From the beginning I knew there was no place for an independent mind

Feb 05, 2012 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

I thank Dr. Henry Jeffrey, former PPP Minister, for his supportive analysis against my dismissal from UG (“PPP/C regime axed Kissoon simply because it believed it could,” Stabroek News, Feb 1, 2012). In his essay, Dr. Jeffrey wrote the following of me; “I believe that he (Kissoon) has persistently, unjustifiably, and on occasions maliciously attacked persons without any basis in fact or logic.”
I do not accept that description of my work at all. In fact I reject it outright. The missing angle in Dr. Jeffrey’s assessment is who or what he means by persons. Are the Stabroek News, Kaieteur News, AFC, Private Sector Commission, PNC, WPA, Republic Bank, Georgetown Hospital, Minister Henry Jeffrey, President Jagdeo, opposition leader Robert Corbin, Minister Rohee, the Headmistress of Mae’s School, Clive Lloyd, Jerry Gouveia, Vice Chancellor James Rose, Chief Justice (ag) Ian Chang, Ramesh Dookoo, and I could go on forever, just ordinary persons? The answer is no.
If you examine this very brief list that I have produced at random out of my head while typing this column, you would have noticed some are institutions with enormous reach in society while others are very prominent persons who have professions that put them in touch with the rest of the citizenry. When Dr. Jeffrey wrote I attacked persons maliciously, is he referring to the coffee lady at UG? Or the sweeper at Republic Bank? Or the cane cutter at Guysuco? The answer is no. Dr. Jeffrey has in mind very public personalities that are in the public eyes and who at some time or the other would do something that would engender a comment.
What Dr. Jeffrey left out is that I have never been selective. My net has been cast wide and far, very far. There are times I criticize people that I love. My memory goes back to Eusi Kwayana and Tacuma Ogenseye. There is no question in my mind that Kwayana is a Guyanese hero and that status will probably be conferred on him sooner than later by our Parliament. Yet I have penned a few pointed remarks on Kwayana in my long years of activism. Ogunseye is a towering freedom fighter in Guyana. We were young fighters in the WPA in the seventies and became close friends. I disagreed vehemently with him over the Buxton-based violence few ago.
What about Kaieteur News I write for? The Stabroek News criticized KN for supporting the withdrawal of advertisement by President Jagdeo from SN when it first happened. But I wrote twice in my columns at the time that I did not support such action against SN. When a certain well-known businessman was charged with threatening NIS inspectors, I applauded Stabroek News in a published letter for its relentless pursuit of the incident and lamented that Kaieteur News should have done more.
I could have been asked to leave KN because of that. But I didn’t think of the consequences when I praised SN because this is the way an independent mind functions. My good friend Mark Benschop objected to a criticism of him in one of my columns which he thought was unfair. We talked about it and he knew I was just being who I am – an independent critic. Now if I can pen a not so favourable line on a good friend like Benschop, then surely, it is dishonest to say that I set out to pounce on people. Actually, I resent that description of me. But I won’t fuss about it because I accept to be in the line of fire. It was a choice I made.
When I started these columns originally in the Catholic Standard and then Stabroek News, and then the Freddie Kissson Notebook on Channel 13, I knew that an independent mind would run into terrible conflict in the society. Any human being must be aware that people do not like to be exposed, criticized and condemned for the wrong things they do.
Long ago, when I was a freshman at UG, I knew an independent mind would face the wrath of those that he/she dared to confront. I knew the dangers that faced me back in 1974 as a UG student. That was a long time ago. I haven’t changed and I will not. I believe in a deep philosophical way that society must have independent judges of human behaviour so that justice is preserved and wrongdoing is exposed.
There is a lot wrong with this society, not only in the PPP Government but in all the opposition parties, people in the media, the medical, legal and professional and business communities in society. Among important stakeholders and important individuals in Guyana, there are very bad expressions of unfairness. We must write about these things. As for me, I am far from perfect.

Latest News

From the beginning I knew there was no place for an independent mind

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | December, 2nd, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Kellman’s 3-goal brilliance inspires Sparta Boss’ title victory

Bossalina wins feature event at Rising Sun Turf...

GBBFF boss reflects on milestones and leadership...

National stars shine in GCF End of Year Chess...

Two more young cricketers benefit from Project...

Tonight: Sparta Boss goes up against Bent Street...

Features/Columnists

The PPP is in self-destructive mode

Forget Begging Rich Nations: Caribbean Countries Should Act to Save Themselves

A good year, interesting one

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

From the beginning I knew there was no place for an independent mind

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | December, 2nd, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]