Dear Editor,
It is possible to remain silent while governments blunder or act as though lacking in simple commonsense. It is possible even for me to remain silent. On this occasion I choose not to remain silent and of course I am prepared for the consequences. The issue I have in mind is the choice of Mr Gosssai as a presidential adviser. I note that Dr.Nanda Gopaul has spoken out on the issue, chiding someone who, according to him, misstated Mr Gossai’s appointment.
The creation of offices was allowed by the 1980 Constitution. The amended provision (Art.120) still allows the President to “constitute offices for Guyana, make and terminate appointments to such offices but” it now requires approval of the expenditure by the National Assembly if the office involves a charge on the Consolidated Fund.
The first step is to “constitute” the office. If the President has already constituted the office, then the nature of the office should already be a public matter. No one should be left guessing about it. I have to plea guilty to the same offence Mr Gopaul has condemned. Mr Vishnu Bisram’s letter on Mr Gossai suggested strongly to me that his appointment was related to religious affairs. I have to ask and will not get an answer whether the President’s choice and appointment of Shri Gossai is an act of political reward or of cultural or religious choice or appreciation. This is an important point, but not my main point.
Mr Bisram described the new adviser elect as an accomplished spiritual and community leader. How one judges an “accomplished” spiritual leader is not a familiar process, like an opinion poll. It seems easier to measure the accomplishments of a so-called community leader. Is it as easy as that to evaluate another person’s spirituality? Mr Bisram also was good enough to tell us that Shri Gossai spoke of his “followers” How does a spiritually mature person speak of “my followers” though a person can well identify supporters. What concerned me is the playing up of Hindu religious qualifications and of spirituality in favour of this sole candidate. I have seen no citation for example, although I would not regard it as sufficient, to Gossai’s competence in comparative religion. Mr Bisram seemed anxious to anticipate any unfavourable response to the appointment, If not, perhaps he was responding to something already said.
I then recalled an email with a subject line making the same assumption of an adviser on religious affairs. On reading it I found a clipping from the Guyana Chronicle of December 6,2006.
“Mr. Prakash Gossai, leader of the Bhuvaneshwar Mandir in New York is to serve as an aide to President Bharrat Jagdeo, with responsibility, among other things, for ethnic relations and culture, the organisation announced yesterday.”
I am not sure whether the announcement was made with the knowledge and consent of the office of the President, or merely confirmed some previous ann-ouncement by the office.
The information in the Chronicle clipping seemed to come from Shri Gossai’s Mandir in New York. The Chronicle information said that Mr Gossai was to become the President’s adviser on ethnic relations and culture “among other things”. I read it again and again.
There is precedent for the PPP’s leadership falling back on strong, dynamic religious personalities when it is in some kind of political trouble.
I am accustomed to expressions of alarm for my comments on official blunders or official mischief, especially those of a subtle nature. A letter writer once pointed to my “warped” mind. I wish to be recorded as objecting very strongly to the appointment of the eminent and popular, perhaps charismatic Shri Gossai, even if he turns out to be an angel, as adviser to the President on either ethnic relations or religious affairs along with “other things”. I do not take this position lightly It is informed by my activity in Guyana’s affairs and my study of our society since 1947.
Although my objection in this case is to a certain Mr. Gossai who happens to have a known religious position, I cannot think of any one person who can be seen by Guyanese of all ethnic groups as qualified to occupy such an influential office.
Yours faithfully,
Eusi Kwayana
