Reference is made to Hamilton Green’s letter (SN Nov 24) wherein he claimed that the “Sum from Immigration Fund was no more than five to ten percent of cost to build National Cultural Centre”. There are several errors in the missive that need correction. Green’s historical narrative is based on a propaganda ploy that counters efforts at building a united nation.
Also, Mr Green left out a lot of facts pertaining to the use of the Indian immigrant fund and its planned use by Indian organizations that allocated the fund for construction of regional (Indian) cultural centers. Burnham was condemned by local NGOs and International Organizations and political parties for seizing the money to build the NCC. It is about time the Indian community be compensated for the illegal use of the fund to construct a national structure when the fund was established specifically for the Indian community to realize the cultural objectives of the pioneering immigrants.
It was consistently stated that the Indian Immigrants Fund (IIF) was used to construct the national cultural center (NCC). There no conflicting claims. Green was a member of the cabinet that approved the construction of NCC. He never before objected to that factual claim in the media for over 54 years. It was never stated before that the fund was only enough for 5 to 10% of the cost of the building that was constructed over 52 years ago for Carifesta.
As was reported, there wasn’t an allocation of funds in the budget for the construction of the edifice. So Burnham decided to expropriate the Indian Immigrant fund to build the NCC against the opposition of the Indian community. Dr Jagan and the PPP voiced their opposition for the use of the fund for the NCC. Those who opposed using the fund for NCC were victimized; some were terminated from their state jobs. The iconic Dr Balwant Singh of Gandhi Youth Org was among those targeted for opposing the use of the fund for NCC.
Green penned that the Maha Sabha members supported using the fund for NCC. The names of individuals mentioned were seen as pariah by Indians; they were avoided by Indians and spat upon. And he failed to mention that Maha Sabha was a splintered organization that was affiliated with and supported Burnham and the PNC — the other faction (Dharmic Sabha) supported Jagan’s PPP. The Burnham backed Maha Sabha had virtually no following; nearly all the Hindus sided with Dharmic Sabha. Dharmic, led by Pt. Reepu, opposed the use of the IIF for the NCC. The PPP carried out a boycott of the facility after it was opened for Carifesta and discouraged Indians from patronizing it for decades. Pt. Reepu and leaders as well as followers of nearly all Hindu orgs swore never to set foot in the NCC. However, when the great singer Lata Mangeshkar visited Guyana in mid 1970s and performed at the NCC, Pt. Reepu was forced to attend and present her with a bouquet of flowers.
Contrary to what Green penned, Islamic organizations also opposed using the fund for the construction of NCC. The main Muslim organization was split with a small faction backing Burnham and the large faction backing Jagan. The Muslim organization aligned with Burnham had virtually no following. Those Muslims that showed opposition to Burnham were victimized and they opposed using the fund for the NCC.
The Indians have been very proud of their ancestral heritage and culture brought from India. They have had their own distinct culture that they have maintained since their arrival from India beginning in 1838 and wanted their own cultural centers. They were and largely still are averse to embracing a creole culture imposed by the state. They did not and do not want to be creolized and to break cultural attachment with Mother India. Thus, they proposed using the fund for construction of regional cultural centers.
Contrary to what Green feels, it is wrong to use Indian money to “harmonise the strands of Amerindian, African, Chinese, Indian, Portuguese and European forms in songs, dance, poetry”.
How Green comes up with the percentage of 5-10 raises a fundamental question. Why a general number and not a proximate specific percentage? He was a member of the cabinet that approved the construction of the edifice. He would know the cost of the NCC and the amount that was in the fund.
The fund was illegally expropriated for a center to which Indians did not have access for decades. Indians have lived away from Georgetown and the location of the NCC did not and does not make it accessible to them. It could not have been built thinking about their accessibility when the state knew that Indians were distanced from it.
Clearly, Indians were grossly disrespected and the state exhibited disdain for Indo-Guyanese culture when it seized the immigrant fund and arbitrarily used for the construction of the NCC. The NCC itself has nothing Indian about. There are Hardat Indian mementos inside.
The government must make amends to the Indian community by constructing regional cultural centers as originally intended so that Indians can have access to a facility to promote their culture as proposed by the pioneers in whose name the fund was established. Failing that, representatives of the Indian community must be prepared to sue the state for restorative justice.