Unmitigated gall to publicly write lies about slavery and indentureship

May 13, 2009 Letters

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Dear Editor,
It is nothing less than disgraceful when Vishnu Bisram makes comments about the African experience when he knows nothing about it. His constant misrepresentations of the truth, borders on a deep seated racism. He continuously and purposefully tries to re-write history, often with the purpose of pushing Indian nationalism
His point continues to be “Why are Africans in Guyana complaining about their plight when Indians are doing extremely well in spite of the fact their historical experiences in Guyana were similar to Indians”.
The implied racism is obvious to the blind. In essence, according to Bisram Africans have not done well in Guyana because it is “their nature”.
He also is implicitly arguing that shared governance or reparations should not be discussed. He forgets the Jews received billions of dollars for the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust.
He accepts the fact that 36 million South Africans received nothing for their 40 years of Apartheid. He conveniently forgets Africans have received nothing for their 400-year Holocaust.
Let me educate Mr. Bisram for the fourth and hopefully the final time for he has done this before in different forms. His last attempt was his letter of a year ago when he boldly wrote “the PPP was not practicing racism because it had Lumumba and other Africans in the government”.
Perhaps the learned Mr. Bisram should remember, Jesus was also betrayed by one of his disciples.
For Mr. Bisram’s education, “slavery” was and is a crime against humanity. This is an internationally accepted reality
Indentureship was not a crime against humanity. Indentured servants volunteered to come to Guyana and were given land or passage when their short period of Indentureship was over.
Slavery was a nuclear time bomb that shattered Africa and its rich civilizations to smithereens. Slavery was ungodly and religion was used in both the Arab and West Indian slave trade to justify murder, mayhem, extrajudicial killings. Hinduism was not used as an excuse for Indentureship.
Africans lost their families, lives, culture, language, identity, religions, lands, names, foods, their civilizations and their humanity. They lost their lives in the millions.
Indians came with their foods, names, religions, clothes, family members and their culture intact.
Africans were not paid for 180 years as they were chattels; Indians were paid from day one.
It is very difficult to understand how an educated man like Vishnu Bisram has the unmitigated gall to publicly write lies about slavery and indentureship.
It is either eye pass or a private and public disdain for Africans globally and one of his many acts of promoting Indian supremacy and racism.
Moreso, the timing and purpose of Vishnu Bisram’s letter is quite interesting. When all races in Guyana are fed up and disgusted with the PPP government, Vishnu does an early election trick by trying to create false debates and subtle antagonisms among the races. I expect to see this in the form of the PPP attacking the PNC because of Van West Charles’s return to the scene.
Vishnu is perhaps starting the process in his normal manner. A hater of Africans and things African he has become.
In his visits to India, I guess he is comfortable with the apartheid that 180 million Dalits (Africans) live under. He undermines and scars in a despicable way, the many decent Indians in Guyana and the contributions they have made.
He is an instrument of evil in his quest to undermine Guyana’s search for peace, prosperity and equity for all Guyanese
Vishnu, how can you compare the way Africans were brought to Guyana to the manner in which Indians came?
Africans came in chains, slept and knelt in their faeces for 90 to 120 days. The sick were thrown overboard. Indians came in the Whitby and other ships that had far better conditions and no mass murders.
It is a known fact; Africa lost over 100 million people to the Arab and West Indian slave trades. Millions of Africans died during the journey and in wars to capture them. Villages, homes, lands and people were decimated.
It is true both groups suffered during slavery and indentureship.
But the two evils were not similar. How many Indians died during rebellions? How many of their heads were decapitated and placed on sticks.
Vishnu also knows but does not know or care to say that within the first three years of arrival, in Guyana, 30 percent of slaves died.
I believe Mr. Bisram needs to publicly apologize for purposeful act of racism. The ERC should so inform him because he is too educated and worldly a man to not know the truth.
Again, the real issue is why Mr. Bisram wrote this letter. Election time is coming. Racial entrepreneurs and the fat lady are warming up.
Vishnu, you are a shameless person. Your task is to create diversions from the damage the PPP is doing to Guyana and to tell Indians they need to stick together because Africans are useless. Jagdeo is smiling while Obama looks on.
Eric Phillips

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