Sympathy on the Death of Dr. Moti Lall

Hits: 3104 | Published Date: 14 Jun, 2012

| Speech delivered at: 22nd Sitting- Tenth Parliament

| Speech Delivered by : Hon. Dr. Vishwa D.B Mahadeo, MP

Dr. Mahadeo: I stand to support this motion moved by our Hon. Prime Minister, not only as a PPP/C Member of Parliament, but also as the President of the Guyana Central Arya Samaj to which Dr. Moti Lall had belonged. In fact, at the time of his passing, he was a trustee of the Guyana Central Arya Samaj.
In preparing this tribute, I spoke with the elders of the Guyana Central Arya Samaj and the communities that he served, his communities were all across Guyana, and what I say will be a summary of what they told me. In the Arya Samaj, he was a leader and he lived the life of a true Arya Samajee. The motto of the Arya Samaj, “Krinvanto Vishwam Aaryam”, or, in English, it means “Make the universe noble”, was a motto he lived by day after day, and we have heard the other speakers said the same thing, in other words. He was guided in life by the ten principles of the Arya Samaj, in particular - when I spoke to Bahen Chritrarakha she reminded me - the fourth to the ninth principles.
• The fourth states, “One should always be ready to accept truth and to renounce untruth.”
• The fifth, “All acts should be performed in accordance with Dharma that is, after deliberating what is right and wrong.”
• The sixth, “The prime object of the Arya Samaj is to do good to the world, that is, to promote physical, spiritual and social good of everyone.”
• The seventh, “Our conduct towards all should be guarded by love, righteousness and justice.”
• The eighth, “We should dispel ignorance and promote knowledge.”
• The ninth, “No one should be content with promoting his or her good only; on the contrary, one should look for his or her good in promoting the good of all.”
Dr. Moti Lall used his expertise and knowledge to help people. Starting from the early years when doctors were very few and when he was the lone pulmonologist in Guyana he arranged medical clinics along with other Arya Samaj colleagues, such as Dr. Sawh, in the depressed communities across the country. Before medical outreaches were common, and before those medical outreaches were supported by the Government, Dr. Moti Lall used his own resources and his family’s resources. He used help from his family overseas, from Bahen Chritrarakha’s brother, and from Dr. Kumar; and, in cases where medications were left over,they were donated to the Government institutions in Guyana.
Dr. Moti Lall was himself a product of youth camps in the Guyana Arya Samaj, the Arya Vir Dal youth camp which was run by Dr. Usher Badariya in the late 1950s and 1960s.
Later, to the thousands of youths in the youth arm of the Arya Samaj, he became a role model. In spite of being a doctor, he was always simple and humble and attended quite a few of the camps. He always had a word of advice or support for the youths. He was indeed a source of inspiration and help to many. He was not only the chest doctor, as he was known, but proved a very effective counsellor to individuals and families, especially those in Region 3, and he even helped to resolve issues in organisations. He gave of his time freely and willingly.
Dr. Moti Lall brought into his political life the same guiding principles that mattered most to him in his religious and spiritual life. It guided him and allowed him to be seen as a dedicated servant of his people in spite of ethnicity or religious beliefs. His standards remain high even in the world of politics.
In paying tribute to this great man, I must extend thanks to his wife and his children for supporting him in his work. I am sure it was at their great sacrifice too. He did not go to the places where he could have earned much more and have a better material life; instead, he stayed to develop his beloved Guyana and Guyanese. His is a life to be celebrated.
It is hard to define who Dr. Moti Lall really was in just a few words. In fact, it is impossible to do so. He was, to everyone, somebody, something positive, whether it be a doctor, a pulmonologist, a consultant, a team leader, a husband, a father, a brother, a friend, a politician, a teacher, a counsellor, a community leader, a role model or a true comrade - a real son of the soil and a truly great Guyanese! Thank you. [Applause]