THE late President, Dr. Cheddi Jagan said in his book, “The West on Trial,” first published in 1966, that “the PNC’s defeat at the 1961 election caused it to move further in the direction of African racism; its leadership launched a racist campaign at home and abroad.

“In New York City and in the UN corridors, American Blacks and African diplomats were told that the PPP Government was penalising the Africans. At home, the African workers were told that the Indians owned lands and big houses in Georgetown and if they (Africans) were not careful, the Indians would soon be taking over their jobs.”

Dr. Jagan had warned over two decades, at different intervals in history that the PNC was relying primarily on the race card to win votes. He and other founding members of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic kept informing the Guyanese public of the racism directed at the other groups in society by the policies adumbrated by the PNC and its handful of powerful and influential friends in civil society.

Throughout the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s, Dr. Jagan kept his PPP far away from being seen as a party to the PNC race-baiting agenda while setting it up to be a truly multi-ethnic political force that would mirror Guyana’s motto of “One people, One nation, One destiny.”

Dr. Jagan did not fight fire with fire. No. He consumed his time and energy towards fighting and struggling against the PNC policies which were rooted in racism, mass corruption, a lack of transparency and accountability, and justice.

The late President arguably did not have the oratory skills like his predecessors Desmond Hoyte and Forbes Burnham, but he had the strategic intelligence and political acumen to never allow Guyana to fall into the clutches of the PNC rule again.

While different political parties will battle for the title the ‘Father of the Nation’ and none really can claim it outright, Dr Jagan’s fight for Guyana’s freedom, democracy, and independence cannot be wished away or be understated. He was a true hero and fighter for Guyanese justice and just causes in every part of the world.

He stood up for the Guyanese, fighting racism in all of its forms whenever it reared its ugly head to create division and divisiveness in society.

Interestingly, the PPP since Dr Jagan’s passing in 1994, has held up his doctrine, arguably, against racism and discrimination every time it raised its head in politics and the wider society.
When Samuel Hinds, Janet Jagan and Bharrat Jagdeo were President, it threatened to divide the Guyanese public then, with the PNC playing an integral role in setting the stage for ethnic disharmony, political war, and civil unrest.

The Presidents used modern political strategies and maneuvers to calm the multi-ethnic society down while focusing their energies on the development of Guyana’s human and natural resources as well as its infrastructural development.

Fast track to the periods of the Presidency of Donald Ramotar and David Granger which marked the mood of the people shifting away slowly from the PPP/C to the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change Coalition, which really was PNC attempting to reinvent itself.

This is one of the most uninspiring political and socioeconomic periods in modern Guyana. If it wasn’t for the lucrative oil and gas exploration and initial discoveries, Guyana would have been in a civil, race and class struggle not for development but for the destruction of itself.

Move past that to present-day Guyana with the Presidency of Dr. Irfaan Ali and the Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton, not forgetting the General Secretary of the PPP/C Bharrat Jagdeo.
While Dr. Ali is focused on building a modern and unified Guyana, Norton is busy laying the foundation and preaching messages that could easily create hate, divisions and civil-ethnic war.
Norton is doing exactly what Dr. Jagan referenced in his book but with more consistency. He is becoming bold and openly pushing the envelope of racial insecurity in the multi-ethnic society while waring in the PNC camp with the prominent East Indians in his own party.

Norton believes in the doctrines of Hoyte and Burnham. He believes in street-style politics and embraces the racially insensitive rhetoric of the new Working Peoples Alliance leadership. He refuses to denounce the racists at home and abroad, once they are helping his cause against the PPP/C.

In response, he is finding a match in Dr. Ali who is not intimidated or thin-skinned by his blistering attacks.

The President continues to demonstrate statesmanship and that he is above the race-baiting, divisiveness and spectrum of discrimination in politics not only at home but abroad too. He is leading his government down the right path like Dr. Jagan did, skillfully navigating all political potholes and turns that could possibly cost the PPP/C the upcoming Local and General Elections.
At last, though Jagdeo shares Dr. Ali’s beliefs, he is still the GS of the ruling party and a political giant at heart. He knows what Dr. Jagan warned them (the PPP/C) about the PNC political tool and use of racism and discrimination as soon as they lose a critical election (2020).

He will not take any chances politically with this tongue, and cheeky politician (Norton) who is fighting desperately against the PPP/C, so he will use the event held at Babu John to metaphorically take not first blood, but sink the nails deeper into the coffin of Norton’s opposition, launching his party’s bid officially to win the upcoming polls in June 2023.

From all indications, Dr. Ali and Jagdeo will fight in memory of Dr. Jagan because they hold the firm view that Guyana will not see the resurgence of these racist and divisive political shenanigans, ever again!

The fight continues on after Dr. Jagan’s death for Guyana’s soul, development and future. Dr Jagan drew the political parallel, now is the time for Dr. Ali and Jagdeo to act swiftly to put a dent in their racist campaign, and save Guyana.