LEADING the nation on a path of development is a debt owed to the Father of the Nation, Dr Cheddi Jagan and the foundation that he has laid with the Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) has caused it to remain the most dominant political force in Guyana.
President Donald Ramotar, yesterday addressed thousands at the Babu

Dr Cheddi Jagan

Living a life of adversity, the President recalled that Dr Jagan was a man of humble beginnings and rose to be a colossus in Guyana and on the world stage.

President Donald Ramotar addressing the gathering yesterday at Babu John during the 116th remembrance of Dr Cheddi Jagan

A section of the gathering at Babu John yesterday at the 16th remembrance day of Dr Cheddi Jagan (Sonell Nelson photo)

A cultural performance yesterday at Babu John at the 16th remembrance of Dr Cheddi Jagan (Sonell Nelson photo)

Racist propaganda
In another jaunt at the local media Ramotar took public umbrage to an opinion published that had suggested that it was Janet Jagan who was the brains behind Jagan.
He suggested that this is ‘racist propaganda’ from a time gone where there was the belief that only white people had brains.
“Maxwell and the crew of them really need to have new brains,” said Ramotar, adding that the attacks are continuing because of the success of the PPP government in our forward march… it is very clear that forces in the opposition want to rewrite history they want us to forget the days when people were starving and had to line up even for food.”
In turning his attention to some of the progress made by the administration since taking office in 1992, “the jackass Nagamootoo would be asking” the Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh a question about the debt of the country.
Ramotar says that today the debt is 48 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product as against the 498 per cent of GDP in 1992.
Ramotar rattled off the figures for export, financial reserves and several other aspects of the economy, in comparison with what obtained in 1992 and said “we achieved these things because of foundation Cheddi laid as Head of Government.”
“They use some of the worst kind of tactic to attack us,” said Ramotar and turned his attention to the recently concluded Commissioner of Inquiry (COI) saying that “they used the unfortunate situation Linden which they engineered.”
Ramotar told Berbicians the report of the commissioner clearly exonerated the Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee from any wrong doing.
On the issue of the ongoing campaign against the Georgetown Marriot, Ramotar said “history will show that Chinese has not exploited or colonised any country. In fact they help build societies.”
“Come and attack us, we have skin like rhinoceros,” said Ramotar.
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, who was introduced to the crowd as a man, “solid as a rock” also reminded that, “Cheddi and Janet faced up successfully to the challenges of their times” and said “as time pass we meet new challenges.”
Hinds said told the gathering that “as we meet today, we continue to be in the situation which followed the last election.
He was making reference to the current one seat majority held in parliament by the combined opposition and said “we have suffered much during the last 16 months.”
According to the Prime Minister, Rohee particularly has been “persecuted most” but has stood the test “and he never buckled.”
According to Hinds, in the current political atmosphere, “we dearly miss Cheddi and wonder what he would have counseled us.”
He suggested that the late President and founder of the PPP would have said “keep the faith in spite of everything that’s happening ...he would say keep the faith in our country and the people.”
Hinds too also defended the Marriott project saying “Our detractors are seeking to stir up a feeling of xenophobia, a fear of foreigners,” and said that it is “something we must work against, it is something Jagan never stood for.”
The Prime Minister reminded that the administration is on a path to increase the standard of living for Guyanese up to 10-fold and said that is why Govt. took a decision that the new hotel would be a catalyst for a much larger tourism industry, one of the areas of new economic development.
Hinds said that Guyanese must recognise 90 per cent of the products utilised by Guyanese in their daily lives come from other countries or the output of workers from other countries, “we must have relations with the world,” adding that Cheddi pointed the way
“He was a supreme optimist, a nationalist but not at the expense of people, of other nations….He refined and left with us in the New Human Global Order.We have good reasons, every March, to come together here at Babu John, to recall Cheddi and pay homage to his legacy.”