Dear Editor,
It is not clear to me what Father Malcolm Rodrigues mean that the government should negotiate with the Lusignan killers. What should the negotiation be about if not the surrender of the killers in exchange for a fair trial. I don’t think Fr. Rodrigues had thought out carefully what he meant by negotiation and not surprisingly he has become a subject of harsh critiques.
I do not know Father Rodrgues very well. But I came into contact with him on a few occasions. Father Rodrigues is a brave, courageous man with a long track record of fighting in defence of civil and human rights. One should not forget that he was among those who were in the forefront in the struggle for the restoration of democracy in Guyana. He confronted Burnhamism fearlessly and he never hesitated to offer support to just causes even when it was a threat to his life. I remember him offering us support during the student uprising on the Corentyne in 1977 clearly upsetting the authorities.
He, like the late Walter Rodney, was an inspiration to myself and other student rebels with his pep talks. I vividly remember how he lambasted Burnham for violation of human rights at a rally in Port Mourant receiving thunderous applause. This set the stage for Rodney to ridicule Burnham’s authoritarian rule at the rally.
I met Fr Rodrigues a few times after that at U.G and at the diocese during the 1980s and early 1990s visiting Guyana from NY.
When many others (sociologists and political scientists) at UG were quiet, he (a physicist) spoke out against injustices continuing in the mould of our great historian Rodney. Fr Rodrigues was a great spokesman of CLAC and I am glad to see him back in the news offering his views on current social issues. I respect and admire him. He is resourceful, has a wealth of knowledge, and could offer a solution to intractable problems confronting Guyana.
Fr Rodrigues means well in his interview in SN and I am sure he will be an asset to problem solving especially as it relates to security on the East Coast. But he would need to flesh out more what he means by “negotiating or talking with the criminals”.
Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram
