I haven’t discovered my Indianness; I don’t know what it is

May 15, 2022 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

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Kaieteur News – On Wednesday morning, I was interviewed by television talk show host, Naim Chan on channel 6. I like Chan because I think essentially, he has an independent mind, a trait those who belong to the so-called independent media should acquire ASAP.
I cannot and will not forget a journalist from the mainstream media interviewing someone about how civil society should make the government more accountable and failed to ask that person about the five months of election rigging during which the person publicly called on President David Granger to cancel the election process and stop GECOM from continuing to oversee the process.
Now why this person’s emanation is egregious is because constitutionally the president could not have done that either legally or constitutionally. The president does not have even an ounce of authority to stop GECOM’s functions. No office holder can do that. GECOM’s power comes directly from the constitution and not from Parliament. There is no law on the books which a litigant can appeal to stop the function of the seven-person GECOM commission.
So, in effect, this person was demanding that the president act illegally to stop a free and fair election. Equally egregious is the attitude of that journalist to interview that person and not enquire about the infamous call to President Granger. These are the journalists who want recognition from the government and society but do not demonstrate not a drop of independent journalism. This is why I like Naim Chan and I would willingly appear on his show each time a request is made.
During the interview, Naim was receiving questions from his Meta (Facebook) page to put to me. A lady from Canal Polder asked if I would like to comment on the eventual discovery of my Indianness. I did not understand the question because I don’t know what my Indianness is.
I cannot say I have Indianness if I don’t understand what it is. I would be happy if those like Ravi Dev, Vishnu Bisram, Ryhaan Shah, Baytoram Ramharack, who once publicly wrote that I am a self-hater, would explain to me what is self-hate and what is Indianness.
I don’t know what those two terms means so if I see a description of both then I could offer a response. I know I like myself, the Guyanese people in general and the poorer folks in life who need opportunity for self-elevation. I know I am Indian by genetic substance and I am not ashamed that I was born into the Hindu culture from which I gave my only child a Hindu name. I married an Indian woman that I love immensely. I have extremely close Indian friends, including Charrandass Persaud whom I will not forsake. One of my heroes was a staunch Hindu practitioner – Yesu Persaud.
I don’t know what that lady meant by Indianness. My landline number is 222-1615-1616, cell – 614-5927, email – [email protected]. She can contact me if she cares to. Maybe she can pay me a visit and sit with my wife and I, have coffee and define Indianness. I live at 47 Area Q, Turkeyen, next to the CARICOM Secretariat.
Unfortunately, I could not answer the question. But I did touch on Indian people who chastised me for being critical of the PPP government before 2015. I had to remind those people that perhaps I was the only genetic Indian that exposed the Buxton mayhem from the Mash Day jail break in 2002 until the violent debauchery ended in 2006.
Naim Chan did not know that during those times when I was writing about the Buxton terror, my house on Hadfield Street in Wortmanville was shot at and the bullet was lodged in the bed head, inches (yes inches) from my wife’s head. If you ever met my wife or daughter you can ask them for their reaction.
Did I expose the Buxton horror show because I was Indian? My answer is no. There was no ethnic consciousness when I was writing those columns. I was an investigative columnist that sought to throw light on gunmen and their intellectual authors who were killing Indian people because they saw themselves as African Guyanese that wanted to overthrow an Indian-led government. I saw myself as a media operative, a political activist and an academic that had to investigate this violent marauding against Indian people. I will investigate and condemn any organisation and government that seek to violently abrogate the rights of any ethnic group in this country. I end with the call that I would be happy for someone to intellectualise for me on what self-hate and what Indianness are. I will expand on two other questions in the interview in forthcoming columns.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

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