Dear Editor,
Dr. Yesu Persaud was not a politician. Not into party politics. But to put an end to the era of dictatorship and rigged elections – to make the transition to ‘Free and Fair Elections’ – Yesu did not hesitate to throw his whole body and good offices into the fray. At that critical juncture of Guyana’s history – a now or never moment – Yesu became a towering Statesman. In 1991, I was part of a NY-based group, meeting with the Deputy Asst. Secretary of State, Donna Hrinak, at the State Dept. in Washington DC. And, right at the beginning of the meeting, she sort of announced to us: “Yesu Persaud was here yesterday”. And, when someone in my group said, ‘Yesu might lose his job as head of a State-owned company’, Ms. Hrinak said, “Oh, that’s not a problem for him, he has many other good options”.
That was no ordinary thing for a businessman of Yesu’s standing to make his way to the U. S. State Dept. He knew the source of power, the power to change things in Guyana lie with the U.S. State Dept. For whatever Yesu’s lobbying effort was worth, he was determined to leave no stone unturned. This event illustrated the full measure of the man. He knew where his priority, and the priority of the State of Guyana, intersected. And he will spare no effort to make things happen. One of the takeaway messages about Yesu’s life is this: No matter what work or career you make your livelihood in, don’t be detached from the civic life of your nation. You don’t have to be a front-line activist but please be involved at some level. That’s how Guyanese will be able to make Guyana a great nation where democracy and rule of law will reign.
Sincerely,
Mike Persaud
