Dear Editor
I write to pay tribute to veteran journalist, Chamanlall Naipaul, who passed away recently. I interacted with him when he was at the Guyana Chronicle and occasionally on the streets and at Freedom House (when I visited) as a political activist.

He was very active in political grassroots work on the West Coast, garnering support for the party. He was involved in the “get out the votes” drives. His contribution to the struggle for democracy and for the return of the PPP to office in 1992 as well as to journalism (the Chronicle) should be noted.

I remember Chaman, as we called him, as a dedicated professional in his trade and as among that small group who dedicated themselves to the struggle for free and fair elections. Whenever we met, he and other activists would shower praises on those of us in the diaspora who kept the torch lit in that dark period of struggle for restoration of democracy in Guyana.
He was engaging and supportive and lauded those of us who wrote on the diaspora. He was also a very good political analyst.

Chaman was a PYO member and dedicated supporter of the PPP and was very close with Dr. Cheddi Jagan and other towering figures of the party. Jagan was his hero. He also worked closely with Pariag Sukhai, Neil Kumar, and Komal Chand, among others. And he was very close with Donald Ramotar and his brothers.

He was not only an outstanding journalist with decades of experience, but also a competent editor working with Editor-in-Chief Sharief Khan. He was one of the most affable and dedicated reporters and editors in the state newspaper. His passion for fair reporting and work ethic helped to turn around the Chronicle in the early 1990s from being a government propaganda to responsible reporting under Jagan’s administration.
Heartfelt condolences to his family.

Yours truly,
Vishnu Bisram