Dear Editor,
It is with a great deal of sadness that I learned of the passing of Cde Rohit Bisnauth Persaud, a former Chairman of Region Six (East Berbice) who rose to that position in 1992 after fair and free elections that were absent for nearly three decades. Cde Rohit as he was affectionately known served in the position as regional chairman for more than a decade. He was a dedicated stalwart of the PPP, an organization he served selflessly for nearly five decades.
Cde Rohit joined the PPP in the late 50’s while employed as an assistant administrator at the New Amsterdam Hospital. His passion for politics was fired by listening to a charismatic Dr Cheddi Jagan speaking at a public meeting in Main Street, New Amsterdam in 1957. He told me from then there was no turning back as he fashioned a career as a militant political activist. He studied political science in Moscow in a batch with Parag Sukhai, Premchand Dass, Roy Bissember and Sydney Joseph. He worked as a PPP organizer in East Coast Demerara, East and West Berbice. He would succeed Balchand and later Bolha Persaud to become the party supervisor in Berbice in 1974. In that period, he worked closely with Ranji Chandisingh who was Educa-tion and Assistant General Secretary of the PPP until 1976 when Ranji defected.
My youthful days of political activism in the late 70’s was inspired by Cde Rohit’s activism famous among those was the distribution of thousands of handbills to boycott the July 10, Referendum and Kill the Bill campaign at the Berbice Stelling and car parks. Cde Rohit was at his best during election seasons as he worked tirelessly organizing public meetings and political rallies. He was a foot soldier who helped solidify the PPP as a formidable political force.
Cde Rohit admired Dr Jagan with a reverence and was a strong believer in the Marxist philosophy that argued for the primacy of the revolutionary ideals of the working-class movement. He was an avid reader but earned his knowledge from practice. He was capable of giving impromptu speeches when called upon.
Cde Rohit came from a simple and humble family background and was never accustomed to any privileged or special treatment. As a local political activist, he served with distinction and dedication and lived a simple life. He was an unsung political hero in both political activism and public service a cause to which he dedicated his entire life.
Rest in Peace Cde Rohit your good work shall live on.
Yours sincerely,
Rajendra Rampersaud
