Dear Editor,
PERMIT me to respond to issues raised in The Freddie Kissoon column published in the Kaieteur News, Friday, October 04, 2019, captioned: “Is the WPA distorting the Jagan presidency for racist reason?

Editor, before addressing the subject matter, I make this seminal point: Kissoon pretends to be an apostle of social and or/political morality, and defender of civil rights. At the same time, he sees no contradiction in using his unfettered access to the pages of the Kaieteur News to attack me and the WPA, knowing that my right to reply will not be permitted given the policy adopted by that newspaper. A policy which Kissoon probably was instrumental in having put in place.

The caption that Kissoon gave his article shows that he went out of his way in order to attack the WPA. Since he was responding to a letter written by me and not a WPA press release, a more appropriate caption would have been: “ Is Ogunseye distorting the Jagan presidency for racist reasons?” instead of WPA. His attack on the party is consistent with his preoccupation with the organisation’s continued political viability; something he and our detractors find hard to accept. My letter dealt with the period of the unprecedented extra-judicial killings that took place under the PPP/C regime and Roger Khan walking the streets without charge on his return to Guyana. That letter was sent to other newspapers, but only the Stabroek News published it in its October 03, 2019 edition under the caption, “I refuse to accept that in spite of statements and information given to PNCR, nothing has been done to indict Roger Khan.”

It is not surprising that Kissoon wasted no time to run to the defence of the PPP/C government on this matter of extra-judicial killings. He was contracted by that regime as a “mercenary writer” in support of the PPP/C and the party and government during those troubling times. Readers may recall that he wrote a seven-part series of pro-government articles under the caption, “Ocean Eleven,” published in the Guyana Chronicle. Kissoon subsequently in frustration with tears in eyes publicly lamented that the government had reneged on its agreement to pay him. Yet he feels compelled to defend his former allies. Why? Is he now trying to make peace with the PPP/C and Jagdeo?
In my letter, I stated: “To date, the APNU+AFC coalition government led by President David Granger has the outstanding record of being the only government, pre and post-independence, that has not engaged in the killing of political opponents.” I continued, “This is an observation that has been a central theme in Dr David Hinds’ public discourses at WPA’ s community meetings and in the media.” Kissoon hoped not to engage Dr Hinds who is the originator of the observation. However, he feels comfortable in attacking me, since he feels that I am politically and socially more vulnerable than the doctor. His pathetic mind makes him a proverbial “coward”– attacking the perceived weak, while avoiding the strong.

Kissoon‘s questionable intellect and political dishonesty are demonstrated by him deliberately ignoring the contention in my letter, that the rise of the extra-judicial killings at the time was the direct result of conscious PPP/C political policy against the African community. After the 1992 elections that resulted in PNCR supporters taking to the streets, the PPP/C’s leadership which included the Jagans, resolved to punish the African community, particularly Georgetown, for its continued support of the PNCR. More so, he is oblivious to my position that the PPP/C thereafter regarded the PNCR supporters as “political opponents.” This fact hopefully takes care of Kissoon’s attempt to absolve Dr Jagan and his presidency from accusations of killing political opponents.

In seeking to hide his pro-PPP position, Kissoon invoked a letter/eulogy written by comrade Moses Bhagwan to hide his “nakedness.” He wrote: “On the announcement of Andaiye’s death, Moses published a letter of eulogy in the newspapers and cited an incident to show the purity of Andaiye’s politics. He said a group of WPA activists, including him and Bhagwan were in Christopher Ram’s office. It was the time of the violence in Buxton… a certain WPA person came in the room to inform the others of the situation in Buxton and referred to the gunmen as freedom fighters. Andaiye immediately walked out of the meeting.” Kissoon’s inference is, it was I (Tacuma Ogunseye)who had entered the room. I say without fear of contradiction that I was never in any meeting at Mr Christopher Ram’s office where I came in and reported on the situation in Buxton and referred to the gunmen as freedom fighters. This is important, since Kissoon is on a mission to linking me with gunmen. If comrade Moses Bhagwan had named me in his letter/eulogy, I would have corrected him publicly at the time.

On the matter of gunmen and Buxton I have nothing to hide. Here is where Moses/Kissoon got it wrong, depending on the accuracy of Kissoon’s quote from Moses’s letter. I recalled at the end of a meeting in Ram’s office while leaving, (on our way out in the yard) Sister Jocelyn Dow threw a remark at me mentioning freedom fighters and Buxton. Note the use of the words, “freedom fighters” are her words not mine – so much for that aspect of Kissoon’s accusation.

I cannot remember if Andaiye was present on the occasion I referred to. If she was in that meeting there was on discussion/report on gunmen and Buxton. So how could she have walked out on the grounds Kissoon claimed? It is public knowledge that many of my comrades in and out of the WPA did not share my position on the events at the time. Given subsequent revelations, the nation is better informed on the genesis of those troubling times. With due respect, I don’t have to adjust my views on these matters. I am doubtful that others, including Frederick Kissoon, can make the same declaration.

Regards
Tacuma Ogunseye