Op-Ed: Did India Send a ‘Big Gun’ to Guyana to Rebuild the Bridge It Just Burned?

By Randy Gopaul

Dr. Shashi Tharoor is in Guyana, and what a treat it is.

The Indian Parliamentarian, author, diplomat, and public intellectual arrived in Georgetown today leading an all-party delegation. His presence is an intellectual breath of fresh air, a rare kind of statesman whose eloquence and global stature command attention. For those of us who have followed his career and admired his voice on international diplomacy, development, and postcolonial justice, it’s thrilling to witness him on Guyanese soil.

And yet, his timing is almost painfully ironic.

It’s hard not to see Dr. Tharoor’s visit as India sending its most brilliant son to rebuild a diplomatic bridge that one of its own judges just helped set ablaze. Just weeks before his arrival, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) handed down a ruling on May 2, 2025, aimed at reining in Venezuela’s lawless aggression against Guyana’s Essequibo region. The court voted 12 to 3 to impose new provisional measures forbidding Venezuela from conducting elections or preparations for elections in Guyanese territory.

Among the three dissenting votes? Judge Dalveer Bhandari of India.

Let that sink in. A judge nominated and supported by a government we’ve rolled out red carpets for, spent millions to host, toasted with garlands and cultural fanfare, voted against Guyana’s sovereign rights. It was a betrayal not just of diplomacy but of dignity.

In 2024, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi graced Guyana with his presence, he was treated like a liberator. Taxpayer dollars flowed into extravagant ceremonies, cultural exhibitions, and breathless political speeches. Modi was lionized as the face of Indian-Guyanese solidarity, a symbol of shared democratic values and diaspora pride.

Now, less than a year later, that symbolism lies in tatters. Because while Guyana begged the international community to defend its territorial integrity, India, through Judge Bhandari, aligned itself with silence and strategic ambiguity. In Caracas, they cheered. In Georgetown, we blinked in disbelief.

Enter Dr. Tharoor. What must he think of the spectacle? Here is a man whose intellect dwarfs most of the PPP cabinet, who will soon be shaking hands with those who spent lavishly to impress his prime minister, only to be cast aside when it really mattered. Tharoor’s visit will surely be marketed as a message of friendship and solidarity. But one has to ask, solidarity with whom? With a nation whose judges now vote against our sovereignty? With a government that trades old promises for new political expediencies?

The PPP leadership, of course, will pretend nothing is wrong. There will be more smiling photos, more flags waved, more rhetorical paeans to “shared values.” But beneath the surface, the trust is fractured. Friendship is not defined by state visits or ceremonial dances. It is measured by action when it counts. And on May 2nd, India failed that test.

Let us not be naive. This is not the first time Guyana has been played in the theater of global diplomacy. The British made sure long ago that our house was divided, stacking the population to ensure that the descendants of enslaved Africans would be politically outnumbered. That legacy still drives our politics. But we must not let historical manipulation blind us to present betrayals.

So welcome, Dr. Tharoor. We are honored to have you. Your visit is a balm to wounded pride. But let’s not confuse your brilliance with your government’s loyalty. We hope you enjoy the fanfare, just know that for some of us, it now feels a little forced.

Because while India sent you to rebuild goodwill, it also sent a message through the ICJ: when it’s Guyana versus geopolitics, we are expendable.