Dear Editor,

Guyana is mourning. It is indeed a sad day for our country and its people to bear the loss of this great woman, Mrs Janet Jagan. She has been a public figure in Guyana ever since she made our country her homeland.

She has been considered by many as the mother of the nation; she has been a great politician and she dedicated her life to fighting oppression, and struggling for workers and human rights, and women and children’s rights. Janet Jagan was an experienced journalist and author and an asset to our land.

Her passing has created a void that will never be filled. She had a lot of courage and resilience, and no matter who it was, she would stand up to the fight.

With women and children at heart, she propagated education as a tool to take them out of poverty so they could play an equal part in development.

For example, she was the mentor to the Women’s Progressive Organization, which allowed some of Guyana’s most versatile women leaders and professionals to blossom.

Another way in which we would remember her was her quest for press freedom; most recently she had spoken out against the governments suspension of ads to the Stabroek News.

Regardless of politics, race, religion or creed Guyanese came out in thousands to pay their last respects to this iconic lady. All political parties, civic groups, businesspeople, professionals, diplomatic missions, rich and poor, managers and cane-cutters alike spoke of their sorrow.

A few weeks before her death she was attending the birth/death anniversary of her late husband, President Cheddi Jagan.

The month of March will go into the history books because of these two people who brought pride and happiness to thousands during there life’s journey.

I hope that with a Jagan no longer in the PPP their spirit will guide the party to grow from strength to strength so that their names and legacy live on forever.

Yours faithfully,
Danny Basil