Brindley Benn, CCH, one of the fighters for the nation’s independence, was cremated yesterday following a service which highlighted his efforts to put Guyana on a path of peace and prosperity.
Benn, the father of current Transport Minister Robeson Benn and six others and a stalwart of the ruling PPP, died on December 11 after a prolonged illness. He was 86.
The junior Benn walked attendees at the funeral service through the life of his father, telling the gathering at the St. George’s Cathedral of his dedication to the development of Guyana and the movement for national liberation.
In 1956, Brindley Horatio Benn, commonly called ‘BH’ by all those who paid tributes at the service yesterday, was elected Chairman of the People’s Progressive Party and Member of the Executive Committee. When the party won the 1957 elections he was appointed Minister of Community Development and Education. Benn is also the author of the country’s motto, ‘One People, One Nation, One Destiny.’
The junior Benn expressed the hope that his father’s legacy would be reflected “every time we speak and act in realisation of our motto- One people, One nation, One destiny.”
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, performing the duties of president, expressed the nation’s appreciation for the sacrifices which Benn made and stated that his contributions would never be forgotten. “We will never forget the difficult periods he brought us through,” he said.
Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee said he felt that Benn’s life and his struggle was surely an example for the youths of today. He noted that even though the fruits of his labour are beneficial to many today, “The struggle continues.”
Benn was born on January 24, 1923 in Georgetown, the second of two boys. He was a school teacher at the now Richard Ishmael Secondary School before joining the PPP in the early 1950s after attending a political rally and listening to the late President Cheddi Jagan.
After he was appointed Minister of Agriculture, Benn conceptualised and formed the Guyana School of Agriculture. He also oversaw the implementation of the Mahaica, Mahaicony, Abary Development Project and the Boeraserie, Tapacuma and Black Bush Polder projects.
After the 1964 election when the PPP lost office, Benn left the PPP following differences in opinion with the party. He then formed his own party the Working People’s Vanguard Party. And thereafter, in the 1970s, he joined forces with the late Walter Rodney, Eusi Kwayana and Rupert Roopnaraine and others to form the Working People’s Alliance (WPA). He was later an advisor to the Democratic Labour Movement.
In 1992, with the return of democracy to Guyana, the PPP were returned to office by free and fair elections. Benn accepted Jagan’s offer to be on the PPP’s List of Candidates and won a seat in Parliament. He was later appointed Guyana’s High Commissioner to Canada from 1993 to 1998.Upon his return to Guyana, Brindley Benn served as Chairman of the Public Service Commission for three years. He was also a member of the Teaching Service Commission and the Police Service Commission.
Benn was cremated at the Good Hope cremation site.
