Dear Editor,
Yesterday marked one month since the President of GAWU, Mr Komal Chand passed away while he was receiving medical treatment in Cuba. For our Union, and more so the Chand family, it is utterly disturbing that Mr Chand’s body and widow remain still in Havana where he passed away. Since his passing to now, our Union and the family have been in contact with several governmental officials seeking to have the return of Mr Chand’s body. Despite assurances that they would do everything in their authority to assist, dishearteningly not much assistance has been forthcoming as the relatives of Mr Chand face what has to be one of the most difficult periods in their lives.
Only yesterday (May 07, 2020), the family was informed that it is now charged with covering the cost of taking care of Mr Chand’s body in Cuba. Previously, the family was assured that those costs would be taken care of and they hadn’t any need to worry in that regard. Apart from that, the family together with the Union and other colleagues of Mr Chand has been seeking to arrange for the transport of the body and his widow back to Guyana. A glimmer of hope emerged when it was learnt that the Government has arranged an aircraft to take packages to Guyanese in Cuba over the coming weekend. Requests were made for Mr Chand’s body and widow to be accommodated on the return flight. Those requests were not approved as the Government said it could not afford such a request. We understand that the request would not have been a princely sum but yet the family was told that the Government, astoundingly, would have to seek to raise the required sum through donations from the society. It causes us to worry about how the ship of state is being steered. It seems to us, that cake shops are better managed.
Another reason for the apparent denial has been that it would open the door to other requests for citizens abroad to be repatriated back home. We ask what is wrong with such requests as we have seen many other countries doing the same for its citizens. We believe it would have been much more prudent use of our scarce financial resources for the flight arranged to bring home Guyanese who wish to return from Cuba once they undergo the necessary tests and take appropriate precautions during the flight. But it seems warped thinking has enveloped the minds of our decision-makers.
The GAWU remains most disheartened regarding the treatment meted out to the late Mr Komal Chand and his family. Our Union has written President David Granger to appeal to him for some proactive action on the part of the Administration to alleviate, in some respect, the pain suffered by Mr Chand’s relatives. We are hopeful that the President would consider our request and swiftly address it to bring closure to this sad chapter confronting the Chand family. Certainly, he is deserving of the assistance of the State recognizing that he has been a national leader for many years and worked tirelessly in the advancement of the rights of the downtrodden of this country he loved so dearly.
Yours faithfully,
Seepaul Narine
General Secretary,
GAWU
