" ... if the rich
and poor countries do not act together to overcome the problems of poverty
and the attendant maladies of hunger and environmental degradation, there
will be no secure peace." Nov. 13, 1996
"Democracy can
only prosper in an environment of economic, social and ecological
development. Poverty atrophies the vigor and initiative of the individual
and deprives the society of incalculable human resources. If left
unattended, the expansion of poverty with hunger and the hopelessness it
engenders will undermine the fabric of our civilization and the security of
the democratic state, thus threatening world peace." August 2, 1996
"As I stated in
November 1993, a development strategy for the eradication of poverty must be
global and positive, not the South against the North and the North against
the South, but the North and South in interdependence, cooperation and
partnership. It would be disastrous for humankind if the East/West conflict
of the Cold War era were to be transformed into a North/South conflict."
May 1,
1994
"Now is the time
when we must all give a little more for our freedom, we must care a little
more for our people, we must sacrifice a little more for the greater good of
our Nation and her future." 1992
"The violence and
disturbances of 1962 and 1963 did not succeed in their immediate objective
of bringing about the fall of the government or the suspension of the
constitution. But they did result, as we shall see, in the delay of
independence and the imposition of a constitutional and electoral formula
designed to bring the opposition to power. It was a major tragedy for Guyana
that a section of the working class was deluded into forging its own chains
by directing its attack not, as previously, against the capitalists and
landlords but against a national, pro-working class, socialist-oriented
government." 1966 (from The West on Trial )
"Those who see
only race/ethnicity in politics in Guyana, as others who see tribalism and
religion in other countries, are not viewing reality comprehensively,
objectively and scientifically. In Guyana, because of the strong foreign
monopoly domination by the sugar plantrocracy, the class struggle was more
intense. And, although the two major racial/ethnic groups are culturally
different, they are not uni-class and class different as formally the case
in the colonial period in
East Africa.
Both groups are largely made up of working people. As such, the PPP/Civic,
with its working class sympathy and policies oriented to material and
cultural fulfilment, can lay the foundation for unity in diversity." 1996
"The People's
Progressive Party, the vanguard of the National Liberation Movement,
welcomes the announcement that
British Guiana
will soon attain nationhood. The party fails to understand, however, the
significance of the date, May 26, unless it is the wish of the British and
British Guiana governments to make it symbolic of their contempt for the
Guyanese people and a grim reminder of the unfortunate events at Wismar on
May 25/26, 1964, and their aim to keep the Guyanese people divided..."
Nov 19,
1965
"The PNC's defeat
at the 1961 election caused it to move further in the direction of Africian
racism; its leadership launched a racist campaign at home and abroad. In New
York City and in the UN corridors, American Blacks and African diplomats
were told that the PPP government was peanalizing the Africians. At home,
the Africian workers were told that the Indians owned the lands and the big
houses in Georgetown ..., and if they (the Africains) were not careful, the
Indians would soon be taking over their jobs.. The PNC denies that it
resorted to the powerful slogan of race." 1966 (from The West on Trial
)
" I first wanted
to be a doctor. Didn't want to be merly a specialist and craftsman and cure
individual aches and ills. I wanted to cure the ills of society. I
want to know that I have served humanity as a human being. All of us
want recognition - I am not interested in recognition conferred on the basis
of my bankroll. When I would have passed away, I would like it to be
recorded that Jagan did his bit in the service of humanity." 1964
"If
I could relive my life, basically I would not want to change the journey,
the route I went through, and the course I charted, no doubt it was tough
but it was all a learning experience and looking back, with the experience I
acquired maybe some of the things I did with a lot of youthful exuberance,
could have been done more delicately with the experience I now have, but
there is nothing I regret in any way that I did, and I would do it all over
again." 1995
"...the gap in
living standards today is very high between the rich countries and the
poor...Instead of the gap narrowing over the last decade, we now find that
the gap is widening. Certainly this is not in the interest either of the
rich, developed countries, or the poor. Because, if this situation
continues, there will be explosions everywhere. I say that explosions are
not in the interest of anyone because poor people die in the process. I feel
that it is a moral obligation on the part of the rich to come to the
assistance of the under-developed countries...I say that this sort of
situation cannot continue. If we are to live like brothers, if the purpose
of the United Nations Charter is to be served, if we are to have one world,
and not be divided into two worlds, one of the rich and one of the poor, if
we are not to have explosions, then I say that the rich countries must come
forward and assist us, not with handouts and doles, but giving us money,
sound advice, experts who are independent, who will be prepared to look at
the situation objectively, combining theory with practice so that we can get
out of the rut. And, in doing so, solve the economic problems of our
countries." May 1961
"It seems to me,
generally speaking, that the problems of underdevelopment have all the same
familiar aspect, whether we are living in Asia, in Africa, in the Caribbean,
or in Latin America. There is the same dependence on primary products, the
same unstable world markets for such products, the same balance of payment
difficulties, the same exploitation of irreplaceable natural resources by
foreign interest, the same imbalances between agricultural and industrial
production, the same lapse of financial resources, the same poverty and
maldistribution of income, and the same inability to accelerate the momentum
of economic growth in the face of a rapidly growing population.
These are the
symptoms and effects of underdevelopment. A mere recital of these symptoms
and effects of underdevelopment, in my view, is not enough. If we are to
break out of the vicious circle of poverty, it is necessary for us to
recognize the causes and, indeed, to prescribe the cures." May 1961
"Those who say
that we are irrelevant, that we are finished, should be reminded that the
same tune was sung after the dark days following the rape of our
constitution in 1953 and the breakaway by the right and left opportunists in
1955 and 1956. But we won in 1957 and 1961. Today, though defrauded and
cheated, we remain the strongest force in the country. Difficulties there
will be; the battle will be long and hard. But win again we will. History
and time are on our side!" 1966 (from "The West on Trial")
"It may be true
chronologically, I may be justly called an old man - but I am an old man
whose visions are as fresh as the day when I first conceived the idea that
we, the descendants of slaves and semi-slaves, could become a free people -
a people free to pursue our dreams and to grow both in the individual as
well as the national sense - and I promise you here today that I will spend
whatever years, I mean them to be long years that remain to me in trying to
create a situation where the dreams of every Guyanese can be converted to
reality - once they pursue those dreams without trampling on the rights and
dignity of others."
Oct 5, 1996
"If, like other
poor countries we are to break the vicious circle of poverty we have to try
to ascertain its root causes and to rely more heavily on our own internal
resources, material and human. The job is difficult but it is not beyond our
capabilities, given good-will, cooperation, and hard work on all sides."
August 24,
1964
"The four
cornerstones of our present needs - racial harmony, national unity, national
Independence and peace and progress. Without racial harmony there can be no
national unity, and without racial unity there can be no national
Independence
and without Independence there can be no progress." 1960's
"I give my solemn
pledge that my Government will never discriminate against any person or
persons on the ground of race, religion or political creed, that the
essential freedoms will be preserved and we will respect the rights of all.
Our Party has
always been and will always be, a multi-racial Party. Within it there is
room for all. Its leaders come from every racial group. I call upon the
Guianese of every race and every creed to rally now behind us." August 28,
1961
"We (Caricom
Heads of Governments) must set our face sternely against corruption and
extravagance. We cannot have a cadillac-style living with donkey-cart
economies. Our leaders must set the example of democratic, accountable,
clean and lean governance and efficient governance." 1992
"My wife, Janet
influenced me with a deep and abiding faith and caring for the poor, the
disadvantaged and the handicapped, the oppressed and the marglinized, and
she has a very deep commitment to honesty in politics. As a result I do not
worry about anything. I work together with her very closely, we debate
soundly without anything to worry about or anything to hide. She has given
me peace of mind." 1993
"I am the son of
sugar workers who hasn’t forgotten his roots. Many politicians like me have
forgotten where they came from but Jagan will never forget and you can be
sure of that!" 1992
"My opponents say
' Jagan you are honest and sincere, but we don't like your connections and
associations and methods. Your goals, your ends may be good, but your means
are foul, wicked and bad.' My answer to thatat is very simple. If I am
honest and sincere, it is because of my beliefs, my ideology. For me, there
is a unity of ends and means. Every means must be good in itself no matter
in what stage of struggle. Freedom is inseparable from struggle."
"In a general way, the
democratization of our society must be matched by, and mirrored in, a
similar democratisation of the media.
I do not expect to see in
such a setting a subservient media. Far from it: the media must be vibrant,
critical and analytical. They must also report the views and conditions of
the ordinary people. They must report the struggles of the average Guyanese
to make ends meet, and to improve their quality of life. The media must be
open to the opinions and concerns of every strata of our people. They must
reach out beyond parties, politics and policy-makers and must, in a
balanced way, inform, educate and entertain.
As for me, I have always
engaged the media in polemics and I have always invited you to ask questions
and to seek out answers. That this is so is perhaps because there is a
journalist side to my career, having contributed to newspaper columns and
broadcasts consistently over the past fifty years.
In a special way, then, I
see media-workers as partners in the search for solutions..." 1992
"On Monday we
will all be voting to elect a people’s government. Your vote then will
decide whether this country becomes free and independent and, if so,
when.
The fact that you
have the right to vote at all, the fact that your vote may make you free –
these are monuments to the courage and to the efforts of the PPP. Whatever
our adversaries now may say, this cannot be denied. We wrung from the
reluctant British, promises of that independence which we all now wish and
for which we all must fight.
On the question
of independence also, let your minds be clear. Our Party, and our Party
only, has ceaselessly demanded independence. As recently as in 1959 when the
Constitutional Committee sat, the PPP was the only major party which
demanded independence." 1961
"Privatization
and divestment must be approached with due care. I was not elected President
to preside over the liquidation of Guyana. I was mandated by the Guyanese
people to rebuild the economy and restore a decent standard of life for all
Guyanese. In all my political career, I did not succumb to pressure to serve
narrow partisan interests; I do not intend to do so now. I will not
surrender the interests of the nation for expediency or short-term gain."
May 1993.
"We see
development as people-centered. When some speak of development, they see
only foreign capital and private investment. We see also social capital and
human resources. And when we talk of development, we mean "development with
a human face." For us people come first; they are the centre of everything.
And education is important for their all-round, holistic development. By
people, we mean ALL the people of this country across the barriers of
race/ethnicity, religion, gender, political affiliation; whether they live
in the hinterland or on the coast; whether they are able-bodied or
handicapped; rich or poor."
March 14, 1993
"For years, I
have been citing facts and figures to show that US domination of Latin
America was responsible for the poverty and misery of the large majority of
the 200 million people who live in this area.
I warned that if
we are to avoid the pitfalls of the Latin American people, we must prevent
US takeover of
Guyana.
Now at long last
from the mouth of big business and its spokesmen is coming out what I have
been saying. The emphasis is not the same, but figures and facts are clearly
revealed." 1977
"We need a
Development Agenda that will address such important issues as alleviation of
poverty, expansion of productive employment and enhancement of social
integration of the more disadvantaged and marginal groups." March 1995
addressing the World Summit on Social Development.
"We are about to
enter a new year. Slowly but surely, we are approaching an exciting new
millennium. I have absolute faith in the promise that this nation has a
bright future. I invite you, in this festive season of goodwill, to share my
vision of a bright tomorrow. Such idealism may seem like idle talk, but I
know from experience that faith in a prosperous tomorrow has moved men and
women from time immemorial to achieve the impossible. This reminds me of a
famous saying: 'Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can
achieve.'" 1993
