GAWU organising officer tells Enmore Martyrs Rally
This year brings us to seventy-one (71) years since the brutal massacre of the Enmore Martyrs who have since become recognized as National Heroes. This is indeed a fitting tribute to the highest price they could have paid, that is, sacrificing their precious lives in their determined struggle to win respect from the powerful sugar bosses of the day and, at the same time, in their determined efforts to obtain improved working conditions and social justice in general.
The sugar plantation historically has been viewed as a symbol of oppression, degradation and exploitation of workers by expatriate capital. From the very beginning it was a European creation specifically designed to further the ends of colonial exploitation. As an economic institution, its prime, historic need was for a reservoir of cheap, malleable and immobile labour. During slavery the enslaved labour force perceived sugar as the root of all their accumulated woes and the plantation as the focus of colonial domination and oppression. As a result, they resisted when they could and they accommodated when they had to. Oppression and exploitation persisted during the period of indentureship. The immigrants, consistently demonstrated militancy and debunked the myth of being a “docile labour force”. They resisted and openly defied the system as in the case of record sugar strikes and protests in 1869, 1872, 1876, 1879, 1888, 1894, 1896, 1899,1903,1905,1913, 1914, 1924 and 1939. In every case, the response of the plantation oligarchy and the colonial police was stark, brutal and uncaring.
The Enmore Strike of 1948 originated in the general dissatisfaction of labourers with their miserable conditions of work and living. Wages were far from satisfactory. In fact, they were considered very low. At Enmore the old system of “cut and drop” had given way to a more arduous task of “cut and load” the punts. This system made the work of cane cutters more demanding and, at the same time, caused punt loaders to be redundant. Moreover, potable water was not available, transportation facilities were practically non-existent, dismissals without just cause were rife, and houses and sanitary conditions were most appalling. Professional medical care on the plantation left much to be desired and illnesses associated with mosquitoes and water-borne diseases were prevalent. Of added significance was the workers’ disenchantment with the recognised union of the day, the Manpower Citizens Association (MPCA). Against such a background, the Guyana Industrial Workers Union (GIWU), the forerunner of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), was formed in April, 1946.
The strike itself began on the 22nd of April, 1948 at Plantation Enmore and it quickly spread to the neighbouring East Coast sugar plantations, including Non Pariel, Lusignan, Mon Repos, La Bonne Intention (LBI), Vryheid’sLust and Ogle. As the weeks progressed, the strike gained momentum, and more and more workers joined in thestruggle.
On that fateful day June 16, 1948, the striking workers as usual gathered outside the Enmore Estate compound. With tensions running high, some of them attempted to enter the compound. And it was at that stage that thepolice took unwarranted action. Without warning, they opened fire into the crowd. Some labourers were even shot in their backs as they attempted to escape the onslaught. Five sugar workers lost their lives and fourteen (14) others were seriously injured. Those who perished were:- Rambarran, who sustained two bullet wounds in his leg; Lall called Pooran, shot in his leg and sustaining agaping three-inch wound above his pelvis; Lallabagie Kissoon – shot in the back; Surujballi called Dookie – also shot in the back and Harry shot in the spine.
Did the Enmore Martyrs die in vain? I venture to say an emphatic no. Undoubtedly, their contribution to the overall advancement of the working-class struggle in Guyana is immeasurable. I daresay the incident surrounding the Enmore Martyrs had a lasting effect on the lives of numerous peopleincluding leading personalities. Foremost is the late President Dr Cheddi Jagan himself. On this issue he revealed in ‘THE WEST ON TRIAL’ that, “At the graveside the emotional outburst ofthe widows and relatives of the deceased were intensely distressing and I could not restrain my tears. Therewas to be no turning back. There and then I made a silent pledge. I would dedicate my entire life to the cause ofthe struggle of the Guianese people against bondage and oppression”.
In the ensuing years, this remarkable man did exactly that – he devoted his entire life to the cause of allGuyanese and the working class in particular. He quickly established himself as the champion of the workingclass in the legislative council and was very critical of the planter oligarchy and other exploitative elements in society. His militancy and robust advocacy won him international recognition as a fearless anti-colonial fighter. His timely interventions on behalf of the working man, the unemployed and the dispossessed made him the leading politicalfigure in the colony.
The fallen Enmore heroes must have inspired and influenced their colleagues and other trade union and political leaders to intensify the struggle for social and economic justice and betterment in general. The heroes and Martyrs of Enmore will long be remembered for their sterling contribution to the advancement of the working-class struggle in Guyana and a better tomorrow. Many of the very things that they so relentlessly struggled for in 1948 have since been achieved by sugar workers in particular and workers outside the sugar industry in general. The way for these achievements was paved by the struggle and the sacrifice of the Enmore Martyrs.
Sugar industry
Comrades, as we lay wreaths, as we pay tributes and as we resolve to reach greater heights, at the same time, we cannot ignore that the epicenter of the Enmore incident is no longer with us. Again, it is saddening to record that Enmore Estate, like Skeldon, Rose Hall and Wales Estates were closed in an unceremonious fashion and the some seven thousand (7,000) workers who were connected to their operations have been put on the breadline. What is worse comrades, is that it appears that those who have taken those decisions remain unconcerned or are the least bothered by the circumstances of those who have been rendered jobless. It’s almost déjà vu as Enmore of 1948, when the then plantation owners ignored the plight of the workers who, like their descendants of today, faced miserable conditions and dire difficulties.
It is indeed a saddening picture now-a-days to see the villages and communities who depended on the now-shuttered estates. Today, the vibrancy of life has been removed and dark, ominous clouds hover overhead. Today, once proud people have had their dreams and aspirations for better tomorrows snatched away from them and their families. Today, life-long goals have been pushed aside and survival has taken utmost precedence. Today, it is saddening to point out that for thousands of Guyanese living in the sugar belt they have been reduced to clinging to life with the dimming hope that better will come. This is indeed the disturbing realities of our times and, in as much as some try to ignore them, they stare us starkly in our faces.
It is disheartening for the GAWU to register this not be the reality. Indeed, as life has thought us, there are always choices and an alternatives were certainly available. Indeed, closure could have been avoided and light was shined onto another pathway. Why this was not taken in order to avoid the harsh realities of today defies us and could best be answered by those who made the decisions. What we are certain about is that history will staunchly and roundly condemn those who advocated and implemented the heart-rending decisions.
Conclusion
Comrades, the Enmore Martyrs and the 1948 struggle, like so many heroic struggles previously and after, have enriched and made us proud of our history. In the face of today’s many and varied challenges, we can draw inspiration from them and as in our past to face up to those challenges uncompromisingly and with dignity. Like the sugar industry, our country, too, has arrived at a critical crossroad on the road to progress. The spirit of nation-building and greater progress is being overtaken, it seems, by self-interests and narrow political ambitions. We must take note of this, but also take heart in the belief that the obstructionists to progress will have their schemes aborted.
The Enmore Martyrs, once more, showed that we can overcome adversities and win out if our demands and struggles are just. This is their abiding lesson to us.Thus, in our times, we can point to the ongoing relevance of the Enmore Martyrs. This enduring message we should not forget. The working people must be always vigilant, militant, organizationally strong and united, and must always raise the banner of solidarity.
Long live the memory of the Enmore Martyrs!
Long live our ongoing struggles!
Fight on for further victories!
