Gov’t should take high road when revising contract with Cheddi Jagan Research Inc to avoid appearance of petulance

Dear Editor,

If it were properly done, there would have been much to commend the Government of Guyana for leasing Red House at a token rental to Cheddi Jagan Research Inc (CJRI) for use as the home of the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre (CJRC). The underlying principle was manifestly demonstrated this past week by President Granger gifting acres of land to Food for the Poor and announcing annual subventions to help that organization with its operating expenses.

The rationale, in both instances, is the same. The difference, however, is that the first was opaque and secretive while the second was transparent and publicly disclosed.

Good governance and shrewd politics should persuade the present government to take the high road by both revising the contract with CJRI while avoiding the appearance of petulance that would distance the large number of Guyanese who revere the lifework of Dr Cheddi Jagan.

Is the CJRI, a bona fide non-profit, non governmental organization? If it is, fine. If it is not, it should be so incorporated. The lease of the land and building should ideally be between the Government of Guyana through its designated state agency and a registered, bona fide non-governmental organization.

I know, from extensive communication with Mrs Janet Jagan, that she did not wish to donate the collection of papers, books, photographs, letters, gifts, memorabilia and other artifacts to the University of Guyana or any other organization. She was afraid that some of the items would grow legs and walk out of the presidential library, in much the same way as books and other articles used to walk out of the Michael Forde Book Shop.

A few days after Dr Jagan died, I wrote Mrs Jagan about establishing a presidential library on the campus of the University of Guyana, along the lines of the Lyndon B Johnson Presidential Library on the campus of the University of Texas in Austin, Texas and the George H W Bush Presidential Library, then nearing completion at the campus of Texas A & M University at College Station, Texas.

Separately, I lobbied Vic Insanally, Bernard De Santos, and by a letter faxed to Eddie Boyer for hand delivery to him, Joey Jagan, among others, for their support of this idea.

Mrs Jagan embraced only the core of the idea. She had objection to locating the library at the University of Guyana. She had unshakeable objection to donating the collection to any organization. And she did not like the designation ‘Presidential Library’. It sounded like an American copycat! She preferred ‘Research Centre’ or ‘Research Institute’.

She did not say it but it was my impression that she wanted to keep tight control over the collection and tighter control over the Research Centre. She was adamant that Red House was the only suitable place to house the collection. She cited the fact that she and Dr Jagan lived there from 1961 to 1964; they raised their teenage children there; had some of the best times of their lives there; and it was the place where some of the most momentous decisions made during his term as Premier of British Guiana were formulated. Red House would henceforth be home to some of the documents that were birthed right in those very same rooms.

I pointed to the shabbiness of the building, as it appeared then in 1997.

She countered that she would seek the help of Barama to refurbish and retrofit the building for the new purpose. My point that a building made of weathered wood would be a fire hazard was dismissed as diasporic over-reaction!

And the point that the old domestic type plumbing would be prone to leaks causing irreparable damage to the collection elicited a benign smile to indicate I was exaggerating the risk!

Red House was refurbished and opened as the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre (CJRC) in 2000. Some might remember that the millennium edition of the Guyana Christmas Annual, with which I am associated, was launched at Red House in December 2000, a change of venue from State House the year before. I did not know of it until later and therefore was unable to offer Mrs Jagan a way whereby she could have retained ownership of the collection while allowing another entity exclusive use of the collection for a mission of education, history and research.

The collection does not need to be owned by the CJRC. It could have been loaned to CJRC on a long term basis, with transfer of ownership occurring in the future, by small percentage increments or by donation of specific items or group of items over an extended period, beyond her lifetime.

Who owns the collection now? Is it the Jagans’ children collectively? Or one of them? Or is it still in the estate? Or is it in a family or non-family trust or foundation? Or is it owned by CJR Inc. The Government of Guyana should know this, unambiguously, before entering into a revised lease agreement. My opinion is that a revision of the lease for 96 years more and at the token rental of $1000.00 per annum is appropriate. But it needs to be sanitized by frankness, transparency and public disclosure. It needs revision and re-affirmation for the public’s palate.

Hindsight, like history, always finds a way to smirk at partisan pasts. Everyone’s, politicians included, especially those in power in the here and now.

The ideal presidential library in Guyana would, among other things, be located at or near to the University of Guyana; the buildings would be of fire retardant materials; the electrical system would have double redundancy to thwart fire; the plumbing system would bypass the exhibition and archival spaces and be sequestered in other areas while still having automatic shut-off features in case of a leak; the ventilation system would adjust for moisture, humidity and salt in the air; the paper materials would be encased in acid free transparent sleeves; the collection would be professionally archived and curated; the items would not grow legs and be prone to walk away; the displays would be interactive; the ambience would bestow high regard for the presidency of Guyana; the collection would be owned by the people of Guyana who would individually treat it as trustees of their legacy; and it would be administered by an agency under enhanced mandates of the Walter Rodney Archives.

Yours faithfully,

Tulsi Dyal Singh