Dear Editor,

I WRITE to pay tribute to New York Guyanese reporter Govind Dhaya who recently passed on. He made a significant contribution in the field of NY Guyanese media, reporting on the activities of the diaspora. He was literally immersed in community affairs, and he was one of the finest journalists I encountered in the community. He and I were perhaps the only ones who dedicated our lives to media promotion of the NY community for decades.

I started writing on community affairs since the late 1970s and am very familiar with those who had a presence in the media or were active in community affairs. Govind was more active in Guyanese affairs than most Guyanese from the late 1980s. He was well known in the Indo-Guyanese and Indo-Caribbean communities of New York for his reporting in local ethnic media. He kept Guyanese informed of events and activities for almost three decades. He was also a community activist, helping with organising many events planned by mandirs, The Caribbean Voice (TCV) and businesses. He was very supportive of the struggle against the Guyana dictatorship and praised the work of those of us who were committed to that movement.

I would see Govind, as we called him, at community events and funerals or wakes over the last three decades. He was very active among Guyanese, attending services at several mandirs and the Ashram in Jamaica. He hardly missed a Phagwah or Holi celebration or any festival or community gathering or Guyanese reunion. His reports would appear in several publications in the New York Guyanese community.

Govind served mostly as a volunteer reporter, although some businesses employed him to pen articles or prepare newsletters about their products. Govind was introduced by Ramesh Kalicharran to many community leaders. He would make his presence felt as he was seen quietly taking notes for his reporting and clicking pics. And he was seen at many, many events. Through his attendance at Indo-Caribbean events, he got to know politicians from Guyana and Trinidad. He reported on visits to New York by every politician from Guyana including Dr Jagan, Janet, Jagdeo, and Ramotar. And he would express his concern about happenings in the homeland.

Govind worked very closely with eminent journalist, Annan Boodram. According to Boodram, Govind was the typical, inquisitive kind of reporter. “He loved to meet people. He did a lot to help. He helped students to fill out admission application forms for college or grants or loans. He was also very helpful to numerous students at both high school and college levels, including providing tutoring and generally providing advice. He helped businesses to promote their products. He knew the governmental system and he would help people to navigate the bureaucracy. He was also very knowledgeable in nutrition, offering guidance on healthy eating habits and healthy lifestyles. He helped many individuals to manage various afflictions by sourcing supplements and advising of foods.”

In his tribute to Govind, Boodram stated: “He was extremely smart. He matched my skills in language usage. In some ways, he was even better, surpassed mine. He had a wide range of vocabulary [sic] and had them at his finger tips with a quick capacity to find words to describe situations. He was sharp and quick. He was a ‘storer’ of news – cut clippings and kept them in piles. I would call him a news hound, and he was more knowledgeable about Guyana’s politics than most Guyanese.”

Govind Dhaya leaves behind an outstanding record of service. His death is a loss to the Guyanese media. The spirit of his kind acts and goodness will live on.

Yours truly,

Vishnu Bisram