DEODAT Persaud is more than just a Hindu religious leader. He is a man of his words and a true humanitarian advocate. His life’s journey helped to shape who he is today.

It all began with the motto of his primary school: ‘Service before Self. It implanted in his mind a purpose of service to others. As a child, Persaud realised that he was meant for great things. He knew what he wanted to do would disrupt the status quo, but leadership will always be one of his strong areas. He grew up in Canefield Settlement, East Canje and comes from a family of ordinary citizens. His father is a former Guysuco employee and his mother, a housewife and a sister. They placed education as a priority in his life by often reminding him that as poor people the best gift they can give him is a good education.

He recalled once when the then Minister of Education Dr Dale Bisnauth visited his primary school and asked what they were aspiring to become. Everyone said things such as, “doctor”, “teacher” or “lawyer” and all the other popular professions. However, Deodat blurted, “President of Guyana.” Everyone appeared confused and suggested that his answer was unrealistic and that he should have said something else, since that was an impossible goal. In his defence, it was the most spontaneous response he has ever proffered.
Though he was considered a bookworm at primary school, that changed at secondary school. He did enjoy the game of cricket in the street (something you rarely see these days) during the August holidays. Most of his outings occurred during these times, as in-term meant to be fully absorbed in studies. Attending mandir every Sunday was compulsory; he can even recall the pandit recognising his record as the only person who attended all 52 Sunday services in a year.

Deodat stressed that his community helped to shape his values and created an appetite to become a changer. He witnessed wives abused, fathers exhaust their weekly income on alcohol and children beaten mercilessly. These are things he detests, and he grew with the intention of wanting to change these situations. All of his hard work paid off in the end. No doubt, he was quite eager to attend President’s College. His mother was hesitant but his father was firmly in support and they all have no regrets. The said institution exposed him to Guyanese of various backgrounds; thus, instilling in him the belief that racial harmony is an achievable goal. Around the age of 18 he developed an appreciation for Law. Factors of cost were determined as well as, not wanting to deprive his sister of her education. He settled for a Diploma in Public Management. After completing that, he realised that Management is a field that he is connected with and he saw the relevance in society. The journey continued with a Masters in Public Administration and currently, he is wrapping up his MBA journey. Yet still, he has not lost sight of Law.

Though his qualifications are important, he does not want to be defined by them—life is bigger than that. After completing his secondary-school education he returned to Berbice; he was concerned about youths in his community: the lack of youth-centric activities, and the absence of a hub to facilitate meaningful youth participation, propelled him along and other like-minded youths to form the Golden OM Dharmic Youth Organisation– the leading youth organisation in the East Berbice area. As president, this platform allowed him to inspire youths to become leaders of tomorrow by addressing as social issues (which left a dark, indelible impression in his mind during his childhood) youth empowerment, and community services through art, drama, and music. He also works full time at the Guyana Elections Commission and serves as a commissioner with the Ethnic Relations Commission. Deodat also serves as priest at the Reliance Settlement Sanatan Mandir and volunteers at the Caribbean Voice NGO. Recently, he was appointed Ambassador for the International Youth Committee, an NGO in India. He enjoys sharing his knowledge and working with youths especially. It is his desire to see young people take their rightful place in shaping the future of this country, since he believes we have the potential to disrupt the obsolete and divisive mentality which sought to entrap us for decades. Fortunately, he was able to visit each region in Guyana and the sentiment remains the same for almost every citizen.

Becoming a Hindu priest happened through the persuasion of his Guru, Pandit Chandradatt Persaud (his Godfather). This was never in planning. He said to Deodat that he recognised the impact he was creating with youths at the youth group level and suggested that he should bring a religious dimension to his works. Like anyone who seeks to impact society and people’s behaviours, there will always be resistance. In his earlier stages of life, he was bullied, body-slammed, and even called names. At one time, he did contemplate suicide. Today, he has converted each of his weaknesses into areas of strength. He can look at these negatives as lessons, since they prepared me for a tough world, which was inevitable. In fact, upon reflection, had he not been subjected to these challenges, he would have never discovered his inner strength. He is driven by the motto of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, ‘Action Thy Duty, Reward not thy Concern.’ He is not driven by self-gratification but instead, it pleases him to know he is inspiring youths to become better individuals in our times. His lowest point in life perhaps was when the President’s College dormitory was burnt; it was weeks before his CSEC exams and he was almost rendered hopeless. He lost five years of studies. In the end, Deodat wrote and gained 11 subject passes.

This pandit with a passion for youth development is not sure what is considered an accomplishment, since service to humanity is seen as his duty in his books. In 2015 he was awarded the Arapaima Award for Social Work in Suicide Prevention. In the said year, the Department of Culture recognised his volunteerism works in Region Six. In 2017, he was able to join over 25,000 youths across the world for the 19th World Youth and Student Festival in Russia. In 2016, he also was selected for a three-week Know India Programme– a cultural exchange programme attended by 40 youths from across the world. He is grateful that the youth organisation he helped to build is still in existence after 14 years and it continues to impact youths. Deodat explained that he will continue his works with youths in Guyana. He wishes to expand the services of Golden OM Dharmic to allow for lobbying on issues affecting youths at the workplace and otherwise. He also wishes to position himself to contribute to the emerging oil and gas sector. At the mandir and youth group levels, Persaud will continue his work on leadership, empowerment and addressing social issues, especially suicide, gender-based violence and bullying. It is his desire to see Diwali and Phagwah declared non-alcoholic days, hence an increase in activism in this regard.

This religious leader with a passion for youth development advises to youths to, “never allow anyone to limit their potential. Oftentimes, we limit our pathways, by inserting the word impossible; this must be replaced by ‘it’s possible’.” He continued by saying, “Serve, not for recognition and fame (that will come), but act out of a sincere passion and concern. Lastly, your failure must never define you, the human body is meant for great things; use it as a vehicle to make a positive difference in the world.”