Dear Editor,
The Dharm Shala, now 104 years old, was founded in 1921 by Pandit Ramsaroop Maharaj, and is today managed by his heirs Kella Ramsaroop and Pamela Ramsaroop.
It is the nation’s oldest charitable institution that caters to the indigent and vulnerable seniors of all ethnicities in Guyana. Chris Ram is correct to note that $1M (Guyana) is mere pittance when measured against the important and necessary work the non-profit organization has done for more than a century. The picture of seniors waiting to be served by the President during the Christmas luncheon is quite telling. In fairness, the President pledged to expand the “subvention” and “make two other interventions during the course of the year” in support of the institution. The Dharm Shala will do great work with an increased, and permanent subvention each year.
I would add that a former PPP Minister, Balram Singh Rai (1921-2022) who served both as Minister of Education and Minister of Home Affairs, had never received his Parliamentary Pension, despite his many requests to the PPP and PNC governments (Kit Nascimento once mentioned that he had a similar problem). Before Rai’s death, he had asked that his pension (quite a hefty bit at today’s value with compounded interest), should be donated in its entirety to the Dharm Shala. Anil Nandlall had promised to address the parliamentary legalities which can make this miracle happen.
Sincerely,
Baytoram Ramharack