Dear Editor,
On President Cheddi’s birth anniversary (March 22), I see quite a few events are occurring around the country to remember that great soul. From my own perspective, growing up in his home, my father always projected to me the real meaning of humility, sophistication, level temperament, honesty, fearlessness and most of all – his fierce commitment to Guyana and the Guyanese people. At the end of his life he considered corruption and thievery in government worse than murder; at the end of his life he believed that Guyana’s political electoral outcome should always mirror the concept,”winner does not take all” or simply sharing political power after elections; at the end of his life ,Cheddi Jagan was fiercely opposed to any foreign investment deal which short-changed our people; at the end of his life after extensive public service, Jagan had no mansion, no Mercedes Benz, no gold and diamond jewellery, no yacht, no fancy clothes and no bank account with big bucks; to the end of his life, he never tolerated grifters and hustlers in his political life – all the above contrary to what is seen now in Guyana’s political landscape.
Editor, as a teen, I had the great fortune to be acquainted with incorruptible men who worked as Ministers in my father’s governments – real patriots like Brindley Benn, one of our best Agricultural ministers and a very honest man – he was responsible for the creation of Black Bush Polder; Boysie Ramkarran, a dedicated patriot of Guyana and a loyalist to the PPP and Cheddi Jagan with honesty and humility as his foundational traits; Fenton Ramsahoye, Attorney General and one of the most brilliant legal minds in the Caribbean; C.R. Jacobs, Finance Minister, C.V. Nunes, Education Minister, J.Hubbard, Bal Ram Singh Rai and many others – loyal to Guyana and honest in government.
Editor, those who utilize Cheddi Jagan’s name to create political justification for their actions should look in the mirror to see if that great man is smiling at their actions; they should look in the mirror because the mirror is always correct – there’s no Cheddi Jagan there because the soul of that great man now resides with the people of Guyana – not with the big shots and the pontificational politicians. The people of Guyana now own Jagan, not those who will use his name for their benefits – the soul of President Cheddi and his honesty, integrity and humility will fan the flames of resistance against poverty, despair and injustice which still exist in our beloved country.
Happy birthday ,Dad, love you always to the last breath in my body. God bless you and keep your great soul safe.
Yours faithfully,
Cheddi (Joey) Jagan (Jr.)
