Dear Editor,
I write in response to Mr Green in which he stated that I distorted history regarding the use of the Indian Immigration Fund (Nov 26). I (Nov 25) engaged in no lies or distortions or fulminations or propaganda in my response to his missive (Nov 24). He did not identify any of the preceding claims in his retort of Nov 26.
I have no tiff or rift or quarrel with Green personally. I simply cited facts which are not in dispute. Mr Green has not disputed what I penned but has responded with his own clumsy fulminations that did not negate facts.
Green and I agreed that the Indian Immigration Fund (IIF) was established to repatriate indentured Indian immigrants and their British Guianese-born children. The fund was left unused in the colonial state and later the independent state national treasury. Indian organizations, not the state, became custodians of the fund.
In the 54 years since the pushback by Indians against use of the Indian Immigrant Fund (IIF) for construction of the National Cultural Centre (NCC) has been in the news, Mr Green never disputed the fact that it constructed the NCC until this week when he claimed the fund was only sufficient for 5-10% of its construction cost. It was always accepted that the IIF was used to build the NCC with not even Burnham or Maha Sabha or the names he cited (Nov 25) questioning the fact. Now, Green has changed his story telling us that it was the seed money that was needed for the construction of the edifice. What other information did he withhold?
It is a fact that leaders of Indian organizations (Dharmic, GYO, IBS, etc.) met and agreed to use the IIF for construction of regional cultural centres. Upon learning of the plan, Burnham coerced Maha Sabha, which was aligned with him, to support his plan to expropriate the fund for construction of the NCC. Maha Sabha lost it legitimacy by aligning with Burnham. Burnham used the endorsement of the Maha Sabha and ignored the opposition of all other Indian organizations to expropriate the fund.
Guyana became a severely racially polarized nation from 1954. Indians supported Jagan and Africans and Mixed people supported Burnham. After the rigging of the 1968 elections that denied Jagan and the PPP their legitimate accession to office, racial polarization was at its epitome in 1970 when the decision was made to confiscate the fund. It was no surprise that Indians railed against its illegal use and rallied against the expropriation of the fund and the coerced endorsement by the PNC aligned Maha Sabha to build the NCC. Maha Sabha and a Muslim organization that aligned with Burnham were blanked by and alienated from the Indian community until a few years ago. They became fringe outfits that could not speak for or represent Indians.
Dr Jagan and the PPP supported the construction of a national cultural centre but not with the IIF. He came out against the expropriation of the IIF. Dr Jagan, de facto leader of Indians, supported the plan by Pt Reepu (Dharmic Sabha) and leaders of other Indian organizations that the fund be used for construction of regional cultural centres. It was the right thinking. Most Indians lived away from Georgetown and it was not considered as a location for a regional cultural centre. The proposed cultural centres were to be constructed in rural areas in the heart of the Indian communities as it was the money left behind by their ancestors. The IIF was sufficient to build these regional centres.
I gently ask Mr Green: If your ancestors left funds behind and the government expropriated it to build a cultural centre in Ankerville, Port Mourant or Bath Settle-ment, or Black Bush, or Enmore, or Leo-nora, or Anna Regina, in the heart where Indians are settled, how would he feel?
One cannot undo the NCC or recover the fund. But people from Berbice, Corentyne, Essequibo, West Coast, West Berbice cannot access the NCC. At a minimum, justice can be served to people living in outlying areas by giving them access to regional cultural centres to be built by the state since that was the idea of the use of the fund by leaders of representative Indian organizations.
I agree with Green that only the truth will make us all free. The truth and facts are stated above!
Sincerely,
Dr Vishnu Bisram
