FORMER teacher, journalist, politician and diplomat Harry Narayan Partap has added "author" to his career.
Since he retired as high commissioner to South Africa in 2015, Partap has written his second book, A Sermon in Faith – The historical journey of St James Presbyterian Church in Tableland. The book's publication coincided with the church’s 100th anniversary on April 17.
In 2021 he published Kamla: A Defining Moment, with the subtitle: 44 Days to Transcend 44 Years. This book tells the story of the 44 days before Kamla Persad-Bissessar attained the leadership of the United National Congress (UNC), wresting power from her predecessor, Basdeo Panday and later becoming prime minister.
Partap, who will turn 81 in September, has already embarked on a third project, which he is keeping close to his chest.
“I have a number of ideas, but I don’t know that I have the time, meaning I don’t know how long God will have me here.”
The genesis of this second book is interviews Partap, a schoolteacher at the time, did as a stringer for the Express newspaper some 50 years ago. The sole intention of his interviews with Sohan Dass, JN Ramsahai and Ralph Hosier, then members of the congregation, was writing a few articles for the paper. He said he was fascinated by their recollections of the daunting task their parents faced, without modern tools, in constructing the first worship centre.
[caption id="attachment_955082" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Harry Partap and his wife, Nazra, at right, with Presbyterian Church Moderator Rev Joy Abdul-Mohan after the 100th anniversary celebration of the St James Presbyterian Church in Tableland and book launch. - Yvonne Webb[/caption]
He said his journalistic imagination had him envisaging young and old trekking through forests, armed with axes, cutlasses and long two-handle saws, to gather timber for the building.
Those articles never saw the light of day, but Partap, who is something of an archivist, kept the notes in pristine condition.
A lay minister and church elder, Partap recalled in an interview with the Newsday that for every anniversary, guests would be invited and either he or another member, David Paul Chadee, would give snapshots of the church’s history, which were short on details, along with some dubious dates.
With the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the second church building approaching, Partap felt this significant period in St James’ history warranted more than just a gloss. He embarked on extensive research in an attempt to present a full picture of the establishment of the Presbyterian community in Tableland.
To his dismay, he found there was a dearth of information in the archives of the Presbyterian Church, San Fernando.
“They had no information on our small church. I found two references, which left me with the impression that remote mission stations like Tableland ended up mere footnotes in the scheme of things.”
What he laid his hands on were minutes of meetings over the years, from which he was able to gather information and ver
