Dear Editor,
In reference to Freddie Kissoon’s missive ‘What is the present status of NACTA?’ (SN 16.6.08), please, Mr Bisram, I beg you not to reply. We have had enough on the subject.
Kaieteur News tells us that it has ended the exchange between the two gentlemen, both of whom seem to have ego problems. Now Kissoon has brought over the dispute to SN which has fallen for his ploy. One of the ‘Peeping Tom’ commentaries applauded the editor of KN for ending the exchange between Bisram and Kissoon. Wise move Glen. The exchange had gotten quite nasty with Kissoon calling Bisram all kinds of things. And now I notice Stabroek News is becoming like KN allowing Kissoon to use words like “most barefaced,” “lies,” “deception,” “disgraceful,” to describe Bisram – a man of impeccable reputation. That is not the hallmark of a professional paper. I hope SN would use better editing next time.
Kissoon has a history of coming to conclusions and making pronouncements without any substantiation, as Ravi Dev and Peeping Tom recently pointed out. And I am afraid he has done it again to his discredit. As an academic, Freddie should know that arguments require evidence and if you don’t have the proof then don’t come to the conclusion.
I was pleased to read that Mr Bisram took a unilateral decision not to respond to Freddie Kissoon’s raving and ranting on his polling about which Freddie seems to know so little. Kissoon has made his intention known from the outset that he intends to do whatever is necessary to stop Bisram from conducting polls and for SN to stop publishing them. SN should not be used as a medium for Kissoon to achieve his goal.
I am an avid reader of Kissoon’s columns, and although I don’t agree with him on many issues, some of his analyses are brilliant. But his writings on polls are not impressive. They don’t seem to measure up against Bisram’s and it would be better if Kissoon stopped it. Clearly, of the two we know who is the real expert on polling. Although Kissoon tells us it is not an expensive or onerous activity, he is yet to conduct a poll. Since he has no experience in polling, we have to rely on Bisram. Kissoon disagrees with Bisram’s findings but is yet to tell us what should be the findings according to his poll. So for now, the battle for polling supremacy belongs to Bisram and Freddie should lick his wounds and move on to what he does best – analyzing Guyanese politics.
Freddie has called on the PNC, AFC, ACDA, David Hinds and others to join him in battle against Bisram. I think Dr Hinds and those organizations know better. Mr Bisram, please continue with your polls, maintain your professionalism, ignore Kissoon, and don’t descend to his level and call him names. We in Guyana know his thinking all too well.
Yours faithfully,
Sanjay Singh
