Cheddi Jagan

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Cheddi Berret Jagan (22 March 1918 - 6 March 1997) was a Guyanese politician who was first elected Chief Minister in 1953 and later Premier of British Guiana from 1961 to 1964, prior to independence. He later served as President of Guyana from 1992 to 1997. He is widely regarded in Guyana as the "Father of the Nation".

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Early life

Cheddi Bharat Jagan was born on 22 March 1918 in Port Mourant, a rural village in the county of Berbice (now part of modern-day Guyana), the eldest of 11 children born to parents who came from India to British Guiana as indentured labourers. His mother Bachaoni, his father Jagan, along with his two grandmothers, and an uncle, were brought from Basti, Uttar Pradesh, British India, in 1901. His family grew up in rural poverty and worked in the cane fields to support themselves. By the age of 15, Jagan's father wanted to make sure his son attended school and sent him to Queen's College in the capital city of Georgetown, about 100 miles away, for the next three years. In Georgetown, Jagan saw life differently, coming as he did from a poor background. After he graduated from high school, finding a job was almost impossible. Finally his father decided to send him to the United States to study dentistry.

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Stay in the USA

Jagan left for the United States in September 1936 with two friends and did not return to British Guiana until October 1943. He lived in Washington D.C. for two years and attended Howard University, taking a pre-dental course, worked two summers in New York, and spent the last five years in Chicago at Northwestern University. At school, he was a dedicated student, and his hard work earned him a free tuition scholarship for his second year at Howard and in 1938 entry into Northwestern for a four-year dental program.

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Political career

Jagan co-founded the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) in 1946, and was subsequently elected to the Legislative Council in November 1947 as an independent candidate from Central Demerara constituency. On 1 January 1950, the People's Progressive Party (PPP) was founded by a merger of the PAC and the British Guiana Labour Party (BGLP), with Jagan as its leader, former BGLP leader Forbes Burnham as its chairman and Jagan's wife Janet as secretary.

Jagan won elections in 1953. However, Winston Churchill was alarmed by fears that Jagan was a Marxist-Leninist, and was convinced Jagan could allow the Soviet Union a foothold in Latin America. In fact, there is no evidence whatsoever that Jagan had any ties to any foreign communist or revolutionary groups. But still, the fears prompted a British military intervention only days after his victory. Jagan resigned as Chief Minister after 133 days. Britain suspended the constitution and installed an interim government. Jagan's movements were restricted to Georgetown from 1954 to 1957. After a PPP victory in the August 1961 elections, Jagan became Chief Minister for a second time, serving for three years. In the December 1964 elections, the PPP won a plurality of votes, but Burnham's party, the People's National Congress, and the conservative United Force held a majority of seats and were invited to form the government. However, Jagan refused to resign, and had to be removed by Governor Richard Luyt.

Having broken off links with Burnham, Jagan was active in the government as a labor activist and leader of the opposition. After 28 years in opposition, the PPP won the 5 October 1992 elections with about 54% of the vote, and Jagan became President. Contrary to earlier foreign fears, he ruled as a democratic socialist.

Jagan suffered a heart attack on 15 February 1997 and was taken to Georgetown Hospital before being flown by U.S. military aircraft to Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, D.C., later that day. He underwent heart surgery there and died in Washington on 6 March 1997, 16 days before his 79th birthday. Prime Minister Sam Hinds succeeded him as President and declared six days of mourning, describing Jagan as the "greatest son and patriot that has ever walked this land".

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Family

He married Janet (née Rosenberg) in 1943, and the couple had two children, Nadira and Cheddi Jr. (who in turn produced five grandchildren).

Janet Jagan followed her husband's footsteps and held the positions of prime minister and president in 1997 (succeeded as president by Bharrat Jagdeo in 1999).

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Legacy

The Cheddi Jagan Research Centre in Georgetown celebrates his life and work, complete with a replication of his office.

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Selected publications

Jagan was also an important political author and speechwriter, and his publications include:

• Forbidden Freedom: The Story of British Guiana (Hansib, 1954)
• The West On Trial: My Fight for Guyana's Freedom (Harpy, 1966)
• The Caribbean Revolution (1979)
• The Caribbean: Whose Backyard? (1984)
• Selected Speeches 1992-1994 (Hansib, 1995)
• The USA in South America (Hansib, 1998)
• A New Global Human Order (Harpy, 1999)
• Selected Correspondences 1953-1965 (Dido Press, 2004)

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See also

• Cheddi Jagan Bio Diversity Park
• Cheddi Jagan International Airport

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References

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External links

• Cheddi Jagan Research Centre, an informational site maintained by Jagan's daughter, Nadira Jagan-Brancier.
• Cheddi Jagan Timeline Posted at Center for Cooperative Research
• "An Appreciation of Dr. Cheddi Jagan". Indo Caribbean World, 12 March 1997.

Source of article : Wikipedia