THE future of a nation is circumscribed, to a large extent, by incidents of the past, but it is the will and the spirit of the people that determine whether they will allow their past to constrain and constrict their development trajectory, or whether to let the historic synergies of struggle impel an impetus of cataclysmic ferocity in their upward mobility that will optimize and ultimately culminate in a peaceful and prosperous nation.
It is within this context that the continuum of developmental programmes undertaken by the government should be viewed. Circumstances dictate the imperatives of the day, and it was man-driven circumstances that devastated this country and its people which constrained the young Dr. Cheddi Jagan and his American-born wife, Janet, to begin a fight for Guyana’s freedom from oppression; and it is man-created circumstances, along with natural occurrences, such as erratic weather patterns, that are affecting much of Guyana’s farmlands and infrastructure.
There are many who seek to rewrite the history of this country and belittle the contributions of the Jagans to this nation; but it is a fact that they provided the dynamism in leadership that transformed an entire nation, for they fought from the frontlines – and suffered the consequences. They, however, persevered and endured indignities, imprisonment and injustices of every kind.
They never gave up and true to his promise Dr. Jagan fought his entire life, with his loyal lifelong partner at his side, against all the oppressive forces to finally put Guyana and Guyanese on a road that they can travel toward a goal of eventual prosperity.
Upon the passing of the Jagans the struggle and progress did not end, and the nitpickers and unpatriotic troublemakers could not succeed in derailing the momentum of development that has impelled Guyana’s growth charts on an upward trajectory.
Other countries have taken notice of Guyana’s positive growth trends in the various sectors and have joined the Guyana train to mobilize and enhance their own developmental imperatives.
The visionary leadership that President Bharrat Jagdeo indisputably has demonstrated nationally, regionally, and internationally has catalysed this country out of obscurity and into the realm of recognizable policy-makers, which is no mean feat for a developing nation that, less than two decades ago, was anathema to the region, and despised internationally for the decadence of its leadership and the consequential appalling poverty of the nation.
Today Guyana, while still struggling, is ranked among one of the more developed third-world nations, mainly thanks to the astute economic management and massive investments in the social and financial sectors.
Guyana is currently poised at the crossroads that could either lead to a glorious future of this nation, or a reversal and deceleration of its growth patterns and consequently of its fortunes if the Guyanese people do not seek to guard the gains achieved to date against the unpatriotic elements who are determinedly strategizing to attain high office, even if they have to once more impoverish this country and its people.