IT is customary for outstanding leaders of a country to be commemorated and honoured on their death anniversary. It is often an annual event, on which occasion, either their political contribution to their particular country’s evolution as a nation, or its subsequent socio-economic development is remembered and paid homage to, for establishing that country and its people in the hallway of the international family.

For such an occasion solemnity should be profound, as that leader is memorialised, paying full tribute to his/her sacrifice for nation and people, and what lessons can be learnt by his successors; even if it is from his/her former individual political party perspective, or from the wider plateau of national leadership.

Irrespective of the extant moment, speaker(s), especially if they include any former chief executive, are expected to be mindful of the occasion, and of the content of their peroration as they recall the seminal moments of their former party/country’s leader. For it is the respect for the person, in addition to the reverence for his transition, that should guide the decorum of those paying tribute.

Therefore, it is absolutely not a time for self-adulation/glorification; political bombast; political grandstanding; and worse yet, political bellicosity of any type and dangerous incitement to violence. The latter must also extend to race hate; wilful distortion of national issues and remarks that are unhelpful to national unity, and which are intended to create national tensions, and social strife.

These examples have unfortunately now become synonymous with the annual gathering at Babu Jaan, held every March to memorialise the death of former leader of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic(PPP/C), and former president of Guyana, Dr. Cheddi Jagan.

Such sentiments, filled with what is clearly anti-national vitriol, but unmistakably disrespectful for any such observance cannot be in good taste as an example to younger leaders and young people in general. Further, it is not in good stead for a former president of this nation, or any such personage, who continues to use such a celebration for dangerously selfish political ends. What has been taking place at the Babu Jaan Memorial flies in the face of what can be described as irresponsible behaviour for the holder of a constitutional office, such as leader of the parliamentary opposition.

No one denies the leader of the opposition the right to protest, especially with regard to freedom of expression, given the fact that Guyana is a democratic country which respects the human rights of everyone. However, what is at variance here, is how such is done by Jagdeo. For him to speak of mobilising his supporters to “chase them out,” meaning the executive, and its cabinet officers, is tantamount not only to deliberate obstruction of their lawful duties in the name of the people in whose remit they assumed office in May, 2015; but also inducing a hostile environment which is at odds with what the people of this nation desire. As a political leader, he must be reminded that he is misleading his constituents in his advice for such an action.

No one, particularly the people of this land, will benefit from such reckless advice, since the government has the right to function as such, travelling to any and every region and its communities in advancing its socio-economic programme, which is meant for the good of Guyana, inclusive of the very supporters and their communities who Jagdeo has advised.
Spewing national hatred under the guise of a memorial is a grand deception intended to mislead for national mischief. It is, in this instance, a great disservice to the memory of a former party leader and an outstanding Guyanese leader; one who agitated for whatever right he believed in, but never disrespected the highest office of the land as Jagdeo has so shamelessly demonstrated– continuously.