ALL of Mavendra Chand’s memories of his father, Komal Chand, are of his father’s days as a trade unionist and a politician, but what he remembers most is that, through it all, his father was a very humble man, who treasured the simple things in life.

The second of Komal’s three children, 34-year-old Mavendra says his father was a private person but was always an unwavering supporter of what was right.

“He never used to like to flaunt… that was certainly not one of his qualities. You would never know who he is unless you knew him. We had many cases with persons coming when he’s home and in the yard working and they would go to him and say they want to meet Komal Chand, not realizing that was him,” Mavendra shared.

75-year-old Chand died last Wednesday in Cuba after a prolonged period of illness. Mavendra said the news of his father’s death has left the family surprised.

“We are very shocked. He left Guyana for Cuba for a complete medical check-up. We certainly didn’t expect it to turn out this way. They went there, they had to extend the time and then the COVID came out and the airport had a lockdown and then his condition worsened,” Mavendra explained.

Chand had travelled to Cuba, with his wife, Rukhmin, in early March for the medical check-up. However, shortly after the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic began to hit Caribbean countries, several measures, including restricted air travel, began to be implemented.

Guyana reported its first case of the virus on March 11. Passenger air travel is currently prohibited outside of special arrangements.

Mavendra said the family is currently trying to find out if it is possible to get his father’s body back to Guyana for burial, and have his mother return home as she is having a hard time dealing with the loss.
Reminiscing on happier times with his father, Mavendra recollects his father as someone who was very good with his hands.
“My memories of [my father] is being involved with him on the weekends, working in the yard. We would be doing plumbing, electrical work, doing work in the pasture… we had some cows. He was also a cattle farmer. He was always occupied. When he was home from working, he would be busy doing stuff in the yard,” Mavendra shared.
When Chand was not at home, he was busy with his work as a trade unionist. At the time of his passing, Chand was the President of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU). His work as a trade unionists dates as far back as the early 1970s.
Chand was also Vice President of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) and a member of the Presidential Council of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU).

His exploits of defending sugar workers of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuco) have been well recorded over the years.

Mavendra was also once an employee of the sugar estates himself. An engineer, Mavendra credits his days of working in the yard with his dad for leading him down his chosen career path.

“He taught me a lot about electrical things, plumbing, and that’s what gave me the direction to pursue it at this level,” Mavendra shares.

Mavendra did an apprenticeship programme at the estates’ Port Mourant Training School, and served over two years at GuySuco’s Wales Estate on the West Bank as a Mechanic, before pursuing higher education.

Aside from being a trade unionist, Chand was also a well-regarded politician, serving as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the PPP/C since 1992.

A resident of La Grange, Komal was his party’s representative for the Essequibo Islands- West Demerara region in the last Parliament. He was also a Justice of Peace and Commissioner of Oaths to Affidavits, and a national awardee, being bestowed with the Cacique Crown of Honour (CCH).

Mavendra said being a politician’s child in no way meant that life was any easier for him and his sibling, not with a father like Komal.

“For me personally, he was a stern individual never wavering from his principles. What he believed in it didn’t matter if you were his child or how close to him you were, what is wrong is wrong, he did not go out of his way to say this is my child and I must protect them,” Mavendra said.