I still cannot believe SN is closing

Feb 24, 2026 Letters

Dear Editor,

I still cannot believe that S.N will stop publishing.

I can remember when this paper started and it was not a daily. Patricia at the corner of Regent and Wellington Street, made sure she kept a copy for Dad as the newspaper used to sell out before she got them. My father-the proprietor of Sahadeo Fashion Center- was one of the first to buy/read the S.N in the days when anything critical of the PNC/Burnham regime was detrimental to life. Dad’s support of the SN was not only an act of defiance to the dictator but it was also to support the newspaper. Dad used to religiously buy all of the published works of people who were fighting the dictatorship-Catholic Standard especially.

My sister remembers a story where a white foreign photographer (his name was Mike); was being pursued by Rabbi’s men and he ran into Hollywood Store where Dad was the General Manager. He asked Dad to hide his camera and our Father did. That night, the Store was broken into-the first time in its history. They didn’t find the camera though and dad gave it to the guy when he came back. A few days later Rabbi also came into the store and walked around, as if searching for something before walking out.

Stabroek News is a piece of history that few are aware of in today’s Guyana. The liberty and freedom that are taken for granted today-did not come easy/cheap. My father and our family can attest to that in many stories as are others who did not leave Guyana but stayed back during the horribly dark days of dictatorship/starvation/living in constant fear for your life when you opposed the founder leader. There are so many unsung heroes/heroines that those today who were not born/were too little; do not know or seem not to care to learn of, much less give tribute to.

Dad encouraged me to write to the papers when something in the public sphere bothered or affected me. The Letter section in S.N is one of the most read/hot topics in the newspapers-something I miss dearly from Guyana. S.N has printed most of my letters and I even found a family member through this medium-Syeada Manbodh (animal activist) saw a letter I wrote about an abused dog and asked if SN can contact me on her behalf. Happens that her Mum and my Mum are cousins. I thank SN for allowing me space to vent on many issues-Hinduism, Indian Rights, Politics and especially Animal rights. My friend Dr. Herman Reid once told me that when he saw anyone writing about Hindu issues-he’d wait for my reply in SN. When S.N became available Online-it was a source of keeping abreast with the real happenings in Guyana. While still contributing in the Letter section, I joined the SN community commenting online i.e until someone spitefully spammed me and I could not contribute anymore. I miss the gaffe with some of the SN online community and Cynthia Nelson’s Taste like Home column especially.

In addition, also appeared several times in its photos too. I can never forget when I hit the front page in a photograph of me escorting the late President Hoyte to the stage at a programme held for the visit of three Swami Jis at the National Park. My family was inundated with calls telling them how my dad would feel if he saw his daughter welcoming Desmond Hoyte in the front pages. Such were the angst during those days.

It is with deep sadness I write-trying to express in a few paragraphs the loss of a part of my life. As a trained journalist/writer, I shudder to think about the state of any nation where independent newspapers are run out of business. It reeks of the dark days of dictatorship. My salutations and gratitude to Mr. and Mrs. De Caires, Miranda La Rose, Anna Benjamin, Anand Persaud everyone else behind this newspaper from its inception to today. I hope there is somewhere, where we can access the letters/articles in its Archives.

Thank you very much and God Bless.

Best Regards,

Nanda Sahadeo

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Burnham, Letters, Nanda Sahadeo, PNC, Stabroek News

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