Dear Editor,
Upon reading the newspapers yesterday morning, I learnt of the passing of Mr Pariag Sukhai, former MP and Regional Chairman, Region Three, West Demerara.
Memories came flooding back to me as I recall the near dustbin history that awaited some of our PPP heroes of yesteryear.
In the lead up on the preparations to the PPP’s List of Candidates for the historic 1992 General and Regional Elections, the party’s General Secretary, Dr Jagan had presented his list to the Central Committee for ratification. That list was supposed to contain sixty-five names but low and behold it only contained fifty-three names.
From the PYO ranks there were only two names, Rohan Singh and Khemraj Ramjattan. My name was significantly absent. This shocked and stultified me as I was reassured in my home previously by Moses Nagamootoo and Kellawan Lall, they both being ExCo party leaders, that my name was prominent on the List. This list before the CC was Jagan’s A-Team and if your name was not on it you were a byes keeper (second wicketkeeper behind the real keeper and a role reserved for the 12th and 13th man). Moses who was sitting next to me during these deliberations told me that the next name he would nominate would be mine. I told him to desist from nominating my name as I would decline and walk out. The next name Moses nominated was Neil Kumar making him the fifty-fourth name on the list.
I swore quietly there and then that I would continue to fulfil my role as Party Organiser for Greater Georgetown up to the General Elections and depart thereafter. I would stop being a Public Speaker on the Party’s platform or to volunteer for any duties outside of my very low-pay, multipurpose role as Party Organiser. I stayed committed to this self-made pledge to the end.
In fact that presentation of the Cheddi Jagan fifty-three names on his A-Team list was the final act, the end for me in the PPP.
However, discussions continued on the compilation of the remaining names to complete the full list of sixty-five names for the PPP/C List for 1992.
I recall the nomination of the name Ann Wishart out of St Lucia, who had apparently given an undertaking to Cheddi Jagan that she would stand as one of his candidates for the upcoming Elections. Janet Jagan was furious that she had not to date presented herself and argued that she should not be nominated. Of course Janet had her say and her day.
Finally, only two places remained on the list and I observed to Moses Nagamootoo that two party stalwarts, Pariag Sukhai and Pandit N Boodram Mahadeo, both representing mass organisations, GAPA and RPA were absent from the list and asked if this was the manner in which Cheddi and the PPP were repaying these stalwarts. I recall Pandit Boodram Mahadeo visiting our home in Joanna, BBP to conduct District Committee meetings of the RPA along with my father and several others. I suggested to Moses that at least they could be given recognition and nominated on the list but that they didn’ t have to be named as MPs afterwards. It was the season of the self-preservation and self-perpetuation of Cheddi’s ‘Arm Chair Generals and Corporal’s Guard’. Every man for himself and the devil take the hindmost!
Moses duly got to his feet and nominated, unopposed Pandit Boodram Mahadeo and Pariag Sukhai, in that order, making them the sixty-fourth and sixty-fifth nominations on the PPP/C List of nominations for the 1992 elections, and in so doing saving them from the dustbin of PPP history.
Today we have all manner of boys giving reminiscences and recollections. Speak not ill of the dead they say!
Who remembers the “unsung heroes” of those historic days?
Yours faithfully,
Lionel Peters
