Brief reflections on Burnham and Jagan

May 24, 2017 Letters

Dear Editor,
Trips down memory lane are always welcomed, to me at least, mainly because they bring to mind “the sweet used-to-be”, as one song describes it. Mr. Burnham was not only a gifted speaker – he also had a sharp, sometimes devastating, wit. I once heard him describe a political colleague as being able to “sell Satan to Jesus”! Those of us with good memories and still capable of communicating may recall the unexpected and amusing public demonstration he gave to show that B.G.’s main drink manufacturer, seeking election to Parliament, could not be relied on. The chap was thinking of increasing the price of his bottled soft drink, and “LFS” did not think it fair, particularly to the poor, and said so.
The manufacturer seemed to put aside the idea, and many people relaxed. Mr. Burnham ‘sussed’ out the chap’s true intentions, and, at a public meeting, demonstrated with a mug of water that, by reducing the size of the drinks bottle, the politician was “getting away with it”. Hearty laughter all round. Loss of some votes, perhaps. Mr. Burnham had natural style. Dr. Jagan, on the other hand, although totally sincere, tended to ‘rant and rave’, becoming too emotional, leaving some in the audience uneasy.
To sum up, one leader spoke with his head, the other from his heart. They were well-meaning men both, but with different approaches. Perhaps, being exposed as students to different cultures might have had something to do with it. They both did their best. May they rest in peace? Let us carve both names with sympathy?
Geralda Dennison

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