Dear Editor,
Stabroek News carried several news reports, three editorials and countless letters on the Sherlina Nageer-Bheri Ramsaran matter in which the latter (PPP/C Health Minister) verbally abused the former (opposition-affiliated activist) two weeks before the elections. Yet when a group of opposition (now government) affiliated supporters verbally abused Swami Aksharnanda, a Hindu man of the cloth, the paper did not see it fit to report it as news or editorialize on it condemning the behaviour of the abusers. The paper condemned the behaviour of the Minister and rightly so, as I and the Swami also did, but SN has not condemned the behaviour of those supporters of APNU for uttering worse remarks against the religious figure. For whatever reason, when one of the highest-ranking Hindu figures in Guyana was attacked almost to the point of being physically assaulted, the paper did not see it fit to report on it or to condemn the behaviour of the attackers – not a single commentary from SN. And I will be most surprised if the paper carries this missive condemning the behaviour of those APNU supporters against an iconic Hindu religious figure. The Swami is not only an eminent figure in Guyana, but he is also held in high esteem in North America, throughout the Caribbean, England and India. It is unprecedented that a religious leader was attacked and the leading newspaper chose to be silent about it.
Swami Aksharananda was taunted with racist remarks that were election related nearly two weeks after the election, and a week after David Granger was sworn in. He was hotly pursued for almost the equivalent of a street block until he boarded a speedboat and the attackers only stopped after the boat left the dock. Others looked on in horror. And not one decent person had the courage to castigate or reprimand the attackers for their behaviour against a religious figure. Several other APNU supporters were in the vicinity and they were laughing when the Swami was being abused. Is this the behaviour of normal people? Where is our sense of decency? What kind of society are we building when we are mere spectators when someone not of our race is being abused? Where is the moral outrage that was so vociferously expressed after the Nageer incident?
And why haven’t the Western diplomats, who condemned Bheri for the Nageer attack, not been in the forefront of condemning the behaviour of those who attacked the Swami?
It should be noted that unlike the Nageer episode, in which the Minister contended he was provoked as was indeed shown and written about in news reports, the Swami did not engage anyone. He did not provoke anyone. This was a far more important episode than the Nageer matter. The Swami minded his own business. And he gently told the attackers he did not wish to engage them. He is a religious figure. He should have been left alone. A Swami is the second highest ranking Hindu title, the equivalent of a Bishop in the Christian faith in Guyana. One has to show respect for religious leaders regardless of one’s faith and religious differences.
I should note that Swami Aksharananda was a member of the WPA during the late 1970s and 1980s organizing political meetings and leading the charge against the PNC dictatorship. He worked closely with the late Walter Rodney, Eusi Kwayana, Rupert Roopnaraine, David Hinds, Nigel Westmaas, Bonita Harris, Clive Thomas, Karen DeSouza, etc. Not one of them has seen it fit to condemn what happened to Swami. Not one public interest lawyer, not even Chris Ram, has seen it fit to file a public interest charge against the attackers.
As I indicated, since the paper finds the attack on the highest-ranking Hindu leader is not worthy news, I doubt it will carry this letter condemning the behaviour of the racist attackers and all those who were silent as well as those who were cheering the assault. Clearly, not much has changed after a change in government.
Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram
Editor’s note
We had no reporter on the scene which Mr Bisram described, and as a witness, it seems, he did not call us after it occurred so we could have covered it in a news report. As such, there could be no commentary on it.
That aside, reprehensible though the incident as related by Mr Bisram was, it is not in the same category as that involving Dr Bheri Ramsaran and Ms Sherlina Nageer, since it was a private matter. The Minister of Health in contrast was a public official in a very senior post who threatened a woman in the most demeaning of ways in full view of the press. Unrepentant, he then repeated his remarks at a workshop subsequently. His statements were so outrageous that they fell far below the standard required of any public official, let alone a minister of government, and there isn’t a democracy in the world which would not have required his immediate resignation.
