The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) is pleased to have the opportunity to pay tribute to former President Cde Janet Jagan who passed on nine (9) years ago this day. Although she was not a Guyanese by birth, her co-leadership in the People’s Progressive Party and leadership in the Women’s Progressive Organisation and her distinctive contribution in Government made her known across the length and breadth of Guyana. She came to our land in 1943 as the wife of that outstanding son of our dear land, Dr Cheddi Jagan.
Soon after her arrival to Guyana she plunged into political work to affect a change in the political circumstances of our colonial land. Her political work paid great attention to improving the lot of our womenfolk whose lives under colonialism was especially miserable, with them enjoying little or no rights. Her dedicated work for our country was monumental, and exemplary. Sixty-six (66) years of her eighty-eight (88) year lifespan she lived in Guyana. She gave up not only her American citizenship for Guyana, but she was a proud naturalized Guyanese and was revered by the people she worked with and those she helped, and indeed, her contributions are highly appreciated and recognized by those who are aware of her selfless contributions.
Her thoughts and her ideas, undoubtedly contributed significantly to the formation of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) in 1946. Herself, Cheddi Jagan, Ashton Chase and Joselyn Hubbard were the founders. It was the beginning of new politics for the country and it became the basis for the emergence of a Political Party, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) which was formed on January 01, 1950, and which objective was to win adult suffrage, to end colonial rule from Great Britain and to achieve political independence as a prerequisite to build a Guyana that will work to uplift the Guyanese masses.
In fact, one cannot speak about Janet Jagan’s political life without Cheddi Jagan and without the People’s Progressive Party, without its dedicated leaders and its large number of supporters. For the past sixty-odd years, with the advent of the PAC and the PPP, the advanced political awareness of our Guyanese has emanated from these two (2) organizations, especially because of the extensive and intensive work of the PPP.
But comrades, while many of us are aware of Cde Janet Jagan as a politician, I feel I must reflect on some of her support to the trade union movement and workers’ struggle.
I wish to quote from some parts of the Presentation by GAWU’s President, Cde Komal Chand at her Memorial Service at Freedom House on March 30, 2009
I quote “Cde Janet Jagan displayed a bias towards the working class throughout her life. This, no doubt, was in keeping with her ideals. Her working class feelings ran as deep as her feelings for the impoverished. What she taught us, along with her colleagues-in-arms, is the path out of our deprivations and exploitation – the path of organization and struggle. Her life was enmeshed with that of the working class. She was active in several trade unions and took part in many battles of that segment of the Guyanese population.
“Her most memorable activist role for us in the Guyana Agricultural & General Workers’ Union, was the outstanding and leadership part she played in the history making workers’ struggle in Enmore in 1948. In that battle she displayed courage under fire, a recognized quality of hers, and along with other members of the Political Affairs Committee, gave able leadership in a workers’ struggle that was to impact on our history and ever since changed the dynamics of our politics.
“The workers who fell in that struggle we celebrate nationally today as the Enmore Martyrs. And, Janet Jagan, Cheddi Jagan and others from the Political Affairs Committee, made history in Guyana only after 2 years since their arrival.
It is noteworthy that Cde Janet always attended the wreath-laying activity at the La Repentir Cemetry on June 16th every year to pay respect and tribute to the five (5) martyrs whether it rains or shines but you know it always rains.
“Over 60 years separate us from that struggle in Enmore. We remember with a sense of pride and dignity those who heroically fell and we also remember those who went into battle, side-by-side with the workers for workers’ rights and justice. Janet Jagan was in the forefront of that struggle. In fact there was hardly a moment where she would refuse an invitation to be in a working class gathering.
Cde Janet Jagan never delinked her active interest in the workers cause generally or particularly the sugar workers. In any discussion around the workers’ demands, her position is clear and predictable – she will side with the workers. For the GAWU, in her was a lifelong friend and supporter. As her performance in politics or in the women’s struggles would show, Cde Janet Jagan did not flinch in taking forthright stands on behalf of the downtrodden, the oppressed, the discriminated and the voiceless. She was an admirable freedom fighter; equally, she was an admirable working class champion.” End of quote.
We in GAWU pay our respect and homage to this great outstanding woman – an outstanding Guyanese, an exceptional leader of the working-people imbued with a true revolutionary spirit
