Some people accumulate titles. Others accumulate trust. Parasram “Paras” Ramoutar has done both—but it is the trust he has earned over decades that, in my view, is his greater achievement.
I have known Paras for more than 45 years. During that time, I have watched his journey with admiration—not simply because of the positions he has held, the honours he has received or the distinguished people with whom he has interacted, but because of the qualities that have guided him throughout his life.
Paras is a journalist, writer, public relations professional, community builder, former local government representative, historian and chronicler of our national experience. But impressive as those descriptions are, they do not fully capture the man.
To me, Paras is fundamentally a servant of the people, a builder of relationships and an advocate for the greater good.
And he is very much alive, active and still contributing.
That is important to say because we in Trinidad and Tobago have a habit of celebrating people most enthusiastically after they are gone. I believe we should learn to tell people what they mean to us while they are still here to hear it. This, therefore, is my tribute to a living friend and fellow nation-builder.
The man behind the achievements
Paras has never struck me as a man who expected others to make his way in life.He has worked for what he has achieved.
I have admired his tenacity, his willingness to work hard and his continuing commitment to self-development. He has consistently built on his strengths, embraced opportunities and sought to equip himself to take advantage of them.
That quality is not always recognised.
Some people spend much of their lives explaining why circumstances prevented them from achieving what they wanted. Paras has generally taken a different approach. He examines the circumstances, identifies what can be done and gets on with the task.
I have never known him to be much of a complainer. He is an analyst.
When confronted with difficulty, his instinct is to understand the problem and look for a way forward.
That characteristic has shaped not only his professional life but also his approach to relationships and public service.
A builder of bridges. Paras is spiritually grounded, but his spirituality has not made him insular. Quite the opposite.
He has developed relationships across political, religious, cultural, professional and social boundaries. He understands something that is sometimes forgotten in public life: we do not have to agree on everything to work together on something important.
He is instinctively oriented towards reconciliation and conflict resolution.
By SURUJRATTAN RAMBACHAN