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Tribute to Boyo Ramsaroop
Apr 02, 2010 Letters
Dear Editor,
With great sorrow, I read of the passing of Boyo Ramsaroop while on a trip in Mumbai. I join with his family in mourning this wonderful human being. I know him as a selfless individual.
Boyo was a decent human being who gave a lot to our nation. My regret was I was not able to speak with him for long periods of time to learn of his experiences of life in Guyana under the dictatorship and behind the iron curtain when he was a student in East Germany.
In one of his chats, he talked about how he wanted to revisit India. I faintly recall him telling me he visited or wanted to visit India and that he bought a sari for his wife who looked elegantly in it.
He also said one of his relatives in Germany wanted to take him to visit or revisit India. I feel deeply honoured to pay tribute to this wonderful soul from India and would ask a pandit to pray for him.
I met Boyo for the first time in 2005 during a trip to Guyana. He had traveled to NY in the summer of that year seeking to meet with me. Finding out that I was in Guyana, he instructed his wife to contact me to applaud my work.
When he returned to Guyana, we met. His wife, Brigette and his son, Gerhard, were extremely warm to me. Boyo told me how he wanted to meet me since the late 1980s after reading my comments in the letter pages of SN over a long period of time. He was impressed with my political activism in NY and my polling activities.
He also talked about the terrific work done by Dr. Baytoram Ramharack and Ravi Dev. He was most impressed with our anti-dictatorial struggle in NY and our continued involvement in the politics of Guyana seeking to improve living condition in our homeland after the restoration of democracy. Boyo became disappointed with the politics of Guyana after the demise of the Jagans.
Boyo and his family were among the nicest Guyanese I met during trips to Guyana. I met them again in 2006 and 2007. Brigette talked about how disenchanted she was with life in Guyana and would remigrate to Germany so her daughter could access a first class university education.
Boyo and I spoke a little about politics and some of the contents of the discussion would be kept confidential. I know he and his wife had/have absolute respect for the late Cheddi Jagan contrary to what has been penned by a columnist in your paper.
Boyo and Brigette and the young Gerhard were very active in PPP politics and in cultural activities as well.
If I recall correctly, Gerhard had referred to Jagan as “Uncle Cheddi” in brief conversation we had. Brigette talked about her abiding love for the Guyanese culture and she herself was deep into Indian culture.
Brigette and Boyo played prominent roles in the struggle for the restoration of democracy and Boyo himself was a victim of the oppressive dictatorship.
And they also helped to promote Guyanese flowers locally and abroad. Boyo deserved an award for his contribution to life in Guyana. Brigette should be applauded for the tenacity and perseverance during the dictatorship.
I think Guyana has lost a talented individual in the passing of Boyo and has suffered an even greater loss in Brigette returning to Germany if indeed she did.
Vishnu Bisram
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