“Men of the soil who dared to demand better” – Pres Ali honours Enmore Martyrs

President Dr Irfaan Ali delivered a solemn and stirring tribute to the five Enmore Martyrs during the annual commemoration ceremony, highlighting their legacy as humble yet heroic sugar workers whose deaths catalysed a national struggle for economic and social justice.

According to Ali, the Enmore Martyrs stand as a symbol of labour rights, courage, and struggle against injustice under the plantocracy and their story, etched in the collective memory of the nation, serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made by ordinary people in pursuit of justice and dignity.
Monday marked 77 years since the Enmore Martyrs – five sugar plantation workers, Rambarran, Pooran, Lallabagee, Surajballi, and Harry, referred to as the Enmore Martyrs, lost their lives at Plantation Enmore, East Coast Demerara (ECD) on June 16, 1948, while fighting for better wages, working and living conditions, during a peaceful protest. At the time, Guyana, then British Guiana, was under colonial rule, and the sugar industry dominated the economy. The workers toiled under harsh conditions, facing low wages, long hours, and minimal rights.
History tells that the strike at the Enmore Sugar Estate was sparked by the workers’ demands for an increase in wages and improved working conditions. Led by the Manpower Citizens’ Association (MPCA), the labourers sought to address their grievances through non-violent means, advocating for their rights in a time of widespread inequality and exploitation.
On that fateful day, as the workers gathered peacefully to press for their demands, tensions escalated. British colonial police opened fire on the crowd, resulting in the deaths of Lallabagee Kissoon, Pooran, Rambarran, Surujbally, and Harry. These brave souls, whose names are forever etched in Guyanese history, became known as the Enmore Martyrs.
On the occasion of their commemoration, President Ali reminded that the Enmore Martyrs were sugar workers, men of the soil that struggled not for glory, but for better working conditions.
“We assemble here not only to remember, but to recommit to the ideals for which they paid their ultimate price, because to honour their country where no one is left behind, to honour their sacrifice where no one is left behind, and where the value of honest work is respected, protected, and rewarded”.

“They were sugar workers, men of the soil, sons of the cane fields. They stood up not just for themselves, but for thousands like them. They struggled not for glory, but for better working conditions. And they died because they dared to demand better,” the President said.
The sacrifice of the Enmore Martyrs galvanised the labour movement in Guyana. Their deaths served as a rallying cry for workers’ rights and spurred greater activism against colonial oppression. The tragedy forced a re-examination of labour laws and contributed to eventual improvements in working conditions across the sugar industry and beyond.
These sentiments were echoed by the General Secretary of Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) Dawchan Nagasar and President of Guyana Agricultural & General Workers Union (GAWU) Seepaul Narine.
“Their deaths were tragic, but in their sacrifice, they planted the seed of something far greater than themselves. The blood of the Enmore Martyrs nurtured the fields of struggle that would eventually lead to Guyana’s political independence, the right of workers to unionise freely, and the ongoing battle for improved working conditions across our nation. We must never forget their sacrifices. Their sacrifices were not in vain. Their courage has inspired generations of Guyanese to unite, to organise, and to strive for a nation that embodies justice, equality, and progress,” Nagasar said.
“Comrades, the legacy of Enmore is etched in every gain we have made as a nation. The brutal sacrifice of the Enmore martyrs gave life to the national movement that would eventually break the chains of colonialism and usher in the political independence of Guyana in 1966. It led to the mass organisation of workers across sectors and regions, the building of trade unions and ultimately the formation of a political movement rooted in the working class,” Narine said.
The Enmore Martyrs’ tragic sacrifice remains as an important moment in Guyanese history.
—a testament to the power of collective action and the enduring quest for justice. Their bravery serves as a beacon of hope and a reminder that the fight for dignity and fairness is a struggle worth pursuing, no matter the odds. As Guyana moves forward, the spirit of the Enmore Martyrs lives on.