ATTORNEY-GENERAL Mohabir Anil Nandlall was given a very warm welcome by the Maharishi Dayananda Gurukula in Jamaica, New York, at noon on Sunday, America’s Independence Day.
He was given a standing ovation as he entered the mandir and was garlanded by two youths. Although the mandir’s service normally ends before noon, the congregation waited to hear from the Attorney-General, who spoke extemporaneously for almost half an hour.
It was a fantastic, most impressive programme, much talked about by the huge audience.
The Attorney-General was escorted to the front of the mandir by religious and Hindi/Sanskrit scholar, Dr. Satish Prakash and was introduced by community advocate and intellectual, Dr. Tara Singh.
“Hon. Nandlall received very enthusiastic applauses [sic] that were reminiscent of the type accorded to rock stars. This day is also historic in the sense that two leaders in our community occupied one platform to greet one another and issue their felicitations. Dr Satish Prakash is one of the leading lights of Hinduism in the West, and the Hon Anil Nandlall is considered one of the leading lights in the legal profession in the Caribbean,” said Dr Singh.
The audience paid rapt attention as the Attorney-General brought greetings from President Ali. He noted that the President led from the front in almost every area. He thanked the diaspora for the role they played in supporting the PPP’s election campaign and in combating the attempted election-rigging.
Nandlall spoke in glowing terms of Guyana’s future despite the setbacks of COVID-19 and the devastating floods. He lamented the loss of lives from COVID and the countless animals that perished in the floodwaters.
He lamented that the high cost of electricity has been a major obstacle to manufacturing and industrialisation. He stated that Guyanese are paying some five times higher rates per unit of electricity than Guyanese in America. He noted that the high cost of electricity has been inflicting a higher financial burden on home and commercial consumption. He said it is incomprehensible that the coalition scuttled the Amaila Falls project which would have brought down the cost of electricity. He stated that the PPP government is moving quickly and significantly to reduce energy costs.
The Attorney-General also spelt out a menu of measures being undertaken by the Irfaan Ali-led administration for advancement of the country. These include the gas-to-shore project, online scholarships, construction of top brand name hotels, flood relief, law reform, home ownership, etc. He assured the audience that economic benefits will go to all Guyanese, irrespective of race, gender, religion and region.
“The PPP/C government adheres to transparency and accountability. We respect the constitution and abide by the rule of law,” he said, noting that “Never again, should we allow any political party to attempt to steal an election.” He stressed that Guyana’s democracy is fragile and appealed to Guyanese in the diaspora “to constantly be vigilant to protect your democracy.”
Nandlall made a passionate plea for the diaspora to continue supporting their efforts in development and urged them to consider investing in Guyana.
At Dr Satish Prakash’s request, backed by popular congregational demand, the Attorney-General melodiously sang a popular Hindi bhajan. Many in the congregation sang with him. He received a loud applause. Several bhajans were sung in his honour, much to his delight as he clapped along.
The Attorney-General’s remarks were interrupted several times by loud applause. He quoted from the Hindu scriptures without reading any books or notes. He related well with the religious gathering.
The leadership of the Gurukula and its members and attendees expressed their deep debt of gratitude to the Attorney-General for helping to guide Guyana on the visionary path to progress and prosperity and gave an advanced invitation to attend the opening of the Guyana Gurukula at Uitvlugt later this year.
