Dear Editor,
Congratulations are in order to the Government and people of Guyana and all who participated in the historical visit of Shri Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India. In a few weeks he travelled to Africa, South America including two days in Guyana where he met with leaders of CARICOM countries. Every Guyanese inspirited by his presence have been given a reason to visit India. It could be female cricketers for training; those interested in business but mostly those with a spiritual yearning to take a special dip in the holy rivers. A significant number also have a keen interest in tracing their own history but cannot do so unless the records of the family can be obtained from the archives in Guyana. This group includes those residing outside Guyana which has the largest Diaspora at 36.4% as of 2020 according to a U.N. population division.
A significant number of these have been trying to trace and visit the actual villages where their ancestors left from May 5, 1838 to 1917. The few who have been able to do this are fortunate and rarer still are those who have developed a continuing arrangement and return regularly to assist the poor in those villages. Those who recently visited the archives in Guyana indicate that the condition of the records needs to be preserved from further decay. One set is readable, another set needs a special machine to make them readable while another set is beyond repair and this number is increasing each year.
It is equally appropriate in 2024 to salute the government and the armed forces of Guyana for their recognition of the contribution that Captain Michael Charles made to country. Mike voluntarily shared his life, knowledge and skills with all Guyanese and the world. He was one of the few who could through his late great grandfather, Moses Rampershad (1897-1999), trace his history to Varanasi also known as Kashi,(formerly Benares) one of the oldest and holiest cities in the world. Shri Narendra Modi happens to be the representative for this district and has been elected 3 times from this constituency to become the Prime Minister of India. As recently as October 2024 the Prime Minister inaugurated numerous developments projects in the area including sports projects and airports. Our local hero thus shared something in common with an international leader much respected by his global counterparts.
It is difficult to explain why in a country where 40% can trace their ancestry to India cannot put this subject on the front burner and treated with the respect it deserves. There are regular outreach meetings with Ministers where it can be broached. There are weekly press conferences where only oil and gas seems to matter. Where are all the investigative reporters in the print, radio and TV media who should ask about the broken promises going back as far as 1992 to preserve and make these records available? Hopefully the authors of the book on our late Hero will find space for his connection to Varanasi and that by the next anniversary many can sit at a computer anywhere in the world and like him trace their villages of origin in the most ancient of civilizations, Bharat that is India.”
Sincerely,
Ramnarine Sahadeo
