Kissoon applauded

Jan 07, 2015 Letters

Dear Editor,
It is not often that I get to applaud my friend Freddie Kissoon but he deserves kudos for recognizing my existence and acknowledging my polling work in Guyana (KN Nov 14). Freddie stated that the findings of NACTA’s polls should be published as Bisram’s polls because he claims “NACTA does not exist”.
That is a serious mistake as the founder of NACTA, Vassan Ramracha, penned in a letter to Stabroek News. NACTA does exist!
For years, Freddie questioned whether I actually existed even though I met him several times at the homes of politicians and at a few businesses. I am a person of integrity adhering to journalistic ethics, and as such I prefer not to divulge why Kissoon was there. A few years back, I met Prof. Winston McGowan at York College for the first time. Upon introduction, he commented: “So you do exist unlike what Freddie claims”.
Subsequently, Freddie stated in columns that he wrote to the editors of SN and KN and the head of Guyana’s press body to inquire about my education and occupation. The editor of one of the dailies did query my university education and my employment and these were published. Freddie himself contacted my place of employment asking for information to write about me. Freddie also questioned whether I conducted polls because all of them seem to be on target with actual election results.
Now he seems satisfied I do exist and that I am the holder of several undergraduate, graduate and post graduate degrees as he no longer queries about those. He also says the polls should be published, but not under NACTA.
Admittedly, NACTA has not been functional of late because my colleagues have moved on after establishing the organization and performing yeoman service to Guyanese and Caribbean nationals. But that does not mean that the organization does not exist.
For the record, NACTA was founded during the early 1990s by Ramracha, Dr Latchman Narain, Dr Baytoram Ramharack, Trevor Jagroo, Rennie Ramracha, Radica Singh, and a number of other educators. Most of the members of NACTA were actively involved in the struggle for free and fair elections in Guyana. The idea of its launching was Dr Naraine’s and mine that resulted from a meeting of leading thinkers and educator activists in the community.
The organization sent countless shipments of educational materials and supplies to Guyana and Trinidad and other societies. It donated money to organizations in Guyana and to individuals. We sponsored essay contests in Guyana. It organized symposiums and seminars at various American colleges and religious institutions (mandirs and churches) and conducted polls in several Caribbean societies. It partook in rallies and marches in New York. NACTA continued polling activities after the discontinuance of TRPI polls.
Organizations come in various sizes. For example, CGID is a “one-man” (small) organization.
The WPA is a five-man party. Johnson Polling (Jamaica) is a one-man organization. Peter Wickham runs a one-man organization whose poll showed AFC would win the election of 2011, findings that were lauded by Kissoon. Kissoon had no problem with it being called Cadres instead of Wickham Poll.
SARA Poll in Trinidad was founded by Prof Selwyn Ryan and it still exists as a one-man poll. Solution by Simulation was founded by Nigel Henry and it exists as one-man poll.
Dick Morris Polling runs a one-man polling outfit; its findings were cheered by Kissoon as being credible for finding the AFC winning the 2006 election.
Gallup Polling was founded by George Gallup who has passed on. Roper Polling was founded by the late Elmo Roper. So why can’t NACTA exist even if it is not very active and why can’t its name be used by one of its founders to so label its polls even if it is not active?
Vishnu Bisram

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