Dear Editor,
That Chris Brown is coming to Guyana has been greeted with much enthusiasm in some quarters, chief among which is the government, but castigated in others such as Red Thread and some women’s groups. This international entertainer is coming to Guyana because the Tourism Minister says so; he is coming because of the grand idea of boosting Guyana’s tourism product – whatever that is. The fact of the matter is Guyana has no tourism product, but the Minister is trying desperately to compete at the level of his Caribbean counterparts to lure tourists here – something that is not going to happen. Guyana first has to get a product before experimenting with entertainer-type tourism. Bringing an entertainer like Chris Brown is a colossal mistake, because he is going to take more than he can infinitesimally give back to this country. The sight-seeing trips, not forgetting the gifts (gold is bound to be one of them), all expenses paid that would have to be borne by the struggling taxpayer would be the result of his coming. Guyana can ill afford this at this time of our existence. Our Caribbean neighbours can attest to this fact.
However, they can persist with this annual venture due to the fact that they are at a higher level – or what I would call a different tier – of the tourism product. Guyana is nowhere close to the first tier, far less at this tertiary level.
What the Minister, who thinks he knows about tourism, needs to embark on is the development of the primary product that would make tourists want to come to Guyana. This is a gold mine area for Guyana the information relating to which the Minister was furnished with and has at his disposal, but to date is turning a blind eye. I hope when he reads this letter he would see the light and work towards the development of a billion dollar industry in a sustainable way.
But I digress; my main message is to expose the gross hypocrisy of people and its government. The controversy which surrounds the Chris Brown visit stems from the domestic abuse of his girlfriend Rihanna. Brown was given community service which is a punishment of sorts, in addition to which the said girlfriend had forgiven him, something these women do in the name of love. But here you have a man who had no real punishment for such a horrible crime yet would be welcomed into Guyana without much ado. Dr Vishwamintra Persaud, a Guyanese, made a similar mistake in the United States, was duly punished for his crimes, and has since relocated to Guyana to make a contribution to society but was debarred from doing so right here in the country of his birth. Dr Persaud because of political and other foolishness was denied practice in the land of his birth. If this is not hypocrisy at its highest level, then tell me what is. Here we have a man who did the crime and was punished and cannot be pardoned and given a second chance in his homeland. Yet, an American who did practicably no time can walk into Guyana and take more than he can give. If Chris Brown can perform in Guyana then Dr Vishwamintra Persaud should be granted a licence to practice.
Show me someone who hasn’t done wrong in his or her whole life and I will call you a blatant liar. I again make the appeal, and the Medical Council has the law on their side, to reinstate Dr Persaud so that he can continue to save lives, so that he can give back to society.
Yours faithfully,
Neil Adams
