(Extract of an interview with the late Dr Dale Bisnauth, Georgetown, Guyana, 2003. Dr Bisnauth was a former minister in the government; his other publications include ‘A Short History of the Guyana Presbyterian Church’, ‘A History of Religions in the Caribbean’ and ‘The Settlement of Indians in Guyana, 1860-1930’.

PP: “Proper words in proper places,” said Jonathon Swift, “make the true definition of a style.” In your Preface to this book, ‘In so many words’, you wrote: “The satirical style in this book was dictated by the need to be as veil and allusive as possible without being obscure.”
There was a time when Guyanese had to contend with ‘grumble level’ (your phrase) remonstrations against the ills in our society. But you took that grumble to another level; a few decibels higher, taking upon yourself the right to shriek. Let’s hear you shriek about your book, “in so many words.”
DB: Well, ‘In so many words’ is a collection of short pieces I prepared for the ‘Catholic Standard’ [newspaper] between 1980 and 1985; some eighty-nine pieces. What I have done in collecting these pieces was to provide a kind of a general background for the reader of the day, so they may understand the context in which these pieces were written.
With each piece, I have also provided some notes so the people nowadays could understand some of the things I said. The language, then, was veiled but the readership knew what I was talking about. In fact, the title, ‘In so many words’, had been suggested by a statement made to me by someone I knew very well, who said that folks in high places were reading my pieces, but I could get away with what I was writing because I didn’t say it in so many words that would get me into trouble.
PP: How much trouble was visited upon you?
DB: I did get into some trouble; once upon a time, I was silenced and people called me up to threaten me about my pieces. But I also had very good friends; persons I had taught at school … And if they had indication that trouble would be visited upon me, they would give me a shout: “Watch it!”
PP: All this is making me anxious to find out more. Please treat us to a piece in such a way that brings out what you were saying.
DB: Of course! I would like to treat you to a piece! This one is called horse plantains. And it was occasioned by the fact that there was a ban on the importation of wheat flour; this meant that bread and roti could no longer become breakfast. Plantains came more in use…
PP: You are a researcher, historian, author and minister of religion, minister of government, a former Minister of Education; literacy is part and parcel of your life. Literacy, according to one source, is “the state of being able to invest words with meaning; to read with understanding; to comprehend ideas expressed by others; and to use language to express one’s own thoughts and ideas.”
What does literacy mean to the economic wellbeing of a community, and to national development?
DB: Now that’s a huge order you are asking. But I will begin by saying that literacy must be seen in the context of education; and I don’t think anyone would doubt the value of education to the development of the country. If education is to be of any importance at all, it must be of economic importance to the country.
But apart from that, I think that democracy can only become real to us insofar as we have an educated population that can understand issues. If we don’t have an educated population that can understand the issues involved in national development, then we are in trouble; we could become the victim of demagogy, and can be easily manipulated by those who don’t wish us well at the national level, who, for selfish partisan interest, will lead us where they want us to go.
And I think that education is extremely important also for social cohesion; it is only so far as people can discuss issues openly in the newspaper, radio and television that we would not have this underground of dissatisfaction that operates at grumble level, and expresses itself as anti-social behaviour.
But I am persuaded, above all things, that education (and this is directly related to literacy) opens to us a new world; a world for the imagination and a world of the imagination should help us to live life that is much more full  than mere eating and drinking and sleeping and what have you.
Now, without literacy; without being able to read and write, we can’t develop our imagination. We are poorer as a people for that. So I think the quality and tone of society really depend, in large measures, on our people being literate.
Then, a number of us who have risen, if not socially but occupationally and the reason we have done so is because we have managed somehow to get an education and somehow we managed to be literate, and so that we could emerge from a state of nobody-ness, we could have emerged the sugar plantations from the rice fields to become somebody in society.
Now, I think, where we don’t have that mobility, then we will have trouble later on.
I, myself, I like to say I am a living testimony as to the usefulness of literacy. I didn’t go to secondary school, but today I hold a Ph.D. How did I come by my education? I literally read out the school library; I read out the libraries of all my teachers at the primary level; and I read my way to an education.
I really can’t imagine how people can do without reading; I can’t imagine how impoverished the world must be if they [the people] can’t read.
PP: Thank you for that insight into literacy and education, and for taking us through ‘In so many words’.
In closing, I paraphrase Mark Twain: Never allow schooling to interfere with your education. (To respond to this author, either call him on (592) 226-0065 or send him an email: oraltradition2002@yahoo.com)