Dear Editor,
The death anniversary celebration of Ashton Chase is a reminder that we must always keep the memories of our past alive, because they inform our present and the way forward to a brighter future.
British Guiana became a Crown colony in 1928, and in 1953 it was granted home rule. In 1950, Dr. Cheddi Jagan became leader of the newly-formed PAC, the forerunner to the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), which struggled for human rights and independence.
In the 1953 elections, Dr. Jagan was elected Chief Minister. The British, however, suspended the Constitution and Government within months, and installed an interim Government. In 1955, the PPP split, with ambitious member LFS Burnham breaking off to create the People’s National Congress (PNC). In 1961 Britain granted the colony autonomy, and Dr. Jagan was elected Premier (1961–1964).
Strikes and rioting, later proven to be the result of covert CIA operations, in collaboration with the British and Burnham, forced Dr Jagan to make compromises inimical to his leadership in efforts to save his supporters from the genocide and destruction of the infamous X-13 Plan. The British strategized with the Americans not to confer independence to a Jagan-led country, but instead waited until 1964, after internal and external forces had colluded to rob Dr. Jagan of victory at the polls, even though he had led the struggle and had suffered much for this eventuality.
In 1964, Burnham succeeded Dr Jagan as Prime Minister, through connivance between internal and external forces. He retained this position after the country gained full independence on May 26, 1966. British Guiana was renamed Guyana after Independence, but the story of this nation is being rewritten to make heroes into villains and vice-versa. The fact is that, even with the granting of the instruments of independence by Great Britain, this country did not achieve real freedom, but was ruled with an iron fist under a dictatorship.
Down the corridors of Guyana’s history, the villains continue to act in ways inimical to Guyana’s developmental trajectory, because the Guyanese people have become mere statistics – in the words of one politician, “collateral damage” in the drive of pseudo-leaders for self-aggrandizement/empowerment and wealth-acquisition”.
After 28 years of PNC oppressive, destructive rule, Oct 5, 1992 heralded the dawn of a new era, as a PPP/C coalition government – a combination of the PPP political construct and civil society – took the reins of administration, after which the country’s developmental paradigm began climbing on an upward trajectory that was near-miraculous.
Sadly, unfortunately, the vehicle taking this nation on an inexorable climb toward eventual attainment of individual and national progress and prosperity tragically began nose-diving subsequent to questionable elections of 2015, when a PNC-led coalition construct attained Government.
Under the Granger-led coalition administration, the country became a microcosm of Guyana under the PNC dictatorship of the past.
When the PPP/C was restored to Government, after agonizing years pre/during and post-elections of 2020, the Irfaan Ali-led administration once again was constrained to clean up the Augean Stables that are the aftermath of Guyana under PNC rule.
The success of this Herculean task is visible, as the visionary PPP/C leadership continues to guide this nation’s fortunes inexorably on an upward trajectory of social development, economic stability, and growth.
August of 2020 conferred real national freedom when democratic norms and conventions were once again restored to Guyana with the restoration of the PPP/C to administrative office.
Yours truly,
Brian Azore
