Ballot Box Martyrs 50 years after: PPP remembers duo killed while protecting ballot boxes

July 16, 2023 marked the 50th death anniversary of 17-year-old Jagan Ramessar and 42-year-old Bholanauth Parmanand – the “Ballot Box Martyrs”.
The duo was killed after becoming victims in a hail of bullets from guns carried by members of the Guyana Defence Force. At the time of the shooting, they were protesting the removal of ballot boxes from a polling station along the Corentyne coast.

During a simple wreath-laying ceremony at the cemetery where the two were laid to rest at Number 65 Village Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), Executive Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Zulfikar Mustapha recalled the struggle for democracy in those days under the then People’s National Congress (PNC).
He said the freedom and democracy which we enjoy today did not come on a platter but rather there was a hard struggle and Ramessar and Parmanand would have made the ultimate sacrifice.

“In 1973, they made those sacrifices but our votes were not counted at the place of the poll until 1992, although they gave their lives for that cause, it took us a number of years to fight and struggle for us to have that objective met in 1992,” the Party’s Executive Secretary said.
In 1992, the PPP won the national elections after being in opposition for 28 years.
“Before 1992, they used to rig the elections; the PNC agents used to storm the polling place, seize the ballot boxes and take them to a central counting point and replaced it with votes already counted in favour of the PNC. In 2020, they took rigging to new heights. Although the votes were counted at the place of poll, they tried their utmost to steal an entire country in front of the international community,” Mustapha stated.
In paying respects to the two martyrs, he said the PPP will always remember them. “Their sacrifice is important for us. The sacrifice that they made, we are enjoying it today,” he added.

He urged that the occasion be used to commit never to allow PNC or the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) to take power again.
“We have seen what has happened in our country, right here in Berbice thousands of people were placed on the breadline. They closed the Skeldon Sugar Estate, they closed the Rose Hall Sugar Estate, and a number of other persons were dismissed. In a matter of weeks, the Rose Hall Estate will be recommissioned and once again sugar will be produced there,” Mustapha announced to thunderous applause.
Meanwhile, Region Six Chairman David Armogan pointed out that despite the achievements attained in 1992, the PNC having returned to power in 2015, decided that 47 years after the sacrifices of the two martyrs, they would not adhere to a democratic process. For this reason, he said they cannot be trusted and should not be allowed to get anywhere close to power in Guyana.
Advisor to the Ministry of Health, who is also a PPP Executive, Dr Leslie Ramsammy also speaking at the ceremony said as Guyanese we all need to keep up the struggle for democracy.
“It is not just remembering a sacrifice made 50 years ago, but committing and affirming that we will never forget and we will never give up the struggle to preserve our freedom.”
On the same note, Director General of the Ministry of Health, Dr Vishwa Mahadeo committed that the PPP will never allow the memory of Jagan Ramessar and Bholanauth Parmanand to fade.
“They will never be forgotten,” he said.
Also attending the ceremony and laying wreaths were family members of Ramessar and Parmanand.
Parmanand’s cousin, Dr Ramise Deosaram reflected on his childhood days living with his big cousin whom he referred to as an uncle. (Andrew Carmichael)