Dear Editor,
Reference is made to Elder Hamilton Green’s letter in yesterday’s SN, on Cheddi Jagan’s poster at Houston and his name replacing to the Timehri Airport. This is not the first time Green is airing his apparent resentment to the image of CBJ and of what the present PPP has done in what they also apparently feel they are doing to honour their erstwhile leader. This letter reminds me of a dinner I attended at Mike Persaud’s residence in Queens, New York in 2015 in honour of Mr. Granger who kept repeating, irrelevantly and mostly out of context, that, “Cheddi did not walk on water.”
But, I have to go with Green on this one.
Are the powers that be so insecure that they have to foist and parade the image of a dead hero in order to advertise their accomplishments or buttress their credibility? Disgraceful and shameful that they really never knew their leader.
I, too, personally knew CBJ and once shared a platform with him at Enterprise and Enmore on the occasion of Enmore Martyrs’ Day at a time when he was exiled in the wilderness, and no one else even in the party came, except the late Janki Persaud. I really came to know him better then, and I am certain he would not have wanted his name and image to be so used or abused in this way. When they, upon gaining power had decided to change the name of the airport to Cheddi Jagan, I protested vehemently, albeit upon deaf ears. I still demand they remove his name out of honour for this humble soul. I demand they take down those preposterous posters that insult the man’s memory, his morals and principles. I do so, not because I am jealous of him, like so many who seek to reduce his eminence, but out of great respect. No greater respect can be shown this man than by honouring his humility, not stupidly exalting it. And stop calling him Father of the Nation. That is silly. A country doesn’t have a father and mother.
Yours truly,
Gokarran David Sukhdeo