Latest update December 25th, 2024 1:10 AM
Mar 16, 2009 Letters
Dear Editor,
I write in response to Freddie Kissoon’s frequent attacks on the late President Cheddi Jagan.
Any analysis of aspects of the late President Cheddi Jagan’s political life and legacy must be fair, objective and balanced. Freddie’s attacks (they are not critiques) are seriously lacking in those criteria and in academic scholarship.
Regardless of how one thinks and or feels about the late Dr. Jagan, he deserves the highest respect.
One cannot but admire the generosity and the statesmanship of this giant of the liberation movement who belonged in the same league as Eusi Kwayana, Ashton Chase, and other noble individuals.
Jagan was not a thief and he never stole elections. Jagan earned universal respect, even of his political adversaries, by his sacrifices, visionary leadership, and groundings with the oppressed including the exploited working classes. Jagan was respected by worthy opponents like Forbes Burnham, Hamilton Green, Desmond Hoyte all of whom paid tributes to Jagan for his contributions to politics.
Let me note that I am not a cheering fan of Dr. Jagan. In fact, I did not (and still do not) support his Marxist/Leninist or Socialist doctrine that made British Guiana the subject of international espionage and that delayed our independence and eventually allowed the West to turn a blind eye as Guyana was transformed into an oppressive dictatorship.
Also, most Guyanese did not support Dr. Jagan’s left leaning position. In fact, even his son, Joey Jagan (as am I and I am sure almost every NY-based Guyanese), is an opponent of Socialism for Guyana.
Joey has been a cheerleader for the capitalist path of development for Guyana.
But opposing Jagan’s political ideology does not mean one should disrespect or dishonour the man.
Prominent capitalists did not support Jagan’s left wing policy but they respected the man for who he was.
I remember at a GOPIO Conference in 1989 in NY, Yesu Persaud, who had led a delegation to the conference that included several prominent businessmen, paid tremendous respects to Jagan and urged him to moderate his socialist stance. They did not “cuss” him.
I think that Dr. Jagan made many blunders in his political life and we all had to pay for those blunders.
As such, I believe a serious objective analysis of Jagan’s politics and policies
is in order. But a good academic would give both sides of Jagan’s legacy – not a one sided attack filled with venom. What comes out of Freddie Kissoon’s pen is not a fair assessment of Jagan’s politics.
Freddie gives us an attack on Jagan’s legacy not an objective relevant critique.
A sound critique or even criticism of Jagan’s legacy is appropriate but one must also acknowledge some of his positives as one must also for Forbes Burnham, Desmond Hoyte, Walter Rodney, Eusi Kwayana, among other liberation fighters. We must give due recognition to Jagan’s sacrifice, competence and contribution to the political and economic development of Guyana as we do for others.
Much has been written extolling Jagan’s virtues as a giant among mortals and as the foremost hero of the struggle for a free, non-racial, independent and democratic Guyana.
He was (one of if not) the most outstanding leaders in the freedom movement and was (still is) revered throughout the country even by those who never voted for him.
In evaluating Jagan, words that come to mind to describe him inevitably include honesty, integrity, trustworthy, legendary and visionary.
Jagan was indeed a towering personality and a legend, one of the most outstanding parliamentarians of Guyana. It was through him that Guyanese learned about parliamentary practice and democracy.
His role as a statesman politician in establishing the rights of the poor should be acknowledged.
For those Guyanese who were small fish swimming against the tide of British colonial oppression and privileges, Jagan inspired tenacity and provided sustained practical support and advice to fight injustices.
He lived a non-luxurious life surviving on the barest of essentials I was told. Jagan was uncompromising on corruption.
He was not wasteful and never stole a penny from the treasury. Former Attorney General Dr. Fenton Ramsahoye told me that when Jagan was Premier, the Governor General told him (Fenton) that Jagan’s Cabinet was the first he had come across from his experiences around the globe where Ministers did not steal.
He was steadfast in his fight for the emancipation of the poor and the exploited. Indeed, he handled issues relating to the working class with a humane touch serving as a trade unionist of world repute.
It is a grave injustice to Jagan in reading the regular doses of poisonous venom from Freddie’s pen about a great leader and no appreciation for the late President’s positive contributions.
Jagan had many flaws and the nation should know of them in objective analysis not one-sided attacks.
Vishnu Bisram
Dec 25, 2024
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