Sydney King No Part of Burnham’s Plan

Sydney King: No Part of Burnham’s Plan - The Daily Chronicle, Friday, July 21, 1961
At the request of many persons we republish today the statement by Mr. Sydney King expressing disagreement with the independence plan of the leader of the P.N. C. Mr. L. F. S. Burnham
Mr. King said: -
I had just begun to be active again, carrying on the P.N. C. platform an all-out attack on the P. P. P. When a terrible shock came. The P.N. C. Leader, apparently with the consent of the executive, decided that if Jagan won he, Burnham would go with Jagan to London to help Jagan get Independence.
Over the past two months I have swallowed much in order to keep the African people together so that no other race, win or lose, should have jurisdiction over them. Now it is impossible not to speak out. The whole future of the Africans and of race relations here hang on Burnham’s statements and plan. Another Comrade and I, the only two men who understand the situation in all its aspects, have a plan which no true Guianese can oppose. I give it to you with his consent. It can give us all we want - freedom, socialism of a Guianese form racial equality. But first things first - the statements by the Leader.
Speaking at La Penitence on July 10, 1961, Burnham said: the moment voters decide by 6:00 P.M. on August 21 Jagan could take a plane for London and a seat would be reserved for me, I shall be with him to demand independence for a government which the people have put into power - I am not going to oppose independence for British Guiana under the PPP (“Evening Post” July 11, 1961)
On July 1961 at Campbellville, Mr. Burnham returned to the subject. He “emphatically declared”:
“WE DEAD”
“Whether we win or lose the general election we shall not stand in the way of independence after August 21 next. “We will not merge with the P. P, P, or U. F. and we are not interested in coalition Government.”
Mr. Burnham said that there was no question of the United Force winning the elections, and if the P. N. C. Fail to control the Government then they will give full support to the People’s Progressive Party in securing Independence for British Guiana. (“Guiana Graphic” July 14, 1961)
Finally, in a statement to the “Graphic” given on July 14, 1941, Mr. Burnham “clarified” what he had previously been reported as saying: “My support is limited to the demand for independence and has nothing to do with the ideology or programme of any party? Whichever party is returned in a majority either directly or indirectly has got the right to lead the country to independence.” (“Guiana Graphic” July 15, 1961)
In clarifying his position in this way, Mr. Burnham has confirmed our worst fears. The Leader who has warned the people of the dangers of independence under the PPP - “if we lose we done, we dead,” - is now speaking as if we did not live in BG but in England or in Jamaica or in Ghana where more or less a single race is found. Our position is peculiar. This is not a land of one race. But Mr. Burnham is a brilliant man.

WORDS OF PASSION
I wonder if Jagan remembered the rules of old fashioned English constitutional law when he wrote his petition to UNO. Mr. Burnham had asked Vigilance to write on it and this is part of what Vigilance wrote with the Leader’s approval: “Jagan finds words of passion to plead the cause of the East Indian before the U.N.O. He speaks of their “toil and sweat under deplorable working conditions,” “their starvation wages” the noncompulsory education of the East Indian girl, the misery of the Indian of his women and children. Yet never a word on the suffering of the other races. He speaks of the contribution of the East Indian to Guiana’s economy but not a word of the contribution of the other races. He speaks of success and wealth among the Portuguese and Africans. Of the latter he writes, “Numerically, they are the majority in the civil service, and many of them practice the leading professions.” Yet he makes no mention of the wealthy Indians nor of their professional men. Only misery is the lot of the Indian -
This is Jagan’s petition for independence. All in the holy name of freedom. -
“It there anyone who doubts now, Jagan’s plot? “ - Vigilance
this is the same Jagan that our Leader is going to give “full support”

BLOODY BATTLE
Read, Mr. Burnham’s first statement again. What does he mean when he talks of “the people?”
He says that if the PPP wins it will be a Government which the people has put into power. Everyone knows that only the east Indian people will vote Jagan in.
In New Nation of Friday, February 24, 1961, Vigilance quoted Jagan as saying in Thunder: “Is it that Mr. Burnham intends to accept the will of the people and is now planning to have a bloody rebellion if the will of the people be in favour of the P.P.P.?”
Thunder was giving its opinion on a reported statement of Mr. Burnham’s that “if the PPP gets into power the only way we could regain freedom is by a bloody battle.” Vigilance wrote: Is Burnham the Minister of Police, or is it Rai? The P. P, P, distrusts the Police - “necessary part of the machinery of Government.” And for one reason - it is predominantly African.”
Vigilance added. “Let up hope that Jagan believes that the “will of the people” also includes “the will of the Africans.”
Is our Leader now agreeing that the will of Jagan’s people whom Jagan represented at U.N.O. last November is the “will of the people?”
This is what we wish the Africans to realize and the Indians to realize: if either race dominates there will be no peace.
Jagan does not hide his attitude. He wrote of his people as “nationally oppressed” among Guianese. His independence will be only for them. Then the oppressors have to look out. Jagan, when the Halle report was published shouted “injustice!” he said in Berbice: “I told the Governor that in other countries injustices like this are settled by guns.” At La Penitence and again at Buxton Jagan threatened to shoot up the opposition if it won. Our Leader has said publicly, thrice in one week: if P.P. P. Wins I will help Jagan get Independence.
Mr. Burnham is our Leader. I do not understand him, especially after the UNO petition and the Halle report.
At this point I must make my position clear. I am sure that Burnham’s statement is dangerous to the African people and will give Indian racists an advantage over us. Such a plan leads direct to slavery. I cannot be any part of Burnham’s plan. I did not leave Jagan’s party so as to help Jagan get independence for his East Indian people who are nationally oppressed in Jagan’s opinion. Before I give the plan worked out by vigilance, let me remind you of Jagan’s own ideas in his own words in his own book:
“Forbidden Freedom” After discussing the situation under slavery and pointing out the Amerindians as a sort of militia or police became a necessary part of government. Jagan goes on to slander the Africans, only a few hundred of whom could have been in the police force, majority being workers.
In the new situation under the British, therefore, it was the Africans who became the necessary part of the general machinery of Government. Whenever, sugar workers were shot in the Plantations, whether at Enmore, Ruimveldt or Leonora, it was inevitably African policemen shooting Indian workers.”
Jagan is spiteful. He shouted to a crowd at Bourda Green, Georgetown, who asked him why he had closed down the housing programme that employed them. “Al you didn’t put me deh.” (Your votes did not put me in). Burnham is the Leader. His plan is to help Jagan to win Independence. A seat is reserved for him on Jagan’s plane, he boasts, Mr. Burnham knows of Jagan’s plans to settle people from the east in BG half a million Indians are to be settled here. What will the leader do at that stage? What is his big trump card under the table?

ENTIRELY FALSE
A word of warning. You have been told that Vigilance and I have been undermining the Party Leader. This entire false. We were glad that there was someone who liked to work as Leader as neither of us is politically ambitious. Things were going well until the powerful group of middle class Georgetown women asserted itself. It is they who took Odo away from the plan. All his useful gifts will be worth nothing while the petticoat Government of the Party continues. His present advisers, whoever they are have not a single helpful idea. They see the elections as a cricket match. They play into Janet Jagan’s hands. The boundary with Venezuela should be settled before independence, it is not settled yet and Odo is willing to go with Jagan. The boundary is not settled yet and Burnham is demanding the withdrawal of British troops much to the delight of Janet Jagan.
Burnham is your chosen Leader. No one must rival him. It cannot be tolerated in our situation. I feel he is playing straight into Jagan’s hands. He thinks he is going to travel to London with Jagan, Never mind; I am keeping myself free from the election mess and will not be committed to this folly. You MUST vote Burnham. You MUST vote PNC. You have to vote if they put up as candidates a lump of tar in the shape of a man. But if Burnham thinks that, in the cause of defeat, he will hand you over to Jagan and if Jagan thinks he is going to rule you, each of them is making a terrible mistake. It is then that Vigilance and I will break our silence. Vigilance is free. I am keeping out to make myself free to be of real service to you later on. Use the elections to show that you stand fast and firm in a united bloc. After that, if Jagan wins, he has lose so far as you are concerned. And if Burnham wins, Jagan’s plans for the use of guns will be defeated. Now, read our plan and see what you think of it.

NOT DEMOCRACY
Here is what we planned. As this is a multiracial society, with East Indians as the largest and most united group, with Africans coming next, and with other minority groups, a special solution is necessary. Democracy as practice in Britain is not the solution for us at this stage. Jagan who leads the East Indians masks his movement under Socialism so as to defend himself against attack from outside, especially from the Afro-Asiatic group. Together with this he is always at pains to smear the African movement by calling it the agent of imperialism and backwardness. We decided, therefore, to organize the Africans as a strongly counter bloc on a socialist platform and programme that could not be mistaken for a booker’s agency. Our understanding of socialism in British Guiana - Vigilance and I - was cooperative in every field of industry and agriculture. It could mean nothing else here. Vigilance wrote a long essay on Co-operatives for Guiana’s New Road and for the Party’s Guidance. What appears in the New Road now is my composition. The slogan “no man, no old woman and no child shall go to bed hungry” was the brain child of Vigilance. So also our socialist aim “Every citizen shall have the right to full employment,” So too the platform piece that women shall have a free day every week at special camps where the best meals will be cheap. His was the famous declaration of independence containing the political philosophy of the PNC, now forming the introduction to Guiana’s new road. His is the philosophy of industrialization. I myself wrote the sections on Labour Cooperatives and Local government. Vigilance wrote the blue prints of the new city in the interior - a cooperative city.

COOPERATIVES
Together we prepared Burnham for his second famous broadcast of March 27, 1961 working between 1:00 a.m. and 5:40 a.m., with him. We were preparing the people for socialism a system of cooperatives in all fields for all races - shops, restaurants, industries, workshops, fisheries, farms, ranches and so on. This is all socialism could mean here. Jagan’s ideas are fantastic bragging.
We have known all along that the Indians would not trust a black leader and that the Africans would not trust an Indian leader. We could see then that any attempt of the one to rule the other will lead to blood baths. Jagan had spoken of bringing Ghana into our affairs. We are going to advise Burnham to invite India, Ghana and Britain. Britain had offered freedom and we wished her to be associated. We had nothing to hide.
In their presence, Burnham should say to Jagan: You say you are socialist. Our people are organized for socialism, in which all economic development will be plotted along socialist cooperative lines. No anti-religion, confiscation, etc. Let us promote the prosperity of the people and avoid the emergence of wealthy classes of exploiters in either group, thus wiping out conflicts on grounds of rivalry.

SPECIAL SOLUTION
But your people, Jagan, do not trust a black leader: and my people do not trust an Indian leader. Therefore we must find a special solution and not pretend. Our problem is similar to that of India in 1947. Even Gandhi could not prevent what happened. Our case is not far from that of Cyprus. Let us not prevent. You went to UNO and spoke only for your own race. Here is our special solution:
Joint and equal Prime Ministership according to Law, between the Leaders of the Indian and African people.
An independent watch committee established by Law, made up of people of all races and especially the minorities, to supervise the spending of government funds and the benefits derived by various races. The same Committee will keep a watch over Jobs and employment at all levels to see that justice is done to all races.
A socialist system without foreign links: and a state neutral By Law, of Russia and the USA. By socialism must be understood a system of co-operatives in all fields, existing private enterprise and some state enterprise; production for needs; respect for all religions and for the religious tradition of our peoples.
If the power drunk Jagan, wanting to be top dog as usual should agree to this plan, all well and good. If he rejected it, we should refuse to be ruled by him and call for a division of the country, before independence into three Zones - an African Zone, an Indian Zone and a free Zone in which those who wish to live with other races may do so. The cities will be free.
That is the plan. Equality of rights and power for African and Indian as custodians of the whole. Justice by Law for minorities. Socialism without the blackmail of Russian might or American bayonets on either side. Joint and equal Premiership. Partition as a last resort. This plan can end all cause of racial antagonism and mistrust. Our co-ops will lay the economic foundation for better race relations. I repeat: this is our plan. It is a plan for our nation. It is the only plan so far that can work. It asks no one race to be the slave of the other. I am opposed to the leader’s airplane solution. But I cannot confuse the issue. I will reserve myself for later service. If the leader changes his position and puts forward a plan like this or a better one I will ****** my decision not to ******.
Do not ask me to accept slavery and to work miracles. I cannot stand on a platform that wants to hand you over to Jagan. But this is the people’s fight. You must vote PNC, so that when the elections are over your numbers can be counted and a case against your slavery can be made out by those who are free or a case against Jagan’s threats if the PNC wins.

HAND AND FOOT
When I claimed some months ago that the US money raising campaign was somehow tied up with the US Government I was told it was not so. Dr. C. H. Denbow has gone to the US and has just met the Help Guiana Committee. He says it has “full accreditation with the US Government.” How can our leaders force Jagan off the Russian adventure when they tie themselves up with the USA?
Jagan is making close ties with Venezuela. On the eve of our elections, Betanncourt sends best wishes to Jagan. Jagan is encouraging millions of dollars of Venezuelan investment in British Guiana. And these people have designs on part of our country. Jagan is offering, colonial that he is to have our bauxite processed by Venezuelan hydroelectricity! We are to be tied hand and foot and we are asked to help Jagan win independence.
Do not underestimate the dangers of independence under Jagan. No race should make light of it, least of all the African. Vote PNC and show your leader that you are not weak. You will not be sold the election now becomes a bargaining point between two forces, make your side of the bargain heavy by voting for any candidate put up by the PNC we shall do the best we can to turn your solidarity to the best advantage for the Africans so as to give equality and justice to all races, hold fast be like a rock.

RISE FOR BATTLE
I end with a quotation from Vigilance: “Black people of Guiana have pity on yourselves, for no one else will pity you. Pity your children, for who will pity them? Pity the hungry, pity the sick, pity the aged, and pity the erring ones. Pity those of every race who suffer, who cry for bread, for liberty.”
Rise for the battle. We are the vanguard. We cannot sleep. We must not die. The vultures are hovering near. We can hear their harsh, fiendish, soulless cries. Their foul breath insults us. They are sharpening their talons, grinding their beaks, watching, waiting, for us to die, yearning to tear our hearts out. Stand up, comrades. Close ranks. Pierce them with your eyes.
Those who live are those who fight. Vultures fear and flee the living. Then live, comrades! Live!
It is more important than ever to ignore the U.F. since our safety is clearly threatened. There is hope yet for salvation. But your solidarity at the elections must be even greater than before. We shall be waiting, by God’s grace to advance the correct ideas at the right time.” Sydney King
Source: Sydney King: No Part of Burnham’s Plan - The Daily Chronicle, Friday, July 21, 1961