Arjune Karshan dedicated his life to free and fair elections

Jun 22, 2020 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
I pay tribute to Arjune Karshan, long time political activist who led the Association of Concerned Guyanese (ACG), NY branch, who passed away a few days ago in the US. Karshan served as Guyana’s Ambassador to Suriname, appointed by Dr. Jagan after the restoration of democracy serving in the position for over a decade. He was a true Guyanese patriot, a champion of human rights and one of the most outspoken NY-based activists prior to the 1992 election.
Karshan organized grassroots social and media movements and chaired countless functions relating to Guyana. He was also passionate about tackling social injustice in America. He was uncompromising in his socialist leaning. But after Jagan embraced glasnost and perestroika, Karshan, like several others in the ACG, fell in line.
I met Karshan in late 1970s in New York during the struggle for free and fair elections in Guyana and took a liking to him for his dedication to a struggle though not his left wing political ideology. I came to the US in 1977 enrolled at City College where a group of us from Guyana and Trinidad formed a student organization and launched a newsletter to raise awareness about human rights violations in Guyana. That student activism allowed me to come into contact with Karshan who was working closely with Chuck Mohan and Jeewan Singh, both of who were also students at CCNY though not members of our club. Karshan would visit CCNY for guest lectures. Karshan, who came to New York in 1972, and lived for a while in Manhattan on 32nd Street, also produced a newsletter.
I came to admire Karshan, Chuck, Mel Carpen, and other stalwarts who were pioneers of ACG for their zeal, enthusiasm, and commitment to the struggle for the restoration of democracy in the homeland. They were true Jaganites and patriots. But Karshan stood out as he was present at numerous events – his profession was activism. He championed the restoration of democracy the way few of us did, demonstrating grit and determination to succeed in the struggle to liberate Guyana from the dictatorship. He was behind the organization of countless rallies and protests all over the city. There was hardly a public event (including immigration rallies and Ramayanas, India Day parades, Holi and Indian Arrival Day celebrations, etc.) in New York thru 1992 that I did not see Karshan distributing pamphlets on Guyana. My friends, Vassan Ramracha and Baytoram Ramharack and I would bounce up with him (accompanied by two nephews and sometimes others) on 14th Street early Saturday morning from the late 1970s to 1992 and occasionally on Liberty Avenue on Sundays or Saturday evenings leafleting literature on Guyana.
Karshan and I spoke at several rallies and meetings, and whenever we met he would applaud the activism of Vassan, Ramaharack and myself. Whenever we met and or spoke on the phone, he would reminisce about confrontations on the ideological divide; he was pro-USSR and we were pro-America.
Whenever Cheddi and Janet visited New York, he was foot to foot behind them including at the 1988 Columbia University conference I helped to organize to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Indian Arrival where Jagan, and I spoke at the same panel. Karshan also accompanied Cheddi at the week long GOPIO event in New York where we both spoke on the same panel with Ravi Dev on human rights violations in Guyana.
Karshan raised a lot of funds for PPP in NY and was behind a regular monthly PPP publication for almost two decades.
Karshan, Janet, Cheddi, and other stalwarts addressed several lectures at CCNY, CUNY Graduate School and other locations. I was an elected leader at CCNY and CUNY Grad Center and the student governments facilitated and or sponsored events pertaining to Guyana. Karshan also organized many public forums for Cheddi and Janet at other locations. They were regular features at Pandit Ramlall’s (ASC) mandir in Jamaica accompanied by Karshan.
Karshan’s contribution to the Guyana struggle has made him an icon of resistance against dictatorship. I salute him and thank his family for allowing him to commit so many years to the struggle that freed Guyana from the yoke of an oppressive dictatorship.
Yours truly,
Dr. Vishnu Bisram