Dear Editor,
Several views have been expressed about the Order of Liberation bestowed upon the late Dr. Jagan last month – almost all in favour of honoring him with some caveats. Some letter writers felt that the government should have “balanced” the awarding of the honour to the late PPP founder/leader with awards for PNC leaders Forbes Burnham and Desmond Hoyte. Some writers made it into a racial issue and felt the PPP should have also honoured African leaders. I don’t think the government ever thought of honouring Jagan as an Indian leader. He was a national leader, a patriot and in many ways a liberator. He was a giant who will always stand tall as a hero to Guyanese. But one must also be objective and note the blunders made by Jagan in fighting the British and in his dealings with the dominant plantocracy which controlled the colony. Jagan should have been more accommodating with them until we were free from their bondage before pursuing radical policies.
I find it difficult to justify granting the same honour (the OL bestowed upon Jagan) to Burnham and Hoyte because these men were largely responsible for our oppression in Guyana. In fact, Guyanese were struggling for their liberation from their oppressive rule. But I do believe that a man who can be considered to be in the same league as Dr. Jagan and who is truly deserving of similar (if not the same) award bestowed upon Jagan is Eusi Kwayana of whom the nation has been hearing little in recent times. Kwayana also fought against colonialism and the Burnham dictatorship.
Jagan was a popular leader and it cannot be disputed that he honestly fought for the liberation of Guyana from colonial rule. I do not agree with his ideology and I don’t think Marxism/Leninism was the right way to fight the British in America’s backyard during the cold war. His method of opposing the British may have been flawed and he may very well have been na
