AN INTERVIEW WITH THE POET RANDALL BUTISINGH (CONCLUSION)

May 10, 2009 Features / Columnists, The Arts Forum

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“In search of THE FINE THREAD OF TRUTH . . . journeying to the same destination”

Ameena Gafoor (A.G.): You were a member of the Annandale Literary Group. Who were some of its promising writers?
Randall Butisingh (R.B.): There was Rooplall Monar who has a string of National awards; Bramdeo Persaud, poet and short story-writer; Guska, artist and poet; and George Vidyanand, a fledgling poet. The group produced an anthology, Poems from Annadale.

A.G.: What would you say of the poets Guyana has produced? You yourself seem influenced by Tagore and the philosophy of the East.
R.B.: Guyana has produced some good poets, the chief among them being A. J. Seymour. You may call him the poet Laureate of Guyana.
Then there was Martin Carter who was concentrating on a cause. His poems were very much appreciated by the Russians who tried to translate it.
Bramdeo Persaud wrote a few good pieces; I was the only one who kept to the traditional style, and my poems were chiefly about love and compassion, nature and a few philosophical ones.
I was indeed influenced by Tagore. His “Deserted Village” made a deep impression on me. What is happening in the world today reminds me of the first two lines of that poem:

Ill fares the land to hastening ills a prey,
Where wealth accumulates and men decay.

Here is one of my own poems that was inspired by Eastern thought:

IMPRISONED
Like a song bird in a cage
that longs for the freedom
of field and sky and air,
So doth the soul trapped by the senses
yearn to soar to infinite freedom.
And like the song bird
that beats its wings
against prison bars of cage
and sings not,
but seeks escape to the world beyond,
So doth my soul strive
to break the bond of senses
and find the freedom of eternity.

A.G.: Who among the Guyanese novelists stand(s) out for you?
R.B.: Edgar Mittelholzer, for me, is as good as any. His works impacted me very much.

A.G.: How would you describe 20th century Guyana and how would you describe Guyana since Independence?
R.B.: When you speak of 20th century Guyana, you have to remember there were different periods. The first period up to Independence was, if not one of great prosperity, a time when you could go about without fear at any time of the day, when you could leave your door open and feel safe, when there was justice and security.
The second period up to 1972 was one of prosperity — food was plentiful – but people feared for their lives and doors had to be closed and barred. A dictatorship was creeping up in a beautiful country.
After 1972, there was widespread corruption and persecution and a massive migration from the land – a brain drain that impoverished the country [such that] Guyana was rated the second poorest country in the world, after Haiti.

A.G.: What changes have you observed in the delivery of education in Guyana in the last quarter of the 20th Century?
R.B.: Politics played a crucial role in the delivery of Education in the last quarter of the twentieth century. The administration headed by Burnham inherited certain mistakes.

A.G.: And in the post-Burnham age?
R.B.: The Jagan government, either from lack of vision, or from vain ambition, began building its educational system from the top.
Money could have been better used by starting at the lowest rung of the education ladder, with the training of teachers given top priority, and adequate rewards so that they will remain in the profession and not hop out, after a brief stay, for more lucrative occupations.
The University continues to manufacture brains for export.
All this must have an adverse bearing on the broad population as the values of the society have changed for the worse over time.

A.G.: When you retired from the teaching service what position had you risen to?
R.B.: When I retired my substantive position was Deputy Head [even though] I was Acting Head, on and off, for a period of about 10 years. I never applied to be a Head Teacher as I never wanted to remove far from the area where I was involved in the work of the community. I served as Chairman of the Lusignan Community Centre, Chairman of the Adult Education and the Study Groups, and part-time Welfare Officer.

A.G.: Did you receive any National awards or recognition for nearly 50 years of service to the country?
R.B.: I retired in January 1972 at the age of 59. I did so chiefly because the teaching environment was not conducive to education. It was when I had to supervise a small building and about six bottom house [schools] a quarter mile apart at Mon Repos [East Coast Demerara]. The Ministry had sent eight or nine teachers who were also studying at the University and had no time to teach. They did not put the interest of the child first and I could not stand it.

I did not receive any national awards, but in 2003 CIMBUX (Committee for the improvement of Buxton) an Organization in the USA, recognized me for my contribution to Education at Buxton saying that I had touched the lives of many.

A.G.: Have you any special word of advice for Guyana with respect to education?
R.B.: My word of advice is to put more emphasis on teachers. “The teacher”, according to Buckle, “is the most important person in the whole democratic institution and civilization . . .”. On him or her depends the molding of the nation.

Today large sums are spent on the material fabric of Education and not enough on the human resource.
I wrote a Paper, after a six-week training course for Heads and Senior Assistants on the “Role of the School” which reflects my views and experiences as a teacher. It can be found on my Weblog. Educators [and the general public] are invited to study it. Weblog address:
http://www.randallbutisingh.wordpress.com

This editor can be contacted at: [email protected]

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