It’s five years since Ronald Waddell died

Feb 02, 2011 Letters

Dear Editor,
January, 30, 2011, marked five years since the brutal assassination of Guyanese patriot, husband, son, brother, father, friend and comrade, Ronald Waddell, by a faction of the death squads which operated under the control of self confessed drug trafficker, Roger Khan.
To date, no one has been arrested and charged for this heinous crime. Five years after the event the rulers continue their attempts at covering up their involvement in the crime in spite of the irrefutable evidence, which was presented at Roger Khan’s trial in New York.
As we continue to recognize and honour Waddell’s contribution in the struggles of emancipating Guiyanese, in particular members of the African community in Guyana, we have to guard against allowing commemoration activities for our martyrs to be seen as simply annual rituals to remember those who have fallen in struggle.
Instead, we must use these occasions as platforms for our liberation. In other words, the time has come when we must use these occasions to promote in a real way, our efforts, and our plans to liberate ourselves. In doing so, we must engage in objective criticisms and self criticisms and we must ask ourselves some very pertinent questions including, if the conditions of African People in Guyana have improved since the assassination of Brother Waddell.
I am sure that our collective assessment will conclude with the position that our situation, in every respect, has got significantly worse. As we attempt this analysis of where we, the African people in Guyana are five years after Waddell, one of the most important, if not the most important question we must ask ourselves is whether we as a people have done enough to rid ourselves and the nation of this obnoxious ruling cabal headed by President, Bharrat Jagdeo?
My personal view on this is – we have not. And if we are all agreed on this then the obvious question would be, why? Each of us will have to answer this question for ourselves.
A renowned thinker many decades ago during the anti-colonial struggle, penned these words: “Every generation must, out of relative obscurity, discover its own destiny and either betray it or fulfill it.”
Another writer – Eldridge Cleaver – coined the popular saying, “If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.” As we remember the fallen Waddell, each of us – leaders and non leaders – should objectively reflect on the above and ask ourselves – how do our actions stand in relation to the above?
My response to that question would be that both at a personal level and as part of a collective I have fallen far short of what is required and pledge that in this critical election year to do more. What are your responses?
The masses are saying that since the passing of Waddell our resolve to pursue the struggle for change have weakened considerably. The struggle for constitutional reform for shared governance before elections have become questionable and electoral opportunism now seems to be the order of the day. While the position of the political leadership on shared governance has remained a principled one it is not supported by mass political
action. This lack of mass action to achieve stated political goals contribute to feelings of hopelessness among the masses and allow the “house slave culture” to prevail.
The African community and the nation have to rise out of obscurity and strive to achieve their full potential. We, the African people in Guyana owe it to our ancestors who came as slaves and through their sweat, blood and tears contributed like no one else did to the development of this society. More importantly, we owe it to ourselves and to our children and their children to ensure that efforts to re-enslave us will not succeed.
Brother Waddell in his life had honorably chosen to be part of the solution. It is we who survive him who are now on trial. It is we who will have to decide how we want history to record us.
Tacuma Ogunseye

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It’s five years since Ronald Waddell died

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