…says President Ramotar at State House fun day PRESIDENT Donald Ramotar, addressing scores of Guyanese at a grand family fun day last evening on the lawns of State House, Main Street, Georgetown, to celebrate the life and work of the late President Dr. Cheddi Jagan, widely regarded as the ‘Father of the Nation’, said he “inspired generations of Guyanese to struggle for their rights” and assured that his government will continue “to advance the democratic way of life of the people of Guyana”.

Welcoming the visitors, the Head of State and host of the event to mark the birth anniversary of the late President, noted that the fun day and cultural show has now become an annual event to mark, observe and celebrate the life of Comrade Cheddi Jagan, adding, “It has been a wonderful life of a man who contributed a great amount to the development of this country.”
He reminded that when Dr. Jagan was born in 1918, the country was in a very bad state, with poverty affecting more than 90 per cent of the people.
“It was when he started the political struggle in our country, first of all, to fight for independence, that it awakened the political consciousness of the people of Guyana…struggling towards freedom in the hope of social liberation in Guyana as well,” he said.
“Comrade Cheddi Jagan inspired generations of Guyanese to struggle for their rights,” he insisted, recalling that after independence “when we worked with a dictatorship instead of the freedom that we fought for, that was snatched away from us in 1968 with rigged elections, Cheddi Jagan once again dedicated himself to fight for democracy in our country.”
President Ramotar said that it was a long and serious struggle that eventually ended in 1992 with the coming of democracy and free and fair elections once again in Guyana.

However, he pointed out, “Today, we are facing a new political situation – a situation that calls for a lot of compromise and hard work for us to advance our country to take it forward.”
Alluding to plans to transform Guyana, he said the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government is working to ensure that renewable energy is developed here, in an effort to cut the electricity cost for people and make it cheaper to encourage manufacturing and processing “so that we can create more jobs and better paying jobs for the people of Guyana”.
Other initiatives, President Ramotar outlined, include the building of roads right through the country to the borders of neighbouring Brazil, and the building of a deep water harbour.
“…so that we can integrate our country better and move goods and services to make them cheaper and have a higher standard of living for people in the interior and on the coastland as well; and we want to build this deep water harbour so that we can cheapen our exports and imports, and all of which benefits will seep down to our people,” he explained.
The President pointed out that his government has invested heavily in the people of this country, pointing to education, health, housing and water.
“And all of that is, in actual fact, carrying out the work of Comrade Cheddi Jagan in this new situation that we have internationally, and even locally,” President Ramotar said.
“Comrades, as we celebrate the birth anniversary of Comrade Cheddi Jagan, we must also take from him the strength and determination for us to work to improve the lot of all of our people,” he encouraged.
The crowd was entertained by the Shakti Strings Orchestra, with dancing and singing by various artistes, while a number of activities took place, including mehendi painting and games and fun for the children.
Displaying some of the works of Dr. Jagan was the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre booth, and there were also booths set up by the Ministry of Health and the Michael Forde Book Shop.
Joining Guyanese from all walks of life were Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, and ministers of the government and party members.
Dr. Jagan, who passed away on March 6, 1997, was born on March 22, 1918, in the rural village of Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice, and changed the course of the country’s history by first struggling to liberate it from British colonial domination, then by waging a 28-year-long struggle for the restoration of freedom and democracy, and finally by ascending to the Presidency as Guyana’s first democratically elected Head of State.