Dear Editor,
I learn that former Finance Minister Mr Sasenarine Kowlessar has declined the nomination as High Commissioner to India. That being the case, I would like to recommend Dr. Vishnu Bisram for the vacant position. Since the end of December, there has been no HC in India, an important partner for Guyana and the world’s fifth largest economy. That is unacceptable given that India has very close cultural links to Guyana and most of the Caribbean and is among the largest aid donor to Guyana and the region.
In an age of globalization and interconnectivity, and with Guyana on the verge of economic takeoff, the country needs someone with well-rounded skills to push its interests – in finance, investment, politics, security, culture, energy, diaspora, and more. Dr. Vishnu Bisram has all those skills and more. He is the right man for India and I would like to nominate him for the position. I hope he is interested.
I read several reports in the Guyana papers already recommending Dr. Vishnu Bisram for the vacant HC position but was bypassed. I was surprised he was not selected. As others penned, I can’t think of anyone who is more qualified to represent Guyana in India as Ambassador (High Commissioner) than Dr. Bisram. He has high level contacts in India. He studied in India and USA and possesses appropriate credentials for the position – PhD in International Relations and Diplomacy and doctorates in other subjects, excellent connections in New Delhi, promoter of culture, scholar on diaspora, defender of Guyana, fighter for democracy, and outstanding communicator (writer), economist, political scientist, knowledgeable about India, among other positives. In addition, Dr. Bisram has been very active and is well known in South Asian Indian organizations in America since the late 1970s as well as Guyanese and Trinidadian associations and organized many cultural and political events.
It is well known that between 1968 and 1992 he championed the struggle for free and fair elections in Guyana from abroad and in Guyana at great risks to his physical safety and organized and or coordinates many rallies in Trinidad and USA calling for free and fair elections in his homeland. He did same from March to August 2020 to bring pressure on the Guyana government to respect the outcome of the March 2020 elections. In addition, he wrote extensively against electoral frauds and the 2020 elections impasse (attempted fraud. It is an understatement to say that his activism helped to bring about political change on August 2, 2020. Dr. Bisram also wrote extensively about Guyanese diasporic activities in Trinidad, USA, and other countries from 1977 to now. His writings appeared in Trinidad media from time to time.
In addition to his academic credentials and his cultural and political activism, Dr. Bisram is a “diaspora man”. He is known to have been a regular visitor to India over the last four decades, perhaps the most trips of a Caribbean national to the South Asian nation, the land of his ancestors. He organized conferences and or presented papers at countless and seminars in India. In addition, he lectured at several colleges and universities all over India and in several other countries including Trinidad, Surinam, Fiji, Mauritius, and South Africa.
Dr. Bisram is a seasoned scholar who has all the right qualifications to make an excellent diplomat (Ambassador) in India and represent Guyana’s interests with class and distinction.
Yours truly,
Samaroo Avatar