Dear Editor,
I write to congratulate Dr Tarron Khemraj (SN, July 8) for taking a stand to promote scientific research in Guyana that is relevant to domestic needs. I also agree with him that the country’s only university (UG) should not just be a teaching institution.
Scientific research is a crucial component in the quest for knowledge and it has significant translational benefits to society.
However, for this to occur, scientific research, major components being public health, agriculture and food science, forestry, alternative energy, engineering and natural products, must become a national priority in budgetary allocations. These actions require visionary and bold leadership with zero political control over appointments and the scientific research process.
Guyana suffers from a curse of lack of visionary political leadership. The political masters, career politicians with vested interests to stay in office at all costs, did not recognize the need to plant the progressive seed of science that would have by now resulted in a much advanced country both in terms of economic and intellectual wealth. In contrast, India, about 20 years older than Guyana, blessed with visionary leadership to advance scientific research, is today a powerful nation, technologically and scientifically advanced. In Guyana, after more than 40 years after independence, successive governments continue to beg for financial handouts from other countries, most of our people live in iron-barred houses to protect themselves from criminals, while about 40-50% of the population left the country and others are leaving daily. Imagine that we still have an ethnic army and police force, and give a blind eye to widespread medical malpractice. Imported surgeons to do a couple of kidney transplants, a Chinese built sugar plant or mini-conference centre, or an Indian-built cricket stadium, foreign-built pontoon-floating bridges are welcome, but the government should be ashamed to create the perception that these represent progress.
With the seemingly insurmountable woes from the political mismanagement of Guyana, how can we even dream of scientific research? For this to happen, the people must be educated to become advocates. In this regard, the contributions from people like Dr Tarron Khemraj are needed. There also need to be NGOs to push for a scientific agenda and the political parties must be engaged. The people also need to understand that the current political mechanism of centralized control of power does not and will not promote scientific research as the engine of economic activities. There is a reason why countries with a federal system of states and political constituencies are superior in implementing science across communities. In addition to the federal government funding national projects, the states can do the same as they see fit. In Guyana, an authoritarian regime created a backward system of replacing names of places with a numerical prefix to the word ‘region.’ Example, Region 6, instead of the widely known name Berbice! Imagine an investor in South Africa looking at a map of Guyana on the internet looking for Region 6. My point is, for science and scientific research to be planted, watered, and tended to in Guyana, a lot of things must be addressed. To begin with, I recommend the government start drafting a science policy.
Yours faithfully,
Somadatta Mahabir Nandalall
