Remembering Corentyne student protests

Dear editor,

THIS month marks the 44th anniversary of the student protests on the Corentyne that led to changes in how students and faculty were treated at the Corentyne (Chandisingh) High School(CHS) during the Burnham dictatorship. The strike empowered students and faculty and set a precedent that would have far-reaching implications around the country. It was a student revolution that resulted in students and staff gaining rights that they never enjoyed – to form organisations that would advocate for their interests. Such rights began to spread across schools on the Corentyne like wild fever – the results of the unprecedented, unheard-of revolutionary action taken at CHS by students – to call a strike (boycott of classes) with public protests at the school and in the surrounding areas that enjoyed solidarity at neighbouring schools.

I was reminded about it last week by a community volunteer in Richmond Hill. Youngsters need to know about that aspect of Guyanese history that needs to be on public record. That was a model peaceful protest, not the kind undertaken in West Berbice where people were targeted on account of race and were beaten and robbed and some females molested.
Two Saturdays ago at a diaspora event in Richmond Hill, a regular volunteer in organising and or aiding in these activities, Ramchand (his consistency in volunteerism is deserving of government’s recognition), came up to me and reminisced about the student strikes. I had seen Ramchand at Guyanese activities for the last two decades, but never knew he had joined the strikes in 1976 and 1977. He assumed that I knew him from that strike era. He knew me as a student leader since 1976 but I could not remember him. He refreshed my memory of visits I had made to his school. He factually recalled my coming to his school, Belvedere, at the back of Rose Hall in October 1976, to speak with students to garner support for the start of the strikes at CHS.  I was a student leader, President of the newly founded Hindu Society and was tasked with garnering support for the student strike. So I visited neighbouring schools on the Corentyne explaining our predicament and appealing for their solidarity to win our grievance at CHS.

They gave us solidarity for the October 1976 strike and in January 1977, they joined the strike at picket lines. The October strike resulted from the dissolution of a student organisation we launched, the CHS Hindu Society. It was the first of what would be other students clubs like a Muslim Society, Christian Society, and a Students Society. Hindu Society was the first because Diwali was around the corner and the club was needed to organise a concert at the school. Permission for the launch of the Hindu organisation (CHSHS) was granted by the principal, J.C Chandisingh, and election was held to choose the executive of the body. I was elected President; Tajeram Raghubeer was vice-president. There were other executive positions chosen, most held by females. A few days later, the principal’s son Rohan Chandisingh, who was an assistant principal, objected to the existence of the organisation and sent for me in a private meeting in his office, announcing that it would be banned. Then the principal called in a few leaders of CHSHS and announced that the organisation had been disbanded. Rohan told me that I was allowing myself to be influenced by Chaitram Singh, whom he accused of having a political agenda. Chaitram, who received military training at West Point, had no such agenda. At the time I was head prefect; the prefects were interviewed, appointed, and supervised by Rohan. I was removed as head prefect but was retained as a prefect and given a warning to cease and desist from activities relating to the organisation. The principal and Rohan’s position, supported by Mr Deonarine who was deputy headmaster, was that a Hindu Society (HS) would exclude non-Hindus from participation and would be considered discriminatory and as such, was disbanded. We were encouraged and supported to form the Hindu Society by Muslims and Christians. The formation of the Hindu Society was a test case to see how far the school’s administration would tread in allowing the function of students’ clubs. Our plan was to also have a Student Society and societies of the other two major religions. (Teachers Chaitram Singh, Jack Jagnandan, and Ms. Punwasee were among faculty advisers and were given warning letters to dissociate from the club). The Hindu Society petitioned the principal in a memo to reconsider his disbanding of the HS and we requested permits for the formation of a Student Society, Muslim Society, and a Christian Society. They were all turned down.

With advice and support from faculty, we called a student strike. I and other members of the leadership were threatened with expulsion; there were a few female firebrands who stood firmly. (Khemraj Ramjattan was in the class with 5A with me but did not join the strike. Derek Kalicharran of 5C or B and who went on to become a national cricketer also did not join the strike. Khemraj was a prefect, Derek was not. But both were close affiliates of Rohan Chandisingh). I penned and hand-delivered early next morning a letter to the Portuguese Quarter residence of the Berbice Education Officer (EO) Mr. Solomon, brother of cricketer Joe and son Radhay, who had also represented Guyana in the regional first-class Shell Shield cricket tournament. The memo, which was constructed with assistance from faculty advisers, apprised him of the situation at CHS and advised him of the strike. On behalf of the striking students, I invited him to visit the school and to meet with us to discuss our grievance and to instruct the administration to restore our HS and give permission for formation of other clubs.
The EO visited the school and was greeted by myself and other protesting students outside the gate of the compound; we reiterated our issues. He urged us to return to class and in return would examine our grievances. He said he would not act under duress. The strike continued. Meanwhile, threats of expulsion continued and prominent individuals from the area as well as former popular staff members were brought to convince us to end the strike. We refused to back down. Teacher Solomon, after consultation with the Chief Education Officer (Milton Lowe), returned a few days later and agreed to our conditions —  restoration the HS and permission to launch the other clubs. Another condition was, no student or members of the faculty would be victimised (transferred) and that Asst. Principal Rohan would be removed from the school. The principal met with us and consented to our conditions in the presence of the EO. He also agreed that we would be granted permission to hold a school assembly of all students. We agreed to call off the strike and early next morning a school assembly was called; I addressed the body. I was advised by faculty and was tempted to declare a half-day holiday. But given that we had lost several days lessons and not wanting to usurp the authority of the administration on matters of school holidays, I backtracked on giving the students the rest of the day off. Lessons continued normally that day and throughout the rest of the fall term. The other societies were formed. I became vice-president of the Student Society (equivalent of a student government); I don’t recall if Tajeram or Govind (forgot his last name) of Guava Bush, Albion, was elected president; females held the other executive posts. We organised a Diwali concert that also included a short prayer and distribution of mohanbhog. There was live band music and classical dancing. Diane Peters did an exquisitely marvellous dance of the song from the film Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram (that starred Zeenat Aman and Shashi Kapoor) that was a hit at the time. But we would receive a shock after the term ended.

After the Christmas holidays, when we returned to school in January we were told that teachers Chaitram Singh, Jagnandan, Punwasee and a few others had been transferred from the school. Rohan was also transferred to the Manchester High School. Immediately, we called a students’ strike, but Ramjattan and Kalicharran did not join the strike; I visited several schools on the Corentyne to build support for the strike. Most of the CHS staff also walked off the job. We were later joined by students and staff from other schools. Walter Rodney, Eusi Kwayana, Malcolm Rodrigues, and other prominent figures, including from the PPP, visited us on the Corentyne and gave solidarity. The strike lasted several weeks and attracted national attention, including reports in the media and I appeared on radio and newspaper interviews. Several students were beaten by police in peaceful protests. Armed military units sent by Burnham were present during the protests to intimidate us and at times pointed their guns in our direction. Two of my colleagues were arrested while I evaded the dragnet of a police arrest. It took years before their case was dismissed by the court, but they could not get police clearance to travel. I was fortunate to get a police clearance to leave the country to pursue studies abroad. One friend escaped to Suriname where he paid his way to get on a flight to the U.S. What would have happened to me if I too had been arrested for asserting a human right to celebrate my faith in a school, and rendered unable to come to the U.S. to obtain a tertiary education?

Yours truly,
Vishnu Bisram

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :
Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp
All our printed editions are available online
emblem3
Subscribe to the Guyana Chronicle.
Sign up to receive news and updates.
We respect your privacy.