Dear Editor,
I recently read the article by Ramnarine Sahadeo that was published in the Guyana Times and in Kaieteur News on December 19th honoring helicopter pilot Michael Charles, a true patriot of Guyana. It struck me in two ways. Firstly, I was visiting Guyana when the aircraft went missing. In fact, just a few days before, I visited Michael’s younger brother Errol Charles at his home on the West Bank of Demerara. We were in the same class at Covent Garden High School. We reminisced about our school days at Covent Garden High School on the East Bank of Demerara. Michael was one class ahead of me, but we would see each other in school daily. If not in school, we would stand every afternoon on the East Bank public road at the same spot. I waited for a taxi and the Charles brothers waited for the Tata bus to Soesdyke.
During my recent visit, I asked Errol how Michael and the rest of the family were doing. He said they were doing fine, and that Michael was still flying. A few days after that conversation, the aircraft piloted by Michael Charles went missing. We waited and hoped for the best. I had returned to the United States (where I had migrated to, forty-three years ago as a teenager) when the sad news was announced. With a heavy heart, I reminisced on “small days” at Covent Garden High School. Lieutenant Colonel Michael Charles, pilot extraordinaire, had made the ultimate sacrifice for his country. He would continue flying even higher, this time onwards to a place in heaven that specially honored the bravest of soldiers. I know very well the risks taken and sacrifices made by Lieutenant Colonel Michael Charles, as I am also a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. Like Michael, I also joined the United States military at the age of 18. But after a hazardous and life-threatening mission, I am lucky to be around to write about it. I salute Lieutenant Colonel Michael Charles.
Secondly, in the same article Ramnarine Sahadeo also mentioned the difficulty of being able to trace the roots of his ancestors and Mike’s ancestors from India, as they are related. Incidentally, the day before meeting Errol Charles, I visited the General Post Office (GPO). I went there to get information about the ship that brought my grandfather from India to Guyana. My friend who brought me to the Registrar’s office pointed to the door of Raymond Cummings, the Registrar. Mr. Raymond Cummings was not in his office at that time. However, one of the employees sitting at her desk tried to assist me. I presented my mother’s birth certificate and my father’s birth certificate, but the registrar’s employee was unable to link either of my grandfathers to the ship they came on. After trying various searches, an hour went by and she gave up. She said that the computer just does not have enough information to trace back to the ship that my grandfather came on. She ended by saying that I have to bring the necessary information, such as my grandfather’s birth certificate or information about the ship that my grandfather travelled on.Of course, that is neither a reasonable expectation nor is it logical, since I went there to get that information from this office.
This is important to me because I travel to India often on a tourist visa which has many restrictions and expires every 10 years. Since I am entitled to the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Card, I am trying to obtain it with the help of the Registrar’s office in Georgetown, Guyana. I was also trying to get that information because my brothers, sisters and cousins would also like to obtain their OCI card. I visited Guyana on their behalf in hopes of getting the information necessary to obtaining their OCI card. I am aware that I am fortunate and can afford to fly to Guyana to research this matter, while there are many others who would like to obtain their OCI card but do not have the resources to travel to Guyana to get it done.And judging from the amount of “likes” on Ramnarine Sahadeo’s article, we can see there is interest in this matter.
Obtaining the OCI card is a huge step in the right direction of maintaining our culture and tradition just like our foremothers and forefathers. I was lucky enough to study the Sanskrit language and Indian philosophy from well-known scholars in India. My wife and children also visited India numerous times and studied various disciplines. After the completion of my studies in India, I travelled to Jamaica to teach people of African descent meditation and Yoga. I also taught meditation, Yoga, Pranayama, Vedic chanting and Vedanta philosophy to people in Mexico, Columbia, Costa Rica, Brazil, the United States and Canada. This would not have been possible if I had not visited and studied in India. I would like to make it easier for other Guyanese who are interested in visiting India, to further their studies in our rich Indian heritage and experience our rich culture as I have. Easier processing of the OCI card is a sure step in the right direction.
Like myself, there are many Guyanese who find themselves in the same “boat” and cannot find the ship that our grandparents travelled onfrom India. While it is obvious that our ancestors came from India as Indentured servants, we do not know which ship they came on. That is the missing link. At this time, I would like to make an appeal to the personnel in charge, to simplify this process, to make it easier and more accessible in obtaining their OCI card. In this current age of advanced computer development, databases and digitization, with diligent effort by the qualified personnel in Guyana, I am confident that this request can be accomplished. I look forward to the day when these records are digitized and available in Guyana as it is in other Caribbean countries.
Kind regards,
Sri Rajaji