Dear Editor,
I have been struggling to comprehend the recent writing of learned men published in our dailies, analyzing the period of Burnham-PNC rule and the advent of the WPA-Walter Rodney contribution, alongside that of Cheddi Jagan-PPP. But being just a simple person, a raindrop, I will not venture on their turf; I’ll stick to the adage: large vessels may venture to the deep, small ones must remain close to the shore. Yet in my effort to understand their writing, I figured that perhaps, just maybe, these intellectuals are only attempting in a dispassionate and objective way to put that tumultuous period and the role/contribution of key players and parties in their true perspective, and I really hope on this score I’m correct, for I would hate to think that it is done with some baser intention. As stated above I cannot fathom what some of the intellectuals have written about Walter Rodney, but I sure do attest to what Joey Jagan wrote: “Rodney galvanized huge gatherings on streets, crowds with Indian and African Guyanese…” Walter Rodney and the WPA made an impression that try as one may cannot be washed nor wished away, and that impression was brought to bear on all that happened during that period.
However, two letters in the Kaieteur News, of January 21, were quite a mouthful – ‘The PPP was not a significant threat to the ruling PNC regime’ by Seelochan Beharry and ‘Boodram is attempting to revise Guyanese history’ by Anand Daljeet.
If these two letters cannot settle the score then I’m curious to know what more there is to add. These two gentlemen simply told the truth without any relish or decoration. A piece from Mr Beharry deserves repeating: “To all Guyanese, Rodney was a special person who rarely comes along in one’s lifetime. We were indeed fortunate to have this great son of Guyana leading us with courage in the face of grave personal danger. He led by example, never asking anyone to do something that he personally would not do. He earned our respect and love, whether we were from the slums of Albouystown, Tiger Bay, sugar estates or academia… He made us believe in ourselves and let us know we have something to contribute towards the common good.”
The activism of Rodney moved all our people; it moved both Burnham and Jagan, made them stop, take a deep breath and ponder, in a way someone I know is fond of saying: “Burnham was going along his business uninterrupted until Walter arrived.” Such was the overpowering influence and force of Walter Rodney, and I dare anyone now to try to deny him! I can still remember a cartoon in the New Nation showing Forbes Burnham holding Cheddi Jagan’s hands and leading him away from the WP A while saying “they are the worst possible alternative.” But while we grapple with trying to have our history correctly written, a past in which many were hurt, we ought not to remain living with the hurt/wrong constantly in front of us, for if we do then we will not be able to truly move on as one people. Then we will be no different from those we still blame today for the hurt/wrongs of yesterday and we will become our own enemy as well as an enemy and humbug to following generations. And I have to say that I wholeheartedly agree with Joey Jagan in saying that “a statue should be built of Walter Rodney and placed in the most prominent place we can find in this country; he truly deserved such a tribute.” Mr Beharry, no doubt like so many of us, will most certainly leap to endorse this position as he further states, “To many of us Dr Rodney was our brightest star, our beam of hope and a courageous brother. As we applaud his efforts we loved him, his short life impacted on so many of us.
“We were made better by him, he lives within us.
“Our respected elder, Eusi Kwayana has been our moral compass and gave us a sense of pride and dignity to accept ourselves and others, and to treat even our opponents with respect.”
The above is indeed somewhat emotional, but true, and we who were deeply involved and around them can bear witness. And that is why those of us who see ourselves as champions/true believers of what Rodney stood for, should avoid the temptation of, according to Joey Jagan in SN, “apportioning blame and character assassination of past leaders who were only human, and like all humans made mistakes, and move on to bring peace harmony and betterment to our nation.” We should do this even as we endeavour to tell the truth as Malcolm Harripaul did in a forthright manner – no spin required – on stating what actually took place (SN, January 11, 2010).
Yours faithfully,
Frank Fyffe
