I read with alarm certain comments attributable to Sase Narain, a former Speaker of the National Assembly in a governmental structure that came into being through electoral fraud, intimidation and oppression, and which made his Speakership possible. Narain’s comments related to the illegal recording of a conversation between the Attorney general and a very deceptive Kaieteur News reporter.

Notable among Narain’s comments reported in the Kaieteur News of November 2, 2014, are that ‘the People’s Progressive Party has always been vociferous in its quest for absolute domination……………………… Narain said that the AG’s actions reflects government’s obsession with dominating the media.’ This man Narain, in the sixties and eighties was described by the PPP as a ‘PNC stooge’ and ‘a PNC puppet.’ Every year he continues to pay homage to Forbes Burnham\ham (to whom he has much to be thankful for) on the anniversary of the latter’s death at Burnham’s mausoleum.
But on his view of domination, I need only to remind this Brahmin, well known for a taste for fine liquor, coarse language and the free use of expletives that it is domination by the PNC which he conveniently ignores or pretends to forget but which was best captured in the statements of Desmond Hoyte who is on record as having said, in response to a question about his perception of the role of the PPP in opposition, that ‘that main minority interest group must understand that it is in their best interest to cooperate with the government (PNC) of domination of the media, I am willing to send Sase Narain, copies of the Guyana Chronicle of the seventies and eighties, to refresh his mind, on the vulgar abuse of that newspaper by the PNC and its indecent coverage of PNC as opposed to government information, but then the declaration of Sophia which I am sure comrade Speaker, Comrade Sase Narain also comrade Attorney-at-law well remembers, the established policy of the day that the government was subservient to the PNC and was the PNC Party executing agency. Talk about domination! Oh my, comrade Sase Narain, you have obviously forgotten but then it is an accepted fact that aging is accompanied by memory loss. I would also like to remind comrade Narain of the famous Liberator Party case, where that party took the Guyana Chronicle to court to contend that that newspaper was discriminating against it by refusing to carry its advertisements. I recall a court upholding the claim of the Liberator Party. Did you not see these signs comrade Narain? They were the signs of absolute domination.

The most insensitive statement reportedly made by Sase Narain however, was ‘Nandlall’s actions do not shock me. Look at the persons they are putting in these prominent positions.’ Inherent in that statement, assuming Narain has been correctly reported; (though I have not seen a correction or denial) is Sase Narain’s elitist class bias, prejudice and arrogance. Sase Narain, a well-known character of many dimensions during the years the PNC ravaged this country, considers himself to have been suited for the Speakership of the National Assembly, but Nandlall as Attorney General? No, not Nandlall, an unknown Indian coming from humble beginnings and who has his origins in Mon Repos/Annandale who but for his professional reputation was a virtual unknown. The office of Attorney General was held by Ramphal and Shahabudeen, well known upper class Indians. But Nandlall, Narain disgustingly says, ‘just look at the kind of persons they are putting in these prominent positions’. Never mind Nandlall is bright, vibrant and energetic in office, never mind that his is well read and articulate, never mind that as AG he has been an achiever, never mind that he has shown tremendous political acumen, qualities Sase Narain is prepared to ignore.

To reflect on the implications of Sase Narain’s comments is to sicken the stomach but that was the feeling of many in Guyana when mention was made of the name of comrade Sase Narain during the tarnished years of PNC paramount, with which comrade Sase Narain was intimately involved.

SIDDHU SINGH