Dear Editor,
In the novel “The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” James Joyce, the writer, introduces the term “Non-Serviam”, meaning “ I will not serve” as a statement from Stephen Dedalus, the main character of the novel.
Stephen declares, “I will not serve that in which I no longer believe whether it call itself my home, my fatherland or my church: and I will try to express myself in some mode of life or art as freely as I can, using for my defense the only arms I allow myself to use—-silence, exile and cunning.”
I think of the playgrounds of some of the politicians of Guyana and of some of the leaders in religious organisations helping us to lose our faith in our country and our religious persuasions. We look for decency. We look for honesty. We look for official quality leadership. We do not want to find sugar coated vulgarity in those who are empowered to have a say in our lives at the secular and religious levels.
I am no longer a young man but I have yet to say “Non-Serviam” unless it be on the basis of poor health conditions. But I do see a lot of sense in expressing myself in a wonderful mode of life… reading and writing poems.
Yours faithfully,
Krishna Nand Prasad
