STEP ASIDE CHEDDI; HERE COMES BHARRAT!

Apr 21, 2013 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

The reaction to former President Jagdeo’s outburst at the funeral of Reepu Daman Persaud has been all too much. Do the comments, which speak to an upsurge in anti- Indian sentiments, really deserve the attention that they are receiving?
After all, this was just the opinion of someone who felt that the departed was not a bigoted individual and whose passing is taking place in the context of what he (Mr. Jagdeo) feels is an upsurge in anti-Indian sentiments.
You do not need to go to a funeral to hear those things. (In fact you should not have to listen to such talk at funerals). Similar sentiments have been expressed on more than one occasion throughout our history at many types of social occasions.
Wikileaks earlier this month released a compilation of the Kissinger Cables. Much of that material was already declassified and available publicly for public viewing for some time now. But some of the new material released is quite interesting.
One of the newer cables dealt with the arrest of Eusi Kwayana, Brindley Benn and Thelma Reece in 1976 for publication of the Dayclean newspaper. In that cable it was noted that at the commencement of his trial, Kwayana issued a statement condemning “the constitutional violence of the government against the people” and alleged that the PNC government practiced racial discrimination against East Indians.” No one said then anything about any incitement to racial animosity.
Throughout our history and from all sides there have been charges and counter charges about racial discrimination and about anti-Indian and anti-African sentiments being stirred up. Nothing really has changed when it comes to these charges and counter charges.
Mr. Jagdeo therefore is being taken too seriously. Mr. Jagdeo though a former President, does not hold any public office and was not speaking on behalf of his party. In fact, initially, one party spokesperson indicated that the comments were those of a private individual and not that of the party. It was also stated that the party had not met and it was not known whether they would meet to discuss it or whether for that matter any discussion was warranted at all.
That should have been in the end of the matter. But it now seems that the PPP has become a transformed institution which is now being placed at the defense of Mr. Jagdeo. The party has now, and quite ill-advisedly, issued a statement saying that it supports Jagdeo’s comments. Now what a thing for the party to do!
Instead of allowing the matter to fade into the mist from which it came, the party has now rushed to the defense of its former President. It is not clear whether the party leadership met or whether the statement issued was the product of round-robin discussions.
By issuing such a statement, the party is now confirming what has long been suspected: that Mr. Jagdeo owns the PPP in the same way that the Jagans dominated it in the past. Why else would the party have come out in support of the funeral comments, especially considering the fact that one of its principal leaders had described the statements as that of a private citizen?
If Mr. Jagdeo still has that influence on the party that would allow it to want to rush to his defense, the opposition in Guyana are wasting their time in trying to cut the Budget. They should be forcing free and fair election because the people of Guyana will NOT re-elect a PPP in which it is perceived that Mr. Jagdeo remains a highly influential figure. If the PPP wants to regain its legislative majority, its only logical choice is to distance itself as far as possible from Bharrat Jagdeo.
This year’s Congress in August offers the PPP an opportunity to free itself of the baggage that hurt the party at the last election and is hurting it even further in light of revelations concerning the granting of radio licences by Mr. Jagdeo.
The upcoming Congress of the party offers the party the opportunity to send Mr. Jagdeo into political retirement thereby removing any liability his presence and future participation in the party may have on any future elections. However judging from its most recent statement, instead of distancing itself from Mr. Jagdeo, the PPP is more likely in August to coronate Mr. Jagdeo as the greatest leader the party ever produced.

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STEP ASIDE CHEDDI; HERE COMES BHARRAT!

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