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A portrait of late President Forbes Burnham.

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August 7, 2017

— says President Granger in tribute to late President

PRESIDENT David Granger on Sunday paid tribute to Guyana’s first Executive President and founder of the People’s National Congress (PNC), Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, on the occasion of the 32nd anniversary of his death.

The wreath-laying ceremony was held at the Mausoleum at the Seven Ponds in the Botanical Gardens, where the former President was laid to rest.

President Granger in his remarks said the late Forbes Burnham, OE, SC, will always be remembered with reverence for his fight against inequality, poverty, illiteracy and other social ills, which affected the lives of the ordinary Guyanese.

A section of the attendees at the commemorative service

“We recall Forbes Burnham’s courageous campaign to transform the backward colony of British Guiana when he entered office on 14th December 1964 up to his death on 6th August 1985. Forbes Burnham described his mission as “… a struggle… against poverty, ignorance, unemployment, hunger and exploitation….”

He launched a process of national transformation to eliminate the inequalities associated with economic, geographic and demographic disparities.

Forbes Burnham’s policy of national transformation was based, in part, on providing easier access to public education,” the President said.

He noted that the institutions which were established by the late President still sustain social change and the evidence of his monumental achievements is visible everywhere, particularly in the University of Guyana at Turkeyen, the Cyril Potter College of Education, the Cooperative Training College at Kuru Kuru, the Technical Institute at New Amsterdam in East Berbice-Corentyne, the first hinterland secondary school at St Ignatius, in the Rupununi, the extension of  free education as an entitlement and the Teaching Service Commission and production of local textbooks, among others.

Attorney General Basil Williams, paying his tribute to the late President

“Forbes Burnham will always be remembered with reverence.  We renew, on this solemn commemoration of his death, our collective commitment to continue his campaign ‘…against poverty, ignorance, unemployment, hunger and exploitation…’” President Granger said.

Meanwhile, Attorney General Basil Williams, who also serves as Chairman of the PNC, in his brief remarks said the late prime minister and first Executive President of Guyana was a giant of history, who transformed not just a nation, but also the Caribbean.

“Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham was a consummate statesman and a freedom fighter whose keen commitment to the development of Guyana and its people is undeniable.

Members of the Guyana Police Force’s Band paying tribute to the late President through music and songs

Burnham played a significant role in shaping the political, social and economic landscape of Guyana. It was under his leadership that Guyana attained political Independence and Republican status. It was also under his leadership that many of the transformative infrastructural developments of Guyana materialised. Under Burnham, Guyana’s status in international and regional affairs was elevated and respected,” Minister Williams said.

Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham served as Prime Minister of Guyana from 1964 and as President from 1980 until the time of his death in 1985 at age 62. He was a lawyer, a politician, a fierce freedom fighter and a father of six children.

President David Granger lays a wreath at the Mausoleum where the late President was laid to rest

The event was attended by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, other Ministers of the Government, members of the diplomatic corps as well as representatives from the 10 administrative regions.

 

Replies sorted oldest to newest

In the year 1964,i was 11yrs old,what can a little boy know about politics,by the 1970's i started understand the political situation gathered from the limited media and street corner discussions.I lived thru the Burnham era,every idea he had was besmirched by suppressing Democracy starting with rigged elections in 1973,rigged 1980 referendum that gave Guyana a Constitution that unto this day have the country in turmoil,it continues until his death,he became a Dictator.

In my book there is nothing much to celebrate,if any one is offended i am sorry,i called Spade a Spade.

Django

Burnham's name should never be revered, this is the campaign that the Granger and AFC are launching, to sanitize Burnham as the current generation did not live under his rule.

FM
Drugb posted:

Burnham's name should never be revered, this is the campaign that the Granger and AFC are launching, to sanitize Burnham as the current generation did not live under his rule.

Why were you praising him for your fortunes from your smuggling business when he banned certain food stuff?

Rumor has it that your Dad was a stable hand at the Belfield Estate.

Mitwah

In the 70's Burnham and his Ministers systematically sought  out Indo Civil servants who were attending UG in the evenings  and had them transferred  out of GT or greater GT to Berbice, Essequibo and the interior so that they cannot access classes. This created the exodus of many like my self to Colleges and Universities in N/A and England. Yes Caribj, we are clannish. We learned to share; books, jobs, apartments, food and helped one another with rent, school fees and our music.

So how and when did we learn to fight and abuse one another on this BB?

Mitwah
Drugb posted:

Burnham's name should never be revered, this is the campaign that the Granger and AFC are launching, to sanitize Burnham as the current generation did not live under his rule.

When compare the Jagabaat record he should not be treated no different than Burnham. He should be banish from Guyana politics. He done enough damage sugar industry and young people with making the country - drug capital, human trafficking capital, after 23 years still remain most poor and corrupt in the western hemisphere just above Haiti.

Burnham does not have a mansion to show so he also thief more of the nation assets to enrich himself than Burnham. Like Burnham he also  run out all young talents to neighboring countries while hiring Chinese labor for Marriot and Airport projects.

sachin_05

Bibi,

The two current leaders of Guyana one a Burnhamite and the other a Jaganite,does it ring a bell,papa C.B.Jagan wanted a National Front Government,it came in 2015.

Django
Last edited by Django
Django posted:

Bibi,

The two current leaders of Guyana one a Burnhamite and the other a Jaganite,does it ring a bell,papa C.B.Jagan wanted a National Front Government,it came in 2015.

Both of these leaders need to depart from the wicked ways of the days of old or Guyana will never move forward.

Bibi Haniffa
Bibi Haniffa posted:
Django posted:

Bibi,

The two current leaders of Guyana one a Burnhamite and the other a Jaganite,does it ring a bell,papa C.B.Jagan wanted a National Front Government,it came in 2015.

Both of these leaders need to depart from the wicked ways of the days of old or Guyana will never move forward.

Well i will not say they are extremely wicked,the lawlessness needs to be checked,also the age-able men will not be there forever,I am optimistic Guyana will move forward.

Django

This painting is a distortion of Forbes Burnham's real face. At this rate, 32 years from now the artist's memory would have dimmed further and he might draw Burnham to look like Cuffy.

Now, to the meat of the matter. When Burnham was Head of Government I was a PPP member. In 1977 Party Leader Cheddi Jagan wanted a National Patriotic Front Government with Burnham's PNC. His overture was rebuffed. In 1985 Jagan and Burnham were holding talks for a National Unity Government of the PPP+PNC. Burnham died midway and his successor Desmond Hoyte killed the project.

Obviously, Jagan saw some virtues in Burnham and vice versa. Gilbakka sees some virtues in both Burnham and Jagan. True, both had flaws but they were products of their era.

According to one newspaper report, President Granger said yesterday that the State will henceforward finance the commemoration of death anniversaries of ALL Guyana's presidents. That is a good thing.  

FM
Bibi Haniffa posted:

Praying to Burnham with your eyes open.  Smart move though.  And people say de man stupitttt!!

20621833_1571759939550246_2969247190119792699_n[1]

Where did you get this pic from?  Naga knows how to quarrel. You better no provoke the man again.  He will go on a rampage in parliament cussing out the PPP. Dracula bit him a couple of years ago. Beware of the Naga.

Billy Ram Balgobin
Gilbakka posted:

This painting is a distortion of Forbes Burnham's real face. At this rate, 32 years from now the artist's memory would have dimmed further and he might draw Burnham to look like Cuffy.

Now, to the meat of the matter. When Burnham was Head of Government I was a PPP member. In 1977 Party Leader Cheddi Jagan wanted a National Patriotic Front Government with Burnham's PNC. His overture was rebuffed. In 1985 Jagan and Burnham were holding talks for a National Unity Government of the PPP+PNC. Burnham died midway and his successor Desmond Hoyte killed the project.

Obviously, Jagan saw some virtues in Burnham and vice versa. Gilbakka sees some virtues in both Burnham and Jagan. True, both had flaws but they were products of their era.

According to one newspaper report, President Granger said yesterday that the State will henceforward finance the commemoration of death anniversaries of ALL Guyana's presidents. That is a good thing.  

Sounds like the Israelis and the PLO. 

Billy Ram Balgobin
sachin_05 posted:
Drugb posted:

Burnham's name should never be revered, this is the campaign that the Granger and AFC are launching, to sanitize Burnham as the current generation did not live under his rule.

When compare the Jagabaat record he should not be treated no different than Burnham. He should be banish from Guyana politics. He done enough damage sugar industry and young people with making the country - drug capital, human trafficking capital, after 23 years still remain most poor and corrupt in Bthe western hemisphere just above Haiti.

Burnham does not have a mansion to show so he also thief more of the nation assets to enrich himself than Burnham. Like Burnham he also  run out all young talents to neighboring countries while hiring Chinese labor for Marriot and Airport projects.

Get your head out of the sand, Burnham left a legacy of failure and a depressed economy with bruck up roads, economic blight and trampled on civil liberties. Jagdeo on the other hand presided over the most successful economic period that Guyana had ever experienced. The treasury was flushed when he left. The infrastructure vastly improved and the economy buzzing.  Freedom fighters were sent 6 feet under and investors were a plenty. Burnham and Jagdeo were not the same people. Burnham was a tyrant and dictator, Jagdeo was a liberator, both economically as well as from the wicked PNC. 

FM
Billy Ram Balgobin posted:
Bibi Haniffa posted:

Praying to Burnham with your eyes open.  Smart move though.  And people say de man stupitttt!!

20621833_1571759939550246_2969247190119792699_n[1]

Where did you get this pic from?  Naga knows how to quarrel. You better no provoke the man again.  He will go on a rampage in parliament cussing out the PPP. Dracula bit him a couple of years ago. Beware of the Naga.

A good friend took the pic at the Burnham event yesterday.  Is it me or does Naga already look like he vex bad?

Bibi Haniffa
Gilbakka posted:

This painting is a distortion of Forbes Burnham's real face. At this rate, 32 years from now the artist's memory would have dimmed further and he might draw Burnham to look like Cuffy.

Now, to the meat of the matter. When Burnham was Head of Government I was a PPP member. In 1977 Party Leader Cheddi Jagan wanted a National Patriotic Front Government with Burnham's PNC. His overture was rebuffed. In 1985 Jagan and Burnham were holding talks for a National Unity Government of the PPP+PNC. Burnham died midway and his successor Desmond Hoyte killed the project.

Obviously, Jagan saw some virtues in Burnham and vice versa. Gilbakka sees some virtues in both Burnham and Jagan. True, both had flaws but they were products of their era.

According to one newspaper report, President Granger said yesterday that the State will henceforward finance the commemoration of death anniversaries of ALL Guyana's presidents. That is a good thing.  

Burnham look like he gat lil Putagee in him in this pic.  Did Granger reiterate on who he thinks would be the next President added to the commemoration list?

Bibi Haniffa
Bibi Haniffa posted:
Billy Ram Balgobin posted:
Bibi Haniffa posted:

Praying to Burnham with your eyes open.  Smart move though.  And people say de man stupitttt!!

20621833_1571759939550246_2969247190119792699_n[1]

Where did you get this pic from?  Naga knows how to quarrel. You better no provoke the man again.  He will go on a rampage in parliament cussing out the PPP. Dracula bit him a couple of years ago. Beware of the Naga.

A good friend took the pic at the Burnham event yesterday.  Is it me or does Naga already look like he vex bad?

Bastard is getting old and more troublesome.  Just look at the bags on his face. It's a reservoir of envy and hate. His days in office are numbered. 

Billy Ram Balgobin
Drugb posted:

Now Bunmham is a hero, these slop can carriers have no shame.

The biggest disciple of Burnham is your hero Jagdeo.  That is why he is called Baby Kong, his teacher being King Kong.

FM
caribny posted:
Drugb posted:

Now Bunmham is a hero, these slop can carriers have no shame.

The biggest disciple of Burnham is your hero Jagdeo.  That is why he is called Baby Kong, his teacher being King Kong.

Didn't you say you were going to end your obsession with Jagdeo and stop mentioning his name needlessly over and over again?

Bibi Haniffa
Last edited by Bibi Haniffa
Drugb posted:
 Jagdeo on the other hand presided over the most successful economic period that Guyana had ever experienced. 

Really. I suggest that you look at the economic performance between 2000 and 2007. After that gold rescued Guyana.  Real GDP was stagnant in some years, and down in others. 

Jagdeo benefitted from Hoyte reforms and the debt write offs that Jagan was able to negotiate.  The mediocre performance of the economy during his era showed what a failure that he was. 

It was during his era that mass flight to the Caribbean occurred, as Guyanese, desperate to be able to feed their families, were forced to flock to those islands.  And this even includes PPP supporters.  Bajans wanted to know why these PPP supporters voted for that party and that fled to crowd up their tiny island.

What is Jagdeo's legacy. A bankrupt Guysuco and a bunch of failed white elephant schemes.  Lucky they scaled back the airport as Jagdeo wanted this massive structure that what have had more jetways then even busy airports like St Maarten and Antigua.

FM
Bibi Haniffa posted:
caribny posted:
Drugb posted:

Now Bunmham is a hero, these slop can carriers have no shame.

The biggest disciple of Burnham is your hero Jagdeo.  That is why he is called Baby Kong, his teacher being King Kong.

Didn't you say you were going to end your obsession with Jagdeo and stop mentioning his name needlessly over and over again?

I never said anything of the sort. Now you and druggie wish I would as you don't want to talk about the failure that this man was. A man so corrupt that a PPP minister was killed, he screamed that he knew who master minded this killing, and up to now these people walk free (or maybe are in a USA jail if certain allegations are true).

FM
Drugb posted:
. Burnham was a tyrant and dictator, Jagdeo was a liberator, both economically as well as from the wicked PNC. 

Let us get some facts.

1. Sat Sawh's family don't have as high a regard for Jagdeo as you do and in fact WikiLeaks shows that the US government considered Jagdeo to be a protector of drug dealers.  They refused to release any information about narco traffickers to him as their experience showed that within minutes that information would be conveyed to drug traffickers.

2. The Burnham economy was liberalized by Hoyte.  This forced Jagan to forgo his blatant Marxist Leninist economy and let the private sector lead the economy.

3. The "investors" under Jagdeo were a bunch of money launderers who engaged in speculative investment in real estate and retail. The productive sectors, with the exception of gold DECLINED under Jagdeo. The mere fact that a lot of real estate in Guyana is priced in US$ will indicate to you who the real market is. Clue, it isn't grass roots Guyanese who do NOT earn US dollars!

FM
Bibi Haniffa posted:
Did Granger reiterate on who he thinks would be the next President added to the commemoration list?

I don't know. I just spotted the sentence in Stabroek News but no details. Next March, I hope Granger and Nagamootoo join Jagdeo and Ramotar at Babu Jaan to mark the Jagans' death anniversaries. And I hope APNU+AFC keeps its promise to fund the thing, including paying expenses to truck all dem people to the site.

FM

Muslim Scholars and Guyanese Blacks have one thing in common. They seems to pick up history from a vantage point. Imagine dem black ppl claiming dat Guyana had a backward economy when Burnham took over from the Colonials. Then again, how would they know. One has to be gainfully employed inorder to know how the economy was performing.

S
Bibi Haniffa posted:

Praying to Burnham with your eyes open.  Smart move though.  And people say de man stupitttt!!

20621833_1571759939550246_2969247190119792699_n[1]

Look what "those" people did to the beloved Prime Minister.  The same ones he is worshiping with today.

"In the presence of my wife, I narrowly escaped being kidnapped by Burnham’s police and thugs.
In a nutshell: I was detained and/or jailed at Springlands, No. 51, Whim, Sister’s Village, Blairmont, Fort Wellington, Cove and John, Kitty, La Penitence and Brickdam Police Stations and at Eve Leary CID and Police Headquarters.
I was slapped with politically trumped-up charges ranging from resisting arrests, assaulting police officers, threatening behaviour to unlawful possession of firearm. Not once was I convicted on any of those spurious charges.


Each of those carried its own harrowing details, which I am not going to recount here. A few glimpses of my brush with the Burnham Era would, for now, suffice.
Once, whilst sharing the platform with the revolutionary hero/martyr Dr. Walter Rodney at the Kitty Market Square, a thug threw a bottle of formalin at me. I was knocked into unconsciousness. 
I was an active member of the PPP Central/Executive, but in the eyes of the goons and thugs of the regime that status did not attract any enviable privilege. 


Walter helped to revive me with cold water, and put me back on stage. When I returned, this time naked to my waist, I told the thugs: “next time you want me off this stage, you have to remove my dead body!”
On another occasion, as I got into the car of Ms. Janet Jagan outside her Bel Air house, a policeman suddenly put a gun to my head. With the gun cocked, he screamed: “don’t move!” I was dragged from Ms. Jagan’s car, pushed into another vehicle, and forced to by knees in the back seat. As the vehicle drove off, one of the men in the vehicle tried to wrest my camera away from me. When I resisted, the policeman with the gun, extinguished his lighted cigarette on my chest. 


I was a journalist. My crime? I photographed some suspicious-looking men sitting on a culvert in the vicinity of the home of Dr. Cheddi Jagan, then Leader of the Opposition. I was first held at La Penitence and later taken before Crime Chief, Skip Roberts. He relieved me of the roll of film in my camera, and let me go.
Before that, I was beaten mercilessly by known PNC thugs, dragged between two police horses to the Kitty Station, and then hauled away in handcuffs. Under cover of darkness I was bundled into a car, blindfolded, and driven off to what I believe was the Le Repentir Cemetery. I was placed between two policemen one of whom was repeatedly enquiring loudly, “is de hole finished yet?” After a while, a voice cackled on the intercom: “bring the prisoner in”. The vehicle turned around and I was taken to the Brickdam lock-ups. I was charged with illegal possession of firearm and some other offences.
Being hooded and blindfolded, reminded me of the time when, years before, I was arrested in West Berbice. I was detained at Fort Wellington, then handcuffed and blindfolded, and placed into a land rover with armed policemen. I was transferred to Georgetown, and held ex-communicado with other comrades for 10 days. At that time I was held under the dreaded National Security Act, and threatened repeatedly with being put away at Sibley Hall.
I recall on another occasion when I was assaulted by a former Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force and threatened with death for writing a Mirror article under the caption, “Army Takeover of Parliament”. A day later, I was attacked by men in soldier’s boots, slashed twice at the base of my head and stabbed with what appeared to be a rusty bayonet. Even as I am writing, I caress the scars, and I remember my life in struggle and what could have been.
This narrative is not going to be complete without reference to the anguish of my wife, my infant kids and my late parents as policemen occasionally raided my home, searching for elusive “arms and ammunition”. When I was traveling abroad, I would routinely be detained and strip-searched by plainclothes policemen at the Timehri airport and relieved of booklets and pamphlets. 
I would never be able to know the full effect on my family of what was a prolonged period of state-sponsored terrorism, though I would be forever grateful to them for their courage in withstanding the fear and uncertainty of that period.
Lastly, I recall what was the height of madness during the Burnham era when I was arrested outside Parliament Building on a protest demonstration against the banning of Wheaten flour. I had taken my 4-year-old daughter, Adela (now my legal partner) to the protest. The police arrested her as well, and threw us both in the putrid Brickdam lock-ups, which was already crowded with over a dozen protesters. I remember holding my child in the air, close to the grilled window, so she could get fresh air! Ms. Janet Jagan, accompanied by Attorney and party colleague Ralph Ramkarran, persuaded the police to let my child go. 

Bibi Haniffa
Bibi Haniffa posted:

We should pay attention to what he wrote.  It is very revealing.  Wonder if anyone in the PNC camp ever challenged the authenticity of his writing.

My friend Moses has an extra-large heart. Just look at his chest. He forgives and forgets. He is a proud Christian.

I look forward to the day when my friend Moses will forgive Jagdeo and his other PPP  ex-comrades and forget the unchristianly persecution/crucifiction he suffered at Freedom House.

FM
Django posted:
Drugb posted:

Now Bunmham is a hero, these slop can carriers have no shame.

You jumped too quick.

Burnham also fought to kill coolies, rig elections and fought to be dicktater for life. He accomplished all of what he set out to do.

FM
Drugb posted:

Burnham's name should never be revered, this is the campaign that the Granger and AFC are launching, to sanitize Burnham as the current generation did not live under his rule.

Burnham fought for equality the same as Hitler fought for peace...or was that piece!!

FM
Nehru posted:

YOur friend is worst than a DOG. He is a proud Christian conveniently for wealth and Power. BLOODY PARASITE!!!

Moses caused the Ppp to loose and at the same time he cause some of thier supporters to turn mad.

Chief

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