PRESIDENT Donald Ramotar on Wednesday remembered the 15 Rose Hall Estate indentured sugar workers who were slain on March 13th 1913 and assured those gathered at the commemoration that “the PPP/C Government is determined that the sugar industry must survive.”Addressing attendees at the 102nd anniversary commemoration ceremony of the Rose Hall Martyrs, at the monument site in East Canje, President Ramotar related that “today reminds us once again of our history and also brings out once again the tremendous role of sugar in nation-building in our country.”
He explained that all persons in today’s society would have had some direct or indirect contact with the sugar industry. “All have been bred from the sugar industry.”
The Head of State remarked that sugar has had a very checkered history and the time when this incident occurred some 102 years ago and up to recently this industry’s existence was fundamentally to enrich people who were living abroad and to develop other people in the United Kingdom.
“Even after Independence and the period of the dictatorship the industry did not fulfill its promise to its people,” he explained.
The sugar industry has now gone into a new stage, “a time when it can make a big contribution to nation-building and to the development of Guyana because it has in the Government and the PPP/C a friend, someone who understands the nature of the struggle many of whom come from the bowels of the working class,” President Ramotar said.
“Sugar still has a very important contribution to make to the development of Guyana. In my view the best days of sugar are still ahead of it,” the President said.
President Ramotar also explained that it is the time for the sugar industry to diversify itself and alternative sources of fuel such as ethanol produced by the Albion Estate in Region 6 will see new revenue streams for the industry, and electricity will be produced using bagasse to insulate the industry from the vagaries of world prices.
SPECIALITY SUGARS
The Head of State said that India has promised assistance in producing specialty sugars and extensive discussions were had with Indian officials in this regard. In January, the President during a state visit to India toured the Valsad sugar factory in the State of Gujarat and was briefed on the plant’s operations.
The President while reiterating the importance of the sugar industry to our country explained that the government has worked tirelessly to develop all the sectors and sugar workers have seen the quality of their lives improve.
He continued to highlight the achievements in the different sectors, noting that within the education sector their children are now able to received free text books, hot meals, snacks, uniforms and the $10,000 cash grant, as well as free health care.
President Ramotar pointed out the benefits of having a Specialty Hospital, the Amaila Falls Hydro Power project and the investments made in technical education in anticipation of developments to come. He noted that these projects have been stalled due to the opposition’s non-support and the President described them as wanting to ‘lord ‘ it over citizens even as he pointed to the flip-flopping attitude towards the hydropower project and the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Bill.
Previously they vehemently opposed the AML/CFT Bill. Guyana has until September to pass this bill. Now with elections around the corner, they have a change of heart saying they will support hydropower and the AML Bill.
In closing the Head of State declared: “I say today that this government will work tirelessly to ensure that sugar not only survives but it continues to make great contributions in Guyana’s development.”
Meanwhile, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr Frank Anthony told those assembled: “You have heard a lot of speeches and you understand what took place at this community 102 years ago but I want you to know that in 2013 when we started this commemoration ceremony here at Rose Hall, a lot of people in this area did not know of this history. Today I am very proud that so many of you have come out and people are getting to learn this history of their community and by extension the history of our country.”
Dr Anthony enlightened the attendees by explaining that if we speak of the history of sugar “many of us would not have been here today if it wasn’t for sugar, if we go further back it is because of three things that our ancestors were uprooted from various continents and brought here to work on the cotton, coffee and more specifically sugar plantation.”
The monument is a representation of the 15 persons who would have lost their lives for the sake of all and we must remember what they stood for, the sacrifices that they made so that we can have a better life today, the Culture Minister related.
“We have a proud history and our ancestors have made us proud and we must honour that memory and one way of honouring that memory is that we must instill that history in our generation and in the next,” he said. The Minister noted too that because of what the workers stood for and what they did for us we are here today.
He explained that one prominent institution that did not turn their backs on the industry was “the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) and when the party was formed it was formed because of the injustices that was happening in the country, it was formed because of workers’ rights and it was formed because we wanted to change that system and since its formation you would have seen the differences that made our country better.”
And Prime Minister Samuel Hinds also echoed the words of his cabinet colleagues and explained that because of these sugar workers, our history is richer. He noted too that many of our ancestors would have been brought from various parts of the world to work on the different plantations and because of their struggles, today’s generation can enjoy their gains.
David Armogan, Region 6 Chairman, in his remarks explained that sugar plantations worldwide have struggled for betterment and today we honour our martyrs. He noted that this event that happened here at Rose Hall is a great part of our history and we must be aware of our history so that persons do not try to infiltrate our minds “with nonsense”. “Our ancestors paid the price and paved the way for us today. Do not make the same mistake,” he urged.
RECOLLECTION
During a recollection of activities that took place at the time of the rebellion, researchers confirmed that in an effort to secure a better life on the sugar plantation, labourers on the Rose Hall Estate protested the retraction of a four-day holiday awarded to them for a good grinding season. The refusal of an order given from the plantation manager, Mr Smith, to plant cane on those days by the labourers led to a formal complaint to the Immigration Officer.
In exchange for the charges levied against the labourers to be dropped, Mr. Smith demanded that they pay the legal cost. The labourers offered to pay in installments but management refused and the case went to the Magistrate’s Court on February 7, 1913.
Hundreds of immigrant labourers filled the Reliance Magistrate’s Court where the men were found guilty of instigating resistance to work. The workers protested the verdict and management threatened to transfer the protesting families to distant plantations. The threat caused the workers to raise the level of their protest.
Warrants were issued for the leaders and on March 13, 1913 the police attempted to execute the warrants. The workers resisted and the police opened fire injuring 56 persons, among whom 15 sugar workers died.