Subsequent to our country’s attainment of political independence on the 26th May 1966, the Jaycees of Linden, in particular one, Pastor Albert Fiedtkou, began to organise annual celebrations.This initiative was genesis of the national Mashramani independence celebrations.
Prior to becoming a Co-operative Republic on the 23rd February 1970, Pastor Fiedtkou suggested to the Jaycees that the celebration at Linden be called Mashramani.
Tota Mangar, writing in History This Year, posits that it would have been extremely difficult to come up with a more appropriate name for such a major national event. After all, our history is replete with the cooperative spirit and cooperative efforts by people of diverse backgrounds.
Working together on a cooperative basis, on communally shared activities, represents an inherent quality in the day-to-day activities of indigenous Guyanese, especially the Arawak tribe. It represents the ethos of cohesion that lies at the heart of the Amerindian way of life.
Mashramani is an Amerindian word, basically Arawak in origin, which means, in essence, “a celebratory festivity after a cooperative effort or venture.” It grew out of the feasting and dancing, or any mass celebration that characterised spontaneous joy consequent upon the successful completion of land preparation and cassava planting, or even hunting and raiding expeditions by our indigenous peoples.
Co-operative efforts hallmarked the very existence of our ancestors on various fronts, but mainly in the labour, social, and political arenas.
The sterling contributions by the Father of Trade Unionism in Guyana, Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow, and others in the early 20th century contributed immensely to labour organisation and the formation of trade unions to improve pay and working conditions for the Guyanese labour force.
Mangar laments that the efforts by our two major political leaders, Dr. Cheddi Jagan and Mr. Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, to awaken the political consciousness of the Guyanese people was derailed by foreign intervention, which created a serious rift between these leaders that still adversely affects the cohesion of our people and consequently the development paradigm of our country.
Mashramani, which engenders a spirit of camaraderie and the evocation of pride of things Guyanese that transcends the divides, does much to heal the wounded soul of this nation.
As the one festival shared by all Guyanese, apart from Christmas, one hopes that the celebratory aspects and camaraderie this engenders will dissipate all the rancor created by dissenting and acrimonious Opposition politicians, who seem bent on creating disunity between the Guyanese peoples.