Dear Editor,
Engaged as he was with the endeavour that has been his raison d’être, for David de Caires, Martin Carter’s immortal words “death must not find us thinking that we die” held true to the very end.
A lot has already been written and a lot more will be written about this pioneering spirit who eschewed comfort and safety and predictability to raise the banner of a free press, and bring forth a tremendous infantry in the battle for free and fair elections in Guyana. Indeed it took guts to dare go up against the powers that were; it took guts to give up a safe and comfortable life to wade into the uncertain and relatively unknown world of professional media practice and it guts took to undertake the hazardous, painstaking and in many ways mentally and physically demanding task of nurturing an independent media entity in Guyana of the eighties.
Some may argue that David de Caires was not solely motivated by the lofty ideals of freedom of expression. Some may argue that his particular class outlook brought with it certain drawbacks that impacted the development and growth of Stabroek News. And some may argue that his perspectives on what was envisioned as an independent newspaper were constrained by his particular worldview. But then similar arguments can be made for almost anyone who sets out to be a pioneer. And so none of this detracts from the courage that David de Caires exemplified at a time when fear literally stalked the land.
In the process of shaping the Stabroek News, David de Caires was quite willing to take on and nurture talent. I remember the early days of Gitanjali Singh and Anand Persaud, the former a rural lass fresh out of high school and the latter a college graduate whose academic credentials related to a world completely different from journalism and the media. Gitanjali Singh later played an integral role at Stabroek News, while Anand Persuad continues to do so. Actually I, myself was offered an editorial position in the early nineties, a position I had to turn down because of imminent plans to migrate. The fact that I was involved in the leadership of the PYO at the time made that offer all the more amazing. And that was certainly one measure of the man − that he did not allow differences in worldviews to impact on his embrace of potential and/or talent. Indeed this is a quality that surely needs to be embraced by both those who walk the corridors of power as well as those who so aspire to do so.
Another measure of the man was his relentless pursuit of professionalism. As one blogger on the Stabroek News site pointed out, David de Caires firmly believed in balance and fairness in reporting, a precept that a significant percentage of the media in Guyana still fails to follow. In fact, Stabroek News continually, willingly invested in staff acquisition of the necessary level of professionalism. And here again is another lesson for those who man the levers of society in a country where so many decry the lack of professionalism on a daily basis.
In the ensuing weeks and months, perhaps even years, the role and impact of Stabroek News would be analyzed, critiqued and dissected many times over from many perspectives. But the fact that in and out of government, both the PNC and the PPP viewed Stabroek News as antithetical to their interests is proof positive that the paper was indeed holding aloft the banner of media independence and exemplifying the role of the fourth estate. In these respects David de Caires stood steadfast against all threats and potentially devastating actions, the withdrawal of government ads being the latest. And in remaining uncompromising to the principles (that underpinned media independence and objectivity), he displayed yet another attribute sorely lacking in so many who shape Guyanese society.
Among the many roles that Stabroek News played was the then almost innovative one of providing space for Guyanese to vent, without fear of political or other repercussions. Indeed the letter pages of Stabroek News became a cauldron of ideas and exposures, of exhortations and proselytizing as Guyanese from all walks of life sought to have a say, so long denied them under the then political status quo. And this mix of self expression was enhanced by the offer of columns to many of varied and differing outlooks, some of whom have moved on to other current media. In the context of Guyana then, this was indeed like manna from heaven and another hallmark of David de Caires’s pioneering media achievement.
Now that the ink has dried on his final publication, David de Caires leaves us an almost taken-for-granted reassurance that his landmark will continue to reach for new heights and the team he built will ensure that his life’s work continues to flourish. And those whose lives he has touched as well as those who love him so much can be proud of the fact that he has carved his own quite enviable niche in the annals of Guyana’s history.
Goodbye David de Caires. Guyana will be that much poorer for your final departure, but so much richer that you dared to dream at a time when the fields of dreams had become almost barren. And as you move on to the eternal field of dream, you epitomise the words of the great Jamaican poet, Claude McKay, “If we must die, O let us nobly die.”
Yours faithfully,
Annan Boodram
