Summaries of Articles written by Dr. Jagan - 1978
This is a listing of articles written by Dr. Jagan in 1978 that are housed at the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre in Georgetown, Guyana. Some of these articles can be found on this website.
(Date = year/month/day)
id# 2801
Title: Valiant Sugar Workers are Victorious
Year Written: 1978/01/08
Place Delivered: Guyana
Medium: Straight Talk printed in "Mirror" pg 8+9; printed in Thunder Jan 1978
Summary: Dr. Jagan – Honorary President of GAWU glorifies the 135 days strike in the Sugar Industry and the workers for their resolve and stamina to endure it. The commissioning of the GDF, Militia, National Service, Civil Servants, government employees and over 6,000 scabs failed to break the strike. Support and solidarity from labour unions and centres abroad as well as sister unions locally lent strength to the workers cause. The coercive apparatus supported the interest of the petty bourgeois PNC leadership. The PNC claim to paramountcy and vanguard of the working class is hypocrisy and callousness – its use of force against the working class. Valuable lessons!
Title: New Linkup with Imperialism Leading to Authoritarian
Year Written: 1978/01/21
Place Delivered: Guyana
Medium: Press Statement
Summary: No amount of cover up can mask the PNC’s denial of certain basic human rights and freedoms. No dissent is tolerated. Even the leader of the opposition is not accredited certain norms of a limited bourgeois democracy. The semi-police state re-enacted the National Security Act (1966) after the first week of the 135 days strike by sugar workers. Denial of the right to strike, hiring of more than 6,000 scabs and involvement of the military and paramilitary force and others fall short of nothing which characterizes an anti-working class regime. Taxation and dismissals, inflation, rising food prices, etc will see unity and militancy forged by the working class. Workers must unite to fight against anti-working class “big stick” measures.
Title: Struggle Against New Destabilising Policies of Imperialism
Year Written: 1978/02/1-2
Place Delivered: Guyana
Medium:
Summary: Destabilization and CIA overt and covert activities for the “containment of Communism” is the modus operandi of imperialism to subvert and destroy liberation movements and revolutionary – democratic governments which were espousing national liberation and socialism. Imperialism attains its objectives – retention of world domination, control over sources of raw materials, extraction of super profits by intensifying and elaborating its system of political, military, economic, ideological, cultural and psychological control. Guyana under the Burnham government received motor cycles, jeeps, communication equipment and a naval craft, and police officers were trained in the US. Similar aid/gifts were/are given to client states. In return for such military aid to bolster the unpopular/anti working class regimes, the US is allowed to obtain or establish military bases – a military installation as built by a secret deal with the PNC government. The US continues it s nefarious activities to promote its “American system” as a “world system”. The theory of “geographic fatalism” has been proven hollow and false – look at Cuba, a determined people against the mighty USA in the Western Hemisphere.
Title: Speech in Receipt of Soviet Award
Year Written: 1978/03/22
Place Delivered: Guyana
Medium: Speech
Summary: Dr. Jagan is honoured on his 60th Birthday at a historic ceremony at Freedom House. The President of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR awards him with the Order of Friendship among Peoples for the “great contribution to the establishment and development of friendly relations between the peoples of Guyana and the Soviet Union”. Soviet Ambassador, Vladimir Kotenev, conveyed the award and congratulatory message on behalf of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Dr. Jagan sees the award as a testimony of the PPP’s consistent work. Party leads and representatives from its arms, regions, the GAWU, RPA and dignitaries from a number of socialist embassies, in Guyana, attended. Cheddi hailed peace, friendship and international solidarity.
Title: Speech on Receipt of Order of Friendship at Kremlin
Year Written: 1978/12/20
Place Delivered: USSR
Medium: speech
Summary: Dr. Jagan is honoured on his 60th Birthday at a historic ceremony in USSR. The President of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR awards him with the Order of Friendship among Peoples for the “great contribution to the establishment and development of friendly relations between the peoples of Guyana and the Soviet Union”.
Title: The Role of the Opposition in Developing Countries
Year Written: 1978/04
Place Delivered: USA
Median: Speech
Summary: Dr. Jagan invited to deliver a lecture at Anthony Maingot – Florida International University – Sociology Department on the role of the opposition in Developing Countries. Short notes attached.
Title: Letter to Romesh Chandra - May 16, 1978
Year Written: 1978/05/16
Place Delivered: Finland
Medium: Letter
Summary: Dr. Romesh Chandra – President of the World Peace Council sends congratulations to Dr. Jagan on his 60th Birthday to him and the Order of Friendship among Peoples from the Soviet Union. Dr. Jagan – President of the Guyana Peace Council acknowledged and expressed good wishes peace workers the world over.
Title: Straight Talk - May 28, 1978
Year Written: 1978/05/28
Place Delivered: Guyana
Medium: Straight Talk
Summary: Dr. Jagan substantiates the PNC’s philosophy to get and hold political power by any means. The deceitful PNC teamed up with the CIA, foreign and local reactionaries originally to obtain power, rigged the 1968 and 1973 general elections. Now it intends to rig the Constitution, postpone elections and continue in power. PNC poses as the standard bearer of national liberation and socialism – re writing history and accusing the PPP as anti national and against independence. Dr. Jagan clears the issue of Independence and the obnoxious inclusions to the Draft Constitution. Usual PNC demagogy failed to respect Jagan’s reasoning. No need for a new Constitution when more than 80% of the economy is under state control. The petty bourgeois, nationalist regime talk of a new constitution is but a smokescreen to clothe its sinister intentions and stay in power.
Title: Straight Talk - June 11, 1978
Year Written: 1978/06/11
Place Delivered: Guyana
Medium: Straight Talk
Summary: Like file # 2807 Cheddi Jagan points to malpractices under the “paramountcy of the party” under which narrow party narrow interests are served. A party card determines jobs, promotion, training, scholarships, land, loan, and houses. Discrimination, non involvement of the opposition in statutory Boards and Commissions, muzzling of the media and judiciary. Army Chief swearing loyalty to the PNC. Violations of the fundamental rights sections of the Constitution. PNC hypocrisy to hoodwink the people. No need to change Constitution. Guyanese must not be fooled.
Title: Letter to L.F.S.Burnham - June 22, 1978
Year Written: 1978/06/22
Place Delivered: Guyana
Medium: Letter
Summary: Dr. Jagan writes Prime Minister Burnham for discussion on the Referendum, National Patriotic Front, etc. He notifies Burnham of a proposed press statement in relation to the intended meeting. Dr. Jagan writes speaker of the National Assembly to express his Party’s disgust over the conduct of the National Assembly in dealing with questions and motions having a direct bearing on the Referendum. Parliamentary democracy is a mockery and Guyana is not a democratic society or a “consultative democracy”. The rights of the Opposition also must be upheld. A press release is issued.
Title: PPP Press Statement - July 15, 1978
Year Written: 1978/07/15
Place Delivered: Guyana
Medium: Press Statement
Summary: Press Release from the PPP furnishes details/figures to substantiate the extent of the rigging of the 1973 “general elections” and 1978 referendum. The 1978 referendum boycott was a phenomenal success. It brought out unity. Less than 10% of the electorate came out to vote. Several methods of fraud and obstruct ional tactics to deny the opposition access to vital documents in preparation for the pools were reached. PPP calls for a united stand to defend the working class and fight for democracy, peace and socialism.
Title: PNC Rigging the Constitution
Year Written: 1978/07/29
Place Delivered: Guyana
Medium:
Summary: Dr. Jagan writes to highlight the PNC government’s blatant disregard for opposition parties, civic organizations, professional groupings and religious bodies. Despite assurances, the united opposition bodies were convinced that the government would “win” through fraud. Infractions leading to the polls are tabulated and calculated difficulties put in place to advance the process to commit fraud and rigging, More hardships will follow. PPP advances a political solution to the economic, political and social crises. A “winner does not take all” and a broad-based representative government are good requisites for a National Patriotic government to be formed. Writing a new constitution should ensure free and fair elections, new voters Register. Bolivian Elections and Guyana Referendum crooked.
Title: Address to Conference of Solidarity with the Struggles of African & Arab Peoples'
Year Written: 1978/09/14-17
Place Delivered: Ethiopia
Medium: Speech; printed in Thunder Vol 10, #4 1978 pg 3-8
Summary: Dr. Jagan addresses Afro Asian Solidarity Conference – Addis Abada, 1978. Solidarity among the socialist nations points to a unity for the consolidation and progress within and among nation states. Unity is a cornerstone and guarantee in the fight against imperialism. Guyana’s pro-imperialist and reformist policies and the concomitant sum total of negatives militate against the masses of the downtrodden. Pledge to work for national anti-imperialist unity. USSR, Cuba and Vietnam have shown to the world that a different way of life is possible.
Title: The Working People Must be Armed
Year Written: 1978/09/14-17
Place Delivered:
Medium: printed in Thunder Vol 10, #4 1978 pg 3-8
Summary:
Title: Interview by Tass Correspondent
Year Written: 1978/11/05
Place Delivered:
Medium: Booklet: The World Condemns Chinese Aggression
Summary: Interviews by TASS correspondent in the midst of a grave threat to world peace. Dr. Jagan gives a logical and politically objective/scientific answers/ analyses to the wide ranging questions. China’s aggression against Vietnam is most unfortunate and serves the interests of US imperialism and the South African racists. Vietnam has been a consistent fighter against colonialism, neo colonialism, imperialism and racism. PPP condemns Chinese attack on Vietnam.
Title: The Role of the Opposition in Guyana
Year Written: 1978
Place Delivered: Guyana
Medium: Printed in "Caribbean Review" Oct/Nov 1978 Pg 37-41
Summary: Dr. Cheddi Jagan writes on the role of the Opposition in theoretical/ideological and reformist manoeuvrings of the PNC. Guyana’s political (PPP) history is traced and a dialectical understanding helps to strategise on the way forward, how to advance and avoid adventurism or anarchy. Dr. Jagan furnishes answers to ideological confusion. He elaborates how the problems bewitching Guyana under the PNC would be tackled when the PPP wins power.
Title: Violations of Fundamental Rights (Straight talk)
Year Written: 1978/06/11
Place Delivered: Guyana
Medium: Straight Talk printed in "Mirror" pg 8+9
Summary: Dr. Jagan nailed lies of the PNC which talks so much of the preservation of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms. Several issues were referred to, not excluding the mass media and the judiciary. Guyanese must not be fooled by PNC hypocrisy, sycophants and bootlickers of the ruling clique who are trying to hoodwink the people.
Title: Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi
Year Written: 1978?
Place Delivered: Guyana
Medium: Tribute
Summary: Dr. Jagan writes of two great men of our time – Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi. They were not dialecticians like Marx, Engels and Lenin, but their commitment for the cause of liberation was equally strong – from a very high moral/spiritual set of values. They fought against racism and oppression and relied on civil disobedience and non-cooperation with evil. They were firm believers in equality. Gandhi and King were practical men and underwent imprisonment. Both were assassinated and are honoured and respected today.
Title: Rigged Referendum Opens New stage of Struggle
Year Written: 1978
Place Delivered: Guyana
Medium:
Summary: Dr. Jagan refers to the July 10, 1978 Rigged Referendum which opens a new stage of struggle. The PNC has extended its life by 15 months. At the local government level the PNC postponed District Council’s elections in 1972, 1974 and 1976, thus maintaining its control throughout the country. Electoral fraud has become a routine from 1968 by padding of voters lists, overseas voting, proxy voting, postal voting and tampering with the ballot boxes. This disgrace has been documented in films, by the Granada TV Company of Great Britain. The 1978 Referendum was massively rigged by various irregularities to ensure a 97% victory from the votes cast” to cloud its 10-15% support. It was a highly successful boycott instead. Really, it was a constitutional coup. Thuggery and hardship follow. The masses need a revolutionary alliance of the working class and others in the future campaigns. Unity has to be forged.
Title: Arrogance of Power (Straight talk)
Year Written: 1978/01/01
Place Delivered: Guyana
Medium: Straight Talk printed in "Mirror" pg 7
Summary: Dr. Jagan blames the PPNC government for prolonging the strike in the Sugar Industry for political reasons and shifting reasons for the serious state of the economy. The strike is used by the PNC to :
- remain in power indefinitely
- subordinate the state to the party
- integrate the party with the armed forces and police
- create PNC affiliated trade unions and other mass organizations
- make strikes virtually illegal
Various reports show GAWU and sugar workers targets for attack. Anti-strike law is contemplated and anti working class methods are routine. Threats, dismissals, scabbing and teargassing of workers are recorded.
Title: Rigging the Constitution (Straight talk)
Year Written: 1978/07/16
Place Delivered: Guyana
Medium: Straight Talk printed in "Mirror" pg 5
Summary: Rigging the Constitution – contents same as # 2811
Title: Notes for Speech by Cheddi Jagan
Year Written: 1978
Place Delivered: Guyana
Medium: Notes
Summary: Notes on IMF, IDB and World Bank for parliamentary speech. Dr Jagan outlines the implications for Guyana under the PNC from these financial institutions. Experiences of other countries are identified. PNC will fail to advance Guyana. Only the PPP can make political and economic sense. New IMF proposals will fail Guyana under the PNC.
Title: Murder in Chile (Straight talk)
Year Written: 1978/09/23
Place Delivered: Guyana
Medium: Straight Talk printed in Mirror Sept 23, 1978 pg 3
Summary: Dr. Jagan puts the overthrow/army coup of the popular unity coalition government and murder of President Salvador Allende in Chile in its true perspective. Local rightist business interests and foreign (US) involvement aided the military to topple the almost 3 years old progressive government. Typical US denial of its involvement and the usual Cold War vis a vis the CIA, etc – tools in service of imperialism were used. A parallel under the Kennedy administration took place in 1963 in Guyana with the popularly elected government (PPP) of Dr. Jagan.
Title: Broadcast on July 15, 1978
Year Written: 1978/07/15
Place Delivered: Guyana
Medium: Broadcast
Summary: Dr. Jagan addresses the nation on the eve of the July 16, 1978 elections. He traced the history of the PNC and realities of its rule of repression and promises, discrimination, fear and disillusionment. Jagan urged why the people must vote and why that vote must be for the PPP. Vote for genuine peace, national unity, socialism and economic progress. For democracy, vote PPP.
Title: National Liberation and Development
Year Written: 1978?
Place Delivered: Guyana
Medium:
Summary: Dr. Jagan cites the centuries long fight against exploitation, oppression, national suppression and plunder. The 1917 Great October Socialist Revolution is the culmination of the myth of forever capitalism. A new alternative offers itself and the Soviet Union becomes the lodestar for poor nations and the exploited everywhere. Capitalism’s fight back are detailed with its devious monetary lending institutions and other overt and covert measures to overthrow/destabilize progressive governments.
Title: Motion on Nicaragua - October 5, 1978
Year Written: 1978/10/05
Place Delivered: Guyana
Medium:
Summary: Notice and text of a Motion to the National Assembly by Dr. Jagan against the Somoza dictatorship in Nicaragua. The motion seeks to express solidarity with and support for the oppressed people there. Also, that the Guyana Mission at the UN be instructed to join in all efforts by the peace loving and progressive nations to end all reprisals, release all political prisoners and for the resignation of President Somoza.