BERBICE is a melting pot of Guyanese, and it is in this ancient county, in Port Mourant to be exact, that Dr. Cheddi Jagan, Founder-Leader of the PPP was born.

Among the several historical landmarks in the freedom struggle for which Berbice is famous is the birth of the first slave revolt at Highbury, where also the first Immigrants from India landed and set foot on the soil of Guyana; Canje, Berbice where sugar workers were murdered in colonial times for their struggle; and #63 Village, Berbice, where PPP supporters were brutally murdered while attempting to prevent the seizure of Ballot Boxes by armed forces.
Some distinctive features of the Region are that it is the second largest Region, geographically, in Guyana and is the Region with the second largest population of the country. Economically, Region 6 is agriculturally-based, with sugar and rice production being primary industries; followed by livestock rearing, fishing and cash crop production. Besides sugar and rice is the industrial sector, which includes bauxite mining, saw milling and a few other enterprises. Employees of these various enterprises and farmers make up the bulk of Region 6’s population, as well as a thriving, sizable business community.

The APNU and the AFC are both predators bearing different names, trying to “devour the Hydroelectricity project, the Cheddi Jagan International Airport project, the Specialty Hospital and especially the poor and vulnerable; significant are the joint Opposition’s vicious attacks on workers of our beloved Guyana.”

Region Six has certain distinctive features, apart from the birth place of Dr. Jagan. One such place is Babu John where there is a Shrine dedicated to the memory of Dr. Jagan, and also his spouse, Mrs. Janet Jagan, who in her own right has a place in Guyana’s history. There is also the monument dedicated to the Ballot Box Martyrs.
Speaking to this newspaper recently, Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo, head of the Berbice Regional Health Authority (BRHA), pointed out that under the PPP/C Government Berbice has come out of the period of decline, stagnation and discriminatory practices that it inherited.
He listed some signs of development, which he said are visible everywhere, naming the Berbice River Bridge and the University, among a multiplicity of others.
“… there are better roads and streets; social services and amenities like water, education, health and electricity services are improving. There is vibrancy in the business community and generally life has improved qualitatively,” Dr Mahadeo posited.
Dr. Mahadeo denounced the misleading claims by Opposition politicians who see Berbice as fair game in their power-grabbing strategies and iterated: “Dr. Jagan’s vision to politically transform our Guyanese society into a socially and economically just one is still relevant and one which those of us who were his adherents continue to uphold. We can do no less, and together, as a nation, we can give life to the ideals of Dr. Jagan and make his dreams for socio-economic changes for all the people of Guyana come true!”
He opined that the APNU and the AFC are both predators bearing different names, trying to “devour the Hydroelectricity project, the Cheddi Jagan International Airport project, the Specialty Hospital and especially the poor and vulnerable; significant are the joint Opposition’s vicious attacks on workers of our beloved Guyana.”
Dr Mahadeo said Guyana today has a non- functional Parliament, where the combined Opposition uses every opportunity to try to humiliate the Government. He also denounced the ploys by the Opposition to garner support through trickery. “Many have said that Berbice is the heartland of the PPP – there is more than a grain of truth in that observation! Perhaps that is the reason why every fly-by-night political organisation that comes up pays special attention to Berbice, seeking to weaken and replace the PPP’s strong historic influence and support in this area,” Dr. Mahadeo said.
He urged that all Guyanese should avoid pitfalls being dug by opportunists and build unity to advance democracy.

(By Parvati Persaud-Edwards)