The deceased American President is best remembered for two issues relating to Guyanese (diaspora) and other minorities in America and to Guyana: Democracy and respect for human rights were among the planks of the Carter Doctrine from which Guyana would benefit post his Presidency. And he started a political trend in America for racial inclusivity; Blacks and other minorities were prominently included in his administration and treated with relative respect, a first for USA, and Guyanese immigrants were beneficiaries. Every administration thereafter included minorities. Today, the American administration reflects the ethnic composition of the country.
Much tribute has been written on Jimmy Carter’s role in restoring democracy in Guyana. Little space was given to the history of his contact with the diaspora and involvement in Guyanese affairs. When he was President, Guyana hardly figured in Carter’s foreign policy. Burnham’s people at the UN were very close with Ambassador Andrew Young. The American policy was to contain the Soviet Union and Young had cordial relations with Guyanese diplomats with a calming effect on any planned radical policies of Georgetown. Carter, like his predecessors, through Young’s advice, preferred Burnham over Jagan, and as such every American administration closed its eyes to human rights abuses in Guyana during the period of the dictatorship. American Presidents from Johnson to Bush Sr were not pleased with Burnham, but for them he was a lesser threat than Jagan to the interests of USA. Only when communism collapsed in 1990 that Washington no longer viewed Jagan as a threat to western interests. By then Jagan had mellowed and was willing to engage capitalists. Pressure was brought by Washington on Desmond Hoyte to restore democratic governance and hold free and fair elections in Guyana paving the way for the return of Jagan to office after being out to pasture by Britain and USA for 28 years. Lobbying by the Indo Club in the diaspora helped to usher in democracy in Guyana.
Carter served as President from January 1977 to January 1981. Many Guyanese were allowed to come to USA during this period as students and with residency. This writer came to USA to pursue tertiary education in 1977. A university student group was launched in 1977 at CCNY led by Baytoram Ramharack, Vassan Ramracha, myself and others that lobbied the Carter White House and subsequent administrations to put pressure on the Guyana dictatorship to respect human rights and restore democratic rule. A PPP support group was already active in the mid 1970s, but because of its leftist ideology it did not display much interest in lobbying Washington to help restore democracy in the homeland. Several members of the leftist group saw America as being responsible for the rise of the Burnham dictatorship and of exploiting Guyana following the toppling of Jagan in December 1964. And thus appealing to Washington was not a priority for the group although it did approach ‘progressive’ members of Congress to help its left wing cause. The Indo Club consistently appealed to Washington to apply pressure on the Guyanese dictatorship to restore democratic governance. After the collapse of communism, taking a cue from Jagan, the leftist group began lobbying Washington to pressure Hoyte to hold free and fair elections.
Guyanese groups in USA had little influence in Washington as they were small and lacked lobbying resources to win over the White House or Congress on matters pertaining to Guyana. The leftists were out of touch with reality; they were never t pragmatic in a capitalist democracy. Our university group, Indo Club founded in 1977, sought the assistance of (Asian) Indian organizations that already had a foothold in Washington to raise matters pertaining to human rights abuses in Guyana. Our group worked closely with Asian Indian organizations and the Indian media (India Abroad and News India) to expose rights abuses in Guyana. The Asian Indians were very sympathetic and supportive of our cause attending our programs at college and rallies in NYC and allowing us to march in their India Day parade every year from 1981 to bring global attention on Guyana.
Our guy was Yashpal Soi who was key to raising Guyanese matters with the House and Congress. Our group and Essequibian Ramesh Kalicharran convinced him to assist Jagan in the struggle for FFE. He was Chief Engineer in NYC and did fundraiser for Carter’s re-election as well as for several Members of Congress; a few Guyanese were attendees at fundraisers. This writer often attended events as a reporter and supporter. Yadhpaul had close contacts and a voice in Washington that Guyanese groups lacked, and he put us in contact with them. He also had a weekly radio program and hosted Jagan multiple times to discuss Guyana issues. He also raised funds for Jagan and introduced him to Members of Congress. Soi was a founding member of FIA and became a founding member of GOPIO after its convention in 1989 where Jagan was invited as a special guest through the intervention of Ravi Dev and myself. There, with the help of convener Dr Thomas Abraham at our urging, Jagan was introduced to Ron Brown who was chair of the Democratic Party. Brown was earlier a key aide to Senator Ted Kennedy. Through our lobbying, Kennedy issued a statement calling for free and fair elections in Guyana. Other Members of Congress followed suit. Around this time, we also appealed to Arthur Schlesinger to meet with and assist Jagan in the struggle for FFE; Schlesinger played a role in toppling Jagan from office. Schlesinger was my Professor for three doctoral courses and we talked a lot about Guyana. I appealed to him to meet Jagan; they met at Nation Magazine headquarters, and he apologized to Jagan. He also wrote a piece calling for FFE in Guyana.
Yashpaul, the Indo Club, GOPIO and Hassan Rahman appealed to Carter Center to assist with restoration of democracy in Guyana. Carter and his wife Roslyn knew Yashpal Soi. A letter was sent by our group appealing to the Center to meet with Jagan who himself had also written to the Center at our (Dev, Ramharack, and myself) urging when we met at the global Indian convention in 1989. A Jagan meeting with Carter and his team took place in 1990 with the former President committing to assist if he is welcomed in Guyana by the government.
Meanwhile, an understanding was reached between Moscow and Washington to bury the ideological hatchet. Democracy was beginning to mushroom globally following the collapse of communism. At the lobbying of Members of Congress through our efforts, President Bush issued a statement calling for free and fair elections in Guyana, tying aid to it. Carter was urged to visit Guyana, funded by Washington, to meet with Hoyte and convince him to hold FFE. The US Embassy organized a meeting between Carter and Hoyte with the latter refusing to budge on demands for FFE. A warning was issued by Washington. As he was heading for the airport and presumably with negative news to report to Pres Bush on restoring democracy in Guyana, Hoyte called Carter acquiescing to the conditions for FFE. Had Hoyte not agreed to holding FFE, sanctions would have kicked in as threatened by Bush.
Carter would lead the delegation to monitor the 1992 elections. Attempt to derail the election failed. Threat to Carter’s life was not enough to prevent a declaration of Jagan as the victor. Carter institutionalized democracy in Guyana. And the diaspora, Guyanese as well as from India, played a critical role in Carter’s involvement in Guyanese affairs.
Yours sincerely,
Vishnu Bisram
