Dear Editor,
Nigel Dharamlall’s creeping return into the corridors of government power is nothing short of a national disgrace — a glaring insult to every woman in this country who has been told that her rights and safety matter. After resigning in the wake of rape allegations involving a 16-year-old minor, Dharamlall should have been nowhere near public service again. Instead, he now reappears at official government functions, rubbing shoulders with Ministers and taking part in consultations funded by taxpayers’ dollars, while those in power look the other way.
Let the truth be told plainly: this government has become an enabler of abuse. By refusing to draw a moral line, it has stripped the words “accountability,” “justice,” and “protection of women” of their meaning. Dharamlall’s rehabilitation into public life is not just a lapse of judgment — it is a betrayal of trust and a signal that political loyalty outweighs the rights of victims. It is an act of complicity masquerading as normalcy.
Where is the moral compass of those presiding over this shame? How can a government — led by men and women who have sworn to uphold the dignity of every citizen — stand idly by while a man once accused of such a heinous act re-emerges under their watch? More pointedly, where are the voices of the female Cabinet members? Where is Priya Manickchand, who hosted Dharamlall at Region Five consultations? Where is the outrage from the women in power who claim to champion gender equity?
There is a painful hypocrisy in watching these same leaders deliver speeches about women’s empowerment, commemorating international observances, and pledging zero tolerance for gender-based violence — all while turning a blind eye to this moral desecration within their own ranks.
Silence in the face of injustice is complicity. Silence here is the quiet permission that allows abuse to thrive behind walls of political protection.
Let us call this what it is: an ethical collapse. When the government rewards disgrace with access and engagement, it tells survivors that their voices do not matter. It tells predators that the party will protect them. And it tells every young girl in Guyana that justice is a luxury reserved for the powerful.
Is Dharamlall being paid for these appearances? Who authorized his participation in official duties? Why is he once again appearing alongside Ministers as if nothing happened? These questions demand answers — and the refusal to answer them will only confirm what many already fear: that this administration has abandoned moral authority for political expediency.
Guyana deserves leadership that defends women, not one that quietly rehabilitates their violators. The re-entry of Nigel Dharamlall into public affairs stands as a chilling indictment of a government that has lost its way — a government that has chosen comfort over conscience, and silence over justice.
Until those in power confront this outrage, until the women in Cabinet find the courage to speak truth to their colleagues, until morality is placed above political convenience — this country cannot, and will not, heal.
Yours truly
Hem Kumar
