Dear Editor,
We congratulate the government and people of Guyana on the observance of another Republic Day, celebrating the 52nd anniversary of that historic day. The pomp and ceremony were impressive, but where are the National Awards to deserving Guyanese, at home and abroad? We note that the National Awards were last given out in 2020 to sixty-six persons, including Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados.
The National Awards of Guyana are established under the Constitution of the Orders of Guyana. Over the years, they have served to acknowledge and recognize the contributions of Guyanese in various fields that include the arts, culture, politics, education, and science and technology, among others. At a time when there is interest in involving the diaspora in Guyana’s development, the Awards could play an important role in bringing Guyanese together, as well as strengthening the bonds among Guyanese everywhere.
National Awards have been used to good effect in other countries. In India, the Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Samman have been in effect for a number of years. The purpose of these awards is to celebrate the meritorious contributions of Indians at home, and abroad. They have also resulted in a better understanding of India, strengthening the bonds between India and its diaspora, and have led to significant investments in the Indian economy, and other important sectors to improve the lives of Indians. This is just one of many examples where Awards can have a multiplier effect.
The Government of Guyana may have valid reasons for not having the National Awards for the past two years, perhaps due to Covid-19. But there is no denying the fact that Guyana’s sons and daughters are excelling in every field of endeavour, and deserve to be recognized.
We suggest that for future National Awards, there should be utmost transparency in the selection process. For instance, it should be made clear as to which agency is dealing with the nomination of individuals, and a uniform set of guidelines should be set up for the nomination process online.
Finally, posthumous honours are good but the bestowing of National Awards while the person is alive to receive and appreciate it, is even better. Obviously, there are several persons of merit who deserve to be recognized, and many more who would be pleased with nominating such deserving persons. But for now, we are calling on the Government to please restore the National Awards, as a matter of interest to its citizens.
Yours faithfully,
Dhanpaul Narine
Ashook Ramsaran
