By Dr Vishnu Bisram
Sir Shridath S. Ramphal passed away on August 30. There were glowing tributes extolling his role as Secretary General of Commonwealth of Nations (1975-90). That was not the Ramphal that people like me remember, those of us deeply involved in the struggle for restoration of democracy in Guyana.
Some truth must be told about him in the midst of accolades so that present and future generations can learn truthfully about him, especially his role in consolidating and perpetuating dictatorship and all the attendant effects of that system of governance that oppressed Guyanese.
Ramphal made significant contributions to the (British) Commonwealth and Caribbean integration, but he also supported and was a beneficiary of a dictatorship in Guyana. There is no doubt as media and Caribbean leaders stated, Ramphal was an eminent person. What led to his eminence? Ramphal was beneficiary of the plotting and removal of Dr. Cheddi Jagan from office and the rigging of elections. The toppling of Dr. Jagan in December 1964 led to the replacement of Sir Fenton Ramsahoye by Shridath Ramphal as Attorney General and Foreign Minister. Dr Ramsahoye was approached by Forbes Burnham to defect from Jagan for the position of Attorney General, but on principle he declined the offer. If Ramsahoye had accepted that position, Ramphal would have been out. If the 1968 election was not rigged, Ramphal would not have been retained as Attorney General? If the 1973 election was not rigged, Ramphal would not have become Foreign Minister, a position that made him ascend to Secretary General of Commonwealth. So Ramphal was a participant in and beneficiary of the overthrow of Jagan and election riggings. He never condemned riggings and never offered an apology for his role in the rise of the authoritarian state and of denying Jagan his rightful place as the legitimate elected leader of the country. And when three Indians were shot (two fatally) while protecting the ballot boxes in July 1973 election, Ramphal uttered not a word of condemnation. The dictatorship of which Ramphal was a Minister and its legal defender was responsible for racism against Indians and other groups, violation of human rights, murder of dissidents, mass starvation, migration of hundreds of thousands, and other wrong doings. He was AG when Burnham abolished appeals to the independent Privy Council and when domestic judiciary was largely compromised in independence. Thus, there could be no judicial challenge to Burnham and to Ramphal.
Ramphal was credited and rightly so for his campaign against apartheid rule in South Africa. But London Sunday Sun (1984) in an article captioned “The Truth about Sonny Boy …” assailed him for not uttering a word condemning apartheid rule in his native Guyana. His silence on apartheid in Guyana where Indians were marginalized did tremendous damage to the country, the effects of which we still feel till this day. Has it dawned on anyone that had Ramphal not supported the dictatorship, Guyana would have been a different place?
It is noted that Cheddi and Janet Jagan never fraternized with Ramphal and had nothing flattering to say about him, only words of condemnation for his role in the dictatorship. I joined Janet, Cheddi, Kwayana and others picketing Ramphal (July 1991) and Caricom team in front of Pegasus Hotel focusing attention on fraudulent elections and suppression of freedom. Ramphal mocked and ridiculed us grabbing a picket and illustrating how we should hold picket signs. When we picketed him in New York (April 1991) in front of Medgar Evers College, he did not mock us because in USA picketers and protesters have rights quite unlike in then Guyana. There were protests against him at UWI, Trinidad also in September 1989 for his support of the Guyana dictatorship. Staff were fearful of consequences in joining a protest against him. So Ramphal was not seen as a defender or protector of basic rights. He could have urged the police not to harass or intimidate protestors or arrest anyone for picketing him.
Leyland Roopnarine put Ramphal’s rise to eminence this way: He jockeyed a stolen horse (that robbed Jagan and the PPP of government) to fame and prominence. And in the process, an entire nation suffered, denied equal opportunity. Had it not been for rigged elections, those of us who combated the dictatorship could potentially also have become individuals of prominence and eminence if we were not deprived of a fair opportunity and the privileges afforded Ramphal.
Ramphal is credited for prevailing on Desmond Hoyte to allow a study (chaired by Dr Vishnudath Persaud) on reforming the economy and for subsequently agreeing to implement the Economic Recovery Program (ERP) in exchange for a financial bailout of the bankrupted economy. Ramphal may have also played a role in influencing Hoyte to end the ban on all imports including basic foods used by Indians in religious activities and in their traditional diet as part of the ERP. Vishnudath related much about the secret life of Sir Shridath including destroying several lives, which shall remain secrets.
It is noted that Ramphal did not join the observer group for the 1992 elections that led to the first FFE election in Guyana. He never condemned election riggings or the assassination of Rodney, Father Darke, Edwin Dublin, Ohene Koama, and others, and he never condemned the harassment of Bishop Randolph George and Bishop Benedict Singh, beating of Sister Rowtie, harassment of Pandits and Mulvis, the shooting of Joshua Ramsammy, murder of Vincent Teekah, beating of protesters and attempted kidnapping of Dr Clive Thomas, some of which took place when Ramphal was AG. The public is inclined to be forgiving for wrong doing if the violator or abuser were to request it. But an apology was never tendered by Ramphal.
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The views expressed in this column are solely those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views, position or policy of the THE WEST INDIAN.
