Much has already been said about what happened at the Guyana Institute for Historical Research conference last Saturday at the National Library. I suppose everyone has something to complain about. But what astonishes me is the extent to which the above named persons have gone to distort the facts by both commission and omission. We need to be candid about several aspects of what transpired on June 26.
The conference was running smoothly and was quite productive until the Kissoon panel. The morning panels were substantive and, for the most part, research and data driven. No wild political statements were made by anyone. The organizer of the conference publicly thanked me for making the segment successful. Please check the records.
Some people in the audience loudly criticised Kissoon as he rose to speak, and then left. To the best of my knowledge those persons did not return.
What Andaiye, Westmaas, Abrams, Desmond Trotman and Kissoon himself have not told you is that Kissoon’s so-called paper was no academic paper at all. The UG lecturer presented ten minutes of extremist rhetoric that would not be acceptable in any academic conference anywhere in the world. The presentation was an absolute embarrassment to the organizers.
Despite the inflammatory appeals to race by Kissoon, he received a resounding applause from Mark Benschop and a few of the persons named above. They were the only ones who applauded. It appeared that others were flabbergasted at Kissoon’s intellectual atrocity.
When Kissoon finished his little but diabolical speech, the chair, Dr. Thomas Singh, opened the floor for questions. A few soft balls were thrown to Kissoon in order to allow him to elaborate on his nonsensical claims. He obliged with even greater depths of nonsense. At that point three persons indicated they wanted to ask a question. They were Denise Simmons (of UG), myself, and Charles S. Ramson. Thomas recognized that. But then out of nowhere, Benschop started hollering at the top of his voice that I cannot be allowed to ask a question, and that he wanted to ask a question.
Astoundingly, Thomas Singh who had indicated to Benschop that he did not have his hand up, decided to let Benschop get the floor before myself and C.S. Ramson. They were wildly supported by Desmond Trotman and company.
The WPA people started to shout at the top of their voices for Ramson and myself to sit down. They know themselves. We did not, and proceeded to ask our questions. I was allowed about six words when Thomas Singh stopped me and asked if I was finished. I got as far as the following – [would Kissoon describe his data …?]. Singh refused for me to continue.
When C.S.Ramson began his question he was repeatedly interrupted by some of those very people who wrote a long letter in KN – “What happened at the National Library is an insight into the lengths the state will go to control and stifle dissent” (KN, June 29). Incidentally, Ramson’s question was about the balance of the panel. They are the ones, along with Benschop, who did not want any questions to Kissoon. They are the ones who want Kissoon to be the front man for their new rhetoric of ideological racism.
One final point on the National Library event is in order. When Thomas Singh reversed himself (under intense pressure) and gave Benschop the floor, the man from the Independent Party said that he won’t ask the question but “this strongman” will. Benschop was not standing alone. Earlier in the day Tom Dalgety had asked five questions in a row. No one complained.