WITH regard to the controversy surrounding the Oliver Tambo Award for the late fascist dictator Forbes Burnham, the racially humiliating experience of Indians, Whites, Amerindians and Chinese under Burnhamism is enough reason to disqualify him for the prestigious honour.

People don’t seem to understand or want to relate to the sufferings of Indians and other ethnic groups at the hands of Forbes Burnham and the PNC dictatorship between 1965 and 1992. I have travelled far and wide and met many Guyanese of all ethnic backgrounds in the diaspora as far away as New Zealand, Australia, Tahiti, San Francisco, etc. and they all
related different experiences of racism and or oppression they suffered
under Burnham. Indians, Whites, Chinese, and Amerindians were victims of racist rule.
It was not easy for Indians to survive without their traditional cultural diet (foods roti, dhal, channa, alou, etc. that were outlawed by Burnham and the PNC) or having access to paraphernalia  related to their religious practices, or being victims of state-sponsored criminal acts. One must not also forget that Indians were targeted for kick down door robberies. If researchers talk to Indians, they would hear stories of real sufferings. Burnham encouraged criminal activities against opponents. One incident revealed to me was of Burnham telling a rally: “Comrades who mined the gold? Comrades, who now owns the gold you mined?  Comrades what are you going to do to get back your gold?”  It was a clear enunciation nudging people to attack Indians.
Such an individual does not deserve any international honour.
Burnham was a racist and the architect of an apartheid state in Guyana
during the dictatorship. Dr. Jagan and freedom fighters described
Burnham’s state as fascist and apartheid like. It was a minority
government, which was not different from Rhodesia and Botha’s South Africa. The Oliver Tambo award is meant to honour people who fought racism and apartheid rule.  It would be immoral to give Burnham an award for opposing apartheid in South Africa but establishing apartheid in Guyana.