Dear Editor,
Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd president of the US, once gave public voice to the adage :
(A) Great minds discuss ideas
(B) Mediocre minds discuss events
(C) Simple minds discuss personalities.
At the intellectuals at the University of Guyana and the intellectual appointees of the Government of Guyana in category (A), category (B), category (C) or all of the above? My answer is (C) Given their seeming preoccupation with discussing and maligning each other’s character and attaching their ego to personal academic achievements.
The real tragedy here is that these are our best brains who should dedicate themselves to developing ideas on improving society.
Their first priority should be to educate students and develop their individual talents so that they can go out there and reinforce the economic, social and cultural foundation of a country that has already been shattered by the continuous “brain drain”. Concomitantly, their focus should be on researching ways and means on how to fast track Guyana’s development.
The government’s attempt to control the university based on “whoever pays the piper should call the tune” is not peculiar to Guyana. It is an ongoing debate between governments and state-subsidised universities throughout the free world that should not adversely affect the university’s mandate.
But whatever the disagreements are between government and the academic staff, it should be handled professionally, discreetly and intelligently between the two parties without recourse to personality bashing and public posturing.
The postponement of the convocation ceremony was indeed an unfortunate error in judgement and should not have been used in the disputes as a bargaining chip.
Neither should any intellectual conclude that the case or opinions of aggrieved lecturers are worthless because they are badly argued or phrased.
Yours faithfully,
Shawn Mangru
