Tributes to Cheddi Jagan

 

resonant down the centuries
when tales of yore are told
one man will stride the glories
one man who won our victories
the hero of our stories
when guyana's tale unfolds

towering in dynamic anger
he fought, still fights, this cause
no quarter nor surrender
this country's great defender
ousted every pretender
to institute just laws

with guyana's living legend
this people are now free
and children are once more children
mothers now smile again
and fathers once again are men
in recovered dignity

© Parvati Persaud-Edwards

 

Eighty year old eyes and a mouth
speaking past an old stroke
right side drooping, these words proud:
ahwe jagan.

You belong to these people
who waited for you in suffering
and silence strong –
gave them strength.
You last for them.
You belong to them.

Not to your family whose faces
you sometimes forgot;
not to your children who left a long time ago
but who never left you
and would be with you again.
You do not belong to them.

And your wife
who knows you long and well
she would tell you, you do not belong
even to her.

You belong to Them.
Your people in the country –
those lives given to you a long time ago
cheaper than the food they grow
and without price.

They are the strength of the land
held for you.
They are the tears of the land cried for you.
They are the blood of the land given for you
and the hope of the land
born in you.

Ahwe jagan

© Nigel Jagan 1998

 

Politicians come and politicians go
Many of them are the people's foe
They make themselves rich
And rob the nation
Suck their people dry and give them starvation
As the poor are suffering
And life has no consolation
Then the Almighty will send
Someone like Dr Jagan
A man of honesty, justice, vision and inspiration
Dr Jagan, father of our nation. (Twice)

As he started politics he made many politicians
In 1953 the British suspended our constitution
As the struggle continued he wrote many books
To let the people understand not to follow the crooks
Dr Jagan, Cheddi Jagan
A man of honesty, justice, vision and inspiration
Dr Jagan, father of our nation. (Twice)

Men in higher offices treated him nasty
Because of his ideals, integrity and policy
Many things were said of him in condemnation
The leader and his nation prevented extermination
Dr Jagan Cheddi Jagan
A man of honesty, justice, vision and inspiration
Dr Jagan, father of our nation. (Twice)

When in opposition he lost no election
The world took stock of all the rigged election
As a man with faith, hope and peace
Keeping up the struggle, always on his feet
Dr Jagan, Cheddi Jagan
A man of honesty, justice, vision and inspiration
Dr Jagan, father of our nation. (Twice)

In opposition he made a prediction
That one of these days he will lead our nation
So it was said so it was done
Through political wisdom and divine vindication
Dr Jagan, Cheddi Jagan
A man of honesty, justice, vision and inspiration
Dr Jagan, father of our nation. (Twice)

A master politician, one can say great
A leader with courage, not afraid to debate
What they couldn't understand is how he calculates:
When he predicts something, the rest are many years late
Dr Jagan, Cheddi Jagan
A man of honesty, justice, vision and inspiration
Dr Jagan, father of our nation (Twice)

Because of democracy and stability
The country and the people improving rapidly
The country moving forward in the right direction
According to organizations with knowledge of inflation
Dr Jagan, Cheddi Jagan
A man of honesty, justice, vision and inspiration
Dr Jagan, father of our nation. (Twice)

God sent Jesus to save humanity
He sends Dr Jagan to be a world legacy
His vision of new global human order
Will impact the world over
Dr Jagan, Cheddi Jagan
A man of honesty, justice, vision and inspiration
Dr Jagan, father of our nation. (Twice)

He's humanitarian with a universal mission
Dedicates his life to end all discrimination
As a man with vision he could foresee
He's the one to mould One People, One Nation, One Destiny
Dr Jagan, Cheddi Jagan
A man of honesty, justice, vision and inspiration
Dr Jagan, father of our nation. (Twice)

           ©  Danny Mohani 1998

 

A tribute to Cheddi Jagan on his 2nd death anniversary

Born in the land of the Mighty Roraima
in a poor canecutter's shack in the village of Port Mourant.
To his parents and friends that's where it all began
but to his Nation and the World he is known as - Cheddi Jagan.
At a very early age he took a stand for the oppressed
and fought very hard to have the issues addressed.
Our colonial masters they did not at first agree
and put him in bondage as they did Mahatma Gandhi.
He took his case not to the courts, you see
but to the people when he formed the PPP
With Janet at his side, "Fireball" Philomena and Brindley
they took us on the victory March Parade ... in 1953.
The tides were turning, the British they were running
defiant to make a last ditch stand
But couldn't stand to bear, when it became quite clear
that Cheddi Jagan will be our first Premier.


Fire, looting, bombing were their famous master plan
to render asunder our glorious motherland
Negroes and Indians who once lived as family
were at each others throat .. literally.
And the man who fought for our ideals and won
was saddened and broken-hearted to see what was being done.
The darkest period in our history was in 1963
But little did we know there were more to come.
For two score and eight our lives were hell
and during those years it was for Cheddi as well.
But like the rolling Thunder he continued to roar
and never give up the burden he bore.
For twenty-eight long years the struggle took its toll
And culminated in victory in the 1992 polls.
Our Dear Land of Guyana was once again made pure
by bringing to an end twenty-eight years of despicable rule.
With Cheddi at the helm the ship of Hope set sail
and brought Peace, Progress & Prosperity to a People who passed through Hell.


Then came that sad day in 1997
when the World mourned our fallen Saviour.
In Death, as in Life, our hopes and aspirations were dashed
as we mourned for the man who made us Guyanese proud.
By the thousands they came, from villages far and wide
to pay homage to the man who was our "Mahatma," with pride.
Indians and Africans, Americans and Portuguese
all joined together as One Nation united by grief.
The sorrow we felt, the tears we shed
was what held us together to the very end.
Under a pall of gloom, the followers continued to bloom
as we said our sad goodbyes albeit too soon.


In a little village called Port Mourant, where it all began
Cheddi Jagan was cremated at Babu John.
A light has gone out in this our Dear Land
where no more will we have his wisdom to draw upon.
He has shown what Guyana's sons and daughters can be
In our Dear Land of Guyana - Land of the Free.
And his epitaph shall read something like this...
Cheddi Jagan ... True Patriot Of Guyana...A Man Of Destiny

 

© 1999 Cheddi Jagan Research Centre.  All rights reserved.