POLITICAL leaders of whatever ideological persuasion have always attracted diverse comments. While many of these can be considered fair, objective and balanced, others have been downright prejudiced, biased, without foundation or any factual evidence and even mischievous. Simply put,many of the writers have axes to grind, rather than analyse these important personalities based on the prevailing circumstances at the material times. No leader must be understood in a vacuum. The readership is quite familiar with the many letters of a certain Mr. Maxwell, in which he has stated some very interesting and questionable comments. But one of his missives “Was Janet Jagan the controlling force behind Cheddi Jagan” is indeed mischievous and laced with racist overtones.
What Maxwell would like the readership to believe is that the great Cheddi could not have made the significant impact that he did on third world political struggle against colonialism, because he was “no brilliant, educated, articulate…” Also, he contends that her ethnicity was a draw for winning support from that bloc,” meaning the European bloc. What a statement, which must be rejected outright.
Absolutely, there is nothing untoward about a wife giving support to her husband in whatever field he represents, even if it were Janet Jagan; for in politics, many wives do lend moral and other types of support to their husbands. But if one were to be guided by Maxwell’s conclusion, then the Father of the Nation did not have a mind/thinking of his own, and even if he had, he could not have articulated the vision and response that he did to the many issues that he confronted, except because of the assumed superior influence of his wife.
Maxwell must also be reminded that in the communist fraternity – all were accepted and welcomed, because of the fraternal bonds shared. The latter bonds were not decided or influenced by ethnicity, but by a commonality of shared experiences in the struggle for a just and equal world. This was what endeared the great man to his contemporaries of the day, and he had won their respect. He did need not his wife’s introduction, for such mutual respect to be gained.
Maxwell’s letter seeks to diminish the stature of the great man by its subtle racist overtones! It must be condemned.