VINTAGE Jagan. During a rally at the Kitty Market Square held on Saturday 9th October 1993 to mark the 1st anniversary of the return to democracy in Guyana, the old lion roared defiance at the hordes of degenerates who had obstructed, and those who continue to obstruct, the freedom and progress of his people.

Dr. Jagan was precluded by Gail Teixeira, who used very colourful language to describe the PPP/C Government’s Herculean efforts to clean up the Augean stables the previous administration had created in Guyana.

She was followed by PM Sam Hinds, a simple technocrat with the honest sincerity of his President, who spoke of his experiences and perceptions of the effects of ‘the change’ so far.

Then Dr. Jagan spoke – of the years of struggle: against the white expatriates: against the Guyanese demigods: against the self-seeking opportunists who masquerade as union and political leaders, but whose chief, oftentimes sole, aim is their self-aggrandizement and self-enhancement at the expense of the Guyanese working class: against the British and American governments of the sixties which, on an erroneous premise based on a false perception because of misrepresentation and misinterpretation of PPP ideology, strategized to depose Dr. Jagan and install the late Forbes Burnham as head of Guyana – plunging this nation into 28 long years of darkness and deprivation.

And the tears ran unchecked as he agonized over the results of this overwhelming injustice to his people – dying babies, homeless – a nation divided unto itself by the machinations of scheming, ruthless manipulators.

The years of struggle flashed in brilliant Technicolor through my mind as he spoke, and I recalled the long years of wilderness for the PPP when other pseudo-leaders fought, not the degenerate administration, but Cheddi Jagan and the PPP, recognizing in the latter the real blockade in their climb to power.

The members of the PCD, who sought the involvement of his Party in order to establish a credible organization – then tried to use this involvement to humiliate him and discredit his Party.

Union leaders with agendas, who advise workers to destabilize mechanisms that could eventuate in devastation to the national economy.

The FITUG May Day fiasco, when the living, breathing pioneer of working-class struggle in Guyana – the man whom, ironically, was instrumental in institutionalizing that day, and of immortalizing trade union hero, Critchlow, for posterity, was told that he had no right to be on a Labour Rally platform.

This attempt to destabilize Cheddi Jagan’s leadership by destroying a budding unity in the workforce in 1989 and the open dissension within the ranks of FITUG at such a critical time drove further despair and bewilderment within the hearts of the labouring masses.

Cheddi Jagan’s presence on FITUG’s platform was a symbolical and historical gesture as having been the first time he had appeared on a May Day platform other than that of the TUC, whose invitation he had repudiated in solidarity with a workforce which considered the TUC another (strong?) arm of a repressive regime.

Those outside could never imagine the deprivation and desperation which, despite willingly given from most often meager resources, existed within the striking arena.

Also, no organization knows the needs and the ramifications of the sugar industry like GAWU and no-one has ever had their welfare so much at heart as Cheddi Jagan did, and he acted in the best interests of the sugar workers by calling off the GAWU strike, because he realized a strike during out-of-crop season would have no bite.

The first year sorely tested the embattled PPP/C administration which, while fighting against all the overwhelming odds to restore financial and credible goodwill to this country, as well as internal sabotage of production operations in Government entities, were simultaneously being tried in the press by elitist fence-sitters who, ostensibly appearing to be objective in their analyses, were in reality being highly objectionable instead.

They embroidered facts to weave a tapestry of illusion with their fictional, but seemingly logical, academically comprehensible arguments to bedazzle a gullible audience into accepting the fallacy that Hoyte was a hero who was the architect in the upswing in the political and financial climate in Guyana; and that Dr. Jagan and his Government are ineffective imbeciles, at the least, who are riding on the achievements of the former president.

The facts differ. The records are there in newspaper files and other publications for those who really seek after truth, or who are interested in telling the truth of the history of this land.

Hoyte was indubitably less ruthless than his predecessor Burnham; and definitely a less conniving strategist, but only a fool would forget that he was part of the old system at a senior executive level for its duration in office – and at the helm even during the openly rigged 1985 elections.

And only an ostrich in the sand could fail to recognize that the divestment and investment deals during the last days of his tenure in office were last-ditch efforts to garner into personal coffers as much ill-gained revenue as possible, with no care nor concern for the environmental, financial or other cost to the Guyanese people – especially the indigenous Guyanese people.

They were truly barter of the rights of the Guyanese nation and made under highly questionable circumstances, as was evidenced by the need to destroy records immediately after election results announced PNC defeat at the polls.

As for freeing-up the press and lifting other restrictions, Hoyte inherited a goodwill-bankrupt country where the bulk of PNC and PNC-related funding was accrued by way of grants from international agencies which were closing their pocketbooks to Guyana.

A policy reversal was an imperative in order to court international funding agencies and keep the pocket-books of the elitists overflowing.

Architect of democracy? Everyone knows of the excruciating agony of the preceding of shilly-shallying and skullduggery over voters’ lists and appointing an elections date before Carter made his stipulations known.

The architects of democracy in this country are the freedom-fighters across the political divide of this nation who suffered and sacrificed much to finally achieve victory day.

During the course of Dr. Jagan’s address young reporter, Ryan Narine, asked me why the President was crying.

I told him that, unlike the packrats, Dr. Jagan never sought for personal gain nor glory, but really cared about the people in the Guyanese nation whom he loved above himself, especially the downtrodden ones; and the tears were a delayed reaction to the realization of his dreams of once again being afforded the opportunity , against all the then-prevailing odds, of lifting this nation from the morass of depression it had sunk into for almost three decades.

Despite accusations from the self-serving he was not anti-capitalist, for this would be disfavouring the achievements of members of his own family, whom he had moulded and guided.

He was a leader who always wanted progress for his people – enough that every man, woman, and child would be afforded a comfortable living in the land of their birth; where access to education, jobs, and homes are rights and not privileges.

Honest, sincere, caring, and committed, he was a simple man who called a spade a spade – intractable and uncompromising in his positions – such as referring to the wasteful, irresponsible, destructive city council as “a bunch of rascals” when he talked about removing them in order to create the mechanism to restore Georgetown to its former glory.

The night my President cried was the night that I re-discovered that my President was indeed “a man for all seasons – for all ages – for all our people – a leader who can share his tears and large chunks of his heart with his people. A leader who is truly, indisputably, Father of the Guyanese Nation.