| Good soldier gone
by Neil Marks |
|
President Bharrat Jagdeo said "Sash
has become the modern martyr in our country's drive to preserve our
democratic gains and advance the goal of progress" and vowed that his
assassins will be "destroyed." At the funeral, the President whipped the security forces, charging that with more than 5,500 officers and a $7B budget, it was no use telling him about operations. He said he wants to see results, expressing disappointment that the security forces have been unable to quell the threat of 15-20 gunmen.
"We
know who they are. We will track them down," he vowed at the official
tribute held at the historic Castellani House, just opposite the Ministry
of Agriculture on Vlissengen Road, Georgetown, where Sawh served as
minister for more than eight years. Sawh, 50, was cremated alongside his brother Rajpat Rai Sawh, and sister Pulmatie Persaud at the Good Hope foreshore, East Coast Demerara. The three of them, along with security guard Curtis Robertson, were mercilessly gunned down by an armed gang that stormed his house at La Bonne Intention, also on the East Coast, Saturday morning.
The funeral was a mixture of outright condemnation of the minister's assassination, calls for his assassins to be brought to justice, and of sterling tributes, especially for his work among rural farmers, for whom he saw agriculture as their way out of poverty. "Let our tears be irrigation for a new crop of fighters for the protection of our democracy and the development of our country," said Mr. Navin Chanderpal, whose portfolio of Agriculture Minister Sawh took over when he resigned a few years ago.
Sawh
left behind his wife, Sattie, and two sons Roger, 19, and Dave, 16. Roger
described him as the "the biggest teddy bear" and with the
reputation he built up, he said his father went down with "a blaze of
glory." He also paid tribute to their guard Robertson, calling him "a soldier to the very end, and he even paid tribute to their dog, Brutus, who was also killed in the attack. It was a reflection of the humility and the dignity Sawh accorded any he came into contact with, whether high official or those he walked with in the mud.
"We
will pull together and weather this very difficult storm," Roger told
a mammoth crowd at their Earl's Court, LBI home where his father was
murdered. When his body arrived at Freedom House, headquarters of the governing People's Progressive Party (PPP), the outpouring of emotions from Afro-Guyanese women, who credited Sawh with their livelihood, was a telling demonstration that he had transcended ethnicity in his dealings with the ordinary people.
"In
agriculture, he was up and down the country" to improve the lives of
the rural poor," Mr. Clement Rohee, Minister of Foreign Trade and
International Cooperation stated. At the official tribute ceremony, the President issued his sternest words of disappointment against the security forces, saying despite a sizeable complement of members, and hefty financial support, they have been unable to get the bandits. But he said he believed that among them there are those who can capture the criminals. He indicated he was not satisfied with them saying they have operations, but wanted to see results.
"No
one can convince me that among 5, 500 persons in the security forces and
all the money we spend in that area, that we can't find and mete out to
them what they deserve for terrorising our country and our people,"
he declared. "Those that orchestrated and perpetuated this attack are adrift of human decency. These cowards that resorted to the barrel of a gun to snuff out his life knew they were sowing the seed of destruction and division. It was an attack on our values as a people and our way of life," the President stated.
"They
ran away, but they cannot run forever. We will track them down where they
are. We will go wherever the trail leads, and we would not distinguish
between those who carried out this act and those who directed them. We owe
this to Sash Sawh," he declared. He added: "Our hearts are filled with grief at the blatant assassination of someone whose service to public life went beyond the call of duty. Our country has lost a patriot and my government has been deprived of a hardworking and diligent minister."
PPP
General Secretary, Mr. Donald Ramotar also asked "why Sash?" He
said his assassination was an act of terrorism, designed to create fear
and panic in the country. "I
have no doubt that the intellectual authors of this beastly act had as one
of their objectives, to undermine the growing unity of our people. Unity
and solidarity are enemies of terrorists," he said. In response, he said Guyana must work even harder to defend democracy, and to advance socially, economically and politically.
Touching too on the possible objective of the assassins to impact the upcoming elections, he said this object must be forfeited with the holding of free and fair elections of international standards and witnessed by national and international observers. "Our security forces must bring to
justice those that have committed these foul deeds with seeming impunity.
We call on them to redouble their efforts and bring an end to terrorism in
Guyana," he urged. The
President hailed Sawh as a fine human being, someone whom the government
was proud to have among its members. He said "he worked long and hard
hours, both in and out of office to fulfil his duty to the people of this
country." The
President said one of the things he remembered most about Sawh was his
humility. "No
matter who he was dealing with, he always treated the other person with
the greatest respect. Sash was truly a humble and warm human being",
he added. "He
has become a martyr in the struggle to consolidate and expand democracy in
Guyana," Ramotar said. It
took a while before senior members of the party could suppress the
commotion to begin offering tributes in speeches. Answering the question of why Sawh died from an assassin's bullet, Rohee said "the murderers had to find someone who was the embodiment of the PPP." He said the two outstanding qualities he saw in the late minister were his ability to stay with the party and his ability to fight for the party. He noted that from age 15, Sawh joined the
Central Georgetown group of the Progressive Youth Organisation (PYO) and
emerged as a student leader in protesting unjust practices of the then PNC
government. He
recalled that he would ride up on his bicycle in school clothes to park at
Freedom House to ensure he got to the PYO meetings and this was the birth
of a long life of political activism and faithful dedication to the PPP. Chairman
of the PYO, Dr. Frank Anthony said Sawh's radiant smile and optimistic
words were always reassuring. He added that his religion was selflessness,
a quality he devoted to his party. Anthony
charged that Sawh's murder was an attempt to assassinate the spirit of the
PPP, but he warned that this illusion should not persist that the party or
the people would be conquered by fear. He
said there is an amazing democracy about death - those who cause it, face
the inevitable. Anthony called on the security forces to do their duty and
apprehend the criminals. Speaking
on behalf of the Women's Progressive Organisation (WPO), the women's arm
of the PPP, Mrs. Indra Chandarpal, recalled Sash as he was known, as a
"jolly fellow" with a big heart and a warm smile. She
described him as being a friend of the WPO, recalling that while in Canada
as head of the Association of Concerned Guyanese, he would send articles
in barrels for the women. "He
touched all our hearts, he was a true patriot", she said. She
recalled the care he had for his mother, when he told her he wanted to
bring his mother home as he wanted her to experience sunshine and to see
the flowers grow. In
asking the question of what crime he committed to deserve the kind of
death he suffered, she said he was a victim of political assassination. "We are told they are known," she told the gathering, and said the perpetrators must be brought to justice. She was moved to tears when she concluded with "Death of a Comrade" by National Poet Martin Carter. Guyana's Honorary Consul to Toronto, Mr.
Danny Doobay, who worked with Sawh in the ACG in Canada for the
restoration of democracy to Guyana, said the pain of his death struck at
the heart of the organisation. Doobay
said he worked with Sawh for about three decades and found him to be an
exceptional man, "the eternal optimist," who believed that
Guyana would continue to improve. When
he received contributions, if it was $1,000, $100, or just $10, he made
the contributor feel worthy of it; there was never a distinction, Doobay
related. He
said Sawh had many choices, like staying and working in Canada, but said
he was committed to Guyana, and for that he paid the ultimate price. He
recalled that during the flooding in Guyana, Sawh was visiting in Canada
with his family, but became restless when he learnt of the tragedy and
packed up and returned to help. Doobay
said the fitting tribute to Sawh would be to ensure democratic gains are
not reversed and that the gains across the country continue. Statements
were read from PPP groups in the United Kingdom, New York, Grenada, and a
group of farmers from Aishalton in Region Nine, who said they will miss
him this October, when Guyana celebrates Agriculture Month. In
her tribute, former President Mrs. Janet Jagan hailed Sawh, saying he was
one of the strongest members of the party. She said she was impressed with
his work and loyalty and when she served as President from 1997-99, she
could also depend on him to get the job done, never having to press or
bother him. She recalled that her late husband, President Cheddi Jagan, held Sawh close to his heart and did not move an inch when there was protest against his appointment as Ambassador to Venezuela back in 1993. She said Dr. Jagan's confidence was cemented when he received a national award from the Venezuelan government. She said Sawh realised his full potential when her husband, then President, in 1996, recalled him to Guyana to serve within the Ministry of Agriculture. "He was determined to see the
agriculture sector become a vital sector," she said. She
described him as a man of excellent character, "noble,
beautiful." The
party's General Secretary, Mr. Ramotar, said the life of Sawh was snuffed
out in his prime, and the loss to the party and the state is immeasurable.
He described him as one of the most loved and most capable in the party. "He
was not known to have any enemies; he was known to forge friendships. His
love and energy knew no boundaries. He was known to have been a great
friend of fishermen, farmers and the toiling people, generally," he
said. After
the speeches, senior party members, notably, Rohee, were moved to tears,
for the singing of the party song. The minister's coffin was quickly
draped with the flag of the PPP and placed in the hearse, which then drove
slowly, with party members holding flags, marching the mile or so to
Castellani House. He
called on "every single elected politician" in the country to
join with him in stating unequivocally that they stand for democracy, the
rule of law and for the promotion of a peaceful and prosperous Guyana. "This is not about rhetoric, saying one thing in the public and doing something else behind the scenes. It means telling your party members and political supporters that there is no space for ambiguity for the murderers who carried out this act and others of recent months," he charged. The President said if the politicians of this country believe in the people's democratic right, they will also recognise they must give the people confidence that they are committed to holding peaceful, free and fair elections. "I stand ready to work with every
political leader who recognises that democracy is not served either by
violence or interference with the holding of peaceful, free and fair
elections as soon as possible. They must also make it clear that democracy
cannot be served by acts which seek to subvert the elections commission,
the body which is mandated by our laws, to make all decisions pertaining
to the conduct of elections," he stated. He
said now is the time all politicians must stand up and demonstrate the
leadership that all decent Guyanese are entitled to expect. He
urged Guyanese also not to be defeated by the enemies by letting feelings
of anger translate into any negative feelings against fellow Guyanese. "We
must stand together to show to the world that Guyana is better than this,
and that our people will emerge stronger and more united. We must make it
clear that we will not tolerate any division. We will not let fear take
over our lives," he said. He
said the words of Sawh's younger son, Dave, to reject revenge and
bloodshed showed what he inherited from his honourable father and should
be of inspiration to all Guyanese. "April
22, 2006 will go down in Guyanese history as the day when our young
democracy experienced an assault of unprecedented savagery. Let it also go
down in history as the day when Guyana united, like never before, and the
day when the decent people of this country said 'we'll take no more from
those who try to damage us, but instead we’ll join together to beat
back those who try to hurt us'. And we’ll continue with our work to
develop this nation," the President stated. Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Mr. Bruno Picard said Canada found Sawh to be an indefatigable enthusiastic and reliable partner, and was proud to give him active citizenship, along with his brother Rajpat and sister, Pulmattie. He called for the leaders of the country to unite and confront the "defining moment" that the country now faces. He urged leaders in government, opposition,
civil society, religion, and the international community to unite with
Guyanese to find strength and wisdom to take the right steps to bring long
lasting peace and security to the country. He said there can be no
sustainable development without peace and security. "I
know there is desperation and anger out there...it's part of the grieving
process. But the time is not for anger. The time has come to harness our
energies to apply the full strength of the law to those responsible for
taking the lives of so many innocent people," Picard stated. "It
is also time to build a better Guyana," he added, saying this is the
obligation the country has to meet in memory of Sawh. He ended by saying
Sawh has stood by Guyana and in fair and in good weather for the past 40
years. The
eulogy was delivered by Mr. Chandarpal, from whom Sawh took over the
reigns of the Agriculture Ministry. He
said Sawh embraced the political struggle back in 1970 while attending the
Indian Trust College. He said those years required courage, courage Sawh
possessed. Chandarpal,
who was a teacher at the school, recalled that at one point when teachers
were being given a raw deal, he had no difficulty in getting the support
of students. He said Sawh emerged a leader when he organised a boycott of
classes. He
praised Sawh's outstanding contribution to the restoration of democracy as
a leading member of the ACG in Canada. He also praised his work as
Ambassador to Venezuela and as minister responsible for the agricultural
sector. "He
felt a strong bond with those farmers, fishermen, workers and
others," Chandarpal stated. Permanent
Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture Dr. Dindial Permaul credited Sawh
with a plethora of initiatives in the agricultural sector. He noted Sawh
had a special liking to showcasing agricultural products, because he felt
it would bring enhanced marketing opportunities. Permaul
called Sawh a champion of agricultural diversification and said the
non-traditional sector grew under his leadership. Just before he died,
Permaul said Sawh was ardently behind the design of a strategy for
marketing change for selected commodities. He said the Ministry of
Agriculture is even more determined to implement the strategy. General
Secretary of the Rice Producers Association (RPA) Mr. Dharamkumar Seeraj
recognised Sawh for his dedication to the farming community in ensuring
they could enjoy a good life. "Wherever
we were, whether we were dressed in a suit, whether we were barefooted in
the mud, or swimming in floodwaters, he was one of us. He was there and he
made us feel comfortable," Seeraj recounted. "The
greatest tribute we can give to this hero, whether we are deep down in the
savannahs, high up in the Kanukus, or the Pakaraimas, way down in Orealla,
or way up the North West District, places he went to, is to ensure his
assassins are brought to justice, and brought to justice like
yesterday," he charged. Tributes
were also delivered by Sawh's brother Bidwani, Mr. Bruce Vieira, President
of the Guyana Association of Trawler Owners and Seafood Processors, Mr.
Patrick DeGroot, President of the Guyana Poultry Producers Association and
Mr. Komal Chand, President of the Guyana Agriculture and General Workers
Union. After
the tribute ceremony, the body of Minister Sawh headed for his LBI home,
from where the bodies of his brother and sister were also taken for a
funeral service according to Arya Samaj rites. There
was much confusion as the hundreds who had converged at the home tried to
get a glimpse of the minister's body. The crowd got uncontrollable to a
point where even President Jagdeo had to take the microphone and plead
with the people for patience and order. After
the singing of a few Bhajans, eulogies were delivered for each of the
three dead. Then the bodies were placed on a truck decorated by the Arya
Samaj and taken to the Good Hope crematorium. By then it was raining, and
thousands had gathered. The
cremation was scheduled for 13:00h, but the funeral procession arrived
some three hours later. The thousands who gathered at the site did not
dwindle. They braved the rain. Most
did not have an umbrella. They were determined to stay on, and different
groups at different points sang Bhajans (Hindu religious songs) as they
awaited the procession. By
the time it arrived, almost all were soaked, but they still wanted to bid
farewell. They squeezed their way through to get a glimpse, but many were
disappointed. They were simply too much. Those who came with wreaths were
determined to have them placed on the funeral pyre. Rajpat's
casket was the first to be lit, followed by his sister's, and then that of
Minister Sawh. President Jagdeo stood watch as the Sawh family performed
final rites and set his casket alight. At
this point his widow and two sons could not hold back their tears. The
strength and dignity they had demonstrated to all was still there, but
their tears were for a dear husband and father, "a man among
men," as his eldest son described him. Sawh's
ashes will be interred where his mother's were placed at their hometown,
Felicity, Mahaicony. Wednesday, April 26, 2006 |
