Twenty four years later Burnham’s legacy lives on

Aug 06, 2009 Letters

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Dear Editor,
August 6, 2009 marks 24 years since the death of Guyana’s First Executive President, Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham.
Burnham’s presidency and his PNC government have attracted many various shades of criticisms. There are those who continue to perpetuate the view that he ruled Guyana with an iron fist.
Then there are also those who promote him as the most ruthless dictator that has ever walked the Caribbean soil.

To many others he is the most able and respectable President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana. Others believed his seductive charisma and personality were the charms that captivated the interest of members of his rival party, and resulted in many of them crossing over to the PNC.
Yes, Burnham continued to be viewed in many ways! Some saw his brilliance and his command of the English Language as being responsible for the manner in which he impacted the international stage. Burnham’s stature as the nation’s leader resulted in the entire Caribbean, including Barbados, and the rest of the world to treat us with respect.
So at this time of our history it would be interesting for us to take a more intricate look at some of Burnham’s criticisms, regarding his policies against some current activities, and programmes of the PPP/C government.
Twenty four years after Burnham the major critics of his policies are “re-implementing” some of the same policies they protested against, ashamedly, they either renamed or re-stamped some of the very policies they condemned.

A classic example is Burnham’s “buy local” campaign now disguised as the “grow more” campaign. The PPP/C, now in government, decides to see the wisdom in his thinking, as he sought to promote the local produce and encourage farming.
Those who now decide to go to communities and distribute seeds and young plants have only now realised the value of Burnham and the PNC’s policy of Feed, Clothe, and House (FCH) the nation. I trust it is not too late for Guyana to reclaim its stature as the “bread basket of the Caribbean”.
When Burnham spoke of the value of culture and initiated the Cultural Center Project many of his critics, including the PPP accused him of having some sinister motive for building same, but today with the PPP/C in government they now have come around to appreciate the historical, cultural, social and economic value of the National Cultural Center.

This venue is now used to host Heads of Government Conferences; and meetings; award ceremonies; graduations; and to stage many national cultural events of various ethnic groups. His critics must be ashamed.
And we must not forget that CARIFESTA held here, just last year was first held here in 1972, another Burnham initiative, so those who touted it and promoted it as a “new initiative” of the current government, were only trying to mislead the public and to “under write” history. They condemned CARIFESTA then, but praised it now, as it is their mission to look good.
I know that the government will boast of the Berbice Bridge, but let us not forget that the Demerara Harbour Bridge , another Burnham project, was built many decades ago, and the toll was not intended to punish poor people.

Time would not permit me to state all the accomplishments of Burnham and the PNC government, but the history is already written.
More than two decades after Burnham’s death Guyana is marred by serious claims of human rights abuses, and corruption in high places.
There are numerous allegations of torture committed by ranks of the Joint Services, and a strong belief on the part of the citizenry that the state is condoning same. We see many accused of committing various crimes dying in the lock-ups or dying while in police custody; or while in protection of the state.
Yes, Guyana beyond Burnham sees startling revelations in a U.S court that implicates senior government functionaries as having direct link to the “underworld”. The trial of the nation’s major drug lord has attracted national and international attention as popular names and senior government functionaries are fingered in the continuing debacle.

I wonder what the late L.F.S.B, as president might have done about this, would he asked those, in his government, fingered in this dangerous criminal, enterprise to resign until they are cleared of the allegations or would he have dismissed them period?
Those who had set out to demonize Burnham and render his government dictatorial have to review their position in light of the current administration and their management of the state.
And for those who are on the bandwagon calling for the PNCR to apologise for the party’s time in government or, as they put it, apologise for wrongs committed by Burnham and the PNC government, must be ashamed of themselves.
I wonder what they will call on the current government to do.
Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham’s legacy will live on despite the many attempts to rewrite Guyana’s history without his monumental contribution.
Lurlene Nestor

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