Review - Against the Grain

Dr. Baytoram Ramharack’s scholarly presentation, “Against the Grain: Balram Singh Rai and the Politics of Guyana”, published in 2005 is an outstanding work respecting the politics of British Guiana, 1946 -1964 and its aftermath. It is also a resounding indictment of Dr. Cheddi Bharat Jagan (1918-1997), Ms. Janet Rosalie (Rosenberg) Jagan (1920 –2009), Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham (1923-1985), Dr. Ptolemy Alexander Reid (1912 - 2003), Hugh Desmond Hoyte ( 1929 –2002), Robert Herman Orlando Corbin, Hamilton Green, Samuel Archibald Anthony Hinds, Bharrat Jagdeo, Donald Ramotar, David Arthur Granger, Rupert Roopnaraine, Ralph Ramkarran, Raphael Trotman, Kemraj Ramjattan, and Moses Nagamootoo and others who occupied chairs in the Legislative Assembly may26, 1966 – to this current times. The publications argues that the Members of Parliament, 1966-2013, are vindictive, small minded and selfish. The PPP seems to be the brain child of Janet Jagan who through Cheddi Jagan’s birthing at Port Mourant, Berbice; would legitimize her as Guyanese. In simple words; Janet Jagan’s influence upon Cheddi Jagan and his ruthless rise to popularity amongst the Indians never resonated with Africans. The Africans saw through the PPP’s window dressings. The Jagans began a program of show casing of numerous Negroes as a covert operation to distill fears that PPP was an Indian party. Let’s face it PPP is an Indian party. And more accurately PPP was the Jagans personal paraphernalia. The PPP depended heavily upon Indian support at the polls. However, the PPP never facilitated Indians except for the period Balram Singh Rai served as a Cabinet Minister, 1957-1962. The Jagans were racists and opportunists who hid behind the veils of Marxist-Leninist rhetoric and a parade of Show Negroes. Cheddi Jagan and Janet Jagan repeatedly exposed themselves. Cheddi Jagan and Janet Jagan intended Forbes Burnham, Eusi Kwayana (Slave Name Sydney King), Rory Westmaas, Martin Carter, Keith Carter, Eric Huntley,, George Younge, and Ashton Chase and several others to be stooges and Show Negroes. Their behaviors were reminiscent of the White slave-owning class and their African slave drivers. Dr. Baytoram Ramharack skillfully expresses Balram Singh Rai’s points of views. He exposes the weaknesses of the characters of Cheddi Jagan, and Janet Jagan. Did you know Cheddi Jagan ran like a dog with its tail between its legs when Balram Singh Rai rescued him from a gathering of angry African females? Jagan cowed in the back of a vehicle and was driven to safety. It is said Jawaharlal Nehru (1889 –1964) dared armed folks to shoot and not Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1947). Also William Alexander Clarke Bustamante (1884 –1977) said shoot me and not poor people protesting for their rights and descent living wages. It seems, Cheddi Jagan, was predisposed to recurring blundering. Janet Jagan had no understanding of Hindu society especially as it relates particularly to young widows. Janet Jagan was most insensitive and opportunistic. Ms. Janet Jagan was a meddling foreigner. The Jagans heaped their alien political culture, upon the backs of East Indians, primarily, on the blood, sweat and tears of the sugar workers. The reprehensible behaviors of Indo-Guyanese supporters of the PPP, especially its militant arm the PYO, April 1962 – December 1964 against the honorable, Balram Singh Rai. It is mind boggling. After all, Balram Singh Rai vowed to represent the Indian interest in the colony of British Guiana, 1946-1964. A most perplexing thought is that East Indians of the Arya Samaj in British Guiana did not vote for Balram Singh Rai and his Justice Party. After all, Balram Singh Rai was a highly respected official of the society and the Jagans were not. The Jagans were not attached to any religious society. The Indians choose to heed the PPP’s call, don’t split the vote. Thereby they threw away the Indian representation in the coalition government as predicted by Balram Singh Rai in the aftermath of the December 7, 1964 general elections. It is all the more astonishing, for Balram Singh Rai’s record illuminates his efforts to correcting imbalances in the society which showed a disparity as against Indians. Balram Singh Rai exposed Dr. Cheddi Jagan as the cowardly racist and opportunist he was. Balram Singh Rai pointed out and spelt out Dr. Cheddi Jagan’s penchant for stooges and “Show Negroes”. Balram Singh Rai named; Brindley Horatio Benn, Earl Maxwell Gladstone Wilson, Cedric Vernon Nunes, Fred Bowman, Lawrence Mann, Samuel Victor Downer and George L. Robertson, as Dr. Jagan’s “Show Negroes”. Dr. Baytoram Ramharack illuminates the numerous confounding mistakes after mistakes, one after another, Cheddi Jagan and the PPP made with reference to the talented persons who were members of the PPP, and were forced out by the Jagans. He (Cheddi Jagan) saw himself as the absolute leader of the East Indians of British Guiana. Thus, in the eyes of Cheddi Jagan and his propaganda machinery, all others were challengers. They are to be denigrated, scandalized and reduced to unsung at best or traitors, and/or crucified, at worst. This pattern was established since February 1955, when Forbes Burnham challenged the Jagans for the leadership of their political platform, the PPP in public. The scenarios were repeated until 1992 when Cheddi Jagan recaptured the highest office in the land. Forbes Burnham was a master Machiavellian politician. He completely and repeatedly outmaneuvered Cheddi Bharat Jagan and Janet Rosalie (Rosenberg) Jagan. Their shenanigans were no match for his brilliance. Eusi Kwayana recognized the PPP is the personal property of Cheddi Jagan and Janet Jagan. Eusi Kwayana was Marxist-Leninist politician. He understood the theology must be tailored to suit the Guyanese people if it were to succeed in British Guiana. Eusi Kwayana also recognized British Guiana’s national policies must relate to the English speaking Caribbean basin. The Jagans did not agree with Eusi Kwayana. They posed extremely weak and ridiculous arguments devoid of rational thoughts. Janet Jagan was beside herself spewing poison against Eusi Kwayana at the very late date of 1992. It is thus reasonable to conclude Janet Jagan took her hatred of Eusi Kwayana and Balram Singh Rai to the moment of her death. The venom against Balram Singh Rai has not been totally eradicated with the passing of Cheddi Jagan and Janet Jagan. In this modern era, neither Bharat Jagdeo nor Donald Ramotar has seen the wisdom in correcting the outrageous acts of ingratitude afforded Balram Singh Rai by the prior Heads of State of Guyana. None of the politicians, Kemraj Ramjattan, Raphael Trotman and others has sought to righting this wrong – the injustice committed against Balram Singh Rai in April –June 1962 and the withholding of parliamentary pension for Balram Singh Rai. Balram Singh Rai seems to be an honest man. He was caught up in political follies of the Jagans and their personal property. Guyanese people are the losers in the charade known as politics. It pertinent to understand, how and why, buffoons and criminals adorn the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government and the office of the president and the ministerial cabinet and all level of offices in the land while honest and competent civil servant as Balram Singh Rai resides in exile in the United kingdom without one cent of parliamentary pension from the governments of Forbes Burnham, Desmond Hoyte, Cheddi Jagan, Samuel Hinds, Janet Jagan, Bharat Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar. Yet Guyanese will forever swear those iconic personalities are their national heroes. Absurd is the first word that comes to my mind…They are all immoral and vindictive. Guyanese ought to demand Balram Singh Rai receives his pension and retroactive to 1966 – that’s the honorable to do – Isn’t it? Dr. Baytoram Ramharack glossed over the CIA’s role in the financing of the Justice Party. It remains uncertain whether Balram Singh Rai knew and/or at what point he became aware that Jai Narine Singh was receiving CIA funding for the Justice Party. I wonder whether Balram Singh Rai threw his lot with the CIA and i8f he did how he would have extricated himself from their grasp. Another shortcoming is the omission of the fact Balram Singh Rai convened a committee to study the possibilities of utilizing Guyanese works by Guyanese authors on Guyanese subjects in the curriculums in the school system in British Guiana. The Honourable Minister for Community Development and Education has approved of the appointment of a Committee to explore the possibility of, and to encourage, the production of locally prepared text books, pamphlets, brochures, and other forms of literature. Members of the Committee are:- Mr. R. M. Nicholson – Assistant Director of Education – Chairman; Mr. L. D. Cleare, Dr. Bertram Aggrey Nathaniel Collins, Mr. Vere Trevelyan Daly, Miss Violet Graham, Mrs. S. Low, Mr. Dwarka Nath, Mr. Thomas Anson Sancho (1932-2004), Mr. Arthur James Seymour (1914-1989), and John Allan Ethelbert Young. Source: Education Department Notices #10, Official Gazette of British Guiana- July 4, 1959: page 11. A highly recommended read for all Guyanese who need to gain and insight into the real politics and thoughts and actions of Dr. Cheddi Jagan and Ms. Janet Jagan….