Dear Editor,
I did not seek the permission of any of the four ladies whom I will refer to as the “Golden Girls” of the formative years. However this short piece is not intended to be offensive or derogatory to any of the four who are now middle-aged professionals. My intention is to highlight the achievements and perhaps reminisce on the dark days of the mid 80s after Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham would have passed away. Those were days of uncertainty but four young ladies held their own, maybe because of their influential family background. Nevertheless, in all the uncertainties they would have progressed to become persons of relevant importance today, in a world that was dominated by men.
I would have been prompted to pen this letter because of the pronouncement of the Honourable Chief Justice Roxane George Wiltshire, when she ruled that the entire country is awaiting the resolution of the case and as such there will be no delays, after the Government had sought an order to stay the enforcement of the no confidence resolution pending the case that is before her. She stands by her principles, to judge fairly without fear or favour.
I think the year was 1986, I was a corporal attached to the Guyana National Service, Finance Division in Waterloo Street, then between the PSM Building and Guyoil. I was asked so often why was I in the National Service and only at the rank of a corporal. It was the expectation of many in those days that when an Indian man joined the Service he was expected to be an Officer. But like everything else in those days it didn’t work out, I did apply to be part of the Standard Officer’s Course but after the third round of interviews, was dropped without a word being said to me. My good friend, now Colonel Dwayne Jervis would attest that I deserved to be there with him. We were both interviewed at the same time.
I was honoured to have met four young ladies who were among others who were selected to do part of their National Service stint at the GNS Finance Division. The four were all friends or perhaps acquaintances who were attending the University of Guyana, I am not certain if they were all Law students but certainly two were.
The agile and petite Roxane George always endeavoured to do more. She had Law in her genes with her father being a former judge. She was a true example of a professional woman who would have lived to the expectation of those close to her. There was no doubt that she was on the path to achieve great feats. Today she is the Chief Justice of Guyana.
Shalimar Ali was pretty and quiet spoken. I remember asking her what branch of Law she was studying, she proudly said Criminal Law. I had doubts that she would have made it in the world of men, however she did. Today she is the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Ms. Singh, the only name I knew her by back then I was later made to understand she is Supriya Singh-Bodden. She was the brave, energetic and talkative one. She is today a successful businesswoman and a philanthropist who founded the charitable Guyana Foundation.
Melanie Burnham I think was the youngest of the lot, always meek and humble and brilliant in her own right. She was never comfortable with her bodyguard being around. She was a humble personality who had to endure many taunts and the burden of been called names on grounds of her father being President Forbes Burnham. At the tender age of 18 she was already at the University of the West Indies. I hear she now resides in the United States and is doing excellently in Finance and Accounting. She was never interested in Politics.
These are four women of worth who endured the challenges to be recognised in their field of expertise, they defied all odds to make themselves positive examples for this generation. They were indeed the ‘Golden Girls”.
Would they remember me? I doubt. I was just an insignificant corporal in those days.
Yours faithfully,
Jagnarine Somwar
