Dear Editor,
I endorse Chris Ram’s recommendation that “Public conveniences at Babu John [crematorium and historical site] should be rehabilitated” (SN, April 1). Running water and proper toilet facilities are badly needed at the location, one of the most neglected cemeteries (crematoriums) in the country. The site has historical relevance not only because it is the resting ground of the Jagans. But it is also the burial ground for the early (indentured) ancestors of India (and possibly the enslaved ancestors from Africa as well) bound to Port Mourant, and as such there should be proper upkeep of the area. Dr Jagan’s grandparents and parents were also buried there.
The construction of the crematorium has an interesting history that few may be aware of. The cemetery only became famous after Dr Jagan’s cremation. But it was not constructed for the cremation of his mortal remains. In fact, it was a long struggle to get government approval for the site to be used for cremation and it took a long struggle by the founders of the crematorium to have it built.
Cremations were first held at that spot in Babu John around 1986, and I performed funeral rites for a relative at the site right after it was approved for cremation during the testing phase by health officials and environmentalists who tested the air after the earliest cremations.
The construction of the open air crematorium was the voluntary work of Aunty Bethlyn, Uncle Bissoon and Uncle Baljeet and a small number of other volunteers. It was a private initiative for public use. Most of those who were cremated there did not contribute to its construction. Most of the fundraising for the initial crematorium (where Dr Jagan was cremated) was done through appeals by Aunty Bethlyn at her shop in Ankerville. Dr Jagan’s youngest brother, Uncle Oudit, as related to me by Uncle Bissoon, later joined in the ad hoc organizing for the construction of the platform for cremating the dead. Most of the funds for the construction of the crematorium came from local donations in the Port Mourant area and from overseas supporters including from this writer and his family from Ankerville. The construction of the platform was supervised by Uncle Bissoon and he as well as Aunty Bethlyn deserve most of the credit for the crematorium; they also donated the most funds for its construction. Aunty Bethlyn may have been the first, or among the first few, to be cremated there. A toilet facility was not in the early planning of the crematorium site because of the security issue of protecting the sink, toilet bowl, pipes, etc. A latrine was built much later after the crematorium came into use.
By the mid-1990s, the tiles on the platform of the crematorium were falling apart. It needed rehabilitation work. Uncle Bissoon supervised reconstruction of the platform and it proved timely for Dr Jagan’s cremation.
When Dr Jagan died, Uncle Oudit, Jagan’s brother, visited Uncle Bissoon and requested permission for Dr Jagan to be cremated there. As revealed to me by Uncle Oudit, Joey Jagan’s cha cha, Joey telephoned him from Washington querying whether cremating Dr Jagan in Port Mourant was possible because Dr Jagan had indicated to family members he wanted to be cremated. It was felt Port Mourant would be ideal for the final rites. Uncles Oudit, Bissoon, and Baljeet knew each other well as they were all classmates at RN’s private school in Ankerville. After consultation with others, approval was immediately granted. Approval for Dr Jagan to be cremated in PM was merely a formality as the villagers wanted to give a great farewell to their hero. I was a witness to the history-making ritual; the entire Port Mourant was there and thousands came from afar.
The crematorium was not used again after Jagan’s body was cremated, becoming a monument to him. A new platform was built about a year later with assistance from the Albion estate manager. Better tiles were used that could withstand intense heat. Neither the government nor the party, as revealed to me by Uncle Bissoon, provided much assistance in its reconstruction. There was much frustration and exasperation to get approval for the new platform to resume cremation at the site. At the request of Uncle Bissoon and Uncle Baljeet, I met with government and PPP officials in 1997 and again in 1998 pleading for their assistance to get permission to resume cremations. It took a lot of intensive lobbying and convincing before the permit was approved and cremations resumed.
The estate historically has been responsible for the upkeep and security of the cemetery. The management of the crematorium had approached the estate to have access to running water at the facility, instead of relying on trench water. One of the issues was theft. A tent was built when Dr Jagan’s cremation was held. Soon, the roof zinc and later the posts disappeared. Running water was not available; there must have been concern for the security of the pipes. Thus, the unavailability of proper toilets or washing facilities.
Proper facilities is a health requirement and the government should be committed to those coming to pay tribute to Guyana’s national hero. In NY, it has never been an issue in relation to crematoriums. England recently granted approval for an open air crematorium and open air cremations have been carried out. I visited open air crematoriums in several countries to do a comparison with Guyana’s. Other countries have open air crematoriums – Trinidad, Suriname, Mauritius, Fiji, and Nepal. Tobago has granted approval for an open air crematorium. Trinidad and Mauritius cater for the needs of funeral attendees and could be role models for Guyana. Kashi Daam also has proper facilities for funeral attendees. In fact, I saw toilets at almost every crematorium in Guyana. Babu John deserves no less. I think the crematorium should be named after Aunty Bethlyn and Uncle Bissoon to honour them for initiating it and overseeing its construction. It is of great service to Port Mourant and its environs.
Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram
