Dear Editor,
The APNU/AFC regime has raised an unnecessary issue of the Red House hosting the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre.
I say “unnecessary” because in any normal country this would not have been an issue.
Cheddi Jagan played a central role in Guyana’s history. However, he was more than just a Guyanese patriot and anti-colonial freedom fighter.
Cheddi Jagan was a deep thinker and an internationalist of the highest order. He was a man who not only made a contribution to our issues, but had an important impact on regional and international affairs.
At one time, his book “The West On Trial” was used as an important text by universities in their studies on imperialism.
During his lifetime, Dr Jagan pronounced on all the important issues of the day. These included both local and international issues. He was amongst the first to pronounce on the international debt burden, which Third World countries were saddled with. It was Dr Jagan, while still in opposition, who pointed out that the debt was un-payable.
Other leaders in the Third World, both in and out of government, raised their voices on that issue too. That led to a campaign which eventually resulted in debt forgiveness. Guyana and other countries benefitted from this.
Cheddi Jagan always saw Guyana’s struggle as part of and connected to the struggles of other countries and people for freedom and social justice. Solidarity with other people was vital.
He broke many barriers. He was the first leader of a colony to address the United Nations Anti-Colonial Committee and it was he who opened the door for other Third World leaders to pursue their common goals of political independence.
He was a staunch advocate to end apartheid in South Africa. He was foremost in this struggle and created organisations here to advocate for the end of that hated system.
He also boldly supported the right for equality and justice for African Americans. He led demonstrations in Guyana to free Angela Davis and those wrongfully imprisoned with her. The PPP, which he led, was the only organisation raising these issues in Guyana.
He stood out in solidarity with the people of Vietnam in their decades of struggle against Japanese, French, and US occupation. He even visited Vietnam while the war was going on.
Dr Jagan’s political writings in the various journals and newspapers both in Guyana and abroad were penetrating in their analysis. He stood tall among the giants of his day. His views and ideas continue to make important reading 20 years after his death.
Cheddi, even in his last years, displayed great creativity in dealing with issues of national and international importance.
We must not forget the social policies of successive PPP/C governments, which were started under his leadership.
Under those programmes, thousands of Guyanese became owners of their own homes; our health services were transformed from a rat-infested institution where babies lost limbs to rats, to where we are now doing heart by-pass operations, have a cancer ward, a burns ward, among other expanded facilities.
Our educational systems were also revolutionised. That was transformed from a position where barely 30 per cent of children leaving primary schools finding place in secondary schools, to a position where we were at almost universal secondary education, by May 11, 2015.
Our country has never trained more professional doctors, engineers, economists, managers, etc, as it did in the 23 years of PPP/C government.
Now, under this APNU/AFC regime many are unemployed, having been victimised and hounded out of jobs.
Cheddi Jagan’s concern and interest in international issues never waned. Among his last works was his important writings and advocacy for a “New Global Human Order”. That proposal of his remains so relevant that it could have been written today.
That work was adopted by the United Nations as a programme worth pursuing to end poverty in our world.
It is, therefore, very unfortunate that the PNC-led APNU/AFC regime has taken the stance it has towards CJRC and its lease of Red House.
Red House was once the home of Cheddi Jagan. It is the most suitable venue to house the huge amount of work that he has left and more are still being found.
Some may say that 23 years have passed and they may question the relevance of Jagan.
It is true that time brings changes. However, Jagan’s relevance is not only his role in history, but in his methodology, his approach to problems that can be adopted and will continue to make a contribution to our country and to fight against oppression and poverty the world over.
To deny Red House to the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre is to display great prejudice, pettiness and vindictiveness.
The behaviour of the regime to Jagan makes one ask the question posed by Dave Martin and the Trade winds “Where Are Your Heroes Caribbean?” We must treat our heroes with respect that they earned.
Sincerely,
Donald Ramotar
Former President
