Babu John: Why the PPP killed Jagan and kept Burnham alive
By Paul Sanders
Caribbean Daylight, NY March 2015
If you missed Babu John last Sunday, then you missed out big time. Yeah baby.
It was one kickass election campaign starring the luminaries and celebrities of the PPP. They were all there, the really big ones from Freedom House, red with communism and revolutionary fervor. Whatever that is.
No longer a surprise or shock to anyone anymore, ex- president Bharrat Jagdeo who is a well known caricature in US State Department circles as the "Mafia" Head of State, in his trademark cuss-down style, railed against the opposition, hurling a few racist innuendos. Undoubtedly, when it comes to blustering tirades, Mr. Jagdeo is a superstar.
Don't be tricked. No PPP campaign can ever commence without a pilgrimage to Babu John.
Because Babu John is it. Babu John is holy ground. Holy as the Ganges River, holy as the city of Jerusalem, holy as Mecca. So the party policy stipulated that all comrades turn out in mammoth numbers. The religious garb couldn't be any color but that of Stalin.
The communion was to celebrate party hero Cheddi Jagan. So they say. Father of the nation. They said that too. The faithful gathered there in supplications, bringing exhaltations and glory to his name, paying homage, drumming, and all that good, groovy quasi religious stuff. All well and good.
But there is an odd secret about Babu John. Something strange, something heavy. Like the lonely house down the street, dark powers live there. Bad vibes. Real spooky. And no one has ever been dare enough to be peek in.
Evil lives at Babu John. Arch enemy of the PPP and East Indians, dictator Forbes Burnham is a resident there. What the...? Yup, that dangerous man Forbes Burnham lives at Babu John. Believe it or not, this old friend and nemesis of the old warrior lives there. How he entered the Witness Protection Program and took residence there, only a select few knows. Right there, at Babu John.
Remember how the newspapers said he was dead? Well, everybody thought so too. About Elvis Presley.
Why is Forbes Burnham still alive? Because the PPP did not want him dead. They never did. Without Burnham, the PPP is dead. So as part of a Top Secet deal in 1992, Burnham returned from a black site and under a new clandestine operation with Freedom House, disguised himself as an Indian tourist and stayed at Babu John.
With the new skills as an espionage agent, Burnham blended imperceptibly into the community. He attended the mandirs; he read the Ramayana; he sang bhajans; he did his morning poojas; he played Phagwah. And he learned the subtleties in the language of Apaan Jhaat.
Intriguing, huh! The stuff from a Tom Clancy novel. But with an "alien" or "jumbie" feel to it. For better dramatics. If you can't follow this, then I suggest you quit reading now. Rent a copy of Men in Black. You will get the drift. Because this is all very "CLASSIFIED" materials archived somewhere deep in Stalingrad. The people from the Kremlin had a hand in it too; with the help of Fidel Castro and company they conspired the plot.
The rank and file, middle managers, dilettante revolutionaries and a handful of the upper echelons of the PPP have never been allowed to have any access to this information. Only those at the top level at party leadership with special clearance and training have access to this knowledge. It's tantamount to the president of the United States and the mysterious black suitcase.
Without Burnham, there is no fear. There is no grudge to hold on to. What else is there to talk about? The PPP has nothing to boast about in their 23 years of leadership. They cling unto to Burnham. To the dead past.
See what I mean? Without Burnham, there is no Jagan. They are two peas in the same pod; both ends of the same stick. The PPP did not find anytime to big up Jagan without ragging Burnham. Like it or not, Burnham, not Jagan, is the ultimate reference point in the PPP. Some kind of uneven symbioticism.
Remember the poetic words of the mid 70's: Burnham, Jagan - same thing? Simple words. Deep meaning, man. We never understood.
East Indians got conned. They did not realize they are embracing Jagan and giving Burnham a big hug at the same time. At Babu John. This man - Forbes Burnham, a demi god to the PPP. And they havent come to recognize it. Yet.
The day the PPP can boast about their achievements, the present and the future, is the day when Forbes Burnham dies. The day when Indo Guyanese can assert their identity without weeping about the "28 years" of Burnham is the day when Burnham dies.
Go ahead, doubt it. The substance in the political mindset of the PPP rabble rouser is the imagery of Burnham. These days, PPP East Indians are talking more about Burnham than Jagan. He is that critical. He is the ultimate boogeyman. The bitter sweet love story of the PPP. And he has gotten into the East Indian's head like bad liquor.
That's powerful stuff, man. And PPP members should thank their leaders for the magic of their witchcraft that has resurrected Burnham as bigger, badder, than Cheddi Jagan. Burnham has always there at Babu John. Perhaps, more alive, more significant than Cheddi Jagan at Babu John. There's no reverence to Cheddi Jagan without the conjuring of his buddy Forbes Burnham. Cheddi Jagan cannot stand without the Burnham clutches. That's what friends are for.
Here's the challenge. Ask any PPP follower to talk about Cheddi Jagan; more than likely he's got more to rhapsodize about Burnham than Cheddi Jagan. That simple. It is just the kind of education that the PPP instills in their membership as history lesson. You see that backward psychology come alive at Babu John everytime the demagogues go to pay tribute there.
Why is Apaan Jhaat so important to the PPP? Because this kind of tribalism does not have any potency without the sÉance at Babu John. Burnham is an integral part of this. What does this say about the PPP? Don't guess.
The answer came from the horse's mouth. Or the goat's mouth. Dunno which one really. Confusion is vital here. Party secretary Clement Rohee admitted that he's got no problem with the PPP being a "coolie people" party, as it is "overwhelmingly supported by Indians."
Word. In election politics, that is the stupidest, most rude and most dangerous remark to sell to the media. Stupidest, because a goat can deliver a more educated answer than that. Most rude, because a goat would be more polite than that. Most dangerous, because a goat can decipher ethnic strife with that.
President Ramotar complained that the opposition did not let him have his way. What a diva! Of course, he meant the Burnham people. Of course he has a point. But here it is, if President Ramotar wants to get stupid and acts like a gangsta then the combined opposition will not let him rock. That's why his presidency was undone. Zero charisma. Zero intelligence. How recondite is that?
And for God's sake, President Ramotar needs to stop crying for his mommy. Even Borat will do better than that. So pathetic that Mr. Jagdeo had to motivate him to "kick some assess." Not nice. But it's an election campaign. C'mon, this man's gotta get his sheet together. He can't be that dumb that he doesn't have a vision for Guyana. He can't be that dumb that he doesn't understand the toxicity of racism in the world. What kind of revolutionary leader is he? Well, maybe he is dumb.
Which brings us to total sum zero. The PPP got nothing to ride on this election again, as it was in the past two elections. They got nothing to show for 23 years of rulership. What are they gonna electrify the electorate with?
Apaan Jhaat is all they got. And they need to thank Cheddi Jagan for being dead. And Forbes Burnham for staying alive.
