Guyanese diplomat apologizes for verbal abuse of Indian activist
Outgoing Guyanese Ambassador to India, Charrandass Persaud, has apologised to the people of India, Guyana and his fellow diplomats for his verbal attack on Indian animal rights activist Sonya Ghosh in August 2021.
Speaking at a Christmas Day farewell event yesterday, Persaud said he was wrong for “not behaving in a manner becoming of a diplomat”.
“I was angry; I did not exercise diplomacy,” he added.
Persaud said he was offered a chance to stay as Guyana’s diplomatic representative or serve in another capacity. Still, he turned down President Dr Mohammed Irfaan Ali’s offer in a bid to “bring an end to the whole story”.
Persaud did not apologise to Ghosh as he insisted she was the aggressor in the incident, which occurred after his staff removed a stray dog she fed from his residence.
Persaud said if he was acting in a personal capacity, he would have reacted similarly. “…as Charrandass Persaud, an individual, I strongly stand up equal to any woman. If you want to fight, if you want to curse, if you want to dance, I am ready. If you want to judge me, you may hear stories; this is the real story. I did, in fact, hurl abuses after she abused me because I believe in equality. But as High Commissioner, it should not have happened”, Persaud said as he received applause from the audience, which included high commission staff, fellow diplomats and Indian cricket great Kapil Dev.
Persaud told the audience that this would be his last diplomatic posting.
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