Dear Editor,
In reference to Mr Mohamed Sattaur’s letter in SN of July 19 (‘Guyanese can stand tall anywhere in the world because of Dr Jagan’s victories’), I would like to point out that he failed to respond to any of the points on President Cheddi’s legacy which I raised. His mantra in this letter, “this is Jagan’s legacy” rings hollow because, first of all, he should note that SN printed his full letter and gave him every opportunity to answer not only my statements but also the questions raised in the other letter, especially the particular question as to whether he’s a communist. Unlike the way Mr Sattaur runs NCN, SN upholds freedom of ideas, information and open-mindedness, and is the seasoned leader of the free press for many years.
Under Mr Sattaur’s rules, even though he receives taxpayers’ money, there is no toleration of any view which criticizes this government or the PPP leadership, just government propaganda painting a rosy picture of life in Guyana. Mr Sattaur never answered any of my statements in my letter because he can’t, so he should check back and answer my statements in relation to a new question: Mr Sattaur are you a dedicated communist?
Mr Sattaur mentions remigrants as a legacy of Jagan, but as he is a remigrant, one would have thought that he would bring back to Guyana the concept of freedom of the press but no, he brought back the concept of communists which is to enforce domination of the media by government. Jagan was always for a free press and the proof is in his record as leader of this country; he never tried to muzzle the press as Mr Sattaur and his comrades do now. I never heard Mr Sattaur talk up against the ads ban by the government of SN; I never heard him on the Channel 6 issue or the recent Mosley incident.
Mr Sattaur talks about Jagan’s legacy and the agricultural sector; does he want to talk about Jagan’s work to put Black Bush Polder in place and look at the neglect in that place and look at the plight of the sugar workers in Berbice – roads blocked, tyres burning, sugar workers and their relatives angry – and Mr Sattaur talks about those in Freedom House preserving a “legacy.” When Jagan was alive that never happened. What about Port Mourant where Jagan was born and raised? Nothing much done for the people there, and Mr Sattaur talks about legacy.
In reading Mr Sattaur’s letter, I am saddened that my father’s blood, sweat and tears for this country which are, in fact, his real legacy, can be used by someone who doesn’t understand President Cheddi’s real meaning to the Guyanese masses.
Yours faithfully,
Cheddi (Joey) Jagan (Jr)
