THE INDOMITABLE Cheddi Jagan, founder of the Peoples’ Progressive Party [PPP], Father of the Nation, and late President of the Republic of Guyana, was remembered as a fighter who fought for democracy and a good life for all Guyanese at a Night of Reflection hosted on the lawns of State House on Saturday night at Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast.Addressing a large crowd of party supporters, executive member of the PPP Central Committee and current Minister within the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Alli Baksh, said the late great leader’s vision was to see every Guyanese living a good life. Mr Baksh, who had worked closely with the late Dr Jagan, said Dr. Jagan was a man of peace, who had forged unity despite difficult conditions that existed.

Speaking about the simple life Dr Jagan had led, Mr. Baksh said Dr Jagan was a humble man who loved harmony and peace, and his vision for development of Guyana was for the benefit of all Guyanese.

Reminiscing on ‘the dark days of Guyana’, Minister Baksh said that when Dr Jagan was Premier of Guyana, he had provided health care for poor persons who could not have afforded to go to the hospitals by equipping the doctors with vehicles, and they would stop at homes before which persons had put up red, yellow or white flags on the roadside to offer health care to sick persons therein.

Baksh explained that the red flag indicated an emergency; the yellow, sick; and the white, not-so-serious. He said Dr. Jagan was that type of humble, loving and caring leader who fought for betterment for all Guyanese.

University of Guyana
Baksh said the late leader had made it possible for all Guyanese children to pursue higher education by setting up the University of Guyana. According to Baksh, Dr. Jagan’s vision was for every child to have equal access to education, and when he set up the University, many persons called it the “Jagan night school”; but today, every child from across the country has access to higher education at the University because of the dreams and visions of the late great leader.

Region 2 (Pomeroon/Supenaam) Chairman Mr. Parmanand Persaud, in his address, said Cheddi made a “PPP family” with every Guyanese when he formed the Peoples’ Progressive Party. The Chairman said the late Cheddi was a brave and courageous man who battled through 28 years in the dark days of the opposition.

Mr. Persaud reminded party supporters that ‘Cheddi’ always said he needed all party comrades to be active in doing party work, because political work is a house-to-house work. The Chairman called for the legacy of the great leader to be protected, and for party comrades to bind themselves together and work hard to ensure Guyana does not go back to the dark days of the 70s and 80s.

Executive member of the Women’s Progressive Organisation [WPO], Ms. Juliet Coonjah, said development in Guyana has come about because of the hard work and vision of the late Dr Jagan. She said the PPP Government has the best plans and policies for Guyana, and called on all Guyanese to support the party that Dr Cheddi Jagan had formed.

Another member of the WPO, Ms Anita Singh, added that the late Dr Jagan was a fighter, a man of vision, a brave warrior, and a working class champion who brought development to Guyana.

A representative of the Progressive Youth Organisation, Ms. Jasmattie, said Dr Jagan believed in sacrifice and hard work, and to always teach the younger generation about a better life and future. She said he was a noble and respectable person who fought for betterment for his people, and he never gave up.

According to Jasmattie, the great leader chose a life to build Guyana, and fought for democracy.
The programme featured poems and songs on the life and work of the late ‘Father of the Nation,’ Dr Cheddi Jagan.
By Rajendra Prabhulall