No one can dispute that Seeraj and the late Fazal Ally made enormous contributions to the rice industry.

The people who critiqued and attacked the RPA and Mr. Seeraj were praising them when the paddy prices were $6,000 per bag. I will not expose their names but they are a bunch of opportunists who would sell their souls for money and position rather than act on principle like some of us who fought the dictatorship.

The number of protesters at picketing exercises in front Parliament Building by rice farmers was often small. Sometimes a few of us stood picketing while police dogs were set upon us; we were laughed at and scorned. I remember one individual the ultimate opportunist, who never participated in a picketing exercise because of the fear of recriminations from Burnham. Today, that individual is fighting down the RPA for its leadership position.

He wrote the harshest critiques on Mr. Seeraj and Parvati Edwards and there are many more examples of individuals who owed the RPA million of dollars who have reversed their positions on Seeraj. There is nothing wrong in changing one’s positions on issues or about individuals. In fact, I believe Mr. Seeraj deserves the highest praise for changing this organisation into a business oriented one.

But in reversing one’s position on how one feels about Seeraj, is it done for opportunistic reasons to facilitate appointment to a position by the opposition? Challenges and problems are there for us to overcome, when we meet together and work in a civilised manner
MOHAMED KHAN
Former RPA Extension Officer