(Trinidad Express) “Our father was fearless, honest, strong-willed, disciplined, polite, humble, kind, selfless, hard-working like no one I’ve ever know or will ever know.”
This from Mickela Panday, as she delivered the eulogy at the funeral service of her father and former prime minister Basdeo Panday, at the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts in San Fernando yesterday.
Mickela said it was these traits that would begin to shine as a young boy into adulthood and eventually define his style of leadership.
Panday passed away at a hospital in Florida on New Year’s Day at the age of 90.
Following is an excerpt from Mickela’s eulogy:
“Exactly a month ago when our family and loved ones travelled abroad, never in a million years did we think our father would not be coming back home to be with us. It wasn’t even a thought in our minds because of his sheer will, determination and fighting spirit with which he lived his life.
“Anyone who knows him will know that our father was never someone to complain about anything because he never wanted anyone to worry about him. He was always cheerful, witty, charming and charismatic, so you would never know he was not feeling one hundred per cent.
“Up until the last moment, nothing changed. He was always smiling and making everyone around him laugh. I remember a specific time when the doctor came in to see him and said, ‘Good Morning Mr Panday, how are you feeling today?’ And he replied, ‘Doc, if I was feeling well, I wouldn’t be here.’
“Always full of spirit to the extent that everyone who met him immediately loved him. And so, when he left us last Monday, our world shook, never to be the same again. I remember it clearly, like so many others who have lost a love one…the shock, pain, disbelief was numbing. But when you grew up as my sisters and I have, a sense of duty immediately kicks in. Yes, he’s our dad but he did not belong to us alone. He loved people and people loved him. And so, we knew instinctively that although this was one of the most difficult things we were ever going to face in our lives, we had to balance our own grief, looking after our mother and putting country before self, as our father would do.
“The arc of his life from rural poverty to political dominance is unrivaled. And he achieved this by his unwavering commitment to his core principles. Like his dear friend John Humphrey and so many others of his era who were his allies, dad was a forward-thinking visionary. Always able to think outside the box to come up with solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems. Age never slowed him down in this regard. He became energized anytime you engaged him in discussions about political, economic and social issues. He was always willing to listen and to advise when asked. And this continued right up to the end of his life.
“He was a pioneer who genuinely believed in equality and non-discrimination. And his government’s achievements in the six years that he was prime minister are a testament to that. My father’s government introduced the Equal Opportunity Act, Maternity Protection Act, Freedom of Information Act, and established the Interim Revenue Stabilisation Fund now known as the Heritage and Stabilisation Fund.
“The Dollar-for-Dollar Programme…built schools and police stations, paved our roads, provided water and housing, paid off our country’s debts to the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and kept crime at its lowest this country has ever seen in recent history.
“Dad never spoke the language of race publicly or privately. He was equal in his treatment of everyone in both his public and private lives. He was a genuine patriot who believed in equality for all. His guiding philosophy was always that the purpose of life is happiness, and happiness is a right of everyone, providing one’s happiness does not harmfully impose upon another’s. He strove all his life for all of our nation’s people to achieve this.
“Dad was blessed with my dear mom-a devoted wife, and four daughters who loved him fiercely. And two granddaughters who adore their grandpa. He was a great father who supported us in all our choices without ever being judgmental. And while he may not have always been physically present when we were growing up, he was always there when we needed him. He thought us that it was not always about being the best, but about doing your best. And while he thought us to be focused, he also though us the importance about having a sense of humour, which reminded me of a story when I was younger…My primary school was putting on a Christmas play in Gulf City auditorium. I would have been about five or six, and I was cast as a snowflake. I really wanted dad to be there and he promised me that he would be. So, there I was onstage, running around in a circle, and at the same time trying to look in the audience for dad when I slipped and fell. Full of embarrassment, I got up and continued with the performance. When the play was finished and lights went on, I was so ecstatic to see dad and excited to ask him what he thought about this very importance dance. And he said, ‘Mic, it was great, but that was the first time I ever see a snowflake fall so hard’. We hugged and burst out into laughter. That, was our dad.”
