Cold War prevented close relations between Jagan, Caribbean counterparts
- Dr. Odeen Ishmael
by Chamanlall Naipaul
Guyana Chronicle
March 28, 2004
`Cheddi's voice was a lonely one crying out in the in the Caribbean wilderness, but power politics blocked the ears of the Caribbean leadership. But that voice was heard by the Caribbean masses who offered their solidarity to the Guyanese democrats and giving them courage to continue the struggle for free and fair elections.' Ambassador to Venezuela, Dr. Odeen Ishmael
`We have to expand the frontiers of our vision and, if needs be, have the courage to reform/or change what exists. We need quickly to deepen and widen our regional integration movement for overall planning and territorial specialisation, and evolve a basic needs strategy. We need capital investment, but this must serve to enhance human development. We need structural adjustment but with a human face.' Dr. Cheddi Jagan
THE Cold War hysteria of the 1960s prevented close political relations between Guyana's late president Dr. Cheddi Jagan and his counterparts in the Caribbean.
This view was expressed by Guyana's Ambassador to Venezuela, Dr. Odeen Ishmael, in a lecture he delivered entitled `Cheddi Jagan's Vision For Caribbean and Hemispheric Integration' last week at the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre in observance of the 86th birth anniversary of Dr. Jagan.
"The pro-colonialist leaders of the Caribbean had earlier ganged up against the PPP leaders in the pre- and post-1953 period, and Dr. Jagan and some leaders of the PPP were not allowed to enter those islands for fear that they would infest those places with their ideas for political and economic change. Surely, the Caribbean leaders in those days preferred to promote and defend colonialism than to encourage integration," Dr. Ishmael asserted.
Despite this, Dr. Jagan worked persistently towards Caribbean integration, and contacts with the rest of the Caribbean did show some improvements on the economic side. Guyana showed gains in trade, especially with rice and other agricultural products, Dr. Ishmael pointed out, adding that there were also annual meetings of the Caribbean leaders during which Dr. Jagan made successful efforts to garner more markets for Guyana's agricultural products.
During the same period, Dr. Jagan came under attack from many quarters in the Caribbean for reducing financial support for the University of West Indies and for establishing the University of Guyana in 1963, the Ambassador recalled.
However, Dr. Jagan showed that because of the high costs, only a few Guyanese could have been educated at UWI, despite the substantial funds Guyana was contributing to the institution. The late Guyanese leader also pointed out that a much larger number of Guyanese would have the opportunity to earn their degrees at UG at little cost, Dr. Ishmael said.
The Ambassador noted that during the period in which Dr. Jagan languished in the opposition, the rest of the Caribbean turned their backs on democracy and "without any shame whatsoever" began "cuddling up to those who saw no use for free and fair elections."
"Cheddi's voice was a lonely one crying out in the Caribbean wilderness, but power politics blocked the ears of the Caribbean leadership. But that voice was heard by the Caribbean masses who offered their solidarity to the Guyanese democrats and giving them courage to continue the struggle for free and fair elections," Dr. Ishmael recalled.
But despite being shunned by the Caribbean leaders in the 1968-1992 period, Dr. Jagan felt no bitterness towards them, reasoning that they keeping in line with the ideological order and could not divert from it for fear of imperialist pressure, Dr. Ishmael posited.
At the CARICOM Summit in Trinidad in October 1992, shortly after ascending to the presidency, Dr. Jagan did not admonish the leaders. Instead, he impressed upon them the need to expand the Caribbean integration movement, Dr. Ishmael related.
This is what Dr. Jagan said at the Summit: "We have to expand the frontiers of our vision and, if needs be, have the courage to reform/or change what exists. We need quickly to deepen and widen our regional integration movement for overall planning and territorial specialisation, and evolve a basic needs strategy. We need capital investment, but this must serve to enhance human development. We need structural adjustment but with a human face."
Dr. Ishmael pointed out that Dr. Jagan also spoke on the need to eradicate poverty, corruption and extravagance, arguing that "we cannot have Cadillac-style living with donkey cart economies," adding that leaders must be examples of democratic clean and lean governance and efficient administration.
Speaking specifically on integration, Dr. Jagan had emphasised: "We must actively deepen and widen our integration movement. We have to properly situate ourselves in the wider world and with our immediate neighbours. Towards this end, Guyana can be an instrument of closer ties with the countries of South America."
Dr. Ishamel noted that Dr. Jagan urged that in order to achieve this effective leadership what was needed was the will to make difficult political decisions. He called for greater powers and resources to be given to the CARICOM Secretariat and Secretary General to ensure that policies are undertaken skillfully and with urgency.