Brindley Horatio Benn was indeed a preeminent patriot of Guyana

Jan 28, 2021 Letters

Dear Editor

Kindly allow me to respond to Lena Platt’s nee Benn laudatory and fitting tribute to her father in the KN of 1-27-21. Brindley Horatio Benn was indeed a preeminent patriot of Guyana from all that she wrote.

Mr. Benn left the PPP in 1968 because he felt that party was not revolutionary enough for his liking. In this regard he was regarded as an extremist who followed the Chinese brand of communism which touted a policy of permanent revolution. This alienated him from the PPP which was pro-Moscow and which had endorsed the attainment of socialism through elections by democracy rather than by violence.
While Mr. Benn was popular within the PPP he commanded little or practically no support among the African masses which the PPP has always been trying to attract. In fact Mr. Benn frightened away both Indians and Africans by such statements like “You can stop tomorrow but you can’t stop communism”.
PPP leader Dr. Cheddi Jagan had a bias for Mr. Benn which was demonstrated in the famous fight against the popular grassroots Mr. Balram Singh Rai for the chairmanship of the PPP. Dr. Jagan actively campaigned among his party’s congressional delegates for them to support Mr. Benn rather than Mr. Rai. Dr. Jagan’s rationale was based on the premise that the PPP could not afford to have two Indians in the most senior positions. Electing Mr. Benn as party chairman was expected to demonstrate that party’s multiracial make up and so appeal to Black Guyanese. Mr. Rai lost the election.
It should be noted that Mr. Benn’s parting with the PPP was on ideological grounds compared to Sidney King (Eusi Kwayana) which was based on race. For this reason the PPP felt very comfortable in appointing Mr. Benn as High Commissioner to Canada after that party won the 1992 elections. Mr. Benn’s son is Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn and shows by his appointment the prominence which the Benn legacy holds.

Yours truly,
Sultan Mohamed

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Brindley Horatio Benn was indeed a preeminent patriot of Guyana

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