Guyana Observer News

Searching for traces of yesterday’s dream: Memoirs of F. Kissoon

Sunday, 15 August 2010

By Freddie Kissoon

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Sorry to mislead you but this article has nothing to do with my non-existent memoirs. But if I was to write my own, the above caption would be the title. I was moved to pen this column after reading an interesting editorial in last Sunday’s Stabroek News. The newspaper makes the point (I must say that several times in the past on this page I made the identical observation) in developed societies memoirs are an accepted cultural part of life. People in those countries are expected to publish their experiences never mind how intimate will be the details.

The paper went on to say in Guyana, such a cultural tradition does not exist; people don’t like to write about their lives. The weakness in the Stabroek’s editorial is that it confined its analysis to past governmental leaders, former politicians and those who once held high offices in the public bureaucracy. Memoirs of any type find a receptive market in western culture. From film stars to superstars in sports to big names in journalism and eminent business people, their published lives are devoured by the public.
The editorial observed; “As for Guyana, citizens are unlikely to read the memoirs of anyone who played a central political role in events anytime soon, if ever. And if perchance someone with inside knowledge were to do so, would we ever get anything…direct and unvarnished? Almost certainly not. One can only hope that those outside the inner circles who have intersected with the political czars and their associates at different points, will recall their encounters in a diary or some such…”
Guyana has many insiders not only in politics but in civil society activism, the business world, journalism and in the realm of religion who are very famous, and who should write their memoirs. I know one such manuscript will be published next year and there is going to be a rush to read it.
But are we ready for such hard truths that these books will contain? Is the Stabroek News itself prepared to accept criticism of its founders from those who interfaced with them? If I do my memoirs will I survive? A lot of prominent people will be under the microscope. Obviously there will be pages on the Stabroek founders of David de Caires and Miles Fitzpatrick.
I once got an email (as part of an exchange) from the present editor-in-chief of the Stabroek, Mr. Anand Persaud. He made it evanescently clear that he is still deeply angry over what I wrote about the founders of the Stabroek News – de Caires and Fitzpatrick. From Mr. Persaud’s tone, it looks like I will not be forgiven. Mr. Persaud didn’t ask if anything I had to say is factual or can be verified or contain some grain of the truth.
Yet this very editor wants to see the publications of memoirs. Maybe Mr. Persaud can start with a man who has the second richest memory in Guyanese politics after Hamilton Green, the co-founder of Stabroek News, Miles Fitzpatrick. Some would argue the political tapestry of Fitzpatrick matches Green so you can’t put him in second place. Fitzpatrick’s involvement in politics covers more than forty-five years in which he became profoundly close to the key power-holders of the PPP Government in the sixties and right up to 1997 when he was one of the PPP’s representatives on the Elections Commission.

When I write my memoirs there will be a few questions for Mr. Fitzpatrick and a few descriptions of him. I will let readers know that he voiced concern several times to Father Andrew Morrison that I should not continue as the Catholic Standard columnist. He gave an ultimatum to Father Morrison that he will not participate in Father’s book if I was on the editing team. I didn’t leave it to Father to decide. I acted with grace and bowed out.
He refused to defend me when Dr. Hughley Hanoman sued the paper for libel over one of my columns. David de Caires politely told me that, “Freddie, Mr. Fitzpatrick will not defend you, please arrange your own legal defence.”
In an argument with its reporter, Gitanjali Persaud, Fitzparick advised that she call in the police over threatening behaviour. All of this, of course, was published by the paper. And why not? A newspaper has to publish news as it happens. Finally, on a complaint to him by Ms. Jocelyn Dow, de Caires asked me to stop writing for three months. I stopped completely. I hope both Anand Persaud and Miles Fitzpatrick read my memoirs. Are you ready for the direct and unvarnished truth guys?

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