“At the graveside the emotional outbursts of the windows and relatives of the deceased had been intensely distressing and I could not restrain my tears. There was no turning back.
“There and then I made a silent pledge – I would dedicate my entire life to the cause of the struggle of the Guyanese people against bondage and exploitation.”
Cheddi Jagan’s vow made at the June 1948 funeral of the five Enmore sugar workers has been oft-quoted. Especially by his life-long comrades in GAWU – the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union, the bargaining-agent for the thousands of sugar workers after the Company-friendly MPCA was exposed and deposed.
But I am persuaded that Cheddi Jagan had long, before the massacre, decided to adopt, represent, defend and sometimes coerce the descendants of those first indentured labourers from the plantations that evolved into estates.
He was descended from them and the charisma of his own persona and that of his new blue-eyed “bougee” American wife was politically perfect for when they were to court, even expect or demand, the new “Indian” support and vote by the mid-forties, early fifties. Hence my caption “Cheddi’s sugar-workers”.
Indo-Labour, Representation, Vote
No space here to recount the role of the indentureds after they replaced African slaves to enrich Bookers and the British Empire, through Demerara’s sugar. Suffice to say that I find it mentally challenging to envisage a colony (BG) and later a Guyana without the labour and input of the Indo-immigrants and their descendants.
From plantation and estate they “graduated” to general agriculture, then the trades and professions, resulting today in their “ownership” of the so-called “commanding heights” of Guyana’s economic landscape.
Yes, entrepreneurial and commercial acuity, easier funding, family/religious networks, risk-taking, culture and political favouritism, with a little (or a lot of) corruption did contribute to the Indo success. Just look at them today!
So Cheddi Jagan, for half a century, was relatively secure with Indo-Guyanese constituencies, through religion, unionization and political representation. I love to repeat the role of pioneer trade unionist Hubert Nathaniel “Skibby” Critchlow amongst sugar workers of the early 1900’s.
Many indentured workers nicknamed Critch the “Black Crosby” after the Caucasian-immigration General who had to represent the labourers’ causes.
Because Critchlow and his first union always lent solidarity to sugar workers, as urban supported rural. But guess what? Charles Ramson (Snr) showed me evidence that Critchlow did not want the Indo-sugar workers to get the vote at first! Yes, my national hero H.N. Critchlow! I won’t elaborate here.
There are those who still lament how Cheddi and Forbes almost “inherited”, before exploiting, racial allegiances from the two separate groups here. Those folks actually blame our two historic leaders for any known divisiveness still extant to this day. What’s your view?
Sugar and the 2015 polls
Sugar today? Again too little space to really elaborate and analyse. Just look at the sugar-related issues being generated by the election campaigns. Both major contestants now promise more billions to resuscitate a ravaged industry. But can sugar really survive as an export of significance over the next decade? Some politicians and GAWU seem to think so. Strongly!
The issue is who is available to chart another (successful) course? Must our subsidies continue for years? GAWU wants the Candidates to say without equivocation:
Will you privatize? Factories or everything? GAWU says it knows mechanization must come. But so must thousands of more acres of cane. Produced in the fields, not in offices or factories. Factories too must produce, however.
A sugar levy, under Burnham, once was put in service of all sectors of the economy and society but now clear-cut policies must be spelled out for the industry – minus any Jagdeo inputs. GAWU reminds that Justice Crane once pronounced that sugar workers perform “arduous and hazardous” tasks daily from dawn. Sugar workers’ votes can look like this: 17,000 x 4 adult children equals 68,000!! At a minimum what a large block of votes.
Easter-and Christianity
Every now and then I yearn for a clean, constructive, friendly debate between senior Jehovah Witnesses and other Christian scholars. Why?
Because, I am often persuaded by perspectives and conclusions by the witnesses on a number of Christian teachings. As against the interpretations of Biblical text by non-witnesses.
Take Easter. Usually, we are told that “Easter is the premier/principal festival of the Christian Church that celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ”. Witnesses, however, contest that position and belief. Besides pointing out that, as characterizes Christ-mas”, many traditions and symbols purportedly related to Easter have nothing to do with the crucifixion and the resurrection. They are really pagan winter-time-spring-time observances.
There was a movement to Christianise pagans, hence the conversion of many paganistic rituals and activities from pagan to so-called “Christian” – including Easter. In any case, Witnesses point out that via 1St Corinthians 11:20, Luke 22: 19, 20 Jesus asked his followers to commemorate, not his resurrection, but his death. Other scriptures 22 Thessalonians; Acts 20; 29, 30, 1st John 2: 18 etc; are used by Witnesses to clarify” “Easter”.
So since, I’ve stayed away from the concept of faith and my intrigue over Thomas Didymus this year, I invite the Christian community to ponder the reality of Easter.
Whilst you enjoy kites, cross-buns “Easter” eggs and the hundred party-events.
Ponder: 1) The folk proverb advises that you weigh/assess issues from your own evidence and perspectives – and let others do the same. “Doan fly me kite wid you balla”.
*2) Which Resurrection Rallies are you attending this week-end? Which “Party” has the best-promised Easter fete? A better future?
Til next week!
