Dear Editor,
I read with interest a letter published on Friday, January 2, 2024, Kaieteur News written by Narayan Persaud, PhD, Professor Emeritus, titled’ Do Henry Jeffrey and Vincent Alexander think that President Ali’s Indian ethnicity disqualifies him for the African Global Leadership award.’
Messrs. Alexander and Jeffrey are quite capable of defending themselves and dealing with what appears to be a mischievous article. Allow me therefore to deal with only one statement by the Professor Emeritus, Narayan Persaud. I quote from his letter, ‘ Burnham effectively appealed to racial differences in his break from the PPP, and his formation of the PNC.’
First, it is unfortunate and a dis-service to readers that a gentleman who lays claims to academia and scholarship should indulge inaccuracies and hyperbole. I was a young activist and present when it was decided to end this charade of two PPPs, Jaganite and Burnhamite. In 1957, it was these two parties that contested the General Elections as PPP Burnhamite and PPP Jaganite. Here is the absurdity, the demographics of our country then showed a substantial majority of the population over 21 years , were Indo-Guyanese, so why should an intelligent person who is Afro-Guyanese use race for their political advancement.
When the split came in 1957, the prominent Indo-Guyanese came out at the break on Burnham’s side. Burnham was leader of the PNC, Dr. JP Latchmansingh, an Indo-Guyanese, Physician was its Chairman and a prominent Indo-Guyanese Barrister-at-Law, Jainarine Singh was its General Secretary.
The writer Narayan Persaud, was careful not to mention that by that time that nasty phrase ‘Apan Jaat,’ meaning vote for your own race spread at the instance of known PPP activists like wildfire. The Professor must say which Party benefitted from this racial crusade and ethnic cleavage.
Fact not fiction and further I say not.
Yours truly,
Hamilton Green
Elder
