American Janet Jagan is Guyana’s matriarchal freedom fighter
I ATTENDED the ‘Thunder in Guyana’ show and was touched by the immense dedication and patriotism lived by the Jewish American wife of late President Cheddi Jagan, the late President Her Excellency Mrs Janet Jagan.
While much of our history is still unknown and rift with misrepresentation, there is no doubt that the sparse attendance by the Guyanese Diaspora at this Toronto Caribbean Film festival event, hosted by a Trinidadian artiste, who by the way was given the title film from the Jewish Film festival, is indicative of the growing indifference of our national pride and lacklustre attitude towards our heritage.
Guyana is a country of extreme potential, sitting on the most strategic edge of South America and the documentary demonstrates boldly the imperial powers’ past obstruction of fair democratic courses of political engagement in Guyana. It is unfortunate that we have lived and developed much, but learnt little from this bloody and tearful history, such as the sacrifices of the Enmore martyrs and long days of strike, as we struggled everyday on the battleground of poverty, corruption and crime.
As Bob Marley rightly said, those who do not know their history will not be proud of their identity, and that is our own crisis in the making.
I believe, instead of saluting her as ‘blue- eyed bhoujie’ we should nationalise her as blue-eyed Maa!
I believe, instead of saluting her as ‘blue- eyed bhoujie’ we should nationalise her as blue-eyed Maa!
HABEEB ALI
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