The 1964 general elections showed that more than 97 percent East Indians voted for Cheddi Jagan and the PPP.
I joined the PPP in August 1969, less than 5 years after it was removed from office. When I turned up for my first group meeting at Marimootoo's home in Leonora, there were only 4 others. Marimootoo and Pariag Sukhai, paid PPP functionaries, and two young men from Stewartville, Bholan Boodhoo and Sohan Datt. Not a single Leonora resident. Mind you, Leonora was a PPP stronghold up to the 1964 elections.
In 1974, I was chairman of the Uitvlugt Pasture PYO group which had 10 members. On meeting nights I had to round up most of them house to house, cajoling and begging them. They saw little point in staying with Jagan who couldn't give them jobs.
From the time I joined the PPP and volunteered as an activist, I watched helplessly as Indians gravitated to the PNC in droves. Some said: "If yuh cyaant beat dem, join dem." Some told me bluntly that I had no ambition as a young man, sticking with Jagan.
From 1984 to 1990, I was Secretary of the Georgetown PPP Group. The average attendance at meetings was 6-10 persons. Of that number, only 3 were Indians.
The point I am making is that a PPP in government attracted Indians en masse, but out of government lost Indians en massetoo.
Mark my words, in the coming months and years, Indians will drift away from the PPP.
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