Dr. Jagan eulogised at commemorative exhibition

THE People’s Progressive Party (PPP), collaborating with Red House in Georgetown and the New Amsterdam, Berbice branch of the National Library launched an exhibition last Thursday in memory of the dead former President of the Republic, Dr. Cheddi Bharrat Jagan.The exhibits, on show until March 28, were unveiled in the public reading facility in the presence of 50 persons, including students from St. Therese’s Primary, Berbice High, New Amsterdam Multilateral and the Tutorial

Academy, also a secondary school.
The speakers on that occasion were Chairman of Region 6 (East Berbice/Corentyne) and Central Executive Committee (CEC) member of the PPP, Permaul Armogan, Chief Executive Officer (C.E.O) of the Berbice Regional Health Authority (BRHA), Member of Parliament (MP) and also PPP CEC member, Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo and the Region 6 Education Officer and PPP member Volika Jaikishun.
They all highlighted the importance of knowing the role that the late Dr. Jagan played in the restoration of democracy in Guyana and gave brief recollections of his life.

Cheddi Jagan was born on March 22, 1918 on the Port Mourant sugar plantation in Berbice, the son of indentured sugar workers. His mother, Bachoni and father Jagan had arrived in then British Guiana as infants with their mothers from the district of Basti in Uttar Pradesh, India. Both his grandmothers came as indentured immigrants in 1901 and were bound by five-year contracts to different sugar plantations in the county of Berbice.
Life was very hard and both his parents had to start working in the canefields at a young age to supplement the family income.
“As students, you all need to know this part of the history of a man who rose from humble beginnings to become an internationally recognised leader of a developing country,” Armogan said.
He said Jagan’s mother never went to school but his father was a bit more fortunate, attending one for three years and, by working very hard, earned the reputation of being the best cane cutter and was promoted to the post of ‘driver.’
Armogan related that, even though his pay was very small because he was non-white and there was no further avenue of promotion, he saw the need for formal education, and made sure that his son, Cheddi Jagan attended primary school and had two years of secondary schooling in his area.
At the age of 15 years, Cheddi’s father decided to send him to Queen’s College (QC) in Georgetown, the highest secondary institution at the time.
In the city, Cheddi found life very different from at home where poverty had been intense and he often had to stay away from school to work in the rice fields and cut and fetch cane.
He also helped his mother keep a kitchen garden and sell produce from it, the proceeds from which she allowed him to keep for his share of the work.
Cheddi Jagan wrote that he learnt the elements of finance from his mother and acquired many of his leadership qualities from his father, who was bold and flamboyant.

Almost impossible
Trying to find a job after graduating from high school, became almost impossible and the Civil Service was closed while to be a school teacher, you had to become a Christian, something that his Hindu parents would have none of and his father could not bear the thought of him working on the plantation.
Finally, his father decided to send him to the United States (U.S.) to study dentistry at Howard University in Washington D.C for where he departed in September 1935, with two friends and returned to British Guiana in October 1943. He had lived in Washington D.C for two years and took a pre-dental course, worked two summers in New York and spent the last five years in Chicago, Illinois at Northwestern University.
He was a dedicated student and his hard work earned him a free tuition scholarship for his second year at Howard and in 1938 entry into Northwestern University for a four years dental programme. However, he was not satisfied to become only a dentist but wanted to find out more about things going on in the world and enrolled in social science classes. When he graduated from Northwestern University in 1942, with his Degree in Dental Surgery (D.D.S), he also received his Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree.
According to the narrative, because his parents could not afford to support him financially, Cheddi Jagan had to work while attending school and had many jobs, including tailoring which he learnt from a friend back home, selling patent medicines, dishwasher, delivering evening newspapers, presser in a laundry and an elevator operator.

Simple ceremony
On August 5, 1943, he married Janet Rosenberg, whom he had met only six months before, at a simple ceremony in the Chicago City Hall, without the consent of parents on either side. Their only wedding picture was taken in a 25 cents booth that shot automatic photos.
In October 1943, he returned home and his wife Janet, arrived in British Guiana just before Christmas of that year.
“After his return from the United States, he shaped the history of Guyana with his political ambitions and, as an individual, he was on the road to transforming his nation after winning the 1992 elections until the time of his death, five years later,” Armogan narrated.
Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo described Dr. Jagan as a role model since his father was an associate of the former President.
“Dr. Jagan was an ideal son of the soil through his political works and, during his time as a dental practitioner developed strategies in dealing with bad teeth, that we now apply in modern practice,” Mahadeo pointed out.
Dr. Jagan died on March 6, 1997 in the United States, after being air-dashed to the Walter Reed Medical Complex.
The co-founder of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) was instrumental in securing international assistance that is contributing to the continuous development of Guyana.
Ms. Volika Jaikishun urged those in attendance at the memorial to take note of the proceedings and encouraged other members of the public to visit the exhibition and learn about the life and works of the dead Dr. Jagan.

(By Michael Khan)