Dear Editor,

IT is with profound sadness that I feel compelled to add my bit on the passing of Mr. Komal Chand in Cuba, where he was undergoing medical treatment. Our last chat was late last year at a funeral at Canal #1, and although he was not as robust as in earlier years, he still exuded the camaraderie and spirit that characterised him since I knew him in the early seventies.

Candidly, we were never on the same side of the fence. I was Economic and Statistical Adviser to the Manpower Citizens Association (MPCA), up to the Crane Arbitration Tribunal of 1974, when GAWU was battling to dethrone it as the recognised Union for field and factory employees in the sugar industry. Komal officially joined the Union in 1975, and at year’s end, GAWU trounced the MPCA by almost 80% (there was no need for a recount!), when there was, arguably, the best combo of Minister of Labour and Chief Labour Officer (Winslow Carrington and Freddi Eytle). His tutelage, under GAWU’s President, Ram Karran Snr., then became the genesis of what we now regard as his legacy.

Alas! We were again on opposite sides of the fence, since I became Secretary of the Corporation’s Industrial Relations Committee for a year, which included the famous 135-day general strike. Thereafter, I served on five sugar estates as Personnel Manager, so we still were very much engaged, along with the Union’s officials – Albert Boodhoo in Berbice, and Jewan Jankie at Uitvlugt readily come to mind. Komal’s leadership qualities were always at the fore as General Secretary by then, and often kept over-zealous followers in line.

The central point in the above is that Komal has always put principles above personalities, and his ardent pursuit of workers’ welfare and upliftment later saw him playing a pivotal role in the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG), and on the world stage as well, when he became a member of the World Federation of Trade Unions’ (WFTU) Presidential Council. While I could never be mistaken for a Marxist–Leninist, some conversations I have had with Komal on my visits (most when GAWU was still headquartered in Regent Street) often veered into politics, but there was never any animosity; his keen intellect and sociable personality always prevailed.

In view of the current pandemic, I am sure the appropriate authorities have what it takes to arrange Komal’s remains to be brought for a decent funeral. I note a Guyanese boxing contingent is also stranded in Cuba, along with any number of students who wish to return home for now. Additionally, I understand specialist personnel are being sought (hopefully in immunology, epidemiology and pulmonology among other fields) who will also have to be flown here.
I share his family’s grief, and look forward to a speedy closure.

Regards,
Jagdat Persaud