President Forbes Burnham died on August 6, 1985. To mark the 31st death anniversary, Francis Quamina Farrier reflects on his interactions with Burnham.

I need to commence this feature, making it pellucid, that there are many others who knew Guyana’s first executive president, Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, much better than I did. This is also to say that in this feature, I am simply sharing some of what I know of that “Man of the People” from my very few, but memorable personal encounters with him.

As a young producer at the Films Division of the Ministry of Information, I had some close encounters with Prime Minister/President Forbes Burnham. In those early years, the Ministry of Information and adjacent Film Division, was located on Brickdam in Georgetown. The building was one of those iconic wooden structures, which our capital city is well-known for. It was previously the property of the Vieira Family. The Family Patriarch was “Bulla” Vieira, the grandfather of Tony Vieira, the previous Owner and Publisher of “The Evening News.”

I was invited by Minister of Information, Elvin McDavid, to join the Film Division of the Ministry of Information in the early 1970s, after a successful copy writing career at the International Advertising Agency, Lonsdale Hands, which was located at the top floor of the Bank of Guyana.

I had already won a number of writing prizes, such as the First Road Safety Week Schools Essay-Writing Competition ( over sixty five years ago); also the First and Third Prizes at the play writing competition, organized by the Government Information Agency, for Guyana’s Independence in 1966.

During that period, I had also published my first play; “The Plight of the Wright”, a copy of which I presented to Prime Minister Burnham at his office, which was at the north western end of the Public Buildings, overlooking Brickdam.

Although Prime Minster Burnham had already written the Foreword to the book, I must admit that I was somewhat nervous, and found it a bit difficult to contain my composure as I presented the book to him, as a camera flashed once, then twice. That was long before there was video. The photograph was even in black-and-white. The presentation was arranged by Frank Pilgrim, who, at the time, was the Public Relations Officer of Prime Minister Burnham.

A few years later, I was invited by then Minister of Information, Elvin McDavid, to join the Films Division of the Ministry of Information, which I ready accepted. However, I had one outstanding set-back, if you will. I was not a member of the ruling People’s National Congress, or any other political party, for that matter. As such, being a free thinker, I was able to bring to the various Film Features which I produced, a measure of objectivity.

Looking back over the decades, I have to admit that with my inexperience of film production at that time, some of my productions were sheer crap; but there were a few which I am still very proud of: for example, “College in the Forest”, a film documentary showing the construction of the Kuru Kuru Cooperative college, which is located about a mile off the Soesdyke/Linden Highway. That documentary contained scenes from the unveiling of the corner stone, at which Prime Minister Burnham officiated, lots of work-in-progress – the plumbers, electricians, carpenters, painters, the lot – and all the way to its completion.

Another film documentary of which I am really proud, was entitled, “The First Village”, which documented the history of Victoria Village on the East Coast Demerara. It contained many scenes and villagers of the past which are no longer around. Then there was the documentary, “Man of the People” which featured President Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham.

I was shocked when I was given that assignment, since, as I mentioned previously, I am not a “party man”. I was also known to make some rather controversial statements – on the job. For example, at one of our Monday morning weekly briefings, I asked; “Is the Prime Minister a tailor?” When the head of the department, Mr R.L. Young, asked what I meant, I responded that we are always showing the Prime Minister with scissors in hand, cutting ribbons when any newly constructed building was being declared open.

On another occasion I stated clearly that I knew Guyana better than the Prime Minister. Shocking! However, having been part of advanced teams to many rural and hinterland communities, and seeing the people acting quite normal and then seeing the transformation of those people when the Head of State arrived, I realized that Mr Burnham was not seeing the communities he visited, as they really were.

That reminds me of a colonial Governor of British Guiana, Sir Gordon Lethem – after whom LETHEM in Region #9 was named – who used to don simple clothing and take walks around the city at nights, incognito, to get a true feeling of the society.

My frank statements about Mr Burnham earned me the reputation of a maverick very early on, and it grew over the years, not necessarily to my advantage. I am well aware that, over the decades, many benefits were withheld from me because of my decision never to join a political party- any political party.

I know for sure that as a young professional, my “brazen” behaviour was known to President Forbes Burnham. He cultivated the reputation of being a Leader who knew everyone, and knew everything that was happening in the country. So when I got the assignment to produce a documentary on his life, I was shocked.

From the commencement, I had decided to display Mr Burnham, not as a politician, but as a regular individual, a Man of the People, which was the title of the documentary. It was a great challenge. After completing the script, which included a scene of him swimming at the Luckhoo Swimming pool, I had to present myself at The Residence on Vlissengen Road, to, as it were, defend my “dissertation,” if you will.

After a few potent questions, I received a “pass” by Mr Burnham. The session had commenced with me being offered a drink of my choice. I settled for a glass of red wine. That was one of the very few occasions that I ever got that close to President Forbes Burnham; just the two of us in a room together, discussing the merits of the script of an important Film Documentary of a Head of State. That session lasted about half an hour. At the end, I felt a sense of relief and achievement; my documentary script was approved by the Powerful man who was the subject of the production.

There was an incident when Mr Burnham jokingly embarrassed me. It was a Sunday morning. I had gone to the Bourda Market to make some purchases for my then very pregnant wife, Patricia. It was her first pregnancy. On making my exit on to Robb Street, I ran smack into a crowd. President Burnham was selling the PNC newspaper, “The New Nation.” I could not escape. I saw him and realized that he saw me.

I took out a precious one dollar note, paid the seller the 10 cents for the New Nation, collected the paper and began to move off. As I did, I heard the voice of the Prime Minister with an indignant tone, “One Dollar! Just one dollar, from our Poet and Playwright!” Realizing that it was myself that he was referring to, I glanced back and saw his right hand, uplifted, and casually waving my precious red one dollar bill aloft. I immediately reduced my five foot, nine inch height, bending my knees and my back, and disappeared beyond the crowd.

There was a period when I did some voluntary service for the Public Service Union at the invitation of the General Secretary, Mr Patrick Yarde. During those years, the Public Service Drama Group, which I founded, did lots of skits and short plays at various events, including the National Drama Festivals. One of its presentations was at a function on the Roof Garden of the Bank of Guyana.

We did two skits; one was a satirical item poking fun at the two main political Parties – the PPP and the PNC. The President himself was a “victim” of that skit in which we spoke of “Ban ham” and “Burn ham”. I can tell you that Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, who was seated in the front row, took it all in with grace, and laughed loudly. Later, he congratulated the Group for a job well done. Sometime later, the PSU Drama Group invited him to be our guest at a function at the Critchlow Labour College on Woolford Avenue in Georgetown. He accepted, and spent over half an hour interacting with us.

There is another incident which I would like to share. The Prime Minister was hosting Artists and Writers at a reception at the Carnegie School of Home Economics on High Street in Georgetown. There was a young fellow who we all realized had “crashed” the event. As Mr Burnham made his rounds shaking hands and engaging in small talk with us, he came upon the “crasher.”

“Are you are writer?” Mr Burnham asked the now trembling young fellow, who stammered out, “Yes, Comrade Leader.” “But you don’t look mad!” was the Prime Minister’s sharp response. It was obvious to the rest of us that Mr Burnham had recognized the fellow as being a “crasher” and a fraudster.

On the occasion of Guyana’s 10th Republic Anniversary in February 1980, I was in England studying at the University of Middlexex, and was invited by the Guyana High Commission in London, to produce a Cultural Show at the Commonwealth Institute, to celebrate the occasion. Some of the entertainers included Norman Beaton, actor, Doris Harper-Wills, dancer, Sol Ray, singer, and Ramjohn Holder, singer and actor.

Two months later in April, 1980, President Forbes Burnham, while on his way to Zimbabwe for that country’s Independence Celebrations, had to spend a few hours at the In-Transit Lounge of the Heathrow International Airport.
I was instructed by the Guyana High Commission in London, to meet with the Head of State. There were quite a number of other persons there. When I was presented to the President, he expressed interest to know from me how the Republic show went. I told him that it was well received by the audience. He then thanked me and told me to “Keep out of trouble.”

I did not actually rub shoulders with the late President, on the very last occasion I saw him alive, but I always remember two things of that occasion. It was at the renaming of Murray Street in Georgetown. The new name was going to be “Quamina”. I was previously invited by the City Council, to write a poem, which I did. Someone else recited it at the ceremony.

It is a well-known fact that President Burnham was unable to complete his Feature Address at that renaming street ceremony, because he was losing his voice. When he returned to his seat, which was at the center of the street, (I was on the western carriage way near the Bishops’ High School fence), I vividly recall him taking out a large cigar and after lighting it, puffing smoke rings to his delight. I will also remember the “cow boy” boots which he was wearing that last Saturday evening of his life; it was “spit-and-polish” and shine like glass.

His death was less than forty eight hours away. There was a very short note in the newspapers that the President was going to have a “minor surgery” to his throat at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

The nation was shocked at the news that followed – the Founder Leader and President had died.