Dear Editor,
It is with a great deal of sadness that I received the news of the passing of Father Malcolm Rodrigues. He was a gem of a human being always caring, kind, approachable but moreover a strong defender of people’s rights. His academic achievements were many but his true strength was his ability to stand firmly for the principles he believed in. His passing is a great loss to the Guyanese society.
I knew Father Rodrigues as a child growing up when he was attached to the St Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church opposite my home in Portuguese Quarter, Port Mourant. In the early 70’s, Father Malcolm Rodrigues, along with Father Joseph Chira and Father Michael Coutts joined the staff as teachers at the Corentyne High School. Father Rodrigues later left to become a lecturer in the Physics Department at the University of Guyana. Father Chira, a US graduate with a Masters in Chemistry was arbitrarily transferred to Houston Community School during the PNC days of witch-hunting of militant teachers in the Corentyne in the late 70’s. He refused the transfer and became a full time Jesuit at the Roman Catholic Church in Port Mourant.
In 1977, teachers in the Corentyne went on strike over the dismissal of Chetram Singh, a Guyana scholar in mathematics. The strike was also supported by thousands of students. Fr Malcolm, an active member of the Civil Liberties Action Committee, brought well known historian Dr Walter Rodney to speak at a public meeting at Port Mourant in solidarity with the striking teachers. Months later he would lead the Friends of Sugar Workers Committee to raise funds for striking workers who were involved in the 135 days general strike against the sugar levy that denied the workers profit sharing. Fr Rodrigues never lost his touch with the Corentyne despite living in Georgetown.
Fr Rodrigues held very senior positions at the University of Guyana such as Deputy Vice Chancellor, Dean of the Natural Sciences Faculty and Head of the Physics Department. However, he was always militant with the workers’ struggle and fought against the intolerable conditions at the University while serving as Chairman of the University of Guyana Workers Union in the 90’s. Conditions at the University improved for a period while Fr Rodrigues served as Deputy Vice Chancellor.
Father Rodrigues campaigned strongly for the return of fair and free elections to Guyana and was actively involved in the work of the Electoral Assistance Bureau in 1992 and subsequent general elections. He also provided ample support to Fr Andrew Morrison to ensure the publication of the Catholic Standard when the Chronicle stopped printing the paper during the infamous referendum.
Fr Malcom gave evidence before the commission of inquiry into the death of world-renowned historian Dr Walter Rodney and laid blame for his brutal assassination squarely at the feet of the Burnham’s administration. The last time I met him he was actively involved in raising funds to rebuild the section of the St Joseph Mercy Hospital destroyed by fire some years ago. Not only was Fr Rodrigues’ activism in civil and political rights far-reaching but his social consciousness was second to none. This was exemplified by the countless number of things he did and organized in poor and depressed communities. For his work Fr Rodrigues never looked forward for any praise or publicity and remained simple and modest.
Rest in peace Father your good work will never be forgotten
Yours faithfully,
Rajendra Rampersaud
