ON JANUARY 16 last, Cde Reepu Daman Persaud celebrated his 75th birthday.
This is an important milestone in anybody’s life. Reep, though, is not the average person. He is a national leader in Guyana — a man whose achievements are so numerous that it is impossible to capture them all in just one article. Reep came from very humble circumstances. He was born at Diamond Estate in a logie.
From a very young age, he experienced poverty and saw around him the workers who from before dawn to dusk worked for a pittance.
At that time, the sugar industry was owned by foreign companies — Bookers and Sambach Parker. Apartheid, in a mini way, existed on the estates.
Coming from such a background, Reep was probably eager to find expression of his feelings towards the downtrodden. He found that outlet in Cheddi Jagan and the People’s Progressive Party (PPP).
He joined the party at a young age. Due to his hard work and the initiatives which he took, Cde Reep moved up very quickly in the PPP. More than 50 years ago, the constituency on the East Bank elected him to represent them on the party’s General Council.
Reep has served in the leadership of the party unbroken from 1958 to present.
That, too, was a school for the young man. He worked side by side with Cheddi and Janet Jagan, Ashton Chase, C.R Jacobs, Fenton Ramsahoye, C.V Nunes, Ramkarran, E.M.G Wilson, among many other political giants.
He learned quickly and entered Parliament in 1964. Reep worked diligently in the National Assembly. In a short time, he mastered the Standing Orders and other Parliamentary procedures.
Those of us who have had the opportunity to work with him have always admired the skills and dexterity with which he operated.
In speaking about Parliament and Reep, one must touch on his oratorical skills.
Reep was one of the best orators, both in and out of Parliament. His speeches could be emotional and at other times cool, collective and reasonable. He, however, spoke with strong logic and a wealth of knowledge.
As a result of his abilities, more and more responsibilities were put on his shoulders. Cheddi Jagan relied on him a lot in Parliament and Reep did not disappoint him.
During the PPP’s days in opposition when elections were massively rigged and the party’s representation in Parliament was reduced, at one time, to as few as eight members, the performance of these PPP Parliamentarians was such that they were dubbed “The Magnificent Eight.”
They did battle with the PNC regime and each member had to master a wide range of subjects. The PNC ministers were really hammered by them and they used all kinds of things to shut them down.
Among the most effective was Reep. Although not a lawyer by profession, he mastered the Constitution and showed great love for the law. He often brilliantly threw the PNC’s Ministers of Legal Affairs on the back foot. He was really sharp. I have heard many Party comrades of that era say that Reep never lost a legal argument in Parliament.
Clearly, the state of poverty he grew up in robbed us of a brilliant legal mind.
In the PPP, he became a close adviser of Cheddi. That position suited his personality for he is always cool and never allows his emotions to cloud his judgment. That is one of the reasons why Party leaders respect his opinions and give his proposals serious consideration.
Reep’s contributions are not limited to politics. He rose to be one of the foremost religious leaders in Guyana. He contributed to the flowering of our multi-cultural society.
I have never heard a better interpretation of any religious text as Reep’s explanation of the Hindu teachings. I am never tired of listening to him when he expounds on the various topics of Hinduism.
Maybe it is his political mind that made him such an interesting Pandit. I still use some of the arguments I learnt from him in some debates.
What is also of great note is that he never criticises and attacks other religions. He has always shown respect and tolerance for other religions.
That is why he can be counted among the legions of friends of people of all races, class and religion.
He transcends all the narrowness that some people get boxed into and has emerged as a true patriot and national leader of Guyana.
On the occasion of his 75th birthday, belated though it is, I wish him and his family the very best and hope that he continues to contribute positively to all aspects of life in Guyana.
Happy Birthday Reep!