Dear Editor,
The death of Mrs Janet Jagan is a great loss to this nation. Mrs Jagan, up to her final hours, was someone who continued to shape and influence public thinking and policy both by her writings and as a leading member of the ruling party.
I happened to know Mrs Jagan quite some time ago. We were both columnists of the Mirror newspaper for over a decade, and we both served on the editorial committee of Thunder, the theoretical organ of the People’s Progressive Party of which she was the Editor at the time of her death. We served on several party committees, including the Central and Executive Committees of the party, the PPP Education Committee and the party’s Public Relations Committee.
She was a quite a remarkable and fascinating person. She was a people’s person, always willing to help people in times of need. She was a personal friend and mentor to several party comrades who could count on her wise counsel and support.
Mrs Jagan was a modest and unassuming person. She came across as ordinary and simple despite her greatness and her several accomplishments. Like her late husband Dr Cheddi Jagan, she was never enticed by material things. Her Bel Air residence which she shared with her husband and still lived in up to the time of her death, is ample testimony to this fact.
To say that her contribution to the economic, social and political development of this country was significant would be an understatement.
Like her husband, she played a key and critical role in shaping the political architecture of this country. She was a founder member of the Political Affairs Committee, the forerunner of the People’s Progressive Party, and served in several leading capacities in the party and government, rising to the position of executive President following the death of her husband in 1997. Her presidency unfortunately was shortened by failing health.
Derspite her active political life, she found time to spend with her family including her children and grandchildren, as noted by her daughter Nadira in her memorial speech. She also found time to write several children’s stories. She loved the arts and at the time of her death was patron of Castellani House.
There are so many things that Mrs Jagan did in her lifetime to enhance the quality of life of the Guyanese people which cannot be captured in this letter. Whatever she did, however, was always done with the poor in mind. I recall her saying how the National Park was once a place where only few could go because golf was the game played which only the rich could afford.
It was during the period of PPP rule, and on her insistence, that the park was opened up to the public. During her stint as Minister of Labour, Health and Housing, several health centres and cottage hospitals were built throughout the country. In the area of labour, substantial improvements were made in terms of the living and working conditions of workers, in particular those in the lower income bracket.
Mrs Jagan always insisted on high levels of morality and integrity, both with respect to the party and government and in the conduct of personal lives. She was intolerant of corruption and corrupt practices. She herself led an exemplary life in this regard.
During the memorial services, glowing tributes were paid to her by leaders of the party and government and from the political opposition.
This is testimony to the high regard that Guyanese had for her right across the political spectrum. The important thing for us all is to use this painful moment of her passing as an opportunity to forge a society in which there is peace and reconciliation and where every Guyanese, regardless of race, religion or political affiliation sees themselves as an integral part of a process of national development.
I would like to take the opportunity of this letter to extend my deepest condolences to the relatives, friends and comrades of the late Mrs Janet Jagan. Guyana is certainly the poorer for her passing.
Yours faithfully,
Hydar Ally
