Dear Editor,
The Indian Right activists do not like an intellectual challenge, and therefore they resort to false information and imputing to my writings things that I did not say.
Vishnu should note that at no time did I mention Baytoram book, and therefore to suggest that I did not read it is irrelevant. My reference was to Indian Right activists and not to any book.
Unfortunately, none of the Indian Right activists are addressing the two key issues I raised. (1). Why is the death of eight Indo Guyanese a massacre and the murder of the Abraham family and the Sun Chapman bombing in which eight and thirty-eight people died respectively are not a massacre? (2). Why the disturbances in Linden are dealt with in isolation from the wider national disturbances in which many Afro Guyanese were murdered and had to flee Indo Guyanese dominated villages?
Vishnu Bishram clearly exaggerated the number of people displaced. The inquiry stated that the total Indo-Guyanese population of Linden was three thousand. It said that the individuals who were working at the Demerara Bauxite Company on 25th May, 1964, were 365. Of this number 352 were evacuated on 27th May, 1964, but some of those returned subsequently. During the period between 27th May, 1964 and the 6th and 7th July, 1964, 132 persons were evacuated. Of the total evacuees during this period, 163 persons were granted leave of absence and 116 decided to terminate their employment with the company.
Add to that, the report stated that 744 other Indo Guyanese were evacuated. 744 added to 352 gives you 1,086. Let us be generous and add 400 more evacuees. That makes it less than 1500. That means that less than half of the Indo Guyanese population was evacuated.
Vishnu’s claim of 3000 people being forced out of Linden is a fabrication and garbage. The figures speak for themselves. Add to this that the Report also noted that many Indo/Guyanese stayed and many later returned.
More interestingly, the two boats that evacuated the Indo Guyanese from the area had the capacity to transport at maximum 250 persons. Let us double it and gave the capacity to carry 500 people that would mean at maximum 1000 people were evacuated, yet these revisionists are stating that 3000 Indo Guyanese were forced out of Linden. Many chose to leave while many stayed.
This exaggeration is to boost their flawed argument that it is a massacre and the number of dead does not matter. This approach is disingenuous and wicked.
But most outrageously, it is argued that Dr. Jagan describes it as a massacre and so it is. Garbage! Dr. Jagan was a partisan Premier at the time and does not qualify as an objective commentator.
Then, unfortunately, Bishram fabricated a view that says Burnham described it as a massacre. He does not quote and cite what Burnham said. My research revealed that Burnham did not describe it as a massacre.
While there were disturbances – there was no massacre. And if there was, the totality of the killings in the country should be discussed and not isolate and portray African Guyanese and Lindeners as barbarians to achieve your racist aims, while refusing to address the atrocities against Afro-Guyanese.
It is interesting that Vishnu does not know who blew up the Sun Chapman. If this is the case, he needs to tell us why African Guyanese were murdered. Was there a fore warning to others not to travel on that day? And who stood to benefit amidst ethnic violence at the time from the murder of Afro-Guyanese? These are critical questions to be answered.
Are Vishnu and Baytoram aware that many African Guyanese were murdered and forced out of villages on the West Coast of Demerara? Is he aware that Africans in Leonora had to flee the village? Why no comments on those atrocities?
My contention is that there is no innocent race and we must investigate the totality of the disturbances.
Why are you not responding to the fact that Indo-Guyanese lived in peace in Linden while there were disturbances in 1961, 1962 and 1963 on the coast. You cannot consider this fact because it will force you to look at all that would have occurred and not select Linden and Afro-Guyanese to malign. To do that will force you to discuss the context, and your theory will disintegrate. To do that will compel you to confront the uncomfortable fact that there is no innocent race in the disturbances between 1961 and 1964.
It is useful to note that many Afro Guyanese were forced out of villages, but the Indian Right activists treat this reality as if it is nonexistent. Any serious academic work must analyse the whole and not just an arbitrary selected part.
I note that Baytoram wrote that I agreed to attend the book launch and write as if that is agreement or disagreement with the book.[1] It is not. It is my approach of reading everything I can put my hands on and out of respect for your “academic” endeavor while noting that on this issue you are not prepared for the intellectual crucible that your fabrications, falsifications and exaggerations are facing.
Stop beating around the bush. Answer the questions asked.