COMRADE Omar Khan, a father, grandfather, brother, uncle, cousin and genuine friend of the working class died and was buried at Grove on the East Bank of Demerara.Omar Khan was the father of nine children and he leaves to mourn five of them, along with his grandchildren, brothers, sisters and his real and genuine friends in the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union, along with thousands of comrades in the People’s Progressive Party.
Omar Khan was a champion sugar worker. He was a clean and genuine representative of the sugar workers. He was a powerful and well-respected friend and Field Secretary of GAWU. He earned respect where he worked at the Diamond Estate on the East Bank of Demerara and at LBI on the East Coast of Demerara. This honest and genuine comrade is a person that our youths must emulate.
Omar Khan struggled in the sugar industry for the betterment of our sugar workers. During the struggle for recognition of GAWU in 1975, he was kicked and punched in the stomach, lost several teeth, locked up during the 135 days sugar strike. My brother and friend, Omar Khan and a group of us pledged our unflinching support to the sugar workers and struggled for GAWU to get recognition in 1975.
Omar words on that night, and I quote “Burnham dropped the wages way down below the knees and tried to dig as deep as possible.” Omar was a jovial comrade. Like our brilliant leaders Boysie Ramkarran and Mackie Hamid, he kept us alive. In the rough times, as we were hiding in trenches and in the backdam, Omar kept us lively. We drank dirty black water, shared ‘sada roti and bigan choka.” We went hungry, but we kept the 135 days strike on to recognition.
Omar Khan was elected to the General Council of GAWU and he was rewarded when he was elected to be a Vice-President of GAWU.
Omar Khan was an active member of our Party, the People’s Progressive Party. He was Chairman of the East Bank Party District Committee and also a member of our Party’s Central Committee. He was the elected Chairman of the Grove/Diamond Neighbourhood District Council and a member of the Regional District Council in Region 4.
This stalwart of the working class and the PPP will never be forgotten. He has left us a legacy that we must be simple and work in unity for what we want. Omar’s simplicity, his witty character, his love for people will always be with us.
To his children, grandchildren, brothers and sisters, other family members, friends and his comrades, let us celebrate the rich life of our brother Omar Khan.

Neil Kumar