A memorable eulogy by daughter for dad Panday

Dear Editor,
Many Guyanese watched the state funeral for Basdeo Panday last Tuesday. Panday had many Guyanese followers, especially in North America, besides the political and business elite. They also grieved, along with Trinis.
Members of the public who watched or listened, or were in attendance at the state funeral of “Bas” at SAPA on Tuesday morning, were most impressed with the eulogy given by Mickela for her father Basdeo Panday in what was a most memorable ceremony. That state ceremony and eulogy will be remembered for many years, especially by those of us who worked closely with Panday to get the UNC elected. It was a remarkable eulogy for a great man, who lived a long and distinguished political life that is incomparable to that of any living Trinbagonian. She delivered it nicely, and she showed leadership and maturity from time of Bas’s death till funeral rites.
The state affair itself left those who saw it in awe. Kudos to the organizers! Panday looked extremely well in the casket for his age of 90. In death, he looked better than most of the living in the UNC. Many in the UNC are fearful that Panday’s ghost could affect their political future.
Mickela handled herself with dignity the day before at the public viewing at SAPA, and last Friday at the rotunda of the Red House. She did her part for the religious ceremonies held privately at home and at SAPA, garlanding (as is the tradition) her father’s body jointly with sisters with beautiful mala.
Mickela gave a depoliticised eulogy about a controversial politician. Panday’s loyalists and those seeking political change were eagerly looking forward for a political speech from the daughter, with remarks about her father as well as others, founders of the UNC who were excommunicated (put out) from the party, and of how her father forgave those who betrayed him; but it was deficient in political remarks. She had a golden opportunity to relaunch a political career, but she opted to give a statesmanlike speech, not being controversial and not excoriating those who ill-treated her father. Many were expecting a replay of what had taken place at Kelvin Ramnath’s funeral (2011), where Bas had lambasted the leadership of the UNC for mistreating Ramnath, one of four founding (1989) MPs of the UNC. The others were Trevor Sudama, John Humphrey, and Bas himself.
Mickela did justice in summarising the legacy of her father. She fought back tears as she praised dad as a good man and a great leader who empathized with, and assisted, others. It was rated as a very good speech, memorable for emotions as well as for its substances. Everyone I spoke with gave it a positive rating. The deceased Panday also was praised by everyone I engaged – a perfect 100% likeability and approval rating.
Mickela held her composure for most of the speech, but became visibly emotional towards the middle and at the end. As she broke down in tears, she was helped in reading the written speech by sisters Nicola, Niala, Vastala. The moving ceremony brought tears to many, including this writer, as the Hindu rites were proceeding and when Mickela spoke about dad.
The eulogy came from the heart, as opposed to politics in mind. The nation was grieving, and she shared the family’s grief with the public. The public grief was reminiscent of that of the American people for JFK, JFK Jr, and his mother Jackie. Jackie shared the grief with the nation, and her daughter shared the grief of loss of brother and mother with the rest of the nation. Mickela (and the sisters and Oma) displayed that kind of grief.
The funeral service attracted a who’s who of Trinidad and Tobago’s recent political history. Panday’s political friends from the NAR, with whom Bas launched the UNC: Trevor Sudama and John Humphrey, were not there in person, but they both watched the proceedings on TV. Sudama and Panday knew each other in London from 1964, and contested seats for the WFP in 1966, losing their deposits. Humphrey came in 1978 through the Senate. Ramesh Maharaj, in London, also was not there in person. Several of those who back stabbed Panday from the NAR days (1987) and from the UNC (2007 and 2010) were there. Many of his so-called friends were not loyal to him; many betrayed him. Regrettably, rare errors in judgements, Panday abandoned a few who truly cared for him and UNC supporters, and they were absent at the state service.
As she noted in her eulogy, her dad was a doting father and husband. But he did not belong to the family alone, but to the UNC supporters and the entire nation. “He loved people, and people loved him”, Mickela correctly pointed out. Panday had no racist cell, as Mickela said. He fought for justice and equality for all. As she stated, Panday lived his life to the fullest, and he was very energetic in fighting for just causes.
She mentioned some of his accomplishments. He did not give up a struggle for what he believed in, and his last few years were spent advocating for constitutional reform. As Mickela noted, her father was a kind of spiritual man. He conducted a public puja for his 90th birthday at NCIC auditorium. She remarked, “He was full of spirit, which made everyone love him”.
Mickela expressed the family’s gratitude to Foreign Minister Amery Browne, who frequently visited Guyana, and to the state, for the assistance rendered for her father’s medical treatment, and for bringing his body to Trinidad and for the state funeral.
The T&T nation and Guyanese will miss Panday, his decency and his caring attitude for others, and his presence at Guyanese fetes and cricket games. Through tears of many and the solemnity of the occasion, the public was signalling its gratitude for all Bas did for his nation and for his friendship among Guyanese.
Yours truly,
Dr Vishnu Bisram