Dear Editor,
We need to applaud those non-Guyanese who played a significant role in focusing attention on human rights in Guyana during the dictatorship and who also contributed to the struggle for the restoration of democracy as well as provided media services for Guyanese in NY. Two such non-Guyanese recently passed away and we owe a debt of gratitude to them for their pioneering efforts in entertaining Guyanese as well as providing news to them in NY.
Although they are not Guyanese-born, Gopaul Raju and Brij Lal, from the print and broadcast media respectively, had a tremendous impact on the lives of the Guyanese community in NY. They provided coverage on and about the Guyanese community at a time when it was virtually impossible to obtain information about Guyana. The two gentlemen made their media accessible to the Guyanese community, socialised among Guyanese at their community events, especially in Queens, and sympathised with their struggle during the dictatorial era since the 1970s.
Raju and Lal were media men of humility who loved their work. They were veteran journalists with several accomplishments and impeccable credentials. They were incredible human beings whom I met and interacted with at various events since the 1970s discussing human rights in Guyana. They were influential vices in the media. They responded to my appeals to bring awareness of rights abuses in Guyana during the dictatorship.
Raju’s weekly newspaper provided coverage of Guyanese events in NY and gave some news about Guyana.
Lal’s radio and TV programmes provided entertainment for Guy-anese airing Bollywood songs and dances and carried birthday requests. I interacted with both men regularly educating them about Guyana and the immigration of Guyanese to NY. In conversations at social events, I appealed to them to focus attention in their media on Guyana and assist us in the struggle for free and fair elections. They learned about human rights abuses in Guyana during the dictatorship and quickly became sympathetic with the struggle for the restoration of democracy in our former homeland.
Raju encouraged me to write about Guyana and offered to pay me for my services and it was his newspaper that helped me to sharpen my journalistic skills. I penned many articles on Guyana and on Guyanese in NY that Raju published. Raju hosted a fundraiser for Dr Jagan around 1990 at which many prominent businessmen were present. Lal used to praise Guyanese for maintaining their ancestral heritage and culture.
When Dr Jagan was elected as President, Lal carried radio coverage of the events and interviewed Jagan live on the air. Raju also carried articles on fraudulent elections and focused several pages on Dr Jagan’s swearing in as President. At memorial services for both media pioneers, Guyanese community leaders paid tribute to them for being an important source of information and for their attention on the Guyanese community. Essequibo businessman Ramesh Kalicharran noted that at a time when news on and entertainment for the community were scarce during the 1970s and 1980s, Raju and Lal filled the void.
“They allowed us to stay in tune with our homeland and culture and for this we are eternally grateful.” The selfless sacrifices and contribution of both Raju and Lal to the lives of Guyanese will be sorely missed.
Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram
