| “Death snatched from us an incomparable patriot and nationalist, an extraordinary woman who dedicated her life to the fight for freedom.” – President JagdeoLosing a parent is not an easy thing, especially one who fought for the freedom of Guyana and whose work would go down in the history of this country. Janet Jagan’s daughter, Nadira Jagan-Brancier described her mother as an amazing and beautiful human being.During the state funeral, yesterday, of the former President of Guyana, Mrs. Jagan-Brancier, told a huge gathering at Parliament Building that her mother sacrificed many things in her life.“I think that one of the first that I know about was her decision to get married to my father. She was studying nursing at the time and she told me of her love for surgery and that if she had continued she would have been a surgical nurse, but she gave this dream up when she decided to get married, for in those days you could not be married and be a nurse.”According to Jagan-Brancier, this is primarily one of the reasons why her mother fought for women’s rights in British Guiana.Nadira did not fail to mention how generous her mother was, as over the years she had helped many persons to acquire a house lot or to even find a job and sometimes would assist them financially, while leaving herself short.“My mother was a very loving and dedicated wife. My parents had a very close relationship and worked very well together. They complemented each other in all aspects of life.“Dad was the outgoing one, my mother preferred the background, but really and truly she also did a lot of work in campaigning in the countryside, especially in the Essequibo region where she was always very popular,” Nadira said.Nadira was happy when her mother was no longer deeply involved in politics, since she was able to spend longer periods of time with her.“I miss her terribly. Our family will miss her. I know anyone who had the joy to have met her and really knew who she was will miss her.”Sharing similar sentiments was Head of State, Bharrat Jagdeo, who noted that “time is not ours forever…mortality is our common denominator; and death an inevitable and inescapable reality of human existence…and yet, accepting the loss of someone dear and close, someone whose imprints in the Guyanese sands of time are inerasable, is never easy.”So it is with Janet Jagan, the President said. “Death snatched from us an incomparable patriot and nationalist, an extraordinary woman who dedicated her life to the fight for freedom and for the social and economic advancement of all Guyanese.”According to President Jagdeo, Janet was special and he always found her to be encouraging and helpful. Jagdeo noted that she was someone he respected and admired.In his view, Jagdeo defined Janet as a person who brought an enlightened humanism.“She was always deeply concerned about people. Throughout the many years that I have known her, she always showed a deep concern for the effects of public policy on the ordinary citizen,” the president said.He explained that life in the colony where Cheddi and Janet lived was below acceptable conditions of human decency.The President also commended Janet’s organisational skills, which he noted she put to great use in the molding of the party.It was noted that the early PPP Governments in which Mrs. Jagan held important ministerial responsibilities were hampered by the limitations of self- government without independence.Yet in these early years and despite the constraints placed on the government, a great deal was achieved.“Under Janet Jagan’s watch as Minister of Labour, Health and Housing, considerable strides were achieved. Programs were launched to eradicate malaria and filaria. A mass inoculation of children against polio was undertaken, and a number of health centers and cottage hospitals constructed to make medical care more accessible.“Pure water supply was extended to a number of previously unserved communities and housing expanded in both rural and urban areas,” President Jagdeo outlined.Most importantly, it was pointed out that the former president represented one of the finest examples of political perseverance.“Possessing inexhaustible political stamina, she never wilted in our party’s epic political struggles while in opposition. She was always ready and willing to fight on any and every front to secure the return to democracy and to reverse the decline in living conditions and stem the abuse of the rights of citizens.”With her strength of character, Janet Jagan endured it all, the President said, as she had been the object of campaigns of misinformation, distortions, public vilification and physical attacks.“She has suffered as a human being for her convictions. She has been jailed for her role in the fight for Guyana’s Independence. Her personal sacrifices were also many. Janet Jagan took it all in stride.”PPP General Secretary, Donald Ramotar, noted that Janet Jagan fought for women’s rights and she led by example. Her personality, he noted, was shy and she always preferred to be in the back ground rather than in the limelight.Leader of the PNCR, Robert Corbin, said that Janet Jagan has left a legacy of good service to this nation.Reflecting on her life, he quoted words from a poem by Khalil Gibran .“You give but little when you give of your possession; it is when you give of yourself that you truly give.There are those who give with joy and that joy is there reward… it is good to give when asked, but it is better to give unasked.”According to Corbin, Mrs. Janet gave all of herself for her party,Andrew Franks Dolphins Jersey, her beliefs, and the struggle of the working class in Guyana and to the independence and development of the country, as she made an important contribution to national development.“As we reflect on all those who fought for the political independence in this country, we cannot lose sight of the fact of their early recognition of the truth so well understood but difficult to perceived that in unity there is strength… united we stand divided we fall.”He called for the leaders to use this occasion to put in place what is necessary to move Guyana forward. |
