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Apr 09, 2013 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom
This past week the nation of Guyana lost two of its jewels: the former Minister of Education, Dale Bisnauth; and the former Minister of Agriculture and Parliamentary Affairs, Reepu Daman Persaud.
Both men were men of religion but were also politicians. And there are perhaps no better examples that how best it is to fuse the two occupations that Rev. Dale Bisnauth and Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud.
Dale was of course a Presbyterian minister and Reepu a Hindu Pandit that was at one time the most popular and respected Pandit in Guyana. Their sudden passing in just a matter of days has robbed Guyana of two gentlemen who never allowed politics to make them bitter or nasty towards their opposing numbers.
Today when you witness the venomous attacks that some politicians launch on their opposing counterparts and when you see how widespread this practice is today, you begin to understand why the two departed ex-ministers were so special, why they were unique and why they will be sorely missed even though they have been out of the political limelight for some time now.
Despite going into political retirement, both men still offered their services to the nation. It is hard when you have dedicated so much of your life to politics and especially given the trials and tribulations that they endured, it is hard to simply walk off such an important stage and not want to wait for at least the encore.
One of the sad things of last year’s Budget cuts was that there were many who were and still are convinced that it was intended in some areas to get back at individuals, there was a vindictive element to some of the cuts and that one of the persons who was being targeted was one of those who passed away recently.
Yet, when you look at the lives of these two men and especially their involvement in politics, they never harbored or practiced the sort of viciousness which many felt was directed at one of them after he was no longer a minister.
They both tended to shy away from personal attacks and both sought to not be consumed by hatred and bitterness.
If perhaps all politicians could have related to each other the way these men related to others, the political temperature in our parliament would have fallen quite a few degrees and there would have been greater civility in the discourses with the House.
This ability to step outside of situations may have had to do with their religious beliefs which allowed them to not be entrapped by their own political leanings. How much greater in this respect is their departure from this world. The younger generation of political leaders can take a leaf out of the book of these men.
Many of them should reflect on the fact that Dale Bisnauth was never a member of the PPP executive. He remained a member of the CIVIC from 1992 until 2006 when he left the government. Yet, he held important ministerial positions and was a trusted and highly respected member of the government for a very long time.
Many should also reflect on the career of Reepu Daman Persaud who many seem to forget was appointed a Second Vice President of Guyana and who for a long time before that was seen as the heir-apparent to Cheddi Jagan.
Despite being bypassed for that position when Cheddi on his deathbed decided that his wife should succeed him, Reepu continued to serve faithfully and without ever rebelling against what happened to him.
He never allowed ambition to triumph over his service to his party and government. Today there are many within the PPP whose ambition has overcome their value to the PPP.
This is why too; these men will be more missed. They were not into any dog-fights for power; they did their thing, served their country and now have gone to serve a higher power.
May their souls find a good resting place!
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