Latest update April 25th, 2024 12:59 AM
May 28, 2019 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon
It is good to have polemical exchanges in this country, so untold numbers in and out of Guyana can see the many sides of prominent Guyanese. Andtheir eyes are opened. There is so much about so many of us that is yet to be told.
I will never be deterred in defending the rights of Guyanese and exposing those who betray the interests of the poor and powerless. Let me boldly state that from the time I got involved in social activism, became a practising academic and a media operative, I have never sought to have friends and never sought to receive gratitude.
Recently, I refused a generous offer from the wife of Mr. Maurice Arjoon of the famous NBS court case. I welcomed the appreciation, but told Mrs. Arjoon I preferred her generosity to go to Syeada Manbodh, the animal rights activist.
In a recent discussion with philanthropist, Nazar Mohamed (popularly known as Shell) over investigating wrongdoing in a government institution, he was extraordinarily generous, but I told him I could not accept, because my role is to investigate as a media operative.
I declined the donation of a stand-by generator from Stanley Ming, because I don’t think it is appropriate given my status as a media operative. I admire and respect Shell and Stanley, and immensely so. They are both iconic Guyanese, but that distinction I made must be made.
I know hatred comes with the territory, so I am not surprised at the language and style of writing many people use against me. I read things people say about me and I am completely unmoved, even though ninety percent of those things are untrue. And I have no interest in replying to them because in doing so, you are giving recognition to the scurrilous mentality of these people.
The one advantage I have over my detractors is they haven’t got anything on me. And when they publish their nastiness it will end there, because it will be impossible to supply proof. I fought the most vicious regime the English-speaking Caribbean has produced – the Jagdeo government. I was attacked twice and almost lost my life. I was put in the Brickdam lock-up for three days and two nights for a mere traffic offence and my UG contract was terminated. But there is a colossal but.
But at the end of the day, there were no allegations of perverted wrongdoing against me, because no one in Guyana can produce evidence. I taught for 26 years at UG, and not once had I slipped up on anything, no matter how small, the Jagdeo and Ramotar presidencies would have circulated my immoralities throughout this country.
Despite the viciousness directed against me by those two presidents, they could not have found anything on me at UG or anything on me in Guyana.
I have been a UG lecturer for 26 consecutive years. I have been a vice president for one of the most prominent trade unions in Guyana. I have been a social activist all my life. I have been a media practitioner for 31 years. Yet no one in the corridors of dictatorship that I fought against could bring any proof of my immorality as a university lecturer, trade unionist, activist, media practitioner in this country
I constantly hear people ask why Freddie wrote against this and that person, given that this or that person is his friend. I like many persons I have criticised. But the crusade against wrongdoing in my country is more important to me than any friendship.
I like Mark Benschop. He is a friend. In 2015, I felt he was wrong not to join us in a broad coalition in trying to defeat the PPP. I criticised him in two columns. Nothing was personal. I have defended Mark Benschop in several columns against his detractors and I will continue to do so. But he knows I will not run from my obligation to my journalistic principles if he does something bad.
I honestly believe Khemraj Ramjattan is the best leader in the AFC. He has been a longstanding friend. Khemraj was superb in his brotherly assistance to me when he was in the opposition and I had so many libel cases. But in numerous columns, too many to mention, since 2015, I have been pungently critical of him. Henry Jeffrey wrote that I have an obsession with UG. Yes, I do. UG saved my life. I want to see good come to it. And I will expose anyone whose actions affect it.
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