Dear Editor,
In missive, ‘Playing politics or playing to the audience?’ (SN Mar 25), Dr Baytoram Ramharack quoted Moses Nagamootoo at a APNU-AFC rally in Richmond Hill (Mar 22) as saying he told Indians in New Delhi at a GOPIO award recognition ceremony that he was not Indian, but a Guyanese.
It is passing strange that Mr Nagamootoo, who fought racism against Indians in Guyana, would make such a statement to a respected and influential gathering in Delhi. Few fought racism and for racial equality in Guyana like he did, and fewer put in as many years as him in the struggle for the restoration of democracy against the PNC dictatorship. I recommended him for the GOPIO honour (Jan 2008) as I did earlier for President Bharrat Jagdeo and later for Mr Donald Ramotar for the PBD Samman recognition as well as for honours from GOPIO (2004 and 2015 respectively; President Jagdeo was also honoured in NY by GOPIO in 1999).
The GOPIO convention honours Indians for their outstanding achievements and/or contributions to society in various facets of life. The recommendation of Mr Nagamootoo for the prestigious GOPIO honour was on the basis of his Indian background – a prerequisite – for his immense contributions to national life in Guyana and to Indo-Guyanese in particular. The idea of honouring Indians in the diaspora was proposed and pushed by Dharamdat Durjan Sukhai (from Mahaica) and myself in discussion with Indian politicians (primarily from the BJP, including former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who launched the PBD in Jan 2003). It was to recognize Indians in the diaspora for their work in uplifting the lives of others. Mr Ashok Ramsaran, President of GOPIO and a Whim villager, like Moses Nagamootoo, was instrumental in convincing the GOPIO executive to honour Nagamootoo. Dr LM Singhvi, original convener of the PBD who met with Indo-Guyanese in NY and Guyana to discuss issues in connection with starting the PBD, as well as Lord Rana of the UK and Justice Minister Meira Kumar were all honoured along with Mr Nagamootoo that year for their contributions to the Indian diaspora. The organization would be disappointed to hear he does not define himself as Indian. Perhaps he needs to clarify his comment, because I recall reading a piece wherein he expressed pride in his ethnic heritage, and of an earlier visit he made to South India, where he traces his roots (a Tamil).
It is not un-Guyanese or anti-national or in any way a conflict to say one is Indian or Indo-Guyanese. Almost everyone in America, for example, is identified as a hyphen American. President Obama, as an illustration, refers to himself as American, African-American, Black-American, Kenyan-American (father’s nationality), Irish-American (his mother is of Irish, Scottish and Welsh descent), and bi-racial. President Obama met with his ancestral cousins in Europe and Kenya and proudly identified with his father’s tribe. Mr Obama did not tell his village hosts he was not of their tribe and he took part in ceremonies they organized for him during a visit. It does not make President Obama less of an American to say he was of African descent, and he did not run away from his multiple ethnic identities.
While it is politically correct to say ‘I am Guyanese,’ it does not define the ethnic identity of Guyanese, for we proudly proclaim Guyana is a nation of six races. So why would it be wrong for anyone to say he is African or Indian, or Amerindian, or Chinese? And there is no such thing as real American or real Guyanese or a real Canadian. We are Guyanese or Canadian or British (a national of those countries for passport purposes) by virtue of birth or naturalization; that does not identify our ethnic stock or origin. Saying he is Indo-Guyanese does not make Mr Nagamootoo any less of a Guyanese. Someone from Guyana can have multiple identities. For example, AFC leader Khemraj Ramjattan is Indian, Guyanese, Hindu, West Indian, Indo-Caribbean, and South American. Dr Ramharack can add to those identities, American, Indian-American, Hindu-American, and South Asian. WPA leaders Messrs David Hinds, Ogunseye, Eusi Kwayana, and other Afro-Guyanese are not bashful about saying they are Africans and Guyanese. Several Afro-Guyanese have traced their roots and are not ashamed to identify themselves with their tribes from Africa. The APNU-AFC alliance has been formed on the basis that the AFC (under Mr Nagamootoo’s charisma and popularity among Indians) can bring its Indian support to the APNU’s African and Mixed support to defeat the PPP. By discounting his ethnic identity, how would that help the strategically constructed racial alliance?
Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram
