Mr Jagdeo’s statement at the funeral
APRIL 15, 2013 

http://www.stabroeknews.com/20...ment-at-the-funeral/

Former presidents in democratic societies, particularly those who have relinquished power voluntarily and within the construct of constitutional provisions are always looked upon as a reserve of moral authority and as elder statesmen who in times of crises and societal tensions can be relied upon to help bridge divides. They are supposed to become repositories of the wisdom gleaned during their years at the helm and as figures capable of reaching out to all sectors. This is particularly so of ceremonial presidents but there is no reason why in our unique system of governance our former presidents cannot play a similar role.

It doesn’t seem, however, as if former President Jagdeo sees such a part for himself. Indeed, from his most injudicious and unseemly remarks on Thursday at the funeral of Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud he appears to have a totally different view of his role i.e. to whip up societal angst in the interest of the PPP’s electoral fortunes and for his own purposes.

When he rose to speak he made a clear reference to the continuing lawsuit that he brought against the KN columnist, Mr Freddie Kissoon, its Editor, Mr Adam Harris and the company that publishes the newspaper. The former President said “…Recently 38 persons, because their names (are) of East Indian-descent, were used in a case to say that the People’s Progressive Party, because they [are] employed in the public service, is practising discrimination; that we are giving people of Indian-origin preferences. Now, a lot of those people have served either 30 years in the public service, some joined the public service even when we were in the opposition; but the only reason their names were in that list that [Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr. Roger] Luncheon is very familiar with, because he faced the brunt of it, is because of their origin, their East Indian-origin”.

He added that there seems to be “in the mean politics of Guyana, a resurgence in a hidden way” of feelings against Indo-Guyanese and then the coup de grâce “What is the message to people of East Indian origin? If you’re PPP or PNC, if you are Christian, Hindu or Muslim, if you’re a sugar worker or a professional, once you’re of Indian origin, you should keep your children home, don’t send them to school. The same colonial message! Because, if, heaven forbids, they become qualified and they get a job and the PPP is in office, then it has not to be because of our merit but rather our race.”

Why he would sully the solemn proceedings for Pandit Persaud with an overtly divisive, race-based allegation which comes across as vacuous and contrived is unfathomable. What is even more astounding is that former President Jagdeo clearly feels strongly about this matter yet he has steadfastly refused to testify in his own cause. Why? Surely if he was confident enough to have this case brought in the High Court he must have felt strongly about his chances of winning a victory and should have relished the prospect of entering the witness stand to testify. Mr Jagdeo never turned up and one of the respondents in the matter is now on the witness stand. Failing to testify on his own behalf, Mr Jagdeo now takes a potshot at the respondents in this matter.

Speech related to the race problematic that has existed here for decades has to be well thought out, contextualized, cognizant of the antipathies that can be unnecessarily fomented and delivered in a manner that doesn’t compound the matter being complained of. Mr Jagdeo observed none of these injunctions despite undoubtedly being aware of the risks.

As to the substance of his arguments he has no leg to stand on. There may undoubtedly be cases where some persons have been favoured over others on the basis of race but that radiates in all directions depending on who is in charge whether in government, a ministry or a private sector office. Mr Jagdeo’s case in court did produce riveting testimony about the inexplicable absence of a certain group from the foreign service which was hurriedly corrected by the government; a sign that it recognized that there was clearly something amiss. Does Mr Jagdeo expect anyone to believe that in today’s Guyana, influential sections of the non-Indian segment of the population are of the outlook that Indo-Guyanese must not seek to go to school or professionalize themselves and all in keeping with the “colonial message” as he put it? Wasn’t Mr Jagdeo able to professionalize himself and gain employment at the State Planning Secretariat under the PNC administration of Mr Desmond Hoyte? Neither he nor thousands of others were excluded on grounds of their Indianness during that period. Does he expect the public to believe that under 20 years of consecutive rule by the PPP/C that the situation has deteriorated to the extent that in the year 2013 there is a view that Indian-Guyanese must not gain an education? Mr Jagdeo’s argument was nonsensical, beneath the office of someone who served as President of the country for 12 years and purely self-serving.

Mr Jagdeo should desist from this ill-advised course which will be perceived by many of those who know better as trying to deepen divisions for the purposes of electoral gains. He is not the first of the present crop of PPP leaders to do this and he won’t be the last.

If there was indeed sentiment against the professional Indo-Guyanese certainly Mr Jagdeo’s long tenure as President would have left a legacy of assertive institutions capable of handling any distress of this type. Instead, Mr Jagdeo has left his country bereft of this form of institutional strength and framework for addressing these issues.

What Mr Jagdeo wants to cover is the growing questions that have arisen over his decisions to select certain groups to the detriment of others. The decision in the last days of his presidency to hand out licences and frequencies to certain individuals including to the relatives of a minister remains a prime unresolved matter. That decision crystallised what has transpired over a significant period of his presidency when he faced no inhibitions. Questions have quite properly arisen over this and other decisions. It is the lack of a plausible explanation that has motivated Mr Jagdeo to utter the senseless and divisive statement he made at the funeral. It also serves well the PPP’s agenda to gee up its constituency for the purposes of trying to restore a parliamentary majority.

The ease with which public figures like Mr Jagdeo separate themselves from rationality and considered speech in the interest of expediency and naked political gain is disturbing. It would be interesting to hear what President Ramotar – who was present when the statement was made – thinks of it. Whatever his thinking, he should redouble his own efforts to ensure that constitutional checks and balances are in place and strengthened to defend the populace from any possibility of the matter complained of by Mr Jagdeo.

Jagdeo lambastes Stabroek News racist editorial

− says newspaper engages in selective journalism

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo

Former president Bharrat Jagdeo has strongly condemned a racist Stabroek News editorial, carried on Monday, April 15, saying the newspaper is engaging in palpably selective and misleading journalism and staunchly defending opposition interests.

The editorial attempted to vilify him for statements made at the funeral service for the late Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud, a former government minister and stalwart in the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).

At the service, Jagdeo stated that Guyana is a better place now because of the significant contributions made by the late Persaud, as well as the late former president, Dr Cheddi Jagan, toward the development of the country.

Open to everyone

“They were never bigoted; they were warm-minded individuals. That is why the PPP/C remains open to people of all races, to people of all religions… I grew up in the party, I’ve never gone to an official meeting where people’s race or religion was discussed as factors of mobilisation, or for keeping them in the party,” Jagdeo said.

It was within this context that the former president went on to lament the fact that there appears to have been a resurgence of some form of prejudice against Guyanese of East Indian descent, primarily by opposition political parties, which he said are accusing the PPP/C of showing favouritism towards this section of the population.

“What bothers me today is that, in the new politics of Guyana, there seems to be a rebirth of some of these same feelings,” Jagdeo said, speaking with Guyana Times and commenting on the misleading editorial.

The former president reiterated that the period under British colonialism was one in which Africans and East Indians endured brutal attacks at the hands of their slave masters. He referred to a study which concluded that the East Indians were ruled in a manner that caused them not to value education.

Jagdeo again referred to a list of 38 persons, who, because of ethnicity, were used in an ongoing court case to suggest that the PPP/C employed them in the public service purely because of race, and that this was an indication that the current administration is discriminating against other sections of the population. He said the impression that this is creating is that the PPP/C government is giving people of East Indian-origin preferential treatment.

The case involves a lawsuit brought by Jagdeo himself, when he was president, against Kaieteur News columnist Freddie Kissoon, its editor-in-chief Adam Harris, and the National Media and Publishing Company, which publishes the newspaper.

“Now, the truth is, a lot of those people on that list have served either 30 years or more in the public service. Some even joined the public service when we were in the opposition. But the only reason their names were placed on that list is because of their origin, their East Indian origin,” he said.

“What then is the message being sent to the people of East Indian origin? Is it that if you are a supporter of the PPP/C or the People’s National Congress (PNC); if you’re a Christian, Hindu or Muslim; if you’re a sugar worker or a professional; if you’re urban or rural; but once you’re of Indian origin, you should not seek senior positions in the public sector?” asked Jagdeo.

Equal opportunity

The former president instead called for every Guyanese to have equal opportunity and for everyone to be treated with dignity and not be judged because of their ethnicity. He said he believes that the PPP/C, which is currently the single largest party in Guyana, is being taken advantage of.

Jagdeo pointed out that the Stabroek News appeared not to be concerned when the primary statement regarding racism by the PPP/C was made in the courts, but now proceeds to publish a lengthy misleading editorial in which it rushes to the defence of Alliance For Change (AFC) Chairman Nigel Hughes, who presented the list of 38 persons in the court case.

“Most of these people worked even before our tenure in office when we were in the opposition, 30 years service or more in some cases. A lot of them have been there for a very long time. The only reason they got on this list is to prove that their appointment was an act of PPP/C racism and because of their ethnicity,” he said.

“What then is the message? By picking on these people randomly, many of whom do not have any association with the PPP/C – is this implying that once you’re East Indian and in the public service, you not there because of merit?” he asked.

Jagdeo insisted that this form of anti-East Indian sentiment appears to be re-surfacing and taking root among some politicians and sections of the local media, and it must be addressed in the same manner that the PPP/C is being accused of preferential treatment to a particular section of the population.

He said the PPP/C has always been open to all races and religion, pointing out that the people of Guyana must not be judged along these criteria, and that any form of racism must be rejected.

“So when Hughes talks about East Indian people, he is not editorialised by the Stabroek News. Is this not selective journalism?” queried Jagdeo. “My call remains that we need to fight this racism, this new trend in which some people are judging others entirely because of their race,” added Jagdeo.

The editorial also erroneously claimed that Jagdeo was able to “professionalise” himself under the PNC and gain employment at the State Planning Secretariat under the administration of former president Desmond Hoyte. However, Jagdeo’s studies were completed via a PPP scholarship to the Soviet Union, as at that time, most government scholarships were given to the PNC’s favoured ones and were tenable in western countries.

Jagdeo working out.  The man look in shape.  Fit and trim.

Kwame is his personal trainer 

Jagdeo was working at State Planning under Hoyte government. There were some other ppp boys and girls there at the same time. Hoyte may not have known those guys were working there because in the past he had given the boot to people related to PPP leaders.

The editorial also erroneously claimed that Jagdeo was able to “professionalise” himself under the PNC and gain employment at the State Planning Secretariat under the administration of former president Desmond Hoyte. However, Jagdeo’s studies were completed via a PPP scholarship to the Soviet Union, as at that time, most government scholarships were given to the PNC’s favoured ones and were tenable in western countries.

Hoyte was a complex person.  It seems on the one hand he loved Dr. Cheddi and saw him as a hero but on the other hand he seems not to like the PPP party.

He studied at a well kn own hatchery for communists. The education was sub par and who in the world value the expertise of a Marxist economist today except for its esoteric intellectual appeal?

Excellent piece of advise from Stabroek News. President Jagdeo should take a back seat and  enjoy his ill gotten gains.

Well rest assured Jagdeo's comments were well received and applauded

MEH KNOW FOH FACT DAT ONLY PPP PEOPLE A GET PSM SCHALARSHIP NOW. DAT IS FACT. MEH GAT CLASSMATES WHO DEM TURN DOWN FOH DEM DUNCE NUMM SKULLS. MEH GAT FACTS. ALUH DAAAGS JUSS LIKE DE PNC. 

Jagdeo was in line at the event. What better way to send off a racists-and an indoe one. Just state the same things he harbored.

Remember Blackie-wah did Hoyte do.

Guyana is breeft of leadership. So far we aint get any.

Jagdeo's comments were appropriate for the occasion. Daman Persaud and others fought very hard, for a very long time, against a tyrant (Burnham), rigged system and a kangaroo parliament, for the freedom for all Guyanese. Now that many Guyanese are thriving in business, the opposition are not finding much ammo. So they shamelessly put a racial spin on the success of Guyanese, hoping to incite racial violence and ultimately bringing down the government