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Roger Forbes Luncheon – remember the name
Dear Editor,
There comes a time in the life of every nation when its history demands the presence of a figure that stands tall, well above the fray, with a commitment and will to lift the life of its citizens for generations. Guyana found that man, that citizen, that patriot in Roger Forbes Luncheon.
A medical doctor by training, Dr. Luncheon came back to his homeland with good will but soon found out that the Guyana he was promised was in the doldrums, with an economic disaster in motion, and the requiem for democracy already fully composed.
At the Reflections for the former HPS on Friday night (8/18/2023) at the Arthur Chung Conference Center, PPP General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo went beyond the customary blazonries. He hailed Luncheon as a fighter against the politically connected criminal elements who were on a rampage against the soul of this nation in the early 2000s, bent as they were on destroying the remaining strands of democracy that they had not yet wiped out.
This is not the place to repeat or recite all that Dr. Luncheon did for Guyana. The list is just too long, but even more, the people of the land already know his track-record, the dedication and love with which he served, and the indomitable spirit that was a call to life for all those around him.
Vice President Jagdeo was visibly moved during his reflection on Roger Luncheon’s life and service. They had worked through some of the darkest days in the history of this country, days and days running late into the north of midnight when humanity had fallen asleep. In a touching moment, Dr. Jagdeo told the audience and nation how party comrades physically carried Luncheon up several flights of stairs to the top floor of Freedom House for PPP Ex-Co meetings.
Dr. Luncheon was 74 when he passed away, a comparatively early age in modern times, but especially so because he had so much more to give. He had already given beyond call and duty to building the institutional and cultural infrastructure of racio-ethnic bipartisanship. Now the seeds long set in the fertile soils of multiracial possibilities, are contributing to the gathering momentum of the PPP as the only multiracial political force in Guyana. The best tribute one can pay to this great and humble man is to follow his example. Be good, and work hard for a better country.
The nation stands today in mourning. Luncheon has left us, but he is not gone. N.K. Gopaul, a past Permanent Secretary at Office of the President and who served with Dr. Luncheon on the Defence Board, commends these words on this occasion “Do thou the deeds [he died] too young to do” (Matthew Arnold).
Sincerely,
Dr. Randolph Persaud
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