TODAY marks 28 years since Dr. Cheddi Jagan died. He would have been 107 this year. Throughout his life, Jagan lived a life of humility, decency and truthfulness. He was one of the politicians of his time that had integrity, honesty and class. Jagan stood out from politicians because he was never interested in being in power and politics for amassing wealth. He saw politics as a tool for helping the masses to live a better quality of life by improving their standard of living.
Jagan believed in making direct and indirect investments in education, health, infrastructure and the social needs of people so that they could fend for themselves. Throughout his political career, he fought against the evils of class, racism, and greed. From his earlier writings, Jagan could be seen as an advocate for good, clean and lean governance.
Dr. Jagan was an avid believer in the principle of togetherness and racial harmony. In the 1960s, he said, “The four cornerstones of our present needs – racial harmony, national unity, national independence and peace and progress. Without racial harmony, there can be no national unity, and without racial unity, there can be no national independence and without independence, there can be no progress.”
He spent his life struggling for change in society and trying to make the conditions for all Guyanese to enjoy the benefits of a progressive and prosperous life.
But, make no mistake, Jagan was also a shrewd and calculating politician. He was very sharp and intelligent. He was not aloof. He was very aware of the political culture and his political adversaries. He also knew how to read the mood of people, when to push the envelope, and when to hold back, waiting for the right time. Dr Jagan knew perfectly when a politician was sincere and wanted the same things he did for the country. He was focused on fighting against the PNC’s culture which was bad for Guyana’s development and forward movement. He fought Forbes Burnham tooth and nail because Jagan was against racism, division and xenophobia. He was strongly against opportunistic politics and politics without principles and ethics.
Dr Jagan wasn’t an easy politician. He was very hard on everyone he loved and was always telling them they needed to pull their shocks up and get the people’s work done. He knew that his PPP was not a walkover and had the brains to match the competence that was needed to push Guyana forward. The evil that Jagan fought against was shortsighted and visionless politicians who were making false promises to the people. He detested this buffoonery and many times scorned the flattery language used to disguise their real intentions.
This made Dr Jagan a thorn in the PNC’s sight. He was considered a venereal disease, much like a stubborn rash for life. Dr Jagan was frugal but spent money on things that he thought people needed now and in the future. He managed money wisely and made investments in projects that he knew would be needed in the future. He had a vision and a very unique forward-thinking ability.
Let’s be clear, during his career, Jagan had many enemies, both political and personal. He would suffer the consequences of being outspoken and standing up to bullies. His reputation suffered attacks. The PPP Executive and Dr Jagan had their name dragged through the gutter. They were the victims of yellow journalism and fake news. They were painted wrongly in certain parts of history and had the wrong political narratives told for decades.
Dr Jagan’s legacy is etched in the Guyana story. It is rich with lessons about politics and life in Guyana at a time when the country was trying to gain its footing. Dr Jagan’s story is about the fight to make Guyana free from a government with a PNC party practising dictatorship norms. His legacy was getting free and fair elections and democracy.
Today, Dr Jagan would have been proud that his party, which he founded with President Janet Jagan and others, still stands as strong as ever. He would have been glad to know that the PPP is using policy to change the lives of its citizens. He would have been proud that the party’s leadership and membership are holding to many of his ideas and ideology even at its age. Time may be different and complex but he would have been proud of the changes that PPP has gone through in the quest to see every Guyanese enjoy a good and prosperous life.
Dr Jagan would never be satisfied with the government running away from the criticisms of the opposition. He would say to answer them justly and honestly. Many people believe that he would tell the PPP to keep fighting against racism, greed and corruption even if it means within the party. He would want PPP to continue coming up with plans and policies that would dent poverty even further while lifting the education levels higher.
It would make sense that he would be very happy to see youth playing an active role in leadership, politics and government. He would be very happy to see PPP continuing his work socially.
So, the legacy of Dr Jagan can only live on if we fight against the ever-desperate evil of rigging elections and stealing the votes of our people. The PPP must be ever watchful at this evil that rears its ugly head. They must protect the ballot boxes and safeguard its integrity. The PPP might have its differences internally but the task of fighting to maintain Guyana’s democracy is of utmost importance.
The PPP, under the leadership of Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, understands the importance of integrity and ethics in politics today. The party understands how to read the mood of the people and how to adjust its policies to meet that mood. The party has changed and it is dynamic.
But it is not fighting against a new political foe or phenomenon. It is not up against a new evil. It is fighting the same evil that Dr Jagan fought. It is fighting the PNC and PNC culture of rigging elections and stealing the vote. It fought it as recently as 2020 and it must be prepared to fight it this year if it should rear its ugly head.
The PPP must respond quickly to the major opposition critics. It is a party of fighting men and must be seen to stand up against the bullies at every turn. The party must defend itself on policies and plans that could change the lives of Guyanese in the future. It must show that it is fighting against racism, division and corruption. It must also make tough and unpleasant decisions when it has to.
Dr Jagan would want the PPP to continue its good work and keep changing to survive. It seems like history is repeating itself and Dr Jagan would want the PPP to be on the side of people, truth and justice. Dr Jagan would want the PPP to fight.
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.