Dear Editor,

IT is with sadness I read of the passing of Rohit Persaud, a PPP stalwart who served the party and the country with distinction, honour, integrity, commitment and dedication. While we were not friends, I admired and engaged him because of our Port Mourant connection and his service to Corentyne. He was a hero of political struggle and serving others.

He sacrificed his life, family, high office, and wealth for the party and nation.
I left Port Mourant at the tender age of 16 in 1977 for tertiary education abroad. I knew of the political activism of Rohit.  In America, I continued to monitor political activities in Port Mourant, the Corentyne, and the nation.

Like Rohit and others, I remained committed to the struggle for free and fair elections and against the food ban. Whenever I visited Port Mourant during holiday breaks, I would engage Rohit. So I knew of his politics and leadership, especially after Cheddi Jagan appointed him Chair of Region Six in 1992. And we had engagements post-Regional Chair. He wanted to tell of his political life and his views of politics. Rohit was a kind, caring, and compassionate worker, political activist, and Regional Chair. He was honoured by President Cheddi Jagan for service to nation.

Persaud underwent depravations similar to those encountered by PPP post-Independence under the dictatorship. But his persecution made him more determined to champion the rights of people. He did not betray friends or party.

There were/are few like Rohit in the PPP and in the country who committed their life the way he did to uplift the lives of others, particularly the working class (sugar workers and farmers). I know of his political work because of my grounding in Port Mourant where his name was well known (and beyond) from the 1970s through the 2000s.

Today’s PPP politicians may not know him. Some had had no regards for his contributions during very hard days of the 1970s and 1980s. He helped to build the party, to get into office in 1992. He was an outstanding party organiser and a dedicated warrior against the Burnham dictatorship. I grew up admiring the political activism of the likes of Rohit, Swasi Deola, and others from Port Mourant. As it was for so many of us during the era of our youths, Dr. Jagan was their hero. Rohit, like Swasi, and several others were committed foot soldiers, fearlessly organising activities for Jagan’s party. He was a committed Jaganite, a man of principle and integrity, refusing lucrative offers to betray the party and leader.

A story was related about his encounter with Burnham who made a financially rewarding job offer to him.  Rohit had driven to Georgetown for a party meeting at Freedom House. On his way back to Port Mourant, his vehicle broke down on the East Coast at dusk. Burnham happened to pass the same time.

Burnham’s vehicle drove past Rohit’s old, broken down car on the parapet and recognised Rohit. After being driven for some two miles past Rohit, Burnham ordered his driver to turn back and stopped next to Rohit’s disabled vehicle. Burnham came out of vehicle and warmly greeted Rohit, telling him: “Comrade Rohit, look at your condition! Look at how Jagan punishing you. Sand flies and mosquitoes are eating you now. Join me and you will have a better life. Here is my phone number. Call me tomorrow. Any job, any position you want is yours.  And you will also get a vehicle.”

Rohit related the incident to Jagan and several of his colleagues. I too heard of it. Jagan was worried that Rohit would cross over to Burnham as several opportunists did and pleaded to Rohit not to join Burnham. Rohit was a man of principle. He would never entertain the thought of joining Burnham. He was a Jagan loyalist. Rohit declined Burnham’s offer. He could not join a man who oppressed and persecuted people and who rigged elections. He remained committed to his party to the point that he became estranged from his family.

I’ll never forget how Rohit, Swasi Deola, and others travelled around by bicycle and on foot throughout the greater Port Mourant area soliciting funds and goods to help striking workers during the long strike of 1975 for GAWU recognition.

Regrettably, Rohit would become disappointed in the politics of the country. He was deeply hurt by Moses Nagamootoo’s betrayal of the party. His comrades told me that while others benefitted from his political struggle, he was neglected.

During the last decade, while party comrades seemed to have forgotten about him, I regularly queried about his welfare in visits to the Corentyne. I also visited him a few times at his Topside residence. He felt very honoured that I visited him. He applauded my political activism and writings and revealed a lot to me about his views of politics and about party figures. He cheered the return of the party to government last year.

Yours truly,
Vishnu Bisram