Stabroek News and the Diaspora

Stabroek News provides a vital service to the diaspora
Friday, February 16th 2007
Dear Editor,

Stabroek News has been providing valuable and timely news service to the Guyanese Diaspora around the world. This newspaper has helped to promote democracy and education of citizens from many countries. It shares with other newspapers the lifeline of hope for Guyana at its worst and hopefully it will be there as we mature politically.

One thing is very clear. Stabroek News does not stifle debate whether or not we agree or disagree with its editorials. In a democracy we must learn how to deal with all kinds of differences without having to 'face the consequences.'

I am very surprised that the 'bang for the buck' is the reason advanced by the central government and its related corporations for cutting off the advertisements to Stab-roek News. Are they all experiencing low returns from SN ads at the same time? Numbers alone underestimate value when we are dealing with populations that read multiple newspapers from the same country. With the same concern for Guyana's tax dollars, the same diligence should be applied to returns on forestry and the valuation-returns of our other natural resources in order to turn Guyanese wealth into a bigger 'bang for the buck' than a few ads to Stabroek News.

I do not know David de Caires personally but I too, strongly believe that he and the newspaper he has created (or help to create) deserve a public apology. Stabroek News plays a 21st Century technological and newsworthy role at home and abroad, especially to the Guyanese Diaspora. We should not be humbled once again by political patronage and discrimination, 'where the mouth is muzzled by the food it eats to live.'

Yours faithfully,

Ganga Prasad Ramdas

STABROEK NEWS