From modest beginnings to status of global icon; Guyana’s Sir Shridath Ramphal honoured at state funeral

…Pres Ali vows to continue working on diplomat’s desire for national unity

By Jarryl Bryan

The state funeral for Sir Shridath ‘Sonny’ Ramphal, esteemed elder statesman and son of the soil, was held at the Promenade Gardens on Saturday. Attended by regional leaders and members of civil society, and highlighted by a feature address from President Dr Irfaan Ali, the ceremony honoured Ramphal’s numerous contributions to Guyana, and his enduring commitment to national unity.
Among the illustrious personages at the funeral were Caribbean Community (Caricom) Chairman, Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell; St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, Caricom Secretary General Dr Carla Barnett, and members of the Guyana cabinet.
In his address, President Ali revealed that the late Sir Shridath S Ramphal had been a supporter of the ‘One Guyana’ initiative of bringing the fabrics that make up Guyana together in national unity. According to President Ali, this had been expressed by Ramphal in a note he had sent to him, and the Head of State made it clear that he would seek to continue honouring Ramphal’s wishes of bringing about national unity.

“He wrote a note to me some years ago, and I wish to quote some sections of that note: ‘Your personal ambition to achieve the oneness of Guyana is a quest embedded in our motto: One People, One Nation, One Destiny. I pen these words to assure you of my full support to this goal. I believe we are better placed today than ever before to fulfil what embodies us as a nation: that oneness. Your youth must invigorate this quest for all of us. All of us, as Guyanese, must help you in this noble endeavour, even my generation’.”
Ali reflected that Ramphal, whom he had visited at his home in Barbados during a previous trip to that island, had been a man who had carefully weighed his every word. According to the President, he had found Ramphal’s encouragement to be inspiring, and he noted that the elder statesman’s unfinished wishes would not be forgotten.
“Those words were inspiring, coming from Sir Shridath, knowing that he was a man who thought carefully before putting pen to paper, and must be convinced of something before seeking to ink words to support or not to support the subject matter. Few men embody the spirit of a global citizen quite like Sir Shridath Ramphal. His life and legacy stand as a testimonial, not only to his brilliance as a legal eagle, statesman and diplomat, but also to his undeniable dedication to the land of his birth, Guyana,” he said.
“His unfinished wish was for our oneness, and this unfinished wish of his will be worked on with every fibre that constitutes the Guyana Spirit; with our strength and full commitment. But his oneness was not only for Guyana, but the entire Caribbean community,” President Ali said.

Central to his heart
According to Ali, Guyana had always been central to Ramphal’s heart, even though he had spent much of his time outside of the country. As a matter of fact, President Ali described Ramphal as one of the architects of Guyana in the work he did to help shape its legal framework, defend its territorial integrity, and raising the country’s profile on the international stage.
“As one of the architects of our Independence Constitution, he was instrumental in fashioning a document that would serve as a blueprint for our young nation. His role in helping to craft this crucial document cannot be overstated. Independence is more than a ceremonial event; it represents the birth of an independent nation. Sir Shridath understood this, bringing his legal acumen and vision to bear on the creation of an instrument that would guide Guyana through the challenges of statehood,” the President said.

“Sonny, as he was affectionately called, served as a technocratic Attorney General, Minister of State, and later Minister of Foreign Affairs. He was therefore in the cockpit as Guyana took its first steps on the international stage. It was a testing period. Our young nation faced existential threats to its territorial integrity from both the west and the east. The claims of our territory were a direct threat to the sovereignty and integrity of our fledgling state.”

Territorial integrity
The Head of State pointed out that Sir Shridath had risen to the occasion in helping to craft the strategies that would be crucial to maintaining Guyana’s territorial integrity. As a matter of fact, he noted that many of those strategies are still in use today in helping Guyana to defend its borders. He noted that the elder statesman’s principles of non-aggression and seeking peaceful and diplomatic means of ending the territorial threat are principles Guyana still lives by.
Nor did Ramphal let his age stop him from continuing to ardently defend Guyana.
“He has been at the forefront of the presentation of Guyana’s case before the International Court of Justice. Whenever he has been summoned to service in defense of this country’s territorial integrity, he has never been found wanting,” President Ali said. As a matter of fact, Ramphal was serving as Guyana’s co-agent for the Guyana/Venezuela border case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Family
Meanwhile, Ramphal’s role as a family man was brought into sharp focus by the various tributes from his progeny. They included his son Mark Ramphal, who read a Martin Carter poem entitled ‘Death of a Comrade’; his grand-daughter India Hennessy, who read a poem from Maya Angelou entitled ‘On the Pulse of the Morning’; and a detailed reflection on his life from his son-in-law Sir Ronald Sanders.
In his reflection, Sanders, a Guyanese-born diplomat of Antigua and Barbuda, reflected on the towering heights that his father-in-law had reached during his lifetime. As a matter of fact, Sir Ronald recounted an experience that had taken place in New Amsterdam, Guyana when Ramphal had been just a baby. It was an experience that had seemingly marked Ramphal for a great destiny.
“In 1929, before he’d even reached his first year, a moment occurred that would hint at the great future he had ahead. The Reverend C.F. Andrews, a close disciple and trusted friend of Mahatma Gandhi, visited British Guiana at Gandhi’s request. During his visit, he found himself in New Amsterdam, Berbice, in the humble home of James and Grace Ramphal.
There their infant son was restless and persistent. And he caught Reverend Andrews’ attention. The Reverend lifted the child, gazed into his eyes, and declared with certainty this child will have a long and rewarding life. And so it was. From these modest beginnings, Sir Shridath Ramphal rose to touch the lives of nations and inspire millions,” Sir Ronald detailed.
Throughout the service, and in keeping with the customs of a state funeral, an urn containing Sir Shridath’s ashes was surrounded by a watch of four Guyana Defence Force (GDF) officers in full ceremonial dress. Following the funeral, Ramphal’s ashes were bourne away by a member of the GDF, who slow-marched his way to the vehicle that would thereafter transport it to The Place of The Seven Ponds in the Botanical Gardens for interment.

Legacy
Surrounded by his children in Barbados, where he had lived for several decades, Sir Shridath Ramphal passed away on August 30, 2024. He was 96 at the time of his passing. The statesman was born on October 3, 1928 in New Amsterdam, British Guiana (now Guyana), and was educated at King’s College London and Gray’s Inn, London. Sir Shridath was predeceased by his beloved wife of 67 years, Lady Lois Ramphal, on September 20, 2019.
His distinguished career spanned numerous pivotal roles: Assistant Attorney-General of the West Indies Federation; Minister of Justice and Foreign Affairs of Guyana; and Secretary-General of the Commonwealth. He had also held concurrent positions as Chancellor of the University of Guyana (UG), the University of the West Indies (UWI), and Warwick University.
He was the only individual to have served on all the Global Commissions that produced landmark reports on the environment, development, and disarmament between 1980 and 1995. As Chairman of the West Indian Commission, his 1992 report, “Time for Action”, remains a seminal blueprint for Caribbean development.
Globally respected, Sir Shridath served in various capacities, including President of the World Conservation Union, Special Adviser to the UN Conference on Environment and Development, and Chief Negotiator for the Caribbean on External Economic Relations. He had also been a mediator and facilitator in elections and constitutional crises.