Dear Editor,
While I make no attempt to defend the policies of the Government of Guyana, I take very strong exception to the views espoused by Colin Bascom on behalf of the executive of JIG-UK (Stabroek News Jan 17th 2007). I will not deal with the multitude of issues raised (they are too numerous to be dealt with effectively in one letter) but will concentrate on two issues enumerated: discrimination and scholarships for the Indian Diaspora.
Reading the missive, one would think that Guyana is in a state of apartheid! This is far from reality; I am not one to deny the feelings of individuals, if indeed they perceive that they were discriminated against. However, the stark reality is this: many Guyanese of all ethnic persuasions have experienced discrimination. Was the form of discrimination racial? For sure! Is this the overriding embodiment of discrimination in Guyana? I think not! Is the Government of Guyana (read PPP) the only entity that is culpable of such actions? Hardly! The elites of the Guyanese society come in all hues and types; these are the individuals and entities that have the social, political and economic advantage to perpetuate such acts! As such, it is preposterous to even think that the Government of Guyana and the state machinery (essential part of the government) are collectively bent on subjugating the “other”, to the point of “writing them out of the history books, present and future,” as the letter writer alleges. To compound this, the author accused an entire section of the population of hegemonic behaviour; this is absolutely unjust. The sad reality is that the common person (of whatever ancestry) faces varied challenges and discrimination (from the government, state machinery, private/public institutions, businesses, individuals); discrimination is not exclusive to one particular ethnic group in Guyana.
Interestingly enough, instead of being above reproach when presenting the allegation of state sanctioned discrimination in foreign policy (re: India), the letter writer castigates, and I would posit, demonises the Government of India for, among other things, creating a scholarship program for the Indian Diaspora. The veiled but carefully crafted disdain within the letter exposed the inherent prejudice of the author! This was coupled with vilification of the Government of Guyana for accepting this source of educational funding. The author (Bascom) failed to rise above the level of intolerance and bigotry that he alleges are the characteristics of revisionist writers as it relates to the history of the peoples of Guyana. The truth be told, many students of all racial persuasions have studied in India through scholarships offered by the Government of India and administered by the Public Service Ministry (PSM) of Guyana. Further, there is absolutely nothing diabolical about the Government of India wishing to institute a scholarship program for the Indian Diaspora; this is not done at the detriment of the numerous other initiatives that exists for all Guyanese through the auspices of the said government. There are numerous scholarship programs, the world over, which target a specific group for various reasons. This fixation on the most trivial of matters does not help in fostering an open, nurturing and caring Guyanese population. I think it should be celebrated that there is this additional source of educational funding because in the end, it frees up scholarship spaces (Government of India, OAS, Commonwealth, and LASPAU, among others). Thus, it increases the opportunity for success for those vying for the limited numbers usually available by decreasing the size of the competition pool. Instead of going on a vitriolic rampage, it would have been constructive for the author to outline the potential benefits that may be accrued and how we can maximise it to benefit the entire populace.
Yours faithfully,
Kowlasar Misir
