Dear Editor,
Guyanese have a way of saying that ‘every skin-teeth na laugh’, meaning that we should be careful not to interpret every smile as a gesture of approval.
In the same vein our posture may betray messages that inadvertently portray what we never intended. We should therefore be very careful that the ways in which we sit, stand, look and wear expressions on our face are all in consonance with the verbal messages we wish to convey.
In this regard I wish to refer readers to the photo carried in the media this week of the President of the New Jersey Arya Samaj meeting with our First Lady. The photo shows our First lady, Mrs Sandra Granger, sitting quite properly, lady-like, and obviously professionally making a point to the President of the New Jersey Arya Samaj, who unfortunately presents an ‘opposite’ posture of arrogance and disrespect especially with his left foot crossed like a ‘kick’ towards the First Lady. I have no doubt that the representative of the noble Arya Samaj Organization never intended to convey any arrogance or disrespect but that is what I and others with whom I consulted ‘interpreted’ from his posture.
It is for such very reasons for example that we are trained in sessions on ‘good manners, courtesy public relations and diplomatic behaviour’ to never cross our legs in such a way that our shoes point in the form of a kick towards persons with whom we are speaking. People in Eastern countries like India, the birthplace of the Arya Samaj movement, will never normally cross their feet in that fashion during interactions with others, especially elders, leaders and dignitaries.
Yours faithfully,
Nowrang Persaud
