Thanks to the Indian High Commission for Scholarships

May 31, 2014 Letters

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DEAR EDITOR,
This is in reference to Mr. Barrington Braithwaite’s “The other normalcy” (KN May 20) regarding an ad for advanced academic opportunity in India. Braithwaite complains about the requirement stipulating ethnicity as a criterion…
India has been very generous with its educational and other assistance to Guyana and as such we have to be careful about expressions of what Guyanese describe as “nimakharamism” that could offend the Indian government leading to a reduction in aid.
In general, the Indian government has offered scholarships directly through the Guyana government and at times directly to individuals (with the Guyana government having no discretion on awardees).
During the period of the ethnic dictatorship, 1965 to 1992, few Indians, Chinese, Amerindians and Portuguese were recipients of Indian scholarships; the agents of the ethnic dictatorship decided on the recipients. Following complaints from Indians, another line of scholarships was given to Guyanese and several Indians were selected to study in India.
Myself and other Guyanese complained to Indian officials who responded that they were helpless to alter the situation because the Guyana government made the recommendations and the Indian government had to abide by them. We lobbied the Indian government to increase the number of scholarships given directly to applicants while not reducing those falling under the control of the Guyana government. This has led to many Indians being recipients of scholarships.
Following the restoration of democracy, it has been an even playing field, with Guyanese of all ethnicities being chosen to study for free in India.  When myself and other Indo-Guyanese got an opportunity to meet Indian officials (and we met Manmohan Singh as well as his predecessor Atal Vajpayee) we made the case for increased assistance to Guyana. Since 2000, financial assistance and scholarships to Guyana have increased, with Guyanese of all ethnicities being beneficiaries.
In general, donor countries determine the criteria for participation in a scholarship program. An Embassy or a Consulate is a sovereign unit of a nation and in a host country can stipulate conditions for an academic scholarship. In the US, for example, government sponsors certain programs and often stresses minorities will be given preference for certain programs.
In some countries, including the US, ethnicity as a criterion is not actually stated, but applicants from a particular ethnicity are given preference. In Guyana, for example, it was well established and institutionalized that while the ethnicity criteria was not publicly stated as a condition for selection for a program or a ranking job, during the period of the ethnic dictatorship, preference was given to applicants of a particular race. Can Braithwaite tell us how many Portuguese, Chinese, Amerindians and Indians were selected for scholarships or government training for academic advancement?
India gives the most scholarships to Guyanese of all countries. India also gives the most scholarships to students in Africa; I studied in India and I travelled to India dozens of times, encountering African students on Indian campuses studying as guests of the Indian government. I also met numerous students from South America, Central America and Mexico in India – thanks to the generosity of the Indian government.
Guyanese have also received scholarships to study in China and I met quite a number of South Americans and Africans in Beijing when I was there briefly as a visiting student during my doctoral studies in 1985 and in subsequent visits to China. Both the Chinese and Indian governments have been kind to foreigners with their educational assistance.
I visited African countries several times and I did not encounter foreign students studying on scholarships. But I was told a few Guyanese did study in Africa. I did meet a Guyanese girl studying on a scholarship in Fiji when I gave a talk at USP two years ago. Can Braithwaite tell us how many scholarships were given to Guyana by African countries and of those, how many of the recipients were Chinese, Indians, Portuguese, and Amerindian Guyanese?
Thousands of Guyanese have studied in India for free and hundreds more paid a nominal fee. Many Afro-Guyanese, Mixed and Amerindians studied in India and I encountered quite a few. And they are most grateful for the opportunity to advance their education in India for free, an opportunity not afforded them in African countries. Unlike Braithwaite, I wish to convey gratitude and appreciation to India and to the Chinese governments for being so kind to us. I urge the Indian government to please increase the number of scholarships given to Guyanese. Thank you Indian High Commission for your generosity?  I wish the countries of Africa can emulate India and China in aiding Guyanese.
Vishnu Bisram

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