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Guyanese 'Oscar' Winners By John Mair |
The UK Guyanese diaspora is small compared to other West Indian nations but its' achievements are great both in width and depth. This was well reflected in the first set of awardees of the Guyana High Commission (UK) Awards when they were presented by Guyana's First Lady,the President's wife, Varshnie Jagdeo at Croydon Town hall last Saturday the 13th of October. The sell out event was fronted by Trevor Phillips the best known UK Guyanese 'face'-Trevor Phillips.
Twenty one awardees were chosen from more than sixty five nominated by the Guyanese community itself. The selection of winners in three categories-contribution to the community, distinction in profession or calling and the outstanding Guyanese of the year, was made by a committee chaired by London High Commissioner Laleshwar Singh.
Some of the famous names were to be expected but it was the unusual and unknown of the 'Oscar' winners who were the most surprising and pleasing. Doctor Raj Persaud is always mistaken for a British Asian, so much so that he was recently voted one of the three best known Asian faces in the country. The Indians call him an 'NRI'-non resident Indian- but he is actually a West not East Indian. So too his brother City of London currency whiz-kid Avinash Persaud who also won a GCHUK award.
The highest ranking black man in the British armed forces-RAF Air Commodore David Case- has broken through glass and many other ceilings. 'The Sun' in Britain has just tipped him to be the 'British Colin Powell' He also got a due reward from his countrymen and women , as did poet John Agard and octogenarian writer Wilson Harris. Harris is a Caribbean literary great but one whose writing even he admits is'difficult'.Among others honoured for their professional achievment were musicians Ian Hall, Keith Waite,Joyce Laljee and 'Desmonds' star Ram John Holder.He together with the late Norman Beaton has flown the Guyanese flag on British stages and screens for nearly forty years. 'Desmond' and'Pork pie' virtually turned Georgetown Guyana into a suburb of Peckham.
But it was not just the aesthetes and actors who were lauded. The biochemist who may have invented a way to kill cancer-second generation Guyanese Dr Mahendra Deonarine Persaud of Imperial College London was also honoured as was Lord Herman Ouseley for his services to race relations.
Sport was not left out with Howard Eastman, presently vying (with Andrew 'Sixheads'Lewis )to be the second Guyanese born world boxing champion) winning a community belt in Croydon as did two sporting greats of the past- weightlifters Seymour Nurse and Narindra Bhairo-he once lifted ten times his seven stone body weight.
Lesser known but equally worthy recepients of the GHC(UK) awards included Muslim community leader Abdool Ali, veteran general practitioner Edward Adams, Hindu Pandit Hardeo Tiwari and the only female Hindu priest in Britain-Panditine Balwari Pooran Singh.
The event was generously sponsored by Western Union, Demerara Distillers ,Booker Tate, Laparkan Shipping and a variety of other generous benefactors from within the diaspora..
Like all Oscar ceremonies this one went on for too long. In spite of that, it's hoped that it will become a regular feature in the calendar.If the success of the first one is anything to go by, that looks certain
The winners of he first ever Guyana High Commission(UK) Awards 2001:
CATEGORY A (CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMMUNITY)
Pandit Hardeo Tirwari,,Panditine Balwari Pooran Singh,Abdool Ali,Dr Edward Adams(4)
CATEGORY B(DISTINCTION IN A PROFESSION OR CALLING)
John Agard, Mahendra Bhairo,Air Commodore David Case, Professor David Dabydeen,Howard Eastman,Ian Hall,Wilson Harris, Ram John Holder, Joyce Laljee, Seymour Nurse, Avinash Persaud, Daphne Steel, Keith Whaite(14).
CATEGORY C(.GUYANESE OF THE YEAR)
Lord Herman Ouseley, Dr Mahendra Deonarine Persaud, Dr.Raj Persaud(3)