THE story of Mr. Roshan Khan, one of Guyana’s most renowned and respected businessmen, is filled with determination, hard work and commitment.

This exceptionally exceptional business entrepreneur has a motivated and disciplined personality which had stood out in stark contrast with his peers since childhood. Thus it is hardly surprising that he was able to take a $7.50 capital investment and an old motorcycle and turn same into a national security network that serves all ten regions and has created in excess of 1,000 job opportunities to date.

One of the first names that come to mind when persons think of security firms in Guyana is R.K’s Guyana Security Services. But despite its name, not many know the story of the man behind the successful security firm RK’s Corporation and Business Group, and his arduous road to accomplishment.

His birth name was Kamal Krishna Lall, and he was born on April 1, 1955 to parents Awad Chandra Lall and Laifan Haniff in Nigg Settlement, Corentyne, Berbice. At the tender age of two years old, his parents separated, and this had a decisive influence on the development of his character and persona. His mother later remarried to his adopted father, Mr. Issahar Khan, a businessman/trucker with whom he grew up.

He had some traumatic childhood experiences that were laced with violence by those who were supposed to be close and should have been showing him love and care. He was even called harsh nicknames for years, and was told that his head and nose were too big for his body and were exerting an effect and pressure on his heart.

For him, his mother was the great equaliser and protector; for, without her, he doesn’t know if today he would have been alive, or been able to achieve the things he has, or would have had a caring and loving personality, or been able to demonstrate loving care for humanity regardless of status.

His mother’s gentleness and positive influence made it possible for him to be kind, helpful, considerate, and be a good listener. At age 18, and about to migrate to pursue his studies in Canada, he decided to change his name to Roshan Khan. He chose the surname Khan to honour his adopted father, on whom he depended financially. Roshan was a name chosen by his mother for the meaning of Light of Wisdom, Light of Character, Light of Leadership, and Princely Light.

He had a very adventurous boyhood, as any typical country boy would, growing up in Corriverton and in Skeldon, Berbice. Mr. Khan grew up with eight siblings, which he describes as an amazing experience. According to Mr. Khan, he was never really subjected to sibling rivalry; but, from time to time, he felt as though much pressure was on him, being the eldest, and the little ones always looked up to him and followed wherever he went. He always had to be Mr. Perfect.

In the mornings, after prayer, the children would have to collect “cow mould” for their mother to mix with mud and shine the bottom house. They sometimes caught fish with hooks, lit a little fire and roast them, then ride their bicycles in the evenings.

During the Easter season, it was an adventure for him and his selected friends to go in the backdam and get paste (pastee) to make their kites.

This particular individual was extremely different from other boys his age. He has never tasted alcohol, except to dip his finger into it and place it against his tongue, only to remark, “Alcohol is not made for drinking but for lighting lamps,” and this made him very unpopular among his peers. However, he had an experience that still haunts him to this day: Someone who should have been loving and kind gave him four to six glasses of hard wine one after the other, while he was consuming alcohol with his family and friends. (While interviewing him, I could see the pain on his face from this incident, even as a grown man celebrating his birth anniversary).

He even mentioned that as he matured as a youth, he started to fast on his birthday, as this was a time of pain because even his biological father had never remembered him.

The same father who promised to give him a bicycle when he was 9 years of age and promised to send it by the Guyana mail van but never did; and for two years or more, Roshan kept looking out for the mail van every morning at 10:00, hoping it would stop and deliver his bicycle. This, coupled with so many other experiences, while painful, built his endurance to take pressure and his vision for great accomplishment. He kept seeing himself one day as being a great success, the leader of peoples, and being an example to people in society.

He was called many names and was taunted frequently, since he did not give in to peer pressure. However, he never allowed those pressures of “bullyism” to affect him, and he remained unwavering in what he thought was best.

His interest was very unique, and consisted of assisting the elders and the mentally ill. At the age of eight, he started a stamp collection, since no one in the community he knew ever thought of collecting stamps. Mr. Khan pioneered stamp collection in his community, and that encouraged teachers to encourage their students to start collecting stamps. When asked why, at the age of eight or nine, he would start collecting stamps, he would say: “I learnt geography, countries and cities, and I looked them up in the atlas/map-book.

“I would learn history as I checked the history of the countries and learn of presidents, kings, explorers (space and earthly) etc.” It helped to develop his general knowledge, for example, Mygar Posta was and is Hungary. Yugoslavia is no longer in existence, it is divided into several nations; and the same goes for USSR/Federation of the Russian Republic.

For those who found this boring, it was an intellectual stimulation and growth of wisdom. It caused him to reflect on the earth and the heavens and evolution of human and animal species.

At the age of nine, he started a coin collection, which he still has and hopes to donate to the National Museum of Guyana or to an international museum. To this day, he still has a very rare coin of Guyana, minted when Guyana had only two colonies – ‘Essequibo and Demerary’. The coin is dated 1816, and Berbice, the county of Berbice, was not in existence at that time.

He was always a lover of the camera, and up to this date, he can still always be seen with a camera.

Mr. Khan attended the Skeldon Anglican School (now Corriverton Primary), and later moved on to the Tagore Memorial High School. He was always a dedicated and outstanding student, in early high school, he won the Skeldon Estate Essay Competition and was involved in the debating group, exhibition group, and marching and drilling group.

Being the only lad in his area that attended typing school, where he was successful in passing Pitman’s Examinations in Typing and English, this aided him in his studies in Canada years later.

After high school, he attended the Macdonald Campus of McGill University in Canada, where he qualified in Police Technology. He was supported by his adopted father and his mother for the first two years of college. However, he also had to work part time in a library, and at restaurants as a bus boy and waiter. To raise funds, he also did other odd jobs, such as cutting trees, weeding, and painting fences. All of this, he said, “added to my wealth of knowledge, and helped to define my personality and humanity.”

He married Ms. Latchmin Khan, his beautiful wife of 29 years, after returning home to Guyana. Her maiden name was Ms. Latchmin Dinnanauth and she hails from Wakenaam. Within those years, they were blessed with four wonderful and precious children, who are Roshan Khan II, Katherina Roshana Khan, Latifan Rosheena Khan Jagarnauth, and Roshaad Awad Chandra Lall, (named after his father.)

Mr. Khan has an older daughter from his previous marriage, and her name is Rosh-Anne Natasha Khan. These children were raised to be most humble and kind individuals, and their dad imparted to them several pieces of advice: “Live by the law or die by the law; keep away from negative energy and those who are envious or jealous; do not fall prey to temptation, do not steal; listen to the instrument of God within you – your conscience – and you can achieve anything you want.”

Mr. Khan started his business in 1979, after returning to Guyana. However, at the age of 22, when his studies were completed, he opted to join the Guyana National Service, where he served as a Trainee Instructor and Career Guidance Counsellor. After leaving the National Service, he started working with a local high calibre security agency whose Managing Director was extremely impressed with his talents, abilities and natural understanding of security.
It was then that he found his calling for the security business.

But when the Managing Director was out of the country, a false allegation was levied against him, and his services were disposed.
This was a very low point in his life, and was a “truly depressing” time; however, he little knew that this misfortune would forever change his life for the better.

Upon being subject to a wrongful allegation in 1979, he decided to take a ride across the Demerara Harbour Bridge to calm his mind; but as fate would have it, while riding across the bridge, he had a vision.

“That moment, that vision, that idea, ended up being the one defining moment of my life. I felt as if I was lost in the clouds, and I heard a voice in my head. The voice gave me the formula on how to go into my own security business, and I had a vision of the logo,” Mr. Khan said.

He felt energised, even empowered. The voice in his head told him to go now and start his own business. With that state of mind, he turned his motorcycle around and went on a journey to see what clients he could obtain.

To his surprise, the first few places he approached and explained the services he could offer gave him contracts, and from there he went full force ahead.

This entrepreneur has put out several new initiatives and created numerous job opportunities of which he is very proud. His business presently employs over 1,000 persons, and sometimes hires up to 2,500, but this depends on contracts. RK’s Security Services now has 14 locations in Guyana, namely: Georgetown, Linden, Fort Wellington, New Amsterdam, Corriverton, Bartica, Lethem, Anna Regina, Land of Plenty, Mahdia, Moruca, Mabaruma, Matthew’s Ridge and Port Kaituma.

Over the years, Mr. Khan has ventured into other branches. He launched the RK’s Institute of Motoring, which he said is the only organised driving school in Guyana with a syllabus. In his early days he opened RK’s Battery Works, due to shortage of batteries and everything else during the ‘Burnamite era’. The business used to repair and make new batteries using old casings, but is no longer operable.

He even went into partnership with a businessman from Trinidad & Tobago to operate ‘Best Shipping’, which would bring in used tyres from the USA. This business is also no longer operable.

His business is about to embark on being the first company in Guyana to officially launch electric vehicles.

Despite the fact that the businessman started off with little money and no partners, he has managed to maintain his business through initiative and creativity, and by putting his customers first.

“I make myself available 24/7 for my customers, even to this day. Regardless of where I am in the world, I am available 24/7. I can be disturbed at any time; sleep never comes first,” he disclosed. Moreover he later ventured into the auto windshield repair business and property management. Recently, he introduced three-wheeler (aka trikes) in Guyana under the company name, RKs EcoStar Motos.

He always finds time to be an active member of organisations and causes which he has keen interest in, despite his heavy work load.

Mr. Khan is a proud Ambassador of Peace for the Universal Peace Federation, and was awarded the Gold Peace Medal by the said organisation. He has travelled to many countries on behalf of this Federation to deliver peace talks, help in conflict resolution, and read peace messages. In the year 2000, he was invited by the Indian Council for International Cooperation to prepare and deliver a paper to an audience of over 5000 people, attended by then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, on the topic: Contributions of Indians in the Politics and Economy of Guyana.

He is also a stage actor. His most recent role was a principal/headmaster in Dosti, which was shown at the National Cultural Centre. He acted as Chief of Police in the movie Rainbow Raani, which was made in Guyana. He acted in Bonny Alves/Signal Productions as a Headmaster in the local production of the Unbelieving Mom, produced by Charmaine Blackman. In addition, he also co-produced ‘The Convert’ with Charmaine Blackman, featuring Katherina Roshana, his daughter and Miss Universe Guyana 2013. He is also Commissioner of the National Commission of Law & Order, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Prison Sentence Management. He even founded the International Islamic Peace Ambassador Network and serves as chairman.

While, according to him, he has achieved it all in the realm of business, he wishes to someday pen books, since he enjoys writing, especially poetry that focuses on womanhood and motherhood.

In the future, he hopes to publish a book that would unite all religions of the world, showing their similarities. Other books would focus on the laws of attraction and the power of positive thinking, and on his autobiography.

Mr. Khan jokingly said, “If I die before I write my autobiography, my wife would definitely kill me!”

In the early positive days of Kaieteur News, he wrote a weekly column called ‘The Religion of Islam’.

He was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association; Retired Board member of The Muslim Youth League, Current director and senior member of the Anna Catherina Islamic Complex, and co-founder and President for several years of the Guyana Islamic Forum for Education.

For Peace and Religious solidarity, he received awards and special titles as Dharma Rakshak (Protector of Religions) by the Hindu Community; awards for Peace work in South Korea, Japan and India by the Unification Movement and the Universal Peace Federation. He also was awarded a special honour by the University of Guyana Hindu Society.

Nevertheless, despite the fast pace of his business, Mr. Khan looks forward to “semi-retirement” in the next 5 to 10 years, but he is cognisant that as the founder and sole owner of RKs, it will be difficult for him to retire entirely from the business. Hence he will hand it over to his children and dedicated staff, and would be a consultant.

Following semi-retirement, he hopes to serve mankind in various forms, be it mentoring youths; travelling both locally and internationally to preach the Unity of God and the Brotherhood of Man, since he believes that there must be no disrespect for religions, ethnicity, and cultures.

His advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is to “never lose heart at the moment of a depressing experience. Stay steadfast! Believe you can do what you want to do. You can achieve the best, especially if you can see it in your “mind’s eye”. Keep away from negative persons and their vibrations.”

This businessman attends churches, mosques and mandirs. He is also one Muslim who loves good Jewish people.

According to Mr. Khan, “Never be envious of another man’s talent, blessing, or success; be inspired! Do not hate him or her, or feel hurt over his/her achievement. Instead, honour that individual; bless that individual; and tell the universe that you would like to become someone like that one day,” and maybe the universe will appeal to the Creator, Lord of the Universe.

Roshan Khan’s favourite quote is: “For the sins we commit two by two, we have to pay for them one by one.”

By Alex Wayne