Self-exiled Guyanese politician Balram Singh Rai, who was one the last major surviving figures of the pre-independence period and later famously clashed with the Jagans, passed away in the United Kingdom last week at the age of 100.
His official biographer, Baytoram Ramharack in a letter in today’s edition lamented his passing and related some of the history of the enigmatic figure.
“Rai rose to political prominence in 1957 after winning a seat to the colonial legislature as a PPP candidate by defeating Sydney King (Eusi Kwayana) in a close election for the Central Demerara constituency. He served as Minister of Education (1959-61) and later, as Minister of Home Affairs (1961-62). As a PPP minister, he respected cultural diversity, advocated for the liberalization of local government and promoted ‘balance’ in the police force through targeted Indian recruitment.
He played a major role at the historical 1960 Constitu-tional Conference in London where the issue of self-government was discussed (other delegates included Cheddi Jagan, L.F.S. Burnham, W.O.R. Kendall, Brindley Benn, Jai Narine Singh, Robin Davis and Rahman B. Gajraj). During his tenure, dual-control of Christian-ran schools was abolished. On February 16, 1962 (“Black Friday”), when British Guiana was in the throes of anti-budget demonstrations in George-town, led by Forbes Burnham and Peter D’ Aguiar, Minister Rai oversaw the crisis while every other PPP minister, including the Jagans, went into hiding. Mr. Rai countermanded an order by the police commissioner to shoot protestors if warranted. Had this happened, British Guiana would have descended further into a state of ethnic strife.
“Mr. Rai’s term as Guyana’s first Home Affairs Minister was short-lived after Dr. Jagan asked Governor Ralph Grey to revoke his ministerial portfolio in June 1962. This was subsequent to Mr. Rai, who was Deputy (Vice) Chairman of the PPP, being expelled by Dr. and Mrs Jagan, because of his refusal to retract his public statement that the Jagans manipulated the PPP elections for Party Chairman”.
Rai’s nephew, former Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag) Carl Singh believes that he died a “disappointed” man.
“He left Guyana an extremely disappointed man and I rather suspect he took that disappointment to his grave,” Justice Singh told Stabroek News as he confirmed Rai’s passing.
But Justice Singh said that he believes that his uncle will be remembered here for the outstanding Guyanese he was and the roles he played here.
“He had a full life. He was an outstanding citizen of Guyana and had tremendous political appeal. His contributions to the well-being of the Guyanese people and the development of our society, even though we were a colony then, was quite significant, Justice Singh said.
Former President and PPP General Secretary Donald Ramotar also paid tribute to Rai and express-ed condolences to his family. However, Ramotar noted that while Rai helped build local political parties here and was once aligned with the PPP, he [Ramotar] felt that Rai’s actions would later run counter to the PPP’s bid to govern the country pre and post independence.
“I was a child when he was a prominent person in the PPP. He played a pretty prominent role in the political life of Guyana . He will be remembered for fighting against independence in collaboration with the PNC, the British colonial power and the CIA,” he said.
In a remembrance, former political leader here Paul Tennassee said “I saw and met Balram Singh Rai in 1961 when he was Minister of Home Affairs at the Whim Magistrate’s Court. He impressed me because he visited on a Saturday and sat on the Magistrate’s bench and listened to the complaints of citizens regarding the police. Each issue that was raised he immediately called the respective police officers and dealt with the matter. It was my first year at Corentyne High School. Later, in 1964 I joined the Justice Party under the influence of my father Patrick Tennassee and Jai Narine Singh. In the 1964 elections, I was appointed at Strand Hotel in New Amsterdam, Secretary of the Justice Party Youth Movement. I organized and chaired meetings from Crabwood Creek to Mara on the Corentyne. During that time, I sustained extensive conversations with Rai concerning his experiences as both as Home Affairs Minister and Minister of Education.
“Rai made the case at the 1964 elections that the Duncan Sandys document that Cheddi Jagan had signed on to; facilitated the British imposing a proportional representation system. Under the system, Indo Guyanese could not muster 51% of the votes even if each Indo Guyanese voted for the PPP. Additionally, he pointed out that geopolitically the British and Americans were interested in an alternative to Jagan because of his embrace of Marxism-Leninism and his ties to Cuba and Moscow. He often casually remark-ed that he lived in a White House while Jagan lived in Red House in Kingston. Additionally, Jagan had made it clear that he would not coalesce with D’Aguiar’s United Force because that party was anti-communist. As such, Rai argued that the Indo Guyanese would not be represented in government for a very, very long time. He concluded that if a significant number of Indo Guyanese voted for him and he got a minimum of four seats; he would negotiate with the inevitable coalition that would take place to obtain the Ministry of Home Affairs and Agriculture. It was a strong mathematical argument. At the personal level, my disquiet with Rai was that on more than one occasions, he publicly stated that he was a `Rajput Born to Rule.’ That did not sit well with me.
“In the process of the 1964 elections campaign, Rai told us that win or lose, he would continue to lead the party and asked my father to resign his job as Overseer at Ulverston/Alness/Salton Local Government Office and move to Georgetown to manage that JP Head Office in Charlotte Street where we would live. I continued as Secretary of the Justice Party Youth Movement and sat as its representative on the Guyana Assembly of Youth that was chaired by George De Peana. Rai indicated that he would leave JP and Guyana to go to the UK. There was a significant falling out between him and Jai Narine Singh. Rai possessed and controlled the finance, vehicles and other properties of JP. Consequently, a JP Party Conference was held and Rai was expelled. Jai Narine Singh later lost interest in leading JP. The membership moved on and founded the Guyana Farmers and Workers Union”.
