Dear Editor,
The recent death of Ranji Chandisingh brought many statements from many prominent politicans and personalities in this country. Let me extend to the family of the deceased, my earnest condolences. But I would like to really express some thoughts concerning Mr Chandisingh and his superficial communist beliefs which led him to betray the very ideas which he professed to believe in.
When Mr Chandisingh left the PPP to join the PNC government, he proceeded to issue statements slander-ing President Cheddi while justifying his move by stating that the PNC was following a course to build socialism and communism in Guyana. His statement at that time, was clear as daylight, in that he accused President Cheddi of selfish and opportunistic behaviour and of holding back the spread of socialism/communism in Guyana.
After working with Jagan for many years, Mr Chandisingh knew very well, without any doubt, that Cheddi Jagan was the most committed socialist/nationalist/communist the country, and indeed, the Caribbean had ever seen (even before Castro); he knew very well that not only was President Cheddi a true Marxist, but that he was the most modest, honest, non-corruptable person in the whole of Guyana. He knew very well that Jagan gave up the most for his socialist beliefs (loss of government in the 1960s) and stood like a real man, never giving in to cowardice and the sweet smell of success; he knew very well that Jagan would stay in the wilderness even if it was for all his life in order to preserve his beliefs in Marxism and a socialist mandate; he knew quite well that for the cause of socialism, Jagan stood out like the Sphinx of Egypt and was world-recognized as a leading Marxist.
So why would Mr Chandisingh leave Jagan and walk to the other side, knowing full well that the cradle of Marxism was firmly rocked by Cheddi Jagan and knowing full well that the PNC government of the day was just blowing the trumpet of socialism to undermine the political positions of the PPP without building the foundations of a socialist state?
Chandisingh, in fact, left the PPP and walked towards the sweet smell of success because he couldn’t stand the wilderness, and it’s as simple as that.
He couldn’t stand the pressures which President Cheddi endured for all those years so he walked; he couldn’t deal with the spirited debates within the PPP and Cheddi’s persausive eloquence in debating the ideas of socialism because he thought that he was the leading master of theory and found out that the real master was Jagan. I remember my father explaining to me about Chandisingh’s defection and how it hurt him, and I remember him feeling sorry for “Ranji” because as he explained, “Ranji” was divorcing socialist theory from practice and thus had gone astray in trying to literally disband the PPP in his rush to “sweet success.”
Mr Chandisingh couldn’t stand the heat in the kitchen so he walked out and never came back from the dining room where he enjoyed the sweet smell of success until Mr Hoyte became President and moved the PNC away from the quasi-communist positions it previously held, and that was the end of “Ranji” as he became a relic of the past.
So, Editor, my contention is that the accolades which came in particular from certain PPP leaders are indicative of what the sweet smell of success can do to politicians who forget President Cheddi and the trials and tribulations which the likes of Chandisingh put that great man through.
The PPP leaders who heaped praise on Ranji Chandisingh recently should be ashamed of themselves, especially since they claim to be following the principles of Jagan.
The bottom line of the sequence of events which led to and encapsulated Chandisingh’s betrayal of President Cheddi is that “Ranji” betrayed himself and his own self-professed beliefs in the end because he always knew, to his dying day, that Cheddi Jagan was a righteous man and a righteous leader.
As far as I am concerned, “Ranji” will not even become a reference of political discourse in the future of our country’s development because he really was of shallow political skills, not able to see the visionary in Cheddi Jagan, who persevered in the end.
Yours faithfully,
Cheddi (Joey) Jagan (Jr)
I’m darned if Joey didn’t finally hit it on the head!!!!
Joey:”…. not able to see the visionary in Cheddi Jagan, who persevered in the end.”
Visionary and Persevered to what end?
Visionary in recognizing that Marxism was the only thing that made sense. And, today Guyana is a model of a Marxist state????
Ok Joey, Your dad was a true visionary and a model of perseverance for the ideals of Marxism.
My most abiding image: a 60-foot tall statue of Lenin suspended by construction crane on the cover of TIME magazine.
Mohamed na tek da bai too serious today. Joey is merely retaliating to secure whatever is left of his father’s controversial legacy. However, the content and arguments in his recent letters to the editor of both daily newspapers clearly identify him as an independent thinker who certainly knows the difference between ‘BELIEVING’ and ‘UNDERSTANDING’.
Joey is accurate because Cheddi Jagan was the most consciencious IDEOLOGUE, bar none, to grace the local political scene. One becomes an ideologue by flat-out BELIEVING in a theory regardless of the existing circumstances, therefore no new information, ideas or vision are allowed to be entertained or to compete for academic space. Inflexalility, impatience and intolerance are the common denominators, where growth becomes a casualty at the hands of fanatically BELIEVING.
On the other hand, education is an attempt to UNDERSTAND by processing new information, ideas and theories. The natural urge to UNDERSTAND anything new signals an equal opportunity for growth, where virtues like patience, tolerance and flexibility are readily embraced. Normally, one is not allowed to disagree with an IDEOLOGUE, in fact, an erratic falling-out or break-up is the only option. Guyana’s political IDEOLOGUES, and of course there are still quite a few on the scene today, have always been the immovable obstacle that retards vision and growth.
From the inception, Guyana was doomed for failure because most of our leaders were gleefully and publicly admitted IDEOLOGUES. As a youngster, I remember folks proudly saying “I’m a communist” like a badge of honor. This was the beginning of the disaster that give rise to racial and ethnic politics.
What’s all this boasting about Jagan being a true Marxist? What has Marxism doen for Guyana since Jagan embraced it at the launch of his political career in Guyana? What has Marxism done for the world in the last hundred years? Joey needs to get with the programme!
Joey writes: “After working with Jagan for many years, Mr Chandisingh knew very well, without any doubt, that Cheddi Jagan was the most committed socialist/nationalist/communist the country, and indeed, the Caribbean had ever seen (even before Castro)….”
Joey, in writing this letter about “Mr Chandisingh and his superficial communist beliefs which led him to betray the very ideas which he professed to believe in,” you are treading dangerously into a quagmire. Mr Chandisingh’s departure from the PPP on tactical grounds is pardonable. As Cheddi Jagan’s only son, Joey, what is unpardonable is your constant attacks on the current PPP leadership which you yourself have repeatedly described as communists. If the Freedom House guys are communists they are simply keeping alive your father’s faith. You, Joey, are the one who betrayed your father. And if Chandisingh’s defection “hurt” your father, would he not have been hurt by your own defection?
… u guys need to lighten up on “joey” ! let him breathe ,, afterall he’s talking abt his DaD ,, and the father of the nation
for once i agree with joey.
I met Cheddi several times when I was living in Prashad Nagar.I did not ask him if he was a true Marxist, and he did not tell me if he was one.He neither told no one to my knowledge that he was a true Marxist.However,it was up to others to observe him, and decide if he was indeed a true Marxist.
Who care about cheddi? this is 2009.
What is this going to do to get us out of the abyss that is the PPP? who cares about ralph ramkarran and anyone else and their useless arguments to rehash history.
Where is all the glory that cheddi and the PPP was supposed to bring to our people? where is it? show me it Ramkarran show me the greatness and the freedom that you boysie, Reep and cheddi was supposed to bring us.
Cheddi Jagan sent his children to study and live in Canada and the US of A while telling us dumbos here communism/socialism is the real way of life for Guyanese. What hypocrites! Janet and Cheddi were… and really I don’t care if the weak-kneed moderator is afraid to post this!
kamla-w, Nadira Jagan studied in the former Soviet Union in the early 1970s. Please be respectful to the SN moderator who’s doing a terrific and thankless job.
hahahahhaa you nailed it kamla all these so called leaders in the PPP today are having children in america not in Guyana hmmmmmm i wonder why?
So what did the illegal PNC leaders did in Guyana? Not the same thing?
kamla-w ,, on this i MUST disagree with u ! ,, it’s not just the politicians ,, who send their progeny to matriculate in foreign schools ,, and to elablorate on this ,, if all in GUYANA was making the kind of money that is demanding of education ,, NOW ,, i know that u would not be saying this !…….
Dr. and President Jagan could be hypocrites in many other dimensions ! but as for the education of the two ,, i feel it was their obligation to seek the best !…… as any parent would ,,, given the opportunity !….