independence jubilee supplement

Stabroek NewsIndependence Jubilee SupplementThursday May 26, 2016

Starters Nursery and StMargaret’s School celebrating

the Independence Jubileeyesterday (Photo by Keno George)

A STABROEK NEWS, Thursday, May 26, 2016

First series one dollar note issued in 1966. It carries the names of HorstBockelmann, the Governor of the Bank of Guyana, who was of German national-ity, and Peter D’Aguiar, the Finance Minister. (Photo courtesy of Fawaz Khan)

The nation of Guyana had to issue new stamps reflecting its status as an independent nation. Since it had many of the old British Guiana stamps in stock itresorted as a temporary measure to overprints.Coins and notes did not present the same problem, although some new notes, as will be seen below, were issued.

British Guiana stamps overprinted ‘Guyana Independence 1966’. One stamp in every block of 10 has an error overprint of ‘1966 Independence 1966’. (Photoscourtesy of Fawaz Khan and Taffan Kerrett)

The first set of stamps issued when Guyana gained Independence

in 1966 (Photos courtesy of Fawaz Khan)

British Guiana defini-tive issues with ‘Guyana

Independence 1966’overprint (Photos

courtesy of Fawaz Khan)British Guiana definitive issues with ‘Guyana Independence1966) (Photos courtesy of Taffan Kerrett)

British Guianastamp with anerror overprint

‘GuyanaIndependence1956’ instead

of ‘1966’

STABROEK NEWS, Thursday, May 26, 2016 A

The route to Independence was impeded by all man-ner of obstructions. It was Dr Cheddi Jagan who in the1940s had initiated the call for independence, and in1953 his party, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP)which enjoyed support from the two major ethnicgroups, came into office with a large majority under asystem of universal suffrage. However, the new gov-ernment, which included Forbes Burnham in its com-plement, had barely got into its stride before the ner-vous British suspended the constitution because theyperceived the PPP as having communist leanings. Theunity which had characterized the PPP of 1953 wasnever to be replicated again, and eventually two quitedistinct political entities were to emerge, the first thePPP, associated largely with the Indian segment of thepopulation, and the other the Peoples’ NationalCongress (PNC), representative of mostly the Africans.

Thereafter, the matter of independence becamebound up with who, at a political level, should inheritthe state. The Americans were determined that DrJagan, whom they saw as communist, should not takethis country into independence, and the British, thecolonial power, co-operated with them in this matter.As it was, US interference in the country’s politicsplayed a role in the violence which broke out between1962 and 1964.

In 1957, the British government decided to restore alimited form of self-government, and Jagan won theelection which followed. Thereafter, a constitutionalconference was held, representing the first of the for-mal discussions about independence. It was chaired byColonial Secretary Iain McLeod, and while Jagan ledthe PPP delegation, Forbes Burnham led the oppositionPNC. There were also an independent and two nomi-nated members of the Legislative Council in atten-dance. Even at this stage, ideas about independence didnot coincide; the PPP wanted independence in 1961,while Burnham wanted full internal self-governmentimmediately and independence as part of the WestIndian Federation. Jagan, it might be noted, hadalready refused to join the federation at the time of itsformation in 1958 and said that the country couldalways join after independence.

There were various other points of dispute, butwhere independence itself was concerned, McLeod didnot accommodate Jagan’s position, and insteadannounced internal self-government on the basis of anew constitution which would come into effect in1961.

Owing to the disturbances, the next constitutionalconference, this time chaired by Colonial SecretaryDuncan Sandys, first had to be postponed, but eventu-ally took place in 1962. Burnham on this occasionpressed for independence, with the qualification thatelections should be held first. He was supported in thisby a new party in the mix – the United Force (UF) ‒ ledby Peter D’Aguiar, whose delegation included StephenCampbell, an Amerindian who argued for Amerindianland rights.

Jagan’s position remained immediate independence,and he also disagreed with Burnham on the matter ofthe voting age and the nature of the electoral system.

There was no bridging the gap between the twosides, and the parties returned for the third conferencein 1963. Nothing had changed, but eventually all sidessigned on to placing the decision in the hands ofSandys. The Colonial Secretary conceded everythingto the opposition, and nothing to the government.Before independence was granted, there was to be anelection, and significantly, this election was to be heldnot under the constituency system which thenobtained, but under proportional representation, or PR,

as it is known.While in the election which followed in 1964, the

PPP won a plurality of the votes, they did not secure anoverall majority, and it was Burnham’s PNC whichwas slated to take the country into independence fol-lowing the formation of a coalition between that partyand the UF.

The last constitutional conference was held in 1965,when Secretary of State Anthony Greenwood presided.It settled technical matters such as the date of indepen-dence. The PPP refused to attend because the state ofemergency had not been lifted and some of its mem-bers were still in jail as political prisoners, among otherthings.

Independence: A difficult road

The famous hug: After the Guyana flag was raised for the first time Cheddi Jagan and Forbes

Burnham – the architects of Independence – embraced.

The Duke of Kent, who represented the Queen at Independence salutes as the Union Jack is low-ered and the Golden Arrowhead is raised. (From left: Lady Luyt, Duchess of Kent, PrimeMinister Burnham and Governor-General Luyt)


Cheddi Jagan (front right) turns to speak to Fenton Ramsahoye seated behind him. Front left is RanjiChandisingh and next to him, Chitlall, Jagan’s driver/bodyguard. Back row from left: Rudy Luck, MrsLuck, Mrs Ramsahoye, Fenton Ramsahoye, a Mexican delegate and Eusi Kwayana.

The PNC delegation to the 1962 Constitutional Conference at Lancaster House in London. Front left seat-ed are Forbes Burnham, Neville Bissember Sr and W O R Kendall. Back row from left are advisorsClaude Merriman, H M E Cholmondeley and Eugene Correia (partly hidden). British officials are stand-ing at left. (Photo courtesy of the Bissember family)

Independence conference, London, 1962 with Burnham centre and Neville Bissember at left.(Photo courtesy of the Bissember family)

MottoGuyana’s motto ‘One People One Nation One

Destiny’ was approved by Brindley Benn in 1958 whenthe PPP was in office.

The PledgeI pledge myself to honour always the Flag of Guyana,and to be loyal to my country,to be obedient to the laws of Guyana,to love my fellow citizens,and to dedicate my energies towardsthe happiness and prosperity of Guyana.

National AnthemAccording to Vibert Cambridge (Musical Life in

Guyana: History and Politics of Controlling Creativity,2015), a special committee of the legislature invitedsubmissions for the National Anthem in 1960. Althoughthere had been 212 entries, he writes, no decision hadbeen made, so the matter was handed over to a NationalHistory and Arts Committee. That too produced noth-ing.

By 1965, a note of urgency had been injected into theprocess, and on the instructions of the then Minister ofEducation, Winifred Gaskin, it was passed to LynetteDolphin of the National History and Arts Council.Cambridge writes that a new competition was held anda small committee of “persons of broad literary andpoetic backgrounds” was appointed to choose the win-ning entry. Among the criteria which were laid downwas one that the words should not “make undue refer-ences to ideology and political party slogans,” andshould “avoid religious references.”

On this occasion there were 266 entries, and thesewere pruned in stages until the winner was settled upon.This was Rev Archibald Leonard Luker, an Englishteacher at the New Amsterdam In-Service TeachersTraining programme.

Luker was, in fact, just responsible for the lyrics, andCambridge reports Lynette Dolphin as recording thatcopies of these were sent to Guyanese musicians bothlocally and overseas. Following that, there were, itseems, more than 100 entries, and it was those byWilliam H L ‘Bill’ Pilgrim, Robert Cyril GladstonePotter and Valerie Rodway which came to form theshort list.

Cambridge goes on to quote Cleveland Hamilton forwhat happened next:

A ‘committee’ of one hundred persons representingschools, youth groups, religious groups and politicalparties was established, and the three submissions wererecorded with Evelyn John (soprano), Stanley Ridley(baritone) Bishops’ High School Junior Choir and thePolice Force Band. The ‘committee’ met at theGovernment Technical Institute and were given scoresheets, although they were not told the names of thethree composers. They chose RCG Potter’s submission.

The National AnthemDear land of Guyana, of rivers and plains,Made rich by the sunshine, and lush by the rains.Set gem-like and fair, between mountains and sea,Your children salute you, dear land of the free.

Green land of Guyana, our heroes of yore, Both bondsmen and free, laid their bones on your shore.This soil so they hallowed, and from them are we,All sons of one mother, Guyana the free.

Great land of Guyana, diverse though our strains,We are born of their sacrifice, heirs of their pains.And ours is the glory their eyes did not see,One land of six peoples, united and free.

Dear land of Guyana, to you will we give,Our homage, our service, each day that we live.God guard you, Great Mother, and make us to beMore worthy our heritage, land of the free.


Ulric Pilgrim (retired) was presentwhen the Golden Arrowhead was hoist-ed for the first time, and he recalls boththe occasion itself, and the rehearsalswhich went into it.

(Reprinted from the Sunday Stabroek, May 26, 1996)

“For a long while ahead of the nightof flag-raising in the National Park therewas much preparation. If you look atphotographs of the night of theIndependence celebration you will seethree officers attending to the raising ofthe flag. Two tall ones and a short one inthe middle. I was the short one.

“I was one of the three officers whotrained in Britain, at the Mons trainingschool in Aldershot, outside London,1965. The other two were Ramesh whodied (as an army Captain) in a car crashon the East Bank highway and the otherwas Carl Morgan.

“When we returned soldiers DesmondRoberts, Assad Ishoof and VibertBoodhoo went to be trained. We were inthe Special Service unit, a paramilitaryunit administered by the police.

“I was already a Lieutenant in theGuyana Volunteer Force. That Forcewas sort of part-time and could be calledout in times of need, like [in] the uglydays of ’62 and ’64. It was headed by CE De Freitas. We had lectures fromBritish officers whenever they came andfrom World War Two veterans, periodi-cally.

“The officers who went to Mons werechosen by the British through rigorouselimination from a field of 140 appli-cants. Actually all of my training was

done in Britain, except for jungle war-fare in Malaysia.

“I was Adjutant (a kind of staff officerto Lieutenant-Colonel Ronald Pope) atthe time of Independence.

“We had rehearsals, and rehearsalsand dry runs. A lot was centred aroundthe symbolic raising of the flag andLieutenant-Colonel Pope was deter-mined that everything would go welland that nothing, like the flag not open-

ing or some other catastrophe, shouldmar the proceedings.

“So the flag was tied and untied andhoisted over and over and we were at itnight and day. There was the guard ofhonour and the persons were specifical-ly selected for the pulling down of theUnion Jack and the hoisting of theGolden Arrowhead. The two soldiershad to be six feet tall. I guess I was cho-sen to be there also because I was adju-

tant, and I was older than the others.“Desmond Roberts raised the flag.

Pope was in the line near the PrimeMinister watching the flag go up. Thenwe saluted the Golden Arrowhead forthe first time.

“I think though, the person with thebetter knowledge of what went on thatnight, seeing that I was standing staringat the flag praying that it would openright, would be Carl Morgan.”

Remembering independenceOrganizing Independence Night

Dr Cheddi Jagan in London for the constitutional talks, 1962 (Photo courtesy of the Bissember family)

Mr Burnham and his team at the constitutional talks, 1962 (Photo courtesy of the Bissember family)

A Soldier’s story- raising the flag

‘Again as with theemergent countries,

one of the immediateproblems is that of its

boundaries.Neighbours usually lay‘false’ claim to a new

country’s land… Sincewe, too, shall be facedwith this problem, weshall have an excellent

opportunity for unity.”Excerpt taken from“What I Expect ofIndependence” by

Margaret Yhap, studentof St Roses’s High,

May 1966.


Remembering independence“The absolute truth is that I was not in the Park that

night. Somebody had to man Ayanganna. That task fellto me. I had to be content with being nearby and watchthe fireworks.

“As I recall retired Colonel in the British Army,Colonel Hereford was contracted to organize theIndependence celebrations.

“Second Lieutenant Desmond Roberts and UlricPilgrim were to raise the Golden Arrowhead andSecond Lieutenant in the British Army James JonKlass of Dutch percentage born in India, from theMiddlesex regiment, was responsible for lowering theUnion Jack. I can’t wager for what happened to theBritish flag but there is a Union Jack in the MilitaryArchives at Camp Ayanganna that is thought to be theflag lowered that night.

“There were two Guards of Honour, one from theGDF and the other from the British Army. The RoyalNavy was here since there was a vessel in port and theRoyal Marines.

“The GDF soldiers were wearing ceremonial dressfor the first time in the colours we still use.

“There was a choir, possibly the Woodside Choir,the Police Band and baton-twirling ‒ this I think wasdone by recruits.

“The fireworks were fantastic. A stand was built atthe north of the ground so that when the lights went offit was displayed against the darkness. There was alarge crowd there even though I think only the stand tothe east was constructed. The others were additions.

“I recall that I was sad at not being at the NationalPark and happy that Independence had arrived. I wasalso lonely. I did not see the flag go up. I read someyears after that we have a perfect flag and it has the dis-tinction of not being a flag that could be hung upsidedown as with other flags as a sign of distress.

“An expedition with ethnobotanist and mountaineerAdrian Thompson and Second Lieutenant Ishoof wentto plant the flag at Ayanganna, Roraima.

[Ishoof] was one of five that had trained inSandhurst. The others were Liverpool, Haydock West(whom part of Kimbia was named after), Hinds,Granger and now Chief-of-Staff Joe Singh. Isaac Jerry,an Amerindian guide went with Thompson and Ishoof.I think they also took an army Signal.

“Vibert Boodhoo was assigned the ADC to the Dukeof Kent.

“That night there was an official dinner atGovernment House (where the President now lives, onMain Street). That is evident because there were per-sons in mess uniform (short jackets and bow-ties). Ifyou look at the photograph of Burnham saluting theflag, you’ll see what I mean. That night there was alsothe ‘embrace’ between Jagan and Burnham which wasthe talk of the town for a long time after. Sir RichardLuyt was the Governor (It was only after Independencethat they were referred to as Governor General). Theroyal party probably stayed at the Government House.Hotels were out of the question. The Queen herselfstayed at the Government House when she came inFebruary of 1966.

“After Independence Day the Duke and Duchess ofKent went to a special sitting of Parliament to handover the instruments of Independence to Burnham.Their schedule was pretty hectic after that.”

‘I watchedthe fireworks’- Carl Morgan (retired)


‘Ours the Glory’ was the grand pageant which wasput on by the then National History and Arts Councilto welcome the birth of an Independent Guyana inMay, 30 years ago.

The task of coordinating the pageant in time for theday was placed on the shoulders of then Bishops’ HighSchool teacher, Cicely Pilgrim Robinson, who hadexactly six weeks to get the show on stream, Robinsontold the Sunday Stabroek.

Robinson, who was an active member of the TheatreGuild Playhouse and who had performed in severaltheatrical roles told Sunday Stabroek that she hadnever mounted a pageant before and took it up as achallenge.

When she heard that Guyana was to gain itsIndependence, she felt “absolutely exhilarated and waslooking forward tremendously to Independence Day.”She did not think that she would have been playingsuch a big part, she said, until she was summoned bythen Chief Education Officer Mr Thom to a meetingwhich had been convened by the Ministry of Educationto plan for the Independence celebrations.

“It was six weeks of sleepless days and nights,” shecontinued. “We worked as the work demanded.” ThePageant, “which was quite a big event”, involved some1,041 participants with 200 people executing variousfunctions. At no time did she entertain the thought thatthe programme would flop, although now she express-es amazement, “at the magnitude of the challenge thatI had accepted.”

So many played important roles, she said, especiallythe choreographer Trinidadian Beryl McBurnie, “whowas invaluable, without whom, I do not know what wewould have done,” and Arthur Seymour and FrankPilgrim, who were the authors of the ‘Ours the Glory’script. She also added Phyllis Shepherd, who was theAssistant Pageant Director, and Master of the ArenaLawrence Thompson to the list. Robinson said that shehandpicked all the narrators with whom she hadworked previously, for the most part in the TheatreGuild. One of them was Rajkumarie Singh, whom shedescribed as possessing “a beautiful resonant voice.”

Participants in the pageant were drawn from theBishops’ High School, Carnegie School of HomeEconomics, Central High, Charlestown GovernmentSecondary, Christ Church Government Secondary,East Ruimveldt Government Secondary, the FredericksSchool of Home Economics, the GovernmentTechnical Institute, Indian Educational Trust College(now Richard Ishmael Secondary) Queen’s College, StJoseph’s High, St Roses’s High, St Stanislaus College,Tutorial High, the University of Guyana, members ofthe Sea Scouts and the Theatre Guild Junior Workshop.

Before rehearsals could begin ‒ in fact for there tobe a pageant at all ‒ “there had to be a script.” Shesought out author and poet Arthur Seymour and herbrother Frank Pilgrim. They agreed to do the scriptingalthough she said, “I had to be on their toes day andnight” to get it completed quickly. According to hergetting the script from the two was probably the hard-est part. She said that whenever “Frank or Arthur sawme coming they’d turn the corner and I would go theother way to ensure I caught up with them. Frankwould the say, ‘Alright sis, Alright sis, soon, soon.’”

The Pageant was organized in episodes and the dayitself she remembered as a “beautiful day, though wewere into the rainy season.”

Episode One was called ‘The Amerindians’. Sherecalled that students of East Ruimveldt who playedthe role of the indigenous peoples had been given thetask of collecting feathers of all descriptions. “Theycollected turkey feathers” she said, noting that theircostumes were “simply fantastic.”

Episode Two was the ‘Court of Queen Elizabeth’and it featured a discourse between Sir Walter Raleghand Queen Elizabeth on a king they called El Dorado,the Gilded Man.

Episode Three was ‘Settlers and Slaves’ and EpisodeFour ‘The cockpit of Europe’. Episode Five was enti-tled ‘Settlers and Citizens’ and Episode Six was ‘TheImmigrants’ followed by the ‘Finale.’

The essence of working on ‘Ours the Glory’ wasteam spirit she said, hinting that much of that is lackingtoday. “The teachers working with us were secondedfor the period”, she said.

Apart from Frank and Arthur, who were very

‘Six weeks of sleepless days and nights’Cicely Robinson recalls the mounting of the Independence Pageant of May 27 at Kelly Dam, and

chasing her brother Frankie (the late Frank Pilgrim) and Arthur (the late Arthur Seymour) for the script.

‘After 152 years of‘spoon-feeding’ by theBritish Government,

Guyana will now haveto learn to stand on

its own feet and thinkfor itself, make itsown decisions and

face the consequences.This is indeed thetrue meaning of

Independence, and wewill have the opportu-

nity of running theaffairs of the countryfor our own interests

instead of being direct-ed from Britain.’

-Excerpt taken from“What I Expect ofIndependence” by

Margaret Yhap,Student of St Roses’s

High School, May 1966.

Turn to page 16A



Moses Bhagwan, then a member ofthe People’s Progressive Party (PPP)was a representative of the PPP delega-tion to the 1962 and 1963 Constitutionalconference.

He spoke with the Sunday Stabroek(May 26, 1996) about the period leadingup to Independence and the 30 succeed-ing years. Following are excerpts fromthe interview:

“A lot has happened since Inde -pendence Day in 1966. At pres ent onewould ask oneself what qualitativechanges have taken place to distinguish[the coun try] from a colonial culture andstatus. While there have been a lot ofchanges not all have been substantialenough to make us satisfied that we haverealised enough of the potential the sta-tus of Independence opened for us as anation...

“In assessing the situation over thepast three decades, one has to be realis-tic and objective taking into considera-tion that the transfer of political powerfrom Britain to the people of Guyana hasbeen no waving of a magic wand.Independence meant that certain advan-tages that a colony had in terms ofaccessing tech nology, skill and politicalexpe rience were lost. But the compensa-tion would have been in a dynamic turnin develop ments within the country... asense of nationhood... of belonging anda confidence in our abil ity to develop thecountry in our own way.

“The constitutional talks in 1962yielded nothing. In 1963 Dr Jagansigned the infamous Sandys’ letter thatled to the changes in the electoral sys-tem. Dr Jagan had been given the op tionof signing or not signing, the conse-quences of which would have been adeadlock in the talks. By signing thatletter it gave [Duncan] Sandys [Britain’sColonial Secretary] the responsibility tode termine the electoral system to beused in the 1964 general elec tions.

“The 1965 Constitutional Conferencewas boycotted by the PPP. I too did notattend al though I would have, as anInde pendent Member of Parliament, hadcertain provisions been made possible.At the time I felt that the IndependenceConstitu tion should provide for theestab lishment of a government thatreceived a two-thirds majority of sup-port in Parliament. The proposal was putforward as a means of ensuring that nogov ernment would emerge that did nottranscend ethnic divisions. The princi-ple, I still support.

“In the-early ʼ50s the dream ofIndependence agitated a mas sive part ofthe Guyanese soci ety. It inspired thepeople of Guyana to struggle for aremoval of colonial rule. However, therewere regrettable developments after the

suspension of the Con stitution in 1953.In addition to the battle against the colo-nial power, our politics was increas inglybeing characterised as an internal strug-gle between the two main political par-ties for po litical power, the PNC led by[Forbes] Burnham and the PPP led byDr Cheddi Jagan. The dream of indepen-dence was lost in an ensuing civil andethnic strife in which each ethnic group‒ Amerindian, Portuguese, Chi nese andIndo- and Afro-Guyanese began toexperience fears about the future and asense of ethnic insecurity. With that de -velopment went the Cold War con-frontation in which Guyana was one ofthe battlegrounds.

“As we approached Indepen dence,chaos and instability were developing sothat we did not enter independence as apeople inspired by a sense of nation hoodbut unfortunately in considerable doubtand disunity. We still have not recoveredfrom these experiences and Guyana isyet to see a flowering of unity, an appli-

cation of the enormous talents of all itspeople, and the mobilisation of its muchvaunted resources for the emergence ofa prosperous and forward looking soci-ety.

“In spite of what I have said, I havenever lost faith in the pro cess of thestruggle for indepen dence and itsachievement. I was uplifted by the factthat political independence had beenachieved and I personally partic ipated inall the celebrations. I had hoped thatIndependence would have been anopportunity for the political leadershipto advance to a new level of creativityand national commitment.

“At the moment we have to be con-cerned that there is no shared commonvision for Guy ana, no sense of direction.There is no effective balance betweenthe utilisation of local human re sourcesand human resources available frominternational agencies. There is wide-spread poverty and a dangerous growthin the gap between the rich and the poor.

In the clamour for private investmentworking people and their organisationsrun the risk of being sidelined.

“A most disturbing post-Independence feature is the visible dete-rioration in human values and the con-comitant rise in various forms of brutal-ity as well as the rise of blatant anddestructive get-rich-quick culture.”

Remembering independence‘Reciprocal understanding and closer cooperation between the major parties is a must if Guyana is to follow the road of peaceand prosperity, for a house divided cannot stand, and this country is no exception’Excerpt from “What I expect of Independence” by Michael Quail, Student of Central High School, May 1966

Guyana is yet to see a floweringof unity – says Moses Bhagwan

Moses Bhagwan

As the Golden Arrowhead was being raised for the first timeat what is now the National Park in Georgetown, Guyana’sflag was being planted on the summit of Mount Ayanganna,from which the GDF’s Camp Ayanganna takes its name.

The route to the summit was pioneered by the Indigenousmountaineer Isaac Jerry from Philippai, while the partywhich climbed the mountain comprised members of theGDF along with Adrian Thompson, the mountaineer andnaturalist. The flag was actually raised by Assad Ishoof, but

unfortunately he as well as Thompson and Jerry are nowdeceased.

In the photo above the party which planted the flag isshown outside the Parliament Building just before theirdeparture. Along with some others Forbes Burnham (centre)personally saw them off. From left (in uniform) are Walters,Martindale, Assad Ishoof (the only officer present)Clenkian, Stewart and Thom.

Adrian Thompson can be seen fourth from right partlyhidden, while Frank Pilgrim stands to Thompson’s right.

Planting the Golden Arrowhead on Mount Ayanganna


Remembering independence

(Reprinted from Sunday Stabroek, May 26, 1996)

“Independence has special memories for me for sev-eral reasons. I was part of the team that attended theconference in Britain to negotiate inde pendence[1965]. Briefly I should tell you what went on beforethat. Guiana, in 1953, had adopted the WaddingtonConstitution and for the first time we could have votedunder universal adult suffrage. In the circumstanceIndepen dence was the next logi cal step. After India hadachieved its indepen dence it was thought that BritishGuiana would be next. The ’53 constitu tion wasadvanced but Britain still had respon sibility for oursecurity, external and military affairs.

“The British accused Jagan of being communist andMc Carthy and others were hysteri cal at the thoughtthat we were going to be part of the commu nist bloc.Elections were in April of that year and by October[October 6] the constitution was suspended and Britishtroops came here to maintain the peace. An interimgovernment was ap pointed which functioned until1957. The PPP won the next elections. They won theelec tions in 1961...

“Jagan said that the election results reflected theviews of all the people. Burnham wanted proportionalrepresentation and not the first past the post since thePPP would have the obvious- advantage...

“Britain...[decided on] the electoral system of pro-portional representation, to let the voting age be 21

(Jagan had wanted it to be 18) and that there should beelections before Independence under ProportionalRepresenta tion (PR).

“Jagan said no to Propor tional Representation andthere were slogans written up about the city which said‘No PR, CR’. CR is an unmentionable exple tive.

“But at the 1964 election the PNC, United Force(UF) gov ernment took office. And in keeping with theagreement we went to Britain for the confer ence [todecide the date for Inde pendence]; Jagan boycotted.

“The team comprised mem bers of the PNC, UF, SirRichard Luyt [governor] Sir Anthony Greenwood[British Minister of Overseas Development], DavidRose, the then advisor to the Governor on Defence,Lio nel Luckhoo and Sonny Ramphal, the Attorney-General.

“There was no historical sig nificance to May 26.Burnham wanted Independence to be in Februarybecause of the histori cal February slave rebellion, andD’Aguiar wanted August since it was August [1834]that the British granted emanci pation.

“May was the middle ground between the twomonths, a com promise.

“It was a cold November. The conference was wellar ranged and we were anxious to get it over with. Westayed at the Dorchester Hotel and the confer ence wasat Lancaster House.

“Ramphal and Luckhoo provided the link betweenthe par ties and we had good dialogue and were able to

come to com promises.“The PPP boycotted the con ference even though the

date had been fixed. The British had even tried to per-suade him [Jagan] to attend. They asked him not tothrow away his chance of making vital decisions thatwould greatly af fect the country. He had declinedtelling them that the country was in a state of emer-gency and that several persons were in deten tion(which was true, we were just emerging from seriousriots, murder and general chaos) and that the electoralsystem was not ac ceptable to the majority of peo ple.

“We returned home with a sense of achievement.”

‘There was no historical significance to May 26’ – Hamilton Green

Hamilton Green


On the occasion of Guyana’s thirtieth anniversaryof Independence, Eusi Kwayana had the following tosay:

“At the time of Independence I was neither a member of the PPP nor the PNC. I was supporting thePNC, however.

“How did I feel about Independence? It was no

surprise to me. We had expected it. But it was a goodfeeling.

“I was not involved in the celebrations inGeorgetown. I went to the National Park briefly toescort a Mexican delegate (that was my duty becauseI spoke Spanish), I introduced him and left.

“I was organizing preparations for the celebrationsat Buxton. We had a public rally there at which Ispoke, and I think George Young. There were gather-ings in most communities. I remember there werefêtes and tramps the next day.

“What I was interested in was a Westminster typeof constitution which detailed how the governmentwas to operate and how the opposition should betreated. But, no one showed an interest, neither thegovernment nor opposition; everyone was more con-cerned about winning the elections.

“They got proportional representation (PR) but thatwas not the solution. It solved the problem of repre-sentation, since the PPP was over-represented inParliament, which was more evident in ’61 when thepeople really voted.

“It did not solve the problem of racism and theracial choice of politicians and the structure of powerwhich still exists today, and which everybody, in theirsober moments, does have to admit to. As a countrywe have to face it some time or the other and not runaway.

“The government which was in power was impor-tant to the British government because of the ColdWar which was on at the time. I don’t think theBritish were as concerned with our independence asthey were about keeping a communist out of office.They knew from ’61 that if the PNC and UF joinedforces they would have been able to win and that itwould have been less risky to grant Independence atthat stage.

“I don’t think that in all this the organized workingclass was given enough credit for the achievement ofIndependence. The efforts by Jagan and Burnhamwere without doubt great ‒ Burnham for populariz-ing the idea among the people and Jagan in a moreabsolute way.

“It was the organized working class who shook upthe British administration with the 1947 bauxitestrike, the 1948 Colonel Teare strike (Colonel Tearewas brought here to run the Transport and HarboursDepartment and he did it like a tyrant) and the 1948sugar strike. These shook up the British investors andNorth American capital (and they realized) that theywere not here forever.”

The organized working class needs credit for Independence – Eusi Kwayana

Eusi Kwayana

‘Independence of 1966 was agrand occasion. I remember thatday well. It was touching to hearthat night the British Anthem playedfor the last time and the newNational Anthem of Guyana playedfor the first. The National Park wasfilled with people. The Duke andDuchess of Kent were there and anumber of foreign delegations.Burnham had invited the peoplewho worked with us on the constitu-tion. Britain had provided the fire-works. The people were happy,even though the paint had not evendried properly on manyof the standsand people had their good clothesruined.’

Hamilton Green


‘We should rekindle the spirit of 30 years ago’– Neville BissemberThe late attorney-at-law Neville Bissember Sr was in

the 21-member Guyanese delegation to the 1962 and1963 constitutional talks in London. He was also amember of the delegation representing the People’sNational Congress to the talks which resumed inNovember 1965, when the date for independence wasset.

In an interview with theSunday Stabroek of May26, 1996, Bissember, whowas one of the architectsof the IndependenceConstitution, spoke aboutthe ‘Independence experi-ence’. Excerpts from theinterview follow:

“As a result of the SirHugh Hallett BoundaryCommission whichdemarcated Guyana’s 35constituencies, electionswere held in 1961 forinternal self-government.The three main parties, thePeople’s ProgressiveParty (PPP), the People’sNational Congress (PNC) and the United Force (UF), con-testing the elections all clamoured for political indepen-dence. As a result, the British government summoned theIndependence Constitutional Conference in October, 1962.We went.

“We, including Sir Lionel Luckoo and Edward DeFreitas of the UF, and Fenton Ramsahoye of the PPP, haddrafted the whole Independence constitution. The meetingwas held at Lancaster House in London. Regrettably allthe political parties did not agree on the electoral systemwhich had to be agreed upon by the full plenary session.The PNC and the UF wanted a change in the electoral sys-tem, but the PPP which was in government at the timewanted the first-past-the-post system instead of proportion-al representation, and the conference broke down and wereturned home.

“The Secretary of State for the Colonies, Duncan Sandysthen summoned another conference in October 1963. Wewent back to London. This time the meeting was held atMarlborough House. Sandys, realizing that we had failedto agree once again, decided to impose the decision infavour of proportional representation, the system which westill use today.

“Independence was an exciting period in our history.Everyone thought that Independence would be a greatthing for Guyana. Regrettably it has not lived up to expec-tations primarily because there seems to be a failure of thegoverning party to come to terms with the view of otherpolitical parties and arrive at a consensus for national unity.I am afraid that national unity is far away from the reachesof the Guyanese people and I recommend that we rekindlethe spirit and enthusiasm of 30 years ago for the benefit ofthe Guyanese nation.”

Neville Bissember

The Duke of Kent hands the constitutional instruments to PrimeMinister Forbes Burnham in the National Assembly, May 26, 1966.

Forbes Burnham speaking at the presentationceremony of Independence Arch, Brickdam.

Governor Sir Richard Luyt takes the salute.

Remembering independence


By Oluatoyin Alleyne

Fifty years ago, 20-year-old GuyanaDefence Force Second LieutenantDesmond Theophilus Roberts wasselected to hoist the country’s GoldenArrowhead for the first time and it is anhonour that still makes his heart swellwith pride.

As the country prepares to celebratefifty years of standing on its own and notbeing a colony of Great Britain, Robertsis one of those who were around in thosedays and still remember.

“I felt mainly relieved that the flag-raising ceremony had gone without ahitch,” Roberts told this newspaperrecently when asked to recall his feel-ings fifty years ago.

“[I was also] happy that PrimeMinister Burnham and Leader of theOpposition Dr Cheddi Jagan hadembraced on the tarmac after the GoldenArrowhead had been raised; there washope for unity and reconciliation,” hesaid.

At that time, Roberts explained, therewere several parades to which officerswere assigned and he was given the flag-raising ceremony. “Maybe because I hadbeen good at drills, was tall and they feltthat I was confident,” he surmised.

While he raised the GoldenArrowhead the Union flag was loweredby a British officer, Second LieutenantJames Jonklass.

At that time Roberts had only justreturned from the British Mons Officer

Cadet School (MOCS).Reflecting on those days, Roberts said

he spent all his working life in uniform,paid by the army. He spent one year asDirector of the Guyana Youth Corps;seven years in the Guyana NationalService; two years managing ahydropower project in the North WestDistrict and returned to the GDF for fouryears before going off to study and final-ly retiring as a Colonel.

“I travelled all across our beautifulcountry and thoroughly enjoyed work-ing with young people,” he told thisnewspaper.

Retired Colonel Roberts may not be inGuyana as the country celebrates itsGolden Jubilee but said he will celebratethe 50th independence anniversarywherever he is. He has received severalinvitations to attend flag-raising func-tions and celebrations in North Americaand the Caribbean. “But Guyana iswhere the main focus will be and wherea lot of people will be returning aftermany years, possibly for the last time. Itwill be a great party. When you compareGuyana to many developed countries,after 50 years of their existence as coun-tries, we have done well. We have super-ficial differences which can be over-come within a generation; and we have aresourceful population in a country fullof resources,” Roberts said, withoutrevealing where he would be on May 26.

He plans to return to Guyana to liveand he hopes to contribute in any areapossible. He would like to live in

Guyana’s hinterland “in a simple way.”Initially when he left Guyana 26 years

ago the purpose was to study and returnbut he eventually migrated when “it wasclear that my services, and those of mywife, might not be needed in Guyanaafter 1997.”

Roberts stated that Guyana has movedin several directions over the past 50years, “trying to cope with external fac-tors, shocks and major changes withinthe international systems and regimens.”

He believes that President DavidGranger is attempting the “difficult taskof re-establishing first principles as wellas moving the country onto a path ofsustainable development.”

Roberts remembers his late friend andMOCS squaddie, Assad Ishoof, whoalso raised a flag on May 26, 1966, buton Mt Ayanganna. He said Ishoof ran hissuccessful businesses by adhering to thesix principles of war that they learned ascadets. “These are useful principles forrunning a small or large business as wellas a town or a country,” he said.

Second Lieutenant Desmond Roberts raises the Golden Arrowheadwhile Second Lieutenant James Jonklass of the British forces lowers theUnion flag.

Then GDF Cadets Asad Ishoof, Desmond Roberts and Vibert Boodhoo departfor officer training in Britain in 1965.

Desmond Roberts remembers raising Golden Arrowhead that first time

Desmond Theophilus Roberts


Guyana’s National BirdGuyana’s national bird is the Hoatzin, better known locally as the

Canje Pheasant. (Photo by Kester Clarke)

The Coat-of-Arms

According to Allan Fenty in ‘Being Frank’ (2011) it was Premier CheddiJagan who received a letter in 1960 from vexillologist Dr Whitney Smithasking whether he could design a flag for the then colony. (Smith coinedthe term ‘vexillologist’ which means ‘the scholarly analysis of all aspectsof flags’ (Wikipedia).) Jagan responded that the country could not have itsown flag until it became independent, but Smith could still create a flag forthe future and send it to the National History and Arts Council to look at.Thereafter it would have to be endorsed by the legislature.

Fenty goes on to relate that Smith’s Golden Arrowhead was approved bythe time Forbes Burnham’s coalition government acceded to office in 1964.

Guyana’s National FlowerGuyana’s national flower is the Victoria Regia lily, nowadays called the Victoria

Amazonica.

The Flag: the Golden Arrowhead

STABROEK NEWS, Thursday, May 26, 2016 Page 13AA STABROEK NEWS, Thursday, May 26, 2016

By Gaulbert Sutherland

I asked the group of men lounging at a bar at theKumaka waterfront if they knew StephenCampbell. One asked where he lived. Anotherpointed eastward. A mini-debate ensued until oneshouted: “The man dead!”

Stephen Campbell, of course, has been deadfor half a century. The first legislator of indige-nous descent in Guyana, he has often beendescribed as a revered hero to the indigenouspeoples for his fight to ensure that Amerindianlands rights were enshrined in the constitution ofthe newly-independent Guyana in 1966.Tragically, he never lived to see an independentGuyana as he died on May 12, 1966, two weeksbefore British Guiana gained independence fromBritain.

He was memorialized at the firstIndependence Day celebrations held in the SantaRosa school compound at Moruca where hereceived his education. He was hailed as the manwho “went to the Queen” in the independencequest, Esther Campbell (no relation) knownwidely as Teacher Attie, recalled. She was ateacher at the Santa Rosa school at the time.Despite Campbell’s death, the first IndependenceDay was a joyous affair, she related.

“Everybody was happy…there was a party atthe school...we had gone a little step further, ableto rule ourselves,” Teacher Attie related. She saidCampbell was memorialized at that firstIndependence Day. At midnight, the GoldenArrowhead was raised and policemen fired guns.To celebrate, poems were read, there were skits,games, a concert and cultural items. “They hada campfire, the children said poems and then theydance around the fire and the old people told sto-ries,” she recalled. She said the dances done wereAmerindian dances to the sounds of the shak-shak, guitar and banjo.

Fifty years later, precisely a week before theGolden Jubilee of Independence celebrations,one could be forgiven for thinking it was justanother day. Golden Jubilee events in RegionOne are being overseen by a regional committee

and the coordinator had not yet visited the villageup to Thursday when Stabroek News visited.

The village leader Sherwin Abrams andspokesman Graham Atkinson expressed frustra-tion. Both said they had sought guidance andfunds but none was forthcoming. “Right now wehave to clip it to a bare minimum,” Atkinsonsaid. He said it was made clear to them that theGolden Jubilee is a national event and they haveto work within the given structure and the villagecouncil could not subvert the authority of theregional authorities. He said they can organise alot of activities but they need the support to getout to all the communities. Atkinson said that hewas disappointed and a bit angry. “The politics ofthe day also has a lot to do with how these eventsare being planned,” he said.

Even the decorations, ubiquitous inGeorgetown, are largely unseen in Santa Rosaexcept for schools and the few governmentbuildings. Nevertheless, the schools and theCatholic church are planning their own obser-vances.

For the village, Atkinson said, they are plan-ning some activities and like May 26 in 1966,there will be a campfire, songs and a flag-raisingceremony and a presentation on Campbell’s con-tribution to independence.

Despite his status as a revered hero, Campbellis a forgotten figure to the wider populace.Usually, it is during Amerindian Heritage Monthcelebrations in September that he and his contri-butions are resurrected. Otherwise, in a post-independence conversation largely dominated byformer presidents Forbes Burnham and CheddiJagan, he has been relegated to the sidelines, nota part of any school curriculum, even in indige-nous communities. Even in his hometown SantaRosa, his name often elicits a quizzical “Who?”

Like the writing on the weathered monumentdedicated to him in the centre of Santa Rosa,Campbell seems to have faded into the mist. Themajority of persons asked could not say who hewas and only a few persons could instantly recallhim and his contributions during a recent visit tothe village.

“He fought hard for getting recognition for hisAmerindian people. I think he was a great hero,”said Doli Rodrigues, a tireless Morucan, whodespite retiring from teaching years ago, isinvolved in a range of activities. She recalledmeeting Campbell at Shea in the Rupununiwhere he showed the students old dances. “Hewas telling them you have to hold on to your cul-ture,” she recalled.

Rodrigues said people still speak of him. “Wefeel a certain respect, we still feel that he did apart in the independence thing,” she said, whileadding that people should be much more awareof his Moruca roots.

Atkinson said Campbell is like a beacon in thefight for Amerindian land rights. “There has beenprogress made in that area. However, we are stillstruggling to make it a real package,” he said,while adding that Campbell is still relevant in thestruggle for indigenous rights. Fifty years on, heobserved, “we are still struggling to have some

finality in some of these rights.”“He was really brave, he was really, really

brave to be so outspoken cause of the racialnessand everything, he was really…determined to goforward with his vision that he had for the peo-ple,” said Kevin Rufino, who learnt of Campbellfrom the late Basil Rodrigues.

Atkinson said that Campbell is not being dis-cussed as he should be, and he is only mentionedduring Amerindian Heritage Month. “You don’thear about Stephen Campbell having a role toplay in independence,” he said. “It’s not beingtaught in the school,” he pointed out whileadding that this is a bit frustrating because he isfrom that part of the country. He said Campbelland his role need to be rightfully placed in histo-ry.

There is no denying Campbell’s contributions.The role most associated with him is his struggleto secure the land rights of Guyana’s indigenouspeoples. Born in Moruca on December 26, 1897,

in 1957 he formally entered politics and duringelections that year as a member of the NationalLabour Front (NLF), Campbell, standing for theNorth West District, was the only person to wina seat for his party in the British GuianaLegislative Council. It was something of a land-mark, since he was the first Amerindian to win aseat in a general election. From that point on heserved in the legislature until his death on May12, 1966, two weeks before British Guianagained independence from Britain.

He was very concerned during the pre-Independence period that after Independence theindigenous people might lose their rights to theirtraditional lands, and in order to further hisefforts in this regard he resigned from the NLF,contesting the 1961 and 1964 general electionsunder the umbrella of the United Force (UF).Since the UF was the third party in the legislaturewhich was partly dependent on the Amerindianvote, this decision allowed him to attend theIndependence conferences in London in 1962,1963 and 1965, where eventually it was agreedthat Amerindians should be given legal owner-ship to lands in an independent Guyana. The factthat many villages now have official title to theirlands is largely owing to the efforts of Campbell,although he never lived long enough to see thefirst titles granted in 1976.

It seems unlikely that this is largely known.Santa Rosa is now a titled Amerindian village ofover 8000 persons scattered among the islandsand forests of the swampy Moruca district. Here,in Stephen Campbell’s hometown, the GoldenJubilee seems like an afterthought.

Atkinson spoke of transforming the weatheredStephen Campbell monument into a grander pro-ject: A Stephen Campbell gardens and informa-tion centre.

It would go some way towards answering thequestions asked by some in Santa Rosa. “Who ishe? Where he living?”

Stephen Campbell’s role in Independence talkshardly remembered in his home village of Moruka

Jubilant mood? School children at the Santa Rosa Primary School framed by Jubileedecorations The decorated Ministry of Education building in Kumaka, Santa Rosa, Moruca.

Stephen Campbell Kevin Rufino in Kumuka

Jubilee Princess: A Santa Rosa PrimarySchool student is all prepared for theGolden Jubilee observances.

The weathered Stephen Campbell monument in Santa Rosa

Doli Rodrigues in her craft shop at Santa Rosa.



Born and bred in Victoria, 71-year-old Randolph Blackettrecalls that before indepen-dence “you use to see a lotof white mouth ‘kera’ about

the place ‒ lack of proteins. But when[former President Forbes] Burnhamtook away he tried to eliminate that. Ithink he brought in this fish tilapia fromAfrica which help the issue.” It was alsodifficult for the average villager to findjobs or afford to further their education,but all of this changed after indepen-dence. “And when independence comewe started to do a lot of self-help aroundthe place, cleaning up the place and so.

“Back then this place use to be blacklike hell, no light. Every average childyou use to see with bus’ toe because ofthe claybrick road, and walking on theroad in the night you use to bust up youtoe. So when it was moonlight night youuse to be so glad because then you use toget your game and so forth.

“Back then we were more close, wemore knitted as a people because if youget little work to do we come togetherand we help one another in those days.But now everybody thinking about selfnow, after Independence everybody startbranching off and start think about self,”Blackett said.

May 26th, 1966 is stilletched in Blackett’smind as he remem-bers attending theflag-raising ceremo-

ny. ”I can remember attending the flagraising and I felt real good to see for thelast time that the Union Jack comingdown and our Golden Arrowhead goingup. But the thing that impress me moreis how this soldier march up on the tar-mac and salute. I think was then PrimeMinister Burnham, and girl you couldhave heard this man boots on the tar-mac! Oh Lord, me skin grow and I feltso nice to know that we now ruling our-selves, and I think all average Guyanesewould have felt that way too you know.And now to crown it all to see that assoon as our President swear in he start toclean up the place for this fifty-yearanniversary and look the difference,look the beauty of our garden city from

then to now.” He believes there is much to celebrate

and if his health permits he would be atD’Urban Park to witness the flag-raisingceremony. “I would remember fiftyyears ago I stood at the National Parkand witness the Union Jack comingdown for the last time and the GoldenArrowhead going up for the first time. Iwould feel like a proud Guyanese 71 oneyears old; you know I was a youth thenand now I am an old man, a grandfatherand a great grandfather to witness ourGolden Arrowhead going up in a atmos-phere of peace and love.”

Lucio Thompson is also 71, hailsfrom the village of Kamarang, Region 7and he remembers that when the countrybecame an independent state the GoldenArrowhead was hoisted by the then cap-tain of the village. For him nothing haschanged since then because, “We justcontinue to work hard, farming and noassistance. Right now I need help, Ialways thinking about myself how Iwould become in the coming future,what I would do for my family. I wouldlike more assistance from now on,” theman said, as he stood next to his ailingwife on the bridge of the AmerindianHostel. While they would be inGeorgetown on May 26th the couplesaid they do not plan on attending any ofthe activities because there is no one totake them around the city.

At 68, Buxtonian Jusset Hart believes

that Guyana was a better place under theBritish rule. She recalls that eggs werejust a dollar for a dozen and peoplecould have saved. “We were able to buythings to eat and get money to save,” shesaid, adding the children were more dis-ciplined in school and she does notrecall domestic violence being so ram-pant. An empathic “No” is uttered whenasked if Guyana should celebrate itsindependence, and asked for the reasonHart again mentioned the cost of living.She said for a place that is rich in naturalresources Guyanese should not have tostruggle so much, giving herself as anexample since she is unable to even buywood and sand to renovate her homebecause of the prices.

On the other hand, another Buxtonian,86-year-old Ismay McGarrell Guyanahas come a far way and there is much tocelebrate. But said in the past childrencould not speak to their parents the waythey do today, and they had to attendschool. “Parents now have to be behindyou and you doing what you like, thatdid not happen then. You have to go toschool and if you did not want to goschool your parents found something foryou to do, but they would press on youto go to school.” But she did admit thatthere were children who were not disci-plined back then as she recalled an inci-dent where some boys who were disci-plined by the school headmaster liftedhim and held him out of the school win-

dow and threatened to drop him. Theydid not do so, but were expelled fromthe school. “Violence in school is not anew thing; it use to happen in my days.But we did not have many girls droppingout of school because of teenage preg-nancy.

Rahanna Beharry is 73, andshe lives at GreenwichPark, East Bank Esse-quibo, and for her Guy-ana should be returned to

pre-colonial days just so the crime ratecould be reduced. “Things were good inthose days. We had no problem to getgrocery and they were selling cheap.”Beharry recalled that she was born inAlbouystown and her mother died whenshe was 12 and she was forced to memove to Farm Village, East BankDemerara. “I got married when I was 14and I worked in the backdam and diddomestic work. We used to feel safe inour homes in those days. But after inde-pendence there was an 80-day strike andthen the riot started. We were scared. Ican remember when we had to line up tobuy grocery…The only social problemwe had was with the men drinking andfighting up among themselves. At leastwe didn’t have robbery and we couldaleave our house open without worry-ing.”

But she is proud Guyana is fifty. “I’mproud that it is 50 years already since webecame independent, but I am sad athow the crime rate is going up. I don’tthink the country would get better withthe economy either. The pension raisebut everything raise in the shop too.”

Sixty-two-year-old Joyce Jones, whohails from Den Amstel, West CoastDemerara, feels that the country was ina good place before independence. “Iwas a young girl then but I can recallthat under the British rule we use to havecheaper things. The only recreation wegot was when young people in the vil-lage used to come together and playgames like ‘hop-scotch,’ ‘littie’ and ‘salpass.’ In those times we never had prob-lems with people smoking weed toomuch, but the men used to drink a lot ofalcohol. But it is good to know that we

Reflecting on the post-independentera: the elderly speak

Randolph Blackett Lucio Thompson Ismay McGarrell

Turn to page 21A

Rahanna Beharry Jusset Hart

STABROEK NEWS, Thursday, May 26, 2016 Page 15A

The following is the outline ofthe Independence Programme:

Day of National Reflection and Intercession

9am -Farwell Parade and layingup of colours of the British GuianaVolunteer Force; 11:45 am.

-Unveiling of the IndependenceArch by the Prime Minister; 4:30pm-Official Welcome for their RoyalHighnesses at the airport; 7pm -Their Royal Highnesses attendEvensong at St. George’s Cathedral;9 pm -Government reception forvisiting and local members of thePress.

9am -Handicraft ExhibitionOpens; photographic Exhibitionopens; 10:15 am.

Civic Welcome for Their RoyalHighnesses at the Town Hall; 11.40am -Their Royal Highnesses meetthe Press at Government House8:30 pm -Formal Dinner Party atGovernment House.

9.30 am - Their RoyalHighnesses visit rural areas in Eastand West Berbice and receive aCivic welcome and Reception inNew Amsterdam; 10 am.

-Presentation of Title deed to theUniversity of Guyana by LordCampbell; 4pm -Their Royal High-nesses return to Georgetown; 5.45pm -The Regimental Band andCorps of Drums of the 1st Battalion,the Middlesex Regiment, “BeatRetreat” at the Parade Ground; 9 pm-Diplomatic Reception at Govern-ment House; 9.30 pm -The Gover-nor’s Reception at GovernmentHouse.

9 am -Water Pageant onDemerara River; 9.30 am -TheirRoyal Highnesses visit the WaterPageant and then tour exhibition ofrice and sugar industries and localhandicraft at Vreed-en-Hoop; 11am-His Royal Highness visits theGuyana Defence Force; Her RoyalHighness visits the “Palms”Almshouse; 11.30 am

-His Royal Highness visits 1st

Battalion, the Middlesex Regiment;

8 pm -Their Royal Highnessesattend the State Banquet at Queen’sCollege; 10.35 pm -Their RoyalHighnesses attend the NationalDisplay, Flag-Raising ceremony inthe Queen Elizabeth II NationalPark.

INDEPENDENCE DAY (Public Holiday)

6 am -Religious Services ofDedication; 8am -National GunSalute by warships of visitingNavies; 8.30 am -Presentation ofcredentials by High Commissionersto the Prime Minister; 8 am – 9 am

-Broadcasts by ReligiousLeaders; 9.15 am -Fly past by air-craft; 9.45 am -Swearing-in ofGovernor-General and Ministers atGovernment House; 11 am -StateOpening of Parliament by HisRoyal Highness; 3.30 pm -TheirRoyal Highnesses attend the RaceMeeting at D’Urban Park; 6.30 pm-Their Royal Highnesses attend thePrime Minister’s Reception; 9 pm -Street Dancing; 10 pm -Their RoyalHighnesses attend the State Ball atQueen’s College.

Public Holiday9.30 am -Their Royal

Highnesses visit Lethem andMackenzie; 10 am -PrimeMinister’s Press Conference; 5 pm-Their Royal Highnesses return toGeorgetown; 5.45 pm -Receptionby the Guyana Branch of theCommonwealth ParliamentaryAssociation; 9 pm -HistoricalPageant in Queen Elizabeth IINational Park; 9 pm -StreetDancing.

9.30 am -Their RoyalHighnesses watch the Float Parade;2 pm -Informal departure of theirRoyal Highnesses from the airport;4.30 pm ‒ 8 pm -“Tramp”; 9 pm -Theatre Show at Queen’s College –“Guyana Legend”; 9 pm -StreetDancing.

Religious Services ofThanksgiving; 1.30 pm -NationalSporting Events; 4 pm -Processionof Floats and Steel Bands.

Programme forIndependence

Among many other things the Graphic Independence Souvenir ofMay 26, 1966, published the programme of events forIndependence. As can be seen, there were two public holidays onThursday and Friday, and a crowded schedule of functions of onekind or another.

SUNDAY

MAY 22

MONDAY

THURSDAY

TUESDAYFRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

WEDNESDAY

This was the front page of the special supplement brought out by theGraphic newspaper on the morning of Thursday, May 26, 1966. It wasentitled the ‘Graphic Independence Souvenir’ and was compiled by theeditor of the paper, Ricardo Smith. (Courtesy of Dr Steve Surujbally)

Letter requesting Queen’s approval for Independence Act and Order, 1966


By Ronald M Austin

The British Guiana Legislative Council in June of1958 passed a resolution calling on the British govern-ment to convene a constitutional conference to discussfull independence for the then colony. Responding tothe aspirations of the parliamentary representatives ofthe colony, the British government and its ColonialSecretary, Iain McLeod, convened a conference inLondon in March of 1960. Delegations from the PPPand the PNC were led by their respective leaders, DrCheddi Jagan and Forbes Burnham, while the GuianaIndependence Movement was represented by JaiNarine Singh. Rahman Gajraj and RE Davis attendedthe conference as nominated members of the Legis-lative Council. It was clear that while there was generalagreement on the need for independence there was noconsensus on the means to achieve it. The British gov-ernment settled for a halfway house: full internal self-government with the colonial power retaining respon-sibility for defence and foreign affairs.

But the British government understood that despitethe political difficulties, British Guiana’s independencewas inevitable and therefore the country had to be pre-pared for the attendant responsibilities. When a settle-ment was reached therefore at the 1963 constitutionalconference, critical institutions had to be created toensure that Guyana could carry out its functions as anindependent nation. One such area was foreign policy.

Accordingly, the British government created theDepartment of External Affairs in 1964 which waslocated in the Office of the Prime Minister. As Premier,Burnham elected to retain the Ministry of ExternalAffairs. Deroop Maraj was appointed Minister ofState. The recruitment of suitable candidates whocould serve as diplomats for the new state proceededapace. From all reports a number of well-qualified andtalented people were attracted by the prospect ofbecoming diplomats. It was here that some of ourfinest diplomats such as Rashleigh Jackson and RudyInsanally had their initial exposure to the practice ofdiplomacy.

The establishment of the Department of ExternalAffairs was the first step in a series of measures whichwere taken to prepare the British colony substantivelyand institutionally for independence.

After the completion of the recruitment process, thenew diplomats had to be trained. A major ‘ForeignService Working Training Course’ was held in January1966. The list of those attending this course makes forinteresting reading. Altaf Mohamed, who was later ourAmbassador to China, was there as was Miles Stoby,who became Deputy to Rashleigh Jackson at ourPermanent Mission in New York. Doris Harper Wills,the wife of Fred Wills, attended as did Jane Seymour,who was to do a tour of duty at our mission inWashington. In short, it was a mix of professionals,some of whom had excellent degrees in such subjectsas economics, law and education.

The subjects covered by the training course includ-ed ‘Working at an Embassy’, the significance of proto-

col, the importance of economics and trade, the‘American hemisphere’ and others which were consid-ered necessary to prepare the members of the Depart-ment of External Affairs for a diplomatic career.

The Prime Minister delivered the main address tothe conference. In this speech one can detect elementswhich were to have a lasting effect on the execution ofthe nation’s foreign policy. He took account ofGuyana’s geostrategic position in the world, theEast/West political blocs, the need for alliances anddevelopment resources, and the necessity to be as neu-tral as possible between the two ideological blocs;Guyana would not automatically support either East orWest. Also, on the very eve of the nation’s indepen-dence both Venezuela and Suriname reiterated claimsto Guyana’s territory. Not surprisingly therefore thePrime Minister made the question of security an impor-tant part of his speech. There had been pronounce-ments on the likely foreign policy for an independentGuyana in the pre-independence period, but this wasthe first time that the actual determinants of such a pol-icy were detailed.

Burnham’s address to the training course for the newGuyanese diplomats is an interesting documentbecause it represents the efforts of a new state to defineits interests and prepare its representatives for the chal-lenges of international life. Based on its interests andthe need for security, Guyana established diplomaticrelations with all of the main and important states inthe international system and with international organi-zations, such as the United Nations and the Common-wealth. Relatedly, this small nation pursued its goalsand objectives in international diplomacy with greatvigour. Within a decade of being independent Guyanawas a well-known small state whose representativeshad won recognition in several international fora. Thefact that it could host a Non-Aligned Meeting of theForeign Ministers for the first time in the Westernhemisphere eight years after independence is testimo-ny to the importance of diplomacy in the youngnation’s national life and the success it had achieved inexecuting its foreign policy.

Another important building block in the construc-tion of the institutions relevant to the conduct of thenation’s foreign policy was the ‘Report of the ReviewCommittee on the Organisational Structure andConditions of Service of the Guyana DiplomaticService.’ The committee which was established in1968 was chaired by the new Minister of State S SRamphal and it represents the most detailed account ofthe conditions of service of our diplomats. Twenty-three pages long it covers every aspect of the diplo-mat’s life abroad. Most of the recommendations of thecommittee were based on submissions by the overseasmissions. The work of this committee, the training pro-gramme to which reference has already been made,Guyana’s active diplomatic life, the pronouncementson the substance of the nation’s foreign policy and theperformance of our diplomats are testimony to the factthat Guyana had applied the energies released by independence in a most constructive manner.

Creating a foreign policyfor an independent state

Minister of State Shridath Ramphal

Rashleigh Jackson

supportive and collaborated to ensure that it was asuccess”, Robinson said that after efforts failed to getthe Georgetown Cricket Club Ground to stage thepageant. “Frankie” suggested that Kelly Dam and theGolf Course next to the old ‘Golf Club’ in the QueenElizabeth Park, now the National Park, be used as thevenue.

The Golf Club house was an empty building. “Wehad nothing to start with, but friends rallied around,”she said, and within a short space of time, “We hadtwo telephones, desk and chairs, mirrors and even asewing machine was loaned to us, and we got mov-ing.”

Two days before the show, “we had a snag with theelectrical arrangements.” Her brother-in-law LeonRobinson employed with the then Guyana

Telecommunications Corporation took time off his joband worked round the clock for 48 hours to get elec-tricity into the area. “The success of the pageant camefrom offerings and devotion like that,” she said.

It was after the Independence celebrations that thebuilding was turned over to the then National Historyand Arts Council and has since been renamed theDepartment of Culture. [It is now the BurrowesSchool of Art.]

From page 6A

‘Six weeks of sleepless days and nights’


By Gaulbert Sutherland

On May 26, 1966, there were fireworks, gun salutes,dances and songs as a newly christened Guyanaemerged from the folds of the British empire. Thepomp and pageantry has been repeated religiouslyevery year, but half a century later, Guyana is stillstruggling to find its footing.

“We were pretty excited at Cheddi going to theNational Park and embracing Burnham and so on…wefelt that good things would come out of that,” formerSpeaker of the National Assembly Ralph Ramkarranrecalled, speaking of the late presidents Dr CheddiJagan and Forbes Burnham. By the time of indepen-dence, deep fissures had developed between the one-time allies with Burnham becoming the prime ministerafter Jagan was manoeuvred from office.

Ever since, the deep divisions have festered and 50years on, despite being well endowed with naturalresources, fertile agricultural lands, bauxite, gold andextensive tropical forests which cover more than 80per cent of the country, Guyana is the third poorestcountry in Latin America and the Caribbean.

“I don’t think that we have done as good as we couldhave done,” Ramkarran said. “One of the reasons thatmost people feel that Guyana has been held back isbecause of the political divisions in the country. Ibelieve that if Cheddi were still alive today that hewould have made a much stronger effort to get unitybetween the two major political forces. I think that iswhat is needed.”

The period before independence was a time ofupheaval and turmoil and the consequences havehaunted Guyana since. Great sacrifices were made andit was not all joy on May 26, 1966 with independencebeing greeted with mixed feelings.

Ramkarran was born into politics, his late fatherBoysie Ramkarran having been a founding member ofthe PPP in 1950. The elder Ramkarran served in vari-ous capacities at the executive level of the PPP as theparty fought for independence, and for years after thesuspension of the constitution by the British in 1953,he was restricted to the areas surrounding his home. Healso endured imprisonment at the Camp Street andMazaruni prisons.

“Politics was always part of our lives, everybody weknew was in politics, everybody we knew was in thePPP, there was all the excitement of all the politicalevents that were going on. [It] was part of our excite-ment of life, it was part of our whole existence,” theyounger Ramkarran recalled. His first political job wasin 1957, when aged 11, he took over his father’sThunder customers. Ramkarran officially joined thePPP in April 1961.

He recalled his mother cooking food for Burnham’s

wedding to his first wife in the 1950s and also cam-paigning with his dad who wore a jacket and tie duringhis house-to-house campaign visits.

“The [1964] election was a difficult time because theviolence started in 1962, it was a frightening period forus, 62, 63, 64, and this was very painful, very violentand you know, we kind of felt that something wasgoing to happen to the PPP and that bad things weregoing to happen in the country. Well those bad thingslasted for three years and eventually the PPP lostoffice,” Ramkarran recalled.

That upheaval marked the years leading up to inde-pendence. Ramkarran recalled that from 1964onwards, a large number of PPP leaders and supporterswere detained without trial by the British government.He said people hardly remember the detainees andamong those detained for two years were Cedric Nunesand Prakash Persaud. “It was a big struggle to get themout, it was a real fight to get out the detained,” he said.

On Independence Day, Jagan and Burnhamembraced. “We felt good about it,” Ramkarran said.But Jagan and the late Reepu Daman Persaud were theonly two from the PPP executive who attended theflag-raising ceremony at the National Park.

“People from the PPP felt robbed, I think that wasthe general feeling of people in the PPP. I can’t remem-ber my own feelings, I suppose I went along with thegeneral, you know, feeling of everybody, the PPP wasrobbed…the PPP had fought for independence and itwas unfair and unjust that the PPP had been kicked outof power and that independence was given to peoplewho really did not put out the effort to get it,” he said.

Guyana’s development continues to be bedevilledby political divisions which has hampered progress.Ramkarran, who was also a PPP executive but left afterbeing alarmed at the corruption within the party, saidthe economy in 1953 when the first elections underuniversal adult suffrage was held, and in 1966, wasbased on rice, sugar and bauxite. “From 1966 to now,the economy has changed very little,” he said, even ashe observed that bauxite mining has declined whilegold mining and forestry have become important.

“Guyana’s economy is based on commodities andthe extraction and sale of raw materials; nothing hasfundamentally changed in our economy. There are nobig services that we produce to export like tourism,like information technology, there is nothing thatGuyana has developed since then,” he argued. Theeconomy has grown larger but Guyana is still a verypoor country, he said.

The Senior Counsel believes that constitutionalreform is key to forging an atmosphere that couldencourage unity and foster greater development whilethere is also hope that the dominance of the PPP couldbe challenged.

The last two elections have shown that the absolutedominance of the PPP is declining, he said. “And whileit’s still a strong political force, if that dominance con-tinues to decline the possibility exists that no politicalforce in Guyana can get an absolute majority and if thatarises then it holds out possibilities for a greater unity,”he said.

“The second aspect is that hopefully the process ofconstitutional reform can create a situation that forcesthe political parties to collaborate,” the senior counselsaid. In this regard, he listed presidential electionswhere the candidate requires an absolute majority andis not tied to a list as is currently the situation. If nocandidate gets 51% of the vote, then a runoff would berequired and then parties have to negotiate, he said.“So that forces them to come together,” he said.

Another option, the former House Speaker suggest-ed, is having the president elected by the NationalAssembly after general elections with the requirementthat the president be elected by a two thirds majority.Even if the president is required to be elected by 51%

There is pomp and pageantry but Guyana is still struggling to

find its footing -Ralph Ramkarran

Ralph Ramkarran

‘People from the PPP felt robbed, I think that was the general feeling of peoplein the PPP. I can’t remember my own feelings, I suppose I went along with thegeneral, you know, feeling of everybody, the PPP was robbed…the PPP hadfought for independence and it was unfair and unjust that the PPP had beenkicked out of power and that independence was given to people who really didnot put out the effort to get it’

Turn to page 18A

The Duke of Kent shakes Prime Minister Burnham’s hand prior tohis departure from Guyana. (Photo courtesy of the Bissember family)

The constitutional instrument

The Duchess of Kent visits the Palms on May 22, 1966(Photo courtesy of the Bissember family)

Page 18A STABROEK NEWS, Thursday, May 26, 2016

and no party gets 51%, you still have to negotiate, hesaid. There are methods by which constitutionalreform can force political parties to collaborate moreand he is looking forward to this, he said.

However, he acknowledged that the major partiesmay not want this. “We have to keep fighting for it…I am not so sure that the APNU which had been voic-ing some of these things before, I am not sure they aresold now on it. Once you get in power, your perspec-tive changes you know, just like the PPP’s perspectivechanged from 1992 onwards,” he said. However, hesaid APNU would want to change the system so that aparty that does not win a plurality of the votes wouldbe able to join with other parties after an election totake the presidency. Currently, a party that wins themost votes though it may be less than half of the votescast, is entitled to the presidency.

In terms of the desire to heal the divisions,Ramkarran said while this is strong, it can come intoconflict with the maintenance of political power andwhen it comes into that conflict, political power takesprecedence. “I am predicting that the PPP will be veryreticent about constitutional reform…they will notwant anything fundamental to be changed. Why?Because they feel they will win the next elections andthat…this situation suits them so they will be able torule by themselves. APNU may also be labouringunder the same view that they will win the next elec-tions and if they do then they will not want to changeup the presidential and constitutional system…in anysignificant way,” he said.

He also suggested that a truly independent partythat focuses on attracting PPP supporters could help inforging the way forward. “What is needed is a politi-cal force to challenge the PPP, to challenge the PPPand to draw away the support of the PPP and…such apolitical force must pledge beforehand that it will notjoin in any government but maintain its independenceoutside of government to keep the political parties ontrack,” he said.

“Such a party must aim to get supporters from allethnic groups but its main focus would be to challengethe PPP as a party which has betrayed the principles ofCheddi Jagan,” the former PPP stalwart said, whilepointing out that in terms of numbers, the PPP’s sup-port base of Indo-Guyanese is larger and the party alsohas the strong support of the Amerindian community.

He said third parties do not have a great history inthe world and Guyana’s political culture based on eth-nic support prevents third parties from flourishinghere. However, a third party that challenges the PPPcould be successful, he argued.

In order to bring about change, members of theGuyanese society have to keep writing and talkingabout it all the time, Ramkarran said.

He expressed himself as very hopeful that oncethere is relief from the political division, much can beaccomplished. He noted that there is the prospect ofGuyana becoming an oil producing state but notedthat it will not happen immediately and it must not beoveremphasised. If oil brings more income to Guyana,it can assist in building the country’s infrastructureand set the base for the expansion of the economy invarious areas, he said. He pointed out that Guyana hasgood possibilities in manufacturing and has productsthat can sustain huge value-added industries such asthose from forestry, mining and agriculture.

“Really we don’t need oil because the Caribbeanimports US$2 billion worth of food [annually]. If weonly get US$500 million of that business” Guyana canbe well off and this must be targeted, he said.

“If we are able to get this take off from our oilresources to build other aspects of our economy, Ithink Guyana has a great future,” he asserted.

There is pomp andpageantry but

Guyana is still...From page 17A


By Winston McGowan

1966 – After 163 years of uninterrupted Britishrule dating back to 1803, British Guiana becamepolitically independent on May 26 under the newname, Guyana, with Forbes Burnham its first PrimeMinister.

Guyana was admitted to the United Nations andbecame a member of the World Bank.

Venezuela seized Guyana’s half of the island ofAnkoko in the Cuyuni River.

1967 – The Critchlow Labour College, the educa-tional arm of the trade union movement, was estab-lished.

Suriname hydropower workers were evicted by thepolice from Guyana’s New River Triangle.

1968 – The People’s National Congress (PNC)became the ruling party, when it secured an overallmajority in the questionable December general elec-tion.

The Soesdyke-Linden highway was completed.

President Raúl Leoni declared Venezuelan sover-eignty over a nine-mile strip off the Essequibo coast.

1969 - A rebellion against the central governmentby some prominent cattle ranchers in the Rupununiwas staged in an unsuccessful attempt at secessionfrom Guyana.

A National Insurance Scheme (NIS) was intro-duced by the government.

The GDF retook a camp – now Camp Jaguar –from Suriname which had established it in Guyana’sNew River Triangle.

1970 - Guyana became a republic in February, sev-ering all remaining official links with the Britishmonarchy. Arthur Chung became President.

Linden, Corriverton and Rose Hall were estab-lished as towns.

The government introduced local national awards‒ the Medal of Service, the Arrow of Achievement,the Cacique Crown of Honour, the Order of Roraimaand the Order of Excellence ‒ replacing British hon-ours.

1971- The Canadian-owned Demerara BauxiteCompany (DEMBA) was nationalized.

1972 - Guyana hosted the first Caribbean Festivalof Creative Arts (CARIFESTA) and a meeting of theNon-Aligned Foreign Ministers.

1973- Guyana became one of the original fourmembers of the newly formed CaribbeanCommunity (CARICOM), together with Barbados,Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago, a successor to theCaribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA), estab-lished in 1968.

The PNC emerged victorious at controversialnational elections.

1974 – The refusal to appoint eminent Guyanese

historian Dr Walter Rodney to a teaching position atthe University of Guyana evoked protests within theinstitution and in the wider society, events associatedwith the formation of the Working People’s Alliance,initially a pressure group which became a politicalparty formally in 1979.

Guyana’s batting star Rohan Kanhai, andEnglishman James Jameson set a world record of 465runs for the highest second-wicket partnership infirst-class cricket, playing for Warwickshire againstGloucestershire in the English county championship.

Commercial railways in Guyana came to an endwith the closure of both the Vreed-en- Hoop, Parikaand the Georgetown-Rosignol railways.

1975 - The E R Burrowes School of Art was estab-lished.

There were State visits to Guyana by GeneralYakubu Gowon, Nigeria’s head of state, Sir SeretseKhama, President of Botswana, and President LuisEcheverria of Mexico, the first visit by a LatinAmerican head of state.

The West Indies cricket team, led by GuyaneseClive Lloyd and containing four other Guyanese ‒Roy Fredericks, Lance Gibbs, Alvin Kallicharran andRohan Kanhai ‒ won the first limited-over World Cuptournament in England.

1976 - The holdings of the sugar magnate, Bookerswere nationalised, and the Guyana AgriculturalWorkers Union (GAWU) was recognised, instead ofthe Man Power Citizens’ Association (MPCA), as thebargaining agent for sugar workers after thirty yearsof struggle.

The National Cultural Centre in Georgetown wasopened.

The government extended its authority overchurch and private primary and secondary schools,introduced a policy of free education from nursery touniversity and of co-education at Queen’s Collegeand Bishops’ High School and opened a newTeachers’ Training College at Turkeyen.

1977- Guyana established diplomatic relationswith China and Cuba and severed relations withIsrael.

1978 - Guyana attracted considerable unwelcomeinternational attention as a result of the famoustragedy at Jonestown in the North West District,where 914 members, mostly Americans, of a religiouscult, The People’s Temple, including the leader, JimJones, died of murder/suicide.

The Canje River Bridge and the Demerara HarbourBridge were opened to vehicular traffic.

A national referendum was held on theConstitutional Amendment Bill, with the politicalopposition boycotting the poll.

1979- The Caribbean Examinations Council(CXC) offered its first Caribbean SecondaryEducation Certificate (CSEC) examinations to itsmember countries, including Guyana.

Jubilee milestones: Significant developments in Guyanese history, 1966-2016

Forbes Burnham

Arthur Chung

Turn to page 20ACheddi Jagan


Radio Demerara and the Guyana BroadcastingService (GBS) were merged to form a new entity, theGuyana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC).

A number of WPA leaders were charged with arsonof the Ministry of National Development. In ademonstration outside the court Father Darke, a pho-tographer for the Catholic Standard was stabbed by amember of the House of Israel and later died.

1980- Michael Parris, a featherweight boxer,became the first and so far the only Guyanese to wina medal at the Olympic Games, when he secured abronze medal in Moscow.

Dr Walter Rodney, historian and political activist,co-leader of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA)was assassinated.

1981- The inaugural ceremony of Guyana’s firstexecutive President, Forbes Burnham was held, inkeeping with the provisions of a new constitution of1980 and following the PNC victory in the GeneralElections of December 15, 1980, which were notdeemed free and fair.

1982- The ruling PNC government banned wheat-en flour and prohibited the importation of wheat andsome other basic food items. These were reintro-duced in 1985-86 by President Desmond Hoyte.

The Guyana Gold Board was established.

The Protocol of Port-of-Spain of 1970 whichplaced a moratorium on territorial claimsin theboundary controversy between Guyana andVenezuela expired, and Venezuela refused to renewit.

1983- The West Demerara Hospital Complex atVreed-en-Hoop was opened.Guyana achieved aunique double, winning the 4-day Shell Shield andthe limited-over Geddes-Grant/Harrison Line tourna-ments, the two major cricket competitions held annu-ally in the Caribbean.

1984- Guyanese Clive Lloyd was publicly hon-oured by the West Indies Cricket Board during thefifth Test against the visiting Australians in Jamaicafor becoming the first West Indiancricketer to play in100 Test matches.

1985- Forbes Burnham died and was succeeded asPresident by Hugh Desmond Hoyte.

1986- The Stabroek News newspaper began publi-cation.

After the fraudulent 1985 national elections fivepolitical parties formed the Patriotic Coalition forDemocracy (PCD) to agitate for electoral reform andto seek international pressure on the PNC to holdfree, fair elections.

1987- The Guyana Prize for Literature was intro-duced with an initial Awards Ceremony. The Prizewas to provide encouragement for the developmentof good creative writing by Guyanese.

1988- The Economic Recovery Programme (ERP)was launched by the government.

1989- Arthur James Seymour, poet and man of let-ters, and one of the most distinguished personalitiesin Guyanese culture and literature died.

1990- Cambios began to operate under the Dealerin Foreign Currency (Licensing) Bill of November1989.

1991- The former Minister of Foreign AffairsRashleigh Jackson, was awarded the Order ofRoraima for his distinguished service in the field offoreign affairs.

1992- After 28 years in power, the PNC was votedout of office in the first essentially fair national elec-tions since 1964 and the People’s Progressive Party(PPP) led by Cheddi Jagan came to power.

1993- The National Art Gallery was established atCastellani House in Georgetown.

David Granger’s Guyana Review, a monthly newsmagazine, was launched.

In November the country suffered its worst floodssince the Great Flood of 1933.

1994- The Test career of Shivnarine Chanderpaulbegan. His 62 was the highest score ever made by aWest Indian teenager on his Test debut.

1995- The alarming spilling of cyanide waste fromOmai Gold Mines Ltd. into the Essequibo River,caused a major environmental disaster.

1996- Shivnarine Chanderpaul became the firstand so far the only Guyanese to score a triple centuryin first-class cricket, 303 not out for Guyana againstJamaica at Sabina Park.

The initial publication of the Kaieteur News news-paper appeared.

1997- Guyana’s national poet, Martin Carter, died.

Guyanese Lance Gibbs, Rohan Kanhai and CliveLloyd were among 13 West Indians included in theInternational Cricket Council’s (ICC) Hall of Fameset up to honour pastlegends of the game as part ofthe ICC’s Centenary Year Celebrations.

After four years and five months in office CheddiJagan died. He was succeeded as President bySamuel Hinds briefly, then by Janet Jagan, Guyana’sfirst female head of state.

1998- The year began with serious political unrestin the wake of the General Elections of December1997, prompting the intervention of Caricom in anattempt to reconcile the two main political partiesthrough the Herdmanston Accord.

The Guyana-Suriname Ferry Service began opera-tions.

The Caribbean Examinations Council introducedthe Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination(CAPE) to replace the British General Certificate ofEducation (GCE) ‘A’ Level examination in its mem-ber countries, including Guyana.

1999- Following the resignation on medicalgrounds of President Janet Jagan, she was replacedby the then young Minister of Finance, BharratJagdeo.

2000- The University of Guyana opened its secondcampus at Tain, Port Mourant in Berbice, 31 yearsafter the opening of its first campus at Turkeyen onthe East Coast of Demerara in 1969.

Suriname gunboats evicted Guyana’s CGX oil rigfrom waters off the Corentyne.

2001- Justice Desiree Bernard became the firstfemale Chancellor of the Judiciary not only inGuyana and the Caribbean but also in the entireCommonwealth.

Walter Rodney

Jubilee milestones: Significant developments...From page 19A

Turn to page 21A

Clive Lloyd

Rohan Kanhai


Andrew ‘Sixhead’ Lewis became the firstGuyanese to win a world championship in profes-sional boxing, the World Boxing Association (WBA)welterweight title.

2002- Carl Hooper became the first Guyanese toscore a double century in Test cricket on homesoil.His career-best 233 against India at Bourda is still thehighest score by a Guyanese in aTest in Guyana.

The Mash Day Jailbreak when five prisonersescaped from the Camp Street Prison led to anunprecedented spate of crimes in the country.

2003- The University of Guyana had special virtu-ally year-long celebrations for the 40th anniversary ofits foundation in 1963.

2004- The Guyana Broadcasting Corporation andthe Guyana Television Broadcasting Companymerged to form the National CommunicationNetwork (NCN).

2005- Serious flooding was experienced inGeorgetown and other areas of the coastland.

A new political party, the Alliance For Change(AFC) was launched. It was headed by sitting parlia-mentarians Raphael Trotman and Khemraj Ramjattanfrom the PNCR and the PPP/C respectively.

2006- The PPP/C won General Elections for thefourth consecutive time, following victories in 1992,1997 and 2001.

The Caribbean Single Market and Economy(CSME) was launched with Guyana and five otherstates taking part.

Two new technical institutes, the Upper CorentyneTechnical Institute and the Essequibo TechnicalInstitute were opened.

2007- The Cricket Stadium at Providence wasopened, replacing the famous Bourda ground as thevenue for international cricket, beginning with thisyear’s World Cup matches.

The United Nations Arbitral Tribunal on theConvention on the Law of the Sea found the CGX righad been operating in Guyana waters when it wasevicted by Suriname in 2000. The Tribunal fixed themaritime boundary between Guyana and Suriname.

2008 – Heavily-armed bandits invaded the EastCoast Demerara village of Lusignan killing 11 per-sons, including five children. Weeks later, similarlyarmed bandits attacked the mining community ofBartica killing 12, including three police officers.

Guyana hosted Carifesta X after the government ofthe original hosts, Bahamas, opted out of its commit-ment to host the region’s premiere arts festival.

2009- Berbician middle-order batsman NarsinghDeonarine became the first batsman to score over1000 runs (1068) in a Caribbean regional first-classcricket season, breaking the record of 974 runs madeby the former Leeward Islands batsman StuartWilliams in 2002.

2010- There were two notable achievements insports: Guyana won the inaugural West IndiesCricket Board T20 tournament, thus qualifying toparticipate in the Champions League tournament inSouth Africa. Aliann Pompey won a silver medal inthe women’s 400 metres at the CommonwealthGames in India, complementing the gold medal shehad won in the same event at the Games in 2002, thusbecoming the first Guyanese representative to wintwomedals at these Games.

2011- There was significant expansion of sportinfrastructure with the completion of an Olympic-size swimming pool at Liliendaal on the East Coastof Demerara, the construction of an all- weather tar-mac at the Guyana National Stadium at Provi-denceon the East Bank of Demerara, the resurfacing of theNational Park Cycling Track in Georgetown and thecommencement of the all-weather synthetic track atLeonora on the West Coast of Demerara.

In the November General and Regional Electionsthe PPP/C was returned to office for a fifthconsecu-tive term with Donald Ramotar replacing BharratJagdeo as president. The opposition, A Partnershipfor National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance forChange (AFC), collectively gained a majority of theseats in the National Assembly, an unprecedenteddevelopment in the post-independence history ofGuyana.

2012- The joint opposition A Partnership forNational Unity (APNU) and the Alliance for Change(AFC) used their one-seat majority in the NationalAssembly to reduce the PPP/C’s initial budget of$192.8 billion by $20.8 billion. These ‘cuts’ to thebudget were the first of their kind and were legallychallenged by the PPP/C administration.

2013 –Several personalities who had made a sub-stantial contribution to Guyana died. These includedHarold Davis, a former Chairman of the GuyanaSugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and former Pro-Chancellor of the University of Guyana; HarrySarranRamsaroop, the director of the Dharm Shala;Aubrey Bishop, former Chancellor of the Judiciaryand head of the Faculty of Law of the University ofGuyana; Dale Bisnauth, a Guyana Presbyterian min-ister and former Minister of Education; and PanditReepu Daman Persaud, the founder of the GuyanaHindu Dharmic Sabha, the main visionary behind theannual Deepavali motorcade and longstanding PPPmember of parliament.

Venezuela evicted the oil exploration vessel theTeknik Perdana from Guyana waters.

2014 – In May a Commission of Inquiry into thedeath of Walter Rodney opened.

In November Parliament was prorogued byPresident Ramotar in order to avoid a no confidencevote by the opposition which was expected to bringdown the government and trigger fresh general elec-tions.

2015- The APNU+AFC coalition won the Maynational general elections, bringing an end to PPP/Crule since 1992 and ushering into office DavidGranger, the coalition’s leader as president.

ExxonMobil drilled a well offshore Demerara andin 2016 announced a major oil find.

Venezuela issued a decree claiming sovereigntyover Guyana’s territorial waters off Essequibo.

2016 - The long-awaited local government elec-tions, not conducted since 1994, were finally held.

Bartica, Mabaruma and Lethem were officiallynamed towns.

Jubilee milestones: Significant developments...

Andrew ‘Sixhead’ Lewis

From page 20A

Reflecting on the post-independent era: the elderly speakwould celebrate 50 years indepen-dence. I think things would get bet-ter; the country would improve. Itwould just take time.”

George Austin, of Sisters Village,West Bank Demerara was just 15when the country gained indepen-dence but he recalled that “thingswere different in those days.” “Theplace was cleaner then and wenever had to worry about puttinglocks on the doors. You could leaveyour doors open and go out. Nowyou have to put locks becausecrime increase and now they arecoming with firearm. You have to

fight to protect yourself now.” Inthe pre-independence days he saidthe men in the village used to playcricket and the women used to playbasketball. “The social problem wehad is with the men drinking a lotof alcohol and start fighting. Thepolice used to come with baton andthey would respect them. Thepolice were six-footers; they werebig and strong and they were notcorrupt then. Now, anybody ispolice.

“I was surprised to see they madea lot of preparation for the 50thanniversary. I know the 50th had toreach but I didn’t expect them tokeep it up so big.”

JoyceJones

George Austin

From page 14A


The Float Parade for Independence, May 28, 1966(Photos given to Stabroek News

by the late Godfrey Chin)



Four-year-old Wyatt Adams from Buxtondoes not know much about Independence buthe is excited like many others, because hesenses something in the air. When he heardabout the Independence celebrations, hequickly said that he was looking forward togoing out on May 26 and marching with hisclassmates. He thought we had to celebratebeing free and enjoy all our colours andfriends.

Eighteen-year-old Kobe Smith, an uppersixth form student at the Bishops’ HighSchool, was of the view that the citizens andleaders of Guyana needed to take equalblame for the country not being on par withothers fifty years after gaining independence.“When I think about Guyana’s independence,I think it was an amazing step that our pastleaders would have taken ‒ guys like MrForbes Burnham, Dr Cheddi Jagan and alsoMr Peter D’Aguiar. Those guys really ranwith the mantle and really led the way withour Independence, because they thought thatwe were ready for our independence and wewere ready to make our own decisions. So wehadn’t the need to depend on England tomake our decisions because they felt thatGuyana was at the stage where the countryand its people were ready to lead themselves[in a] positive way,” he said.

He believes that the country was ready forindependence but “we got lost somewherealong the way.”

“I think it was an issue of vision because ifyou were to compare Guyana and Barbados ‒we are both fifty years old this year ‒ and ifyou were to compare the two countries itshows that Guyana is lagging. And for me ithas something to do with leadership; it has todo with vision, it had to do with somethingwith the passion of its people and the policiesthat the governments would have taken. So Iwould say our leaders must take some sort ofresponsibility for what has happened and Ithink the people too must take some sort ofresponsibility because they were the oneswho put the leaders there, they were the oneswho choose.”

On May 26th Guyana can celebrate a goodfuture, he says, and while the past was notperfect Guyanese can celebrate being free,being peaceful and the fact that their countryis not threatened by any natural disaster. “Ithink we must celebrate the fact that our peo-ple are freer than we were fifty years ago. Ithink we can celebrate the fact that we haverights, I think we can celebrate the fact thatwe can be heard and we have a voice. I thinkthis fifty years really brings no impetus to thenature of our society where we just sit downand take whatever our leaders hand to us. SoI think this is really not just a great opportu-nity for us to celebrate but that we would

have learned from what has happened, boththe good and the bad.”

At age 11 Caysia Cambridge, a student ofWinfer Gardens Primary, believes indepen-dence meant that Guyana was free frombeing controlled by a King or a Queen. “Wecan be able to do things, make decisions onour own.” She is excited about the celebra-tion because it is the first Golden Jubilee and“I don’t know if I would live to see anotherfifty years so I just want to be part of this oneand enjoy.” “We have things to celebrate andI want us to work together to make Guyanabetter.”

Fourteen-year-old Marinella Glasgow, afourth form student of Queen’s College,described independence as making your ownchoices, being able to choose what youdesire, to say what is good for you, what youwould like to have to be a part of your life.“Guyana gaining independence meant that itcould now sing its own National Anthem, useour own flag, we have our own currency, ourown president and our own ambassadors andmembers of Parliament and many otherthings. We don’t have to go to England anymore to say we need a new road and thenthey would decide whether or not they wouldgive us a new road. We can get up today andsay ‘hey we need a road and we make a roadbecause we are not dependent on our mothercountry, Britain any more.”

The teenager told this newspaper thatcome May 26th and even before that, shewould be celebrating because she was elatedabout the fact that “we have conquered thetroubles of having to write many letters andattend many meetings just to beg for ourindependence, just to petition for our inde-pendence… So after gaining that victory, Iwould call it that, when our three patriotswent to England and represented our countryafter gaining that victory, I would see it isimperative that we celebrate their good work.I would be celebrating the victory of 50 yearsand I would be attending the activitiesplanned for this period not only thoseplanned by the government but those plannedby the school.”

Tiea Figueira, 17, and a student of theGeorgetown Technical Institute describedhow proud she feels to be present to celebratethe country’s fiftieth anniversary. “It is verynice being here to celebrate Guyana’s fiftyyears of independence anniversary, and …what persons have been doing around theircommunity for the celebration is good.” Shelikes the fact that Georgetown has beencleaned and she believes this is very specialto all Guyanese. “It would be nice to seeeveryone go out and participate as they usu-ally do and cooperate. It would be a greathonour to see the many persons who travelfrom overseas to see what Guyana has tooffer now ‒ from 1966 to now.”

At 12, Winfer Gardens student TiolaGibbons does not want to be left out of thefiftieth celebrations. She believes that inde-pendence means freedom in life. Guyana’sindependence means that the country is nolonger governed by Great Britain and itsleaders can make decisions for the country’speople. “I feel good about the fift[ieth] cele-bration and I want to go out and see all that ishappening around this time.”

The young speak on Guyana’s fiftieth The overwhelming majority of

those who live in Guyana today wereeither not born at the time ofIndependence or were too young toremember it. Stabroek News spoke tosome young people and asked themwhat they thought about the jubileeand our fifty years of independence.This is what they had to say:

Wyatt Adams

Kobe Smith

Caysia Cambridge

Marinella Glasgow

Tiea Figueira

Tiola Gibbons


The Float Parade for Independence, May 28, 1966

independence jubilee supplement

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