Remembering Ronald Waddell

Jan 31, 2016 Letters

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Dear Editor,
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Guyana’s nationhood and the 10th year since the heinous assassination of comrade Ronald Waddell on the evening of 30th January 2006. It is ironic that as the nation celebrates 50 years of freedom from colonialism, the month of May, 2016 will mark one year of our new garnered freedom from the oppressive PPPC regime – something Waddell fought and died for.
The African community and the nation are indebted to Waddell and other comrades who fell in the struggle for equality and justice. We must not squander the sacrifice of our martyrs – they died so we will live. Waddell was an outstanding grass root activist and an African Guyanese leader who gave unselfish service to his people and country. It is as a result of his dedication to our liberation from PPPC oppression and domination made those in the PPPC regime who felt threatened by his advocacy conspired to execute him, in the hope of prolonging their criminal rule, indefinitely. History has demonstrated to oppressors that the tide of freedom could not and would not be contained and, on May 11. 2015 the multi-party, multi-racial electoral rebellion of the Guyanese people brought an end to the PPPC’s 23 years domination of Guyana.
The political dimensions of the Ronald Waddell assassination are great, since the timing was related to the 2006 general and regional elections. The then rulers were fearful that his presence and activism would have negatively impacted their election game plan. For those who would want to dismiss this proposition I submit here that the parallel could be found in the assassination of another fallen comrade, Courtney Crum-Ewing, who mere weeks before the 2015 elections, was similarly executed by agents of the regime. The executions of these perceived political enemies of the PPPC should put to rest any doubts about that party’s leadership political criminality and their involvement in both assassinations. Unlike, the 2006 elections, the May 11th 2015 elections, resulted in a peoples victory and prevented the country from enduring more political assassinations.
In reflecting on Waddell’s political work I must point out some important tenets of his world view. While regime change was an important plank of his message, his vision of liberation went beyond mere governmental change. Economic and social empowerment of the poor and powerless, cultural and spiritual emancipation of African people, the presentation of the environment and humanity, respect for women, the elderly and youths were all important aspects of his world view. Equally, important to him was that leaders must not only talk the talk, but walk the walk – he was almost dogmatic on this position and made his life a living example.
His detractors and here I am referring to those in the African community, who privately expressed the view that he should have known better than to get so “involved”, attributed the depth of his involvement as a contributing factor to his demise. I respectfully submit that his detractors, who know themselves, were in fact cowards hiding behind the concept of “self-preservation”.  The implications of their logic is, if you do you are dammed and if you don’t you are dammed. However, our national martyrs of the past and those of our more recent history did not seek martyrdom – the oppressors made that decision. What they did was to stand up and fight for our freedom. They took action to bring about change and in so doing paid the ultimate price. This is our historic legacy.
Like all Guyanese patriots Waddell attempted to grapple with the contradictions in our multi- racial society with its historic racial/political and class divisions. In doing so he was subjected to accusations of being racist, not surprisingly, by the very racists who controlled the criminal state at the time. It is not uncommon to find in Guyana that once the leader/s or leadership of the “tribe” label an opponent racist the flock falls in line.
I was recently viewing one of Waddell’s TV programs where an Indian viewer called in and asked, “Why don’t you speak about that is happening to Indian people?” He continued, “You are only dealing with what affect black people”.  Waddell responded in the affirmative, agreeing with the caller. He pointed out that in the present situation in Guyana, Africans are oppressed and marginalized and the majority of the media, electronic and print, are not controlled by Africans, and given this reality, he decided to devote his program to African issues. He pointed out to the caller, that Indians controlled the government and they have more access to the state and private media and he urged the caller to use those facilities to promote Indian peoples interest.  This exchange demonstrated a profound honesty in his public advocacy. He often reminded his viewers that they can depend on him to tell the truth as it is.
This 10th anniversary of the assassination of Ronald Waddell puts back on the political agenda the question of justice for hundreds of Africans men and others who were executed under the PPPC rule in their “so-called war on crime”. That period saw the birth of phantom death squads, the product of a wicked political/criminal alliance of the rulers and drug lords engaging in state sponsored executions. In our racial and politically polarized society addressing state sponsored executions of the past will prove to be one of the difficult challenges in our new dispensation.  The Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry demonstrates the fragility of our commitment as a people to fight against the use of the state to illegally execute citizens. Ronald Waddell’s spirit is crying out for Justice.
 Tacuma Ogunseye

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