THIS letter was sent to KN in response to an unwarranted and unsubstantiated attack on my character by one Tyrone Talbot (KN Aug 17) but it was not published. Professor Selyn Ryan and John La Guerre note in their essays that usually when someone, like Talbot, calls others “racists”, they are usually the ones who are the true racists. One can discern from the scurrilous lies and distortions and the anti-Indian venom penned by Talbot that he is the racist.
His vilification of me is in reality an attack on freedom of the press and on Indians calling on KN to censor my writings. Yet he feels his attack on Indians must be published.
Talbott said NACTA is a farce and its recent poll showing the PPP winning the elections do not reflect reality. All he needs to do is quote NACTA’s past polls and measure them against the actual election results – and then tell readers what he found. Is it almost 100% correct or totally wrong?
Talbot attacks me for exposing rape and the suffering that took place during the dictatorship believing foods were never banned in Guyana and there were no rapes during the dictatorship. He never condemned the murder of political opponents.

Here is a guy who was quick to embrace Hamilton Green and said we must investigate what happened in Guyana during the PPP reign from 1957 through 1964 but has the audacity to say he is not political.

I don’t know if this guy has any relationship with the PNC UN Ambassador, Rev Talbot. I googled “Tyrone Talbot” and was initially taken aback by what I found at http://www.stabroeknews.com/2009/archives/03/02/%E2%80%98i-was-treated-worse-than-guyana%E2%80%99s-most-notorious-criminal%E2%80%99/; but not sure if he is the same character.

Talbott says he did research at Medgar Evers. A good academic is trained to present both sides of an argument and to be fair and balanced. Talbot displayed none of these qualities. Talbot admits he relies on “a propaganda press” to define me. Which self respecting academic uses propaganda to pass judgment on others? Was this part of his college training and what he imparts in any teaching?

Talbott parades as a Caribbean American activist but he exhibits no knowledge about the Indo-Caribbean community in Queens and accuses me of doing research only on Indo-Caribbeans. That is not factual. And even if it is, what is wrong with my focusing on my community. Talbot focuses on his – his research is only on one community, not Indians.
Talbot demonises NACTA because it originates in the Caribbean Indian American community. Does that make it a bad organization? Talbot states that NACTA is not representative of the racial composition of Caribbean teachers in America. NACTA never purported to represent all teachers of Caribbean ancestry.

But our members are Caribbean teachers, etc. and we have a right to form our group. We don’t object to others forming their own teachers’ group. Why does Talbot ignore the reality that there are several ‘Caribbean’ American entities in New York City that don’t represent everyone of Caribbean ancestry with examples being Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CACCI),  Caribbean Nurses Association, Caribbean Women’s Health Association, Caribbean American Breast Cancer Organization, Caribbean American Medical Educational Organization, etc. There are no Indians or Hispanics in them.

NACTA is not a taxpayer-funded organization like those that received funding from the PNC government in Guyana.

NACTA does not seek or reject recognition or affiliation. It accepts fair criticism and will defend its right to exist just like how Talbot defends his group to exist. NACTA does not have exclusivity over polling or teachers. There are teachers associations of all ethnic stripes in NY. Anyone is free to form an organization and conduct poll. Dick Morris and Cadres did in Guyana and their findings were flawed.
The election will determine the accuracy of NACTA’s latest poll.