Dear Editor,
There were justifiable complaints about the professionalism of staff and the sound and lighting effects at the India Republic Day event (Jan 26) at the National Cultural Centre by Gem Madhoo (Jan 28). The handling of sound and lighting and the time it took for staff to prepare for each item of the programme was disrespectful to the guests and hosts as well as the Indian community at large. Attendees were upset. Staff professionalism was lacking. And to think that the cultural centre was built by Indian Immigrants funds, at a minimum the CEO or Director of operations and staff should have taken measures to ensure that the programme came off well. Clearly, professionalism was lacking. The Ministry must address this problem.
I have other issues with the cultural centre that the ministry should address. It is located in Georgetown and therefore it is not accessible to the population of the Corentyne, West Berbice, West Coast, Essequibo, and outlying areas. In addition, the cultural centre was built with funds from the Indian Immigrants Fund without the approval of the Indian community. That in itself was a travesty.
The centre is not accessible to many Indians, most of whom live far away from town. Since Indian funds were used to build the centre, at a minimum the then government should have been sensitive about its location. In addition, the design of the centre and various outer and inner features are not reflective and or representative of the varied ethnic groups. Since it was built with Indian funds, it should have been an Indian Guyanese cultural centre or at a minimum have a design that reflects Indian arts and culture.
Government should give consideration to returning the money to the Indian community that would be the equivalent of several billion dollars that can then be used to building Indian cultural centres in various parts of the country that could be accessed by the community.
Yours truly,
Vishnu Bisram
