Dear Editor,
THE incessant attacks on Vice-President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo reminds me of the age-old Indian fable of the blind men and the elephant. As the story goes, six blind men were asked to describe an elephant. Being blind, the only way they could describe the elephant was through their sense of touch.
One touched the elephant’s trunk and described it as a snake, another felt the ear and described it as a fan, another rubbed his hands around the elephant’s trunk and said it’s a tree, touching the side, another said it’s a wall, feeling the tail another said it’s a rope, and then the other having touched the tusk described it as a spear.
All six blind men utilised their narrow conceptual knowledge structures to describe the wholeness of the same elephant. In so doing, their blindness restricted their comprehension of the totality of the elephant.

The above fable clearly illustrates that actualities can easily be distorted, due to one’s own blind, individualised notions of reality. Such is the case of opposition forces’ criticisms directed towards Vice-President Jagdeo.

Opportunistic critics of the Vice-President, in their relentless pursuits of political power, choose to remain blind while their eyes remain widely open, staring at the PPP/C’s extensive and expansive development of Guyana under the leadership guidance of Dr. Jagdeo.

Contemptuously, these critics, like the six blind men, focus on self-selected bits and pieces of information — such as oil revenue, contracts, licensing, decision-making, etc…, to formalise their jaundiced certainties which they then utilise in targeting their propagandistic condemnations of the Vice-President.
In their frantic search for political legitimacy, Jagdeo’s critics conveniently ignore the totality of the Vice-President’s remarkable leadership contributions to Guyana’s continuous advancement. Choosing to remain blind to the totality of Jagdeo’s successful leadership guidance towards a progressive Guyana, critics invent new ways and approaches in their wanton attacks to discredit and defame the Vice-President.

This is clearly evidenced in opposition politicians and supporters’ blind-men like regurgitated distorted summation of Jagdeo’s leadership role. In search of issues to manufacture rifts between Jagdeo and President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, opposition politicians and critics proclaim that Jagdeo is leading from behind. This they bombastically present, and represent, as if the Vice-President’s behind-the-scenes leadership is an egregious act.

However, in their tumultuous clamour to discredit Jagdeo, opposition politicians and critics, fail to recognize that they are in fact heaping praise on Jagdeo for his noteworthy leadership performance. This, they would have realised had they paid attention to the political life and times of Nelson Mandela, a remarkable political leader and statesman, whose leadership qualities transcend international boundaries to this day, Mandela proclaimed that:

“A leader …is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realising all along they are directed from behind.”
Mandela’s abiding leadership principle clearly indicates that one of the unique qualities of being a true leader is to guide from behind — and Jagdeo is doing just that. So, instead of being criticised, Jagdeo should be credited for remaining in the background while cultivating, mentoring, and nurturing future leaders of Guyana, without monopolising front-stage publicity and notoriety.
Around the world today, political leaderships are complex and varied. Simplistically explained, some heads of state are either considered: (a) Traditional leaders – those catapulted to leadership positions by virtue of inheritance, or traditional practice; (b) Charismatic leaders – those with exceptional abilities to attract a following; (c) Democratic leaders – those legally and duly elected to office, and who seek inputs in decision-making; (d) Authoritarian or autocratic leaders – those who seize absolute control and decision-making authority over those under him; and (d) Servant leaders – caring leadership that involves people and serves in their interests.

In view of the above types of leaderships, Guyanese should take pride in Bharrat Jagdeo’s governing principles and practices which represent an amalgam of qualities inherent in Democratic and Servant leaderships.

Blinded by their delusions of grandeur, Jagdeo’s critics would continue to distort and underplay this reality. As the great Tamil poet, Tiruvalluvar enunciated over 10 centuries ago, “The envious need no other foes –. their envy is enough.”

Envious critics and politicians striving for recognition, power, or legitimacy would more than likely continue their attacks on Jagdeo for their eyes, shut to reality, though widely open, are blind to Guyana’s phenomenal progress under the Vice-President’s leadership and guidance.
Regards,

Narayan Persaud, PhD
Professor Emeritus