A LETTER written by Associate Professor Lomarsh Roopnarine in your Thursday May 22 edition caught my eye and, upon perusal of same, I ask your co-operation in publishing my letter, which provides some information that may help to provide some elucidation in the Professor’s quest.

According to Dwarka Nath (A History of Indians in Guyana) a Committee was formed by the then Government in 1966 (year of Independence) to decide on how these funds would be utilised. It is understood that the Committee recommended that 3 cultural centres for the benefit of Indians, whose ancestors had opted not to be repatriated but to stay and build this country, to be established in the three counties. In December of 1969, representatives of the 5 main Indian organisations were invited to hear of the then Forbes Burnham Government’s proposals. They were told by the Minister of Health, whose ministry was responsible for the funds, of the intention to establish a National Cultural Centre for all races, and not East Indians alone. This did not find favour with the representational organisations.
Among those Organisations “consulted” were the Mahatma Gandhi Organisation/Gandhi Youth Organisation, the President of which was Shri Raghunandan Misir, but the General-Secretary, late Dr. Balwant Singh (Snr.) was given the task of representing the MGO/GYO.
The Organisation instructed Dr. Singh to convey its vehement objection to the government’s proposal and Dr. Balwant Singh (Snr.) began an energetic lobby and campaign against this injudicious use of the funds and called for East Indians to voice their opposition to the construction of the National Cultural Centre with the Indian Repatriation funds.
The Burnham Government proceeded with their plan, notwithstanding the strident opposition of a majority of East Indians, even after the construction and opening of the NCC, Dr. Singh and the GYO continued to advise East Indians to boycott it, with a fair degree of success.
I am not aware of how much of the funds was actually used in that construction, but I would like to ask the Professor to request the precise information he seeks from the Government through the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, from the National Archives, as I am not hopeful that the Indian High Commission in Guyana can assist with any useful information.
On the eve of our 48th Independence anniversary, this letter may serve as a reminder to our younger citizens of a sordid chapter in our history.

CHRISTOPHER PERSAUD
Former Senior Vice President, Gandhi Youth Organisation