Pitching the presidential candidacy of Donald Ramotar at Tuesday’s night Diwali programme at the LBI Community Centre, President Bharrat Jagdeo urged the massive crowd gathered to see elections day as part of “the struggle” to ensure that the country never returns to the days when culture and identity were under “active assault”.
Addressing the audience which had gathered to see the culmination of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha organized motorcade, the President said that it was necessary to realize the modern significance of Diwali and the lighting of diyas – which includes” a struggle for enlightenment” and “a struggle against evil”.
He referred to the colonial area when the cultures brought from Africa and India were under active assault and indicated that the PPP had played an important part in the struggle against this assault. Following independence there was another cultural assault by the PNC regime the President said. “We had another active assault against our culture, this time perpetrated by the People’s National Congress. Most of you know in that era things that we celebrate, things that we enjoy so freely here tonight were constantly under assault by the PNC,” Jagdeo said. “In this era the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha was formed and they joined with the PPP in the organized struggle to bring dignity and freedom to our country,” the President added.
The struggle, Jagdeo reminded the crowd, should go on, noting that elections were part of this process. “And we have to continue that struggle and the only way we can continue that struggle is to see each and everyone of us who is here tonight—the women who are here and the men who are here tonight— that they resolve in their hearts that they are going to do the right thing and to be part of that struggle to ensure that we never return to the days when culture and identity and dignity were under assault,” Jagdeo remarked.
In the presence of Ramotar and his wife, Jagdeo expressed confidence that the PPP/C will return to power with the support of those gathered. “I count on you to give Donald Ramotar the same support that you have given to me for which I am extremely grateful because I know we are all going to be supporting him, rooting for him so we can do better than we have done in the past,” the President said.
