– says President Ramotar –at Cheddi Jagan lecture
Georgetown, GINA, March 20, 2012
The Cheddi Jagan Research Centre also known as the Red House, located on High Street, Kingston, today held its annual lecture on the late President and PPP leader Dr. Cheddi Jagan, as part of activities planned in honour of his birth and death anniversaries.
The purpose of the annual event is to have from year to year, distinguished persons who would have been associated with the late Dr. Jagan deliver varying perspectives on how they viewed his life, struggles and contributions.
His Excellency Donald Ramotar delivering the lecture on ‘The life and work of the late President Dr Cheddi Jagan’ at the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre (Red House), Kingston
President Donald Ramotar who also serves as the party’s General Secretary, in delivering today’s lecture before a large gathering on ‘The life and work of the late President Dr. Cheddi Jagan’ said that the late president had a creative approach to issues which displayed his insightful character.
“Cheddi Jagan made tremendous contributions to the development of Guyana…he has made the most profound impact on the political life and the thinking of Guyanese…he awakened the political consciousness of our people and lead us to many epic struggles for independence, democracy and social progress,” the Head of State said.
The work of Dr. Jagan in the social, economic and political spheres, coupled with the freshness of his thinking caused him to grasp the issues at every turning point of his field and, came up with answers that lead his supporters in many struggles.
“His creative approach to issues was another profound character that he displayed…the most important characteristic for me was the fact that he was not only a fighter, an activist, political leader, trade unionist but a profound thinker- a man who came up with solutions to problems that was sometimes way ahead of his times…those solutions, some of which were scoffed at, were eventually adopted and applied in Guyana and in the wider world,” the Head of State said.
Dr. Jagan’s view was to serve the people and, to work in partnership with them, as he believed that the working people had the potential to transform society, as such rallied his support behind them.
“His character and personality was moulded in the times that he lived in and the class of people he identified with…he was one of the most creative thinkers rooted in the circumstances that he had to deal with…what defined him in his works from his earliest writings…he was of the firm belief that human and social sciences must be used to serve man and to develop their abilities of people and to ensure that they have the opportunity to develop…he took a strong side on behalf of the working and oppressed peoples in the world,” the Head of State said.
The late president, he said felt that national and social liberation had to be carried out by the conscious efforts of working and oppressed people, hence his focus on workers’ education.
Several other activities have been scheduled to commemorate the life and death of the late Leader including a fitness walk and a fun day, both of which have already been held.
— Post #1228
Comments
He was an icon and legend in Guyana’s struggles to achieve economic, social and political freedoms.
Guyana needs more great thinkers like the late president, something highly unlikely at this time.
It is to the benefit of the present crop of Guyanese Political Leaders on all sides to remember the many valiant political battles that were fought and the many sobering victories that the PPP leadership won for the working class society in Guyana. Dr. Jagan has left a political legacy of which all the Caribbean can be justifiably proud.Those who inherit the mantle of political leadership of the Party and Government of the PPP/Civic, must at all times remember the sober facts of the lessons that Jagan’s leadership taught the country. Men of wisdom must not lose their common touch and therefore the reality of their being the trustees of the Nation must never be lost. The voice of the People is the voice of God.Corruption and evil propensity of the minds of those rulers who will not learn from the lessons of history must be put aside and not allow to lead the party nor country on the road to no return.Economic prosperity must be a planned and phased event for success. Partisan Politics must be a thing of the past in the 21st Century. Have a good Mr. President!
Dr Jagan was a great man in my times. He really helped Guyana a lot and it was just great. It was just a pity he passed away.
“You shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you Free” The late Dr Cheddi Jagan had once threatened to take control of the Commanding Heights of the Economy in British Guiana and this statement created all the political upheavals any Premeir in any British colony could have wished for. His 1956 Government collapsed and his ministers were imprisoned by the British Government. In 1961,
the then British PM, the late Harold Mc Millian declared that whichever political party won the 1961 general elections would lead British Guiana into Political Freedom. In the same year. the late John F Kennedy, flew to Britain in Air Force ONE and met with the British PM and the only agenda was the reversal of the Mc Millian decision to grant Jagan’s party that promised Independence. This was the power that the great leader Cheddi Jagan weilded and he has mentioned it in his book the “West on Trial” It took the combined Anglo -American axis to get the Jagan Government out of Political Office and of course the USA-CIA planned destruction of the Capital city of Georgetown on February 16th 1962.(Black Friday)Dr Jagan did not only provoked the leaders of the great USA and Britain but President Kennedy Adviser, Arthur Sleshinger Jn wrote in his book Kennedy 1000 days in the White House that ” Burnham’s visit to Washington in 1962 left us with the clear impression that an Independent Guyana under Forbes Burnham would cause us fewer problems than an Independent Guyana under Jagan and so the way was cleared for Jagan’s downfall. This is recorded history of Arthur Scleshinger Jn. The failed Marlborough House Independence Conference of 1962 and the imposition of Proportional Representation in a colony for the first time were all parts of the same conspiracy by USA and UK to deny Independence. The elections before Independence under PR and held in Dec1964, produced a Jagan with 48% of the votes, Peter D”aguair 12% and Forbes with 40 %. The rest is political history of a nation called Guyana that obtained Independence in 1966 with Forbes at the head of the PNC-UF coaliation government.