked PNC.
But Ravi has no hatred in his heart for PPP figures. Given what transpired under Burnhamism, PPP should not have seen us as enemies but as allies in the fight against a common enemy that brutalised the nation.
Others like Tennassee, and myself are willing to forget and forgive for being victimised and attacked by the PPP leadership. When will those characters who hurt Guyanese of all ethnicities express remorse for their evil ways? They should come forward and say sorry to the many of us who were and still are being ill-treated. PPP should have embraced freedom, independent freedom fighters and not see them as competitors.
Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram
