Overseas-based Guyanese applauded for contribution to restoration of democracy
I write to applaud those overseas-based Guyanese who contributed significant amounts of their valuable time and cash to struggle for the restoration of democracy in Guyana. Life has been a real struggle for immigrants eking out a living in America and the fact that some Guyanese could commit time and scarce money for the restoration of democracy in their former homeland is a demonstration of their abiding love and commitment to Guyana. They were/are patriots in every sense of the word and deserve full praises for their work. Instead, what we get are attacks and criticisms from people like Freddie Kissoon who never seem to appreciate what overseas-based Guyanese have done for Guyana. Kissoon always seem to denigrate the contributions of and put down overseas Guyanese in his columns. Without the contributions of people like Arjune Karshan, Mel Carpen, Dr. Baytoroam Ramharack, Vishnu Bisram, Ravi Dev, Chuck Mohan, myself, and so many others, Guyana may still be a dictatorship and people like Kissoon will not have been a columnist free to attack others with whom he disagrees.

Last week, Kissoon wrote that Vishnu Bisram must be a wealthy man to spend his own money to fund opinion polls in Guyana. One does not have to be wealthy to support or fight for democracy. One needs a kind heart and commitment to a cause and be willing to put your pocket to it if you believe in it. Bisram and Dr. Ramharack, both of whom I have known since 1977 as students at CCNY, were committed to the restoration and institutionalization of democracy in Guyana. They were/are not wealthy individuals. They are simple, ordinary, humble, working class individuals. They don’t lie and pretend to be anything other than themselves and they don’t misrepresent the views and writings of others. They spend money to support worthy causes. Like myself, they spent thousands of dollars of their own money in the struggle for the restoration of democracy in Guyana. Thus, it is not a shock to me, as it is a shock to Kissoon, that Bisram spent his own money to conduct polls in Guyana. I am a NYC teacher. My brother, Rennie, a political scientist, and a NYC teacher, and I travelled to Guyana and Trinidad (and on occasions Tobago) on our own funds to assist Dr. Ramharack and Vishnu Bisram with their polls. Ravi Dev also used his own personal money to travel to and throughout Guyana to assist with the TRPI polls. Others travelled with us from NACTA from NY and Trinidad to assist with the polling in Guyana and Trinidad.

Kissoon has been raising red herring that has nothing to do with polls. Who funds the polls, websites, and NACTA have nothing to do with the findings of the polls. Respondents don’t answer interviewers’ questions based on the funding of the poll or whether the pollster has a website. Bisram is a credible pollster and people answer the polls’ questions based on his reputation and credibility.
VASSAN RAMRACHA