This proposition will only lead to further racially dividing our country

Dear Editor,

My letter to the media (Saturday, 29th January, 2022) drawing attention to the fact of the disgraceful management of the stage and sound at the National Cultural Centre (NCC) for the Indian High Commission Cultural Presentation on 26th January, 2022, was written in the hope that the Ministry responsible for Culture would investigate and rectify this matter.

I do not support Vishnu Bishram’s letter (Stabroek News 2nd February, 2022), urging that Indian Culture Centres should be established throughout Guyana. This will only lead to further racially dividing our country. It most certainly does not support the “One Guyana” vision of our President.

Let me remind that the NCC was built with funds assigned for the repatriation of Indian Indentured Labour and never used for that purpose. Then, former President Forbes Burnham, in anticipation of Guyana hosting CARIFESTA in 1972, in my view, quite properly used the funds to build a National Cultural Centre for all Guyanese and the Caribbean.

I agree with Bishram that there should have been recognition of the origin of the funds. It’s not too late to identify the source of the funds by a permanent display of Indian art and an appropriate commemoration plaque. If there are surplus funds from this source, then let’s use them to build Cultural Centres for the celebration of all of our culture throughout the country.

In fact, I have long advocated the need for well appointed theatres in all of our major towns, like the Lichas Hall in Linden, for our artistes to display their talent both local and national.

Yours sincerely,
Gem Madhoo-Nascimento