I write in support of the public nomination of Dr Jerry Jailall (in KN Dec 19) for the Pravasi Bharat Samman Award (PBSA) dispensed by the government of India. This prestigious honor is given to prominent Indians in the diaspora for their sterling services to their community abroad and or country where domiciled and or for personal achievement and or for promoting India causes abroad. Dr Bisram would qualify under any of the above criteria. Though late, I will like to put my view in the record.
Dr Bisram has been widely known in Guyana and in Guyanese circles since the mid 1970s in Guyana championing democracy as a student leader combatting authoritarian rule and human rights violations. In the diaspora, he did same between 1977 and 1992 as a university student. He has been known as someone who possesses humility, honesty, compassion, and who zealously lobby for Guyana and India and who passionately takes on issues about which he feels strongly. He spent decades promoting culture in his community and in New York. And he has been involved in charitable activities.
Guyana and the diaspora has benefited tremendously from Dr Bisram’s varied community involvement, and in the process he has earned the respect and admiration of Guyanese everywhere.
In America, I worked closely with Vishnu. Dr Bisram is well known for his enormous contributions to his native Guyana and India in a variety of areas not the least being in voluntary selfless community service, writing on diaspora related matters and issues, championing human rights and democracy, supporting India causes, charity and humanitarianism, fundraising for worthwhile causes for the diaspora and India, writings, and public service.
The contributions of few Guyanese, if any, can be compared with Dr Bisram’s persistent focus on the diaspora and on issues pertaining to Guyanese and Guyana in his voluminous writings. His writing on India-Guyana, India-Caribbean, India-diaspora relations and his write ups on PM Modi’s visit have no comparison. It is an established fact that no one writes as much as him on the Guyanese diaspora in America. Also, the actions of few can be compared with his decades long struggle (from 1968) to restore democratic governance in Guyana in 1992 and in combating the 2020 electoral fraud. And he has diligently worked to promote India’s soft power overseas.
In addition, Dr. Bisram has relentlessly contributed to upliftment of life of the Guyanese diaspora in Greater New York. Since 1977, he consistently volunteered for cultural and charitable activities beneficial to the Guyanese and Indo-Caribbean community in the New York. He has touched or enriched the lives of others, particularly those who are vulnerable or less able to help themselves. He organized countless events in the diaspora over the last fifty years that benefited Guyanese and the diaspora. And he made dozens of trips to India for charitable programs and guest lecturing at universities on the diaspora.
The PBSA honor to Dr Vishnu Bisram would serve as a recognition of and a reward for his invaluable work from which India and Guyana and their diasporas benefited.
Yours truly,
Vassan Ramracha, Ret’d Teacher
