Remembering Cheddi Jagan

Remembering Cheddi Jagan

Dr. Jagan – Champion of the Working Class

by Premchand Dass



DR. CHEDDI Jagan was an extraordinary embodiment of a revolutionary and statesman who served the finest and noblest cause of man – the cause for freedom and national liberation. He laboured tirelessly for what he believed in and without torturing regrets for the well-being of all Guyanese especially and working people, the world over.

       This essay by no means details the role played by Dr. Jagan in Guyana and internationally to make the world a better place. It is a mere glance at his attitude in the struggle for independence and, after independence, his continued commitment and dedication for almost three decades for the restoration of democracy. Particular attention is devoted to Dr. Jagan’s political activism in the decade of the 70’s (1970-1979).

       The decade of the 1970s saw Dr. Jagan with a renewed spirit/enthusiasm and resolve to continue the struggle against the anti-working class PNC regime (local reaction) and imperialism. It characterized him as the outstanding and hard worker, full-fledged humanitarian he has always been and a world leader to a sworn cause – that of replacing the virtual neo-fascist PNC minority political dictatorship by a socialist–oriented, revolutionary people’s democracy for a socialist Guyana. Dr. Jagan always viewed situations from a dialectical materialist outlook within the context of a process of development and, with optimism.

       The infamous – highly flawed, rigged and fraudulent 1973 general elections and the hijacking of ballot boxes by the Guyana Defence Force at the end of polling led to the martyrdom of two PYO members, Jagan Ramessar and Bholanauth Parmanand as they attempted to follow and protect the boxes to the counting place.

       The PNC allotted itself a two-thirds majority of the votes in that crooked election. The PPP boycotted the National Assembly for over a year, in keeping with the mood of the popular masses in protest against the massive fraud.

       The PPP declared a day of national boycott, civil disobedience and peaceful resistance to highlight also the wrath of the cheated populace. It announced a campaign of civil resistance and non-cooperation.

       The PNC proclaimed it was the Bolshevik, Marxist–Leninist Party and the PPP, the Menshevik minority Party. Dr. Jagan vehemently exposed that falsehood and reaffirmed the true nature of the PPP as the only genuine party of the Guyanese masses to build socialism in Guyana.

       However, in the face of certain positive pro-socialist political and economic postures by the PNC regime and the imperialist inspired border threat from Venezuela, Dr. Jagan advanced his most principled and scientific programme of “critical support”. The intent was to support all positive initiatives in favour of progress to forge national unity and isolate imperialism in the cause for socialism. Dr. Jagan committed his PPP to countrywide meetings to explain “critical support”. He gave profound insights which were likely to create the fundamental prerequisites for a National Patriotic Front and National Patriotic Front Government if it was implemented. “Critical Support” was intended to confront imperialism and simultaneously rescue Guyana from the economic, political and social morass, which the people had endured under nine years of the PNC authoritarian regime.

       While some criticized Dr. Jagan and the PPP for giving “critical support” to the PNC regime, others felt it should have been unconditional support. Dr. Jagan stoutly exposed the shortsightedness of both positions.

       His depth of political knowledge brought to the fore the uniqueness and class in him as a genuine political leader of the working class and all exploited peoples everywhere.

       The PNC rejected Dr. Jagan’s proposals and deemed him an opportunist, wanting a share in government. The WPA was in favour of the PPP programme, but not to include the PNC in any political alliance or alliance government.

                The PNC’s non-acceptance of critical support and proposals for a National Patriotic Front and National Front Government in 1975 and 1977 respectively, led to the postponement of the 1978 General Elections, followed by a Referendum in 1978.

       Although 70% of the electorate answered the boycott call by Dr. Jagan, the PNC claimed a 75% turn out and gave itself a 97% victory in that fairy tale Referendum. It hurriedly drafted a new constitution during 1978-1979 and enabled its approval by the bogus two-thirds majority in the National Assembly.

In all of those complex and dynamic situations, Dr. Jagan never pandered. He confronted and fought all right and left wing manifestations and tendencies at the inner and intra party levels. He was never in doubt and readily adopted corresponding strategies and tactics to advance the struggle.

       Dr. Jagan intensified the struggle on various fronts for the release of political activist Arnold Rampersaud, who was on a trumped up murder charge, but acquitted after the unprecedented three trials from 1975-1977. A genuine leader, Dr. Jagan always identified himself with his comrades.

              After nearly three decades of agitation and major struggles, sugar workers under the guidance of Dr. Jagan, won recognition for GAWU, the union of their choice, in 1975, thus replacing the former company union, the MPCA.

              He gave invaluable experience and leadership to the GAWU and was elected its First Honorary President from 1976 until October 1992 when he relinquished that position upon his election to the office of Executive President of Guyana.

       The infamous 1973 Elections episode followed by the spectre of the 1978 Referendum, strengthened the will, confidence, determination and commitment of Dr. Jagan to a new and heightened activism for the entire 1970-1979 period. Characteristic of Dr. Cheddi Jagan, was his encyclopedic, institutional knowledge and in-depth /profound analyses which gave him the axiomatic guidance to always find new ways/approaches to conducting the political struggles in the intense decade of the 1970’s.

       His lifelong interpretation of events internationally and locally and political involvement was no different.

       Dr. Jagan’s abiding faith in the downtrodden and exploited never failed him. All his exhortations – so many in the 1970’s, were readily answered and he was never at a loss.

       Dr. Jagan always involved his party membership and supporters at the broad mass levels, the Party Groups, Districts, Regional Bodies, Central Committee, Executive Committee, and Secretariat, the PYO and WPO as well as religious leaders and farmers, etc as developments dictated.

       That way, Cheddi Jagan came out right. That rare distinction benchmarked his entire political life, which made him singularly most outstanding, not only in Guyana, but also in the Caribbean, as a political leader and patriot par excellence.

       The 1970’s, as indeed his entire life, proved Dr. Jagan’s disinterest for personal power, self interest and aggrandizement. Most important for him was a Guyana for all Guyanese, for socialism and World Peace.

       His acute political activism of 1970-1979, reflected in his writings and party life, a most exemplary people’s man. Dr. Jagan had an insatiable and voracious appetite for reading, collecting, researching and debating to arrive at the best options to conduct political struggle.

       He wrote profusely and extensively on the PPP, Guyana’s dilemma: Cause and Cure and the downtrodden masses. Dr. Jagan fearlessly accused and exposed imperialism and its intrigues in Guyana and elsewhere.

       His writings have become vital sources for research by university students, historians, economists, politicians, trade unionists, journalists etc.

               Dr. Jagan’s works during that period dealt most incisively with Guyana and the international situation, World Peace, National Liberation Movements and Socialism.

       Numerous articles on local and international issues, press releases, letters, addresses, books and booklets, as well as major papers and interviews, etc reveal the story of a truly real man – an outstanding world leader, always at work.

       In that period too, Dr. Jagan wrote 271 articles of national and international significance/importance, of which, 102 were his Straight Talks for the Weekend Mirror Newspaper and 39 extraordinary letters. He gave 27 feature addresses at the local and international forums, wrote eight booklets, including the revision of the West on Trial (1972 and 1975), 44 major papers and numerous notes for his speeches to Parliament, for unity Talks, Public meetings, etc.

       Dr. Cheddi Jagan’s imprint as a Great soul – a Mahatma, is attributed also to the way he took to Party assignments and fulfilled them, both as a member and leader. He continued his twice-yearly visits and more to the three counties during the 1970’s. He addressed mass public meetings, met with businessmen, interest groups, individuals and farmers. As always, he kept his people in focus. Dr. Cheddi Jagan learnt and always led by example. The 1940s and after the decade of the 1970’s and onwards were no exception.

       In marches, picketing demonstrations and rallies, etc, he was shoulder to shoulder with his comrades and ranks of supporters.

       Dr. Jagan attended and gave leadership to the PPP’s Congresses, Central and Executive Committee meetings. He was a regular lecturer to the PPP’s Ideological School, Accabre College. Dr. Jagan is reputed to have lectured the most, as a visiting lecturer abroad. The 70’s too were no exception.

       He visited and kept PPP Support Groups abroad abreast with developments in Guyana regularly.

Mosques, Mandirs, Churches and other religious gatherings he never failed to address on invitation, locally.

       The blatant disregard for Human Rights and Democracy in the 1970’s in Guyana witnessed Dr. Jagan reaching out to opposition political parties to hammer out and forge a common understanding to confront the hated, unpopular PNC minority government.

               Complex as it was with the multi-faceted terror, poverty, hardships, destroyed social and economic conditions and US imperialism’s support for the PNC government, Dr. Jagan spared no ground to represent/address the issues which affected individuals, or groups and the nation as a whole.

       Be it in Parliament, the press, street corners or public meetings, the people’s welfare and nation’s interests were championed by Dr. Jagan.

       Apart from GAWU’s long struggle for union recognition, Dr. Jagan readily gave leadership/advice/guidance to the RPA, GAPA and other farmers’ organizations and progressive trade unions.

       Still, Dr. Jagan found time for his PPP’s Freedom House, to attend to Party matters and delegations, daily.

       Weekends found him on Party outreach activities in the counties or the interior.

        The demands of the 1970’s dictated the necessity for a true national leader and Dr. Jagan never failed to rally to that which paved the long and arduous political path to which history was being made and destined to absolve him. He was the tireless and indefatigable fighter for a change and restoration of democratic rule in 1992.

       Dr. Jagan’s political activism in the 1970’s has been the most central feature to fight neo-fascism, indignity, imperialist intrigues and local reaction.

       Dr. Jagan’s lifelong struggles for national unity and a prosperous Guyana for all made him the people’s Teacher, Leader and Father of the Nation.

Dr. Cheddi Jagan – The Cause He Served.

By Premchand Dass



History will always be grateful to Dr. Cheddi Jagan – the Cheddi Jagan Guyana and the world know for the cause he served.

His early life, growing up in Plantation Port Mourant and the social consciousness he developed as a result of the “two worlds” the social distance between the white expatriates of the sugar plantocracy and the coloureds (Blacks and Indians) there, left an indelible imprint in his memory.

That experience was repeated in a more pronounced way which he himself witnessed in Chicago and elsewhere in the USA during his seven years as a student. Again, there were those who lived well from those who toiled to create the wealth.

The young Cheddi Jagan was troubled and thus began his formative class bias in favour of the poor and to return to British Guiana to fight for the downtrodden masses. To purposefully deepen and sharpen his world outlook, Cheddi Jagan apart from his academic studies in Dentistry and Economics and his reading of the struggles/wars for America’s Independence and of Mahatma Gandhi, attend lectures by progressives. Cheddi also did studies in the Social Sciences. All of these and more strengthen his determination for the cause – to fight Colonialism, yes, he was preparing for the long and protracted struggle against colonial rule for the political independence of British Guiana.

His reading of Karl Marx’s Das Kapital and Vladimir Lenin’s writings gave him a peep into Socialism, the problems of the capitalist world and how to change it anywhere.

And so when Cheddi returned to British Guiana in 1943 at age 25, he was a prepared man with a clear political philosophy and cause. Soon he began to be involved in trade unionism – briefly as Treasurer with the MPCA, (1945) which he left because it was a company Union and later, as President of the Sawmill and Forest Workers Union in 1947. In the late 1940’s over 20 trade unions from various categories were registered and although their leaders were involved in politics they made no attempt to organize political parties.

Cheddi Jagan with a clear prevision of the necessity to organize the working masses into a political party, filled that need by forming the PAC in November 1946 with Janet Jagan, Ashton Chase and J. M Hubbard and in the first issue of the PAC Bulletin November 6, 1946, the aims of the PAC were carried:-

To        assist the growth and development of the Labour and Progressive Movements of British Guiana, to the end of establishing a strong, disciplined and enlightened Party, equipped with the theory of Scientific Socialism;

To        provide information, and to present scientific political analyses on current affairs, both local and international; and

To        foster and assist discussion groups, through the circulation of Bulletins, Booklets and other printed matter.

Cheddi was meticulous, he knew how and from where and how to begin. He was

already a mentally freed man. PAC meetings were chaired and guided by Cheddi Jagan

and its involvement in many struggles during that period embraced the Bauxite workers,

sugar workers, transport workers and the working class struggles internationally and the

exposure of the just started Cold War strategies.

The role of Cheddi Jagan and the PAC were quickly becoming popular. It was the first time a voice for the working class appeared with Cheddi being elected to the Legislature in 1947. In his first speech he declared “WE the people have won, the struggle will now begin’. But why WE? Right away Dr. Jagan had assumed the role of the sole representative of the poor, exploited people cover the decades of colonial rule and a legislature dominated by those in the biddings of the British Government.

His advocacy was always in defence and interest of the working class and poor peasantry - all exploited under the cruel and unjust system of Capitalism. Cheddi, who had identified himself with the struggle of East Coast of Demerara sugar workers before and after the June 16, 1948 Enmore Massacre, won the love and respect of the sugar workers. They believed in him and assisted in the formation of the GIWU (now GAWU), - a truly dedicated trade union which won recognition after nearly 3 decades of struggle and of which Cheddi was its Honorary President from 1976 until 1992 when he was elected President of Guyana.

In relatively 3 short years after the PAC, the PPP was formed in 1950 and made the first ever declaration that its intention was to win a “free and independent Guiana”. That was the beginning of the struggle for independence in the crown colony of British Guiana led by Dr. Cheddi Jagan.

Cheddi perseverance and pioneering work won for the disenfranchised masses Adult Suffrage – the right to vote for the first time, without property considerations.

The colonizers did not like it, but because of agitation in a number of other British Colonies, Cheddi Jagan succeeded for Guiana and in the first general elections under Adult Suffrage in 1953 the PPP won 75% of seats. Jagan’s popularity and that of the PPP’s policies irked the Ruling class and way has to be found to isolate him and avoid the growing influence of the working class movement.

The government was overthrown after 133 days in office, but Cheddi continued his fight and exposure of the plans of the British locally and abroad.

The masses displayed growing confidence in Dr. Jagan and returned him successfully at all subsequent elections that were fair and free. From 1968 to 1985 General Elections were rigged and fraudulent by the PNC to continue in power. In all those turbulent years 1968 to 1992 Dr. Jagan did not succumb. His gumption, grit and determination grew. He had abiding faith in the people - the popular downtrodden and exploited.

Cheddi’s fight at home and abroad won for Guyana the first free and fair elections which returned him as the first democratically elected President after 28 years of multi-faceted struggles and for a return to democratic governance in 1992. Victory for Dr. Jagan and the PPP was inevitable. The masses have won and Cheddi’s leadership and actions for the people, vindicated.

Dr. Cheddi Jagan was so humble, simple, but yet so impassioned in his fight for independence, against poverty and hunger.

He did not see Guyana alone. He saw Guyana within a world context and the need for a New Global Human Order.

His ideals for a new world and protected people will continue in the hearts of all peace-loving peoples everywhere.

Indeed, Cheddi Jagan ranked amongst the greatest human being the world has known. He lived his life fully, without hate, acrimony and spite for any, Cheddi spared no time than to make Guyana and the world a better place.

That is why history will be forever grateful to him. His example and works will live on.

Dr. Jagan was at all times, without compromise a man of the people, completely free of the taint of corruption and dedicated his life to the cause. He was an honest and decent human being. His was a noble life. Yes, Cheddi Jagan was the “best asset” to Guyana.

Cheddi Jagan spent his entire adult life for a cause, his was a cause for freedom, peace and happiness for all that was the cause he served.