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By Vishnu Dutt |
What began as the birth of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) by Dr Cheddi Jagan , Mrs Janet Jagan, HJM Hubbard and Ashton Chase in 1946 and its transformation in 1950 to the PPP, started the colony of British Guiana on a new phase of its political history. But it was the end of World War 11 and the time had closed a glorious period of Arya Samaj missionary work by Professor Bhaskaranand MA, LLB who was now finally able to return to India in 1945 upon completion of his assignment to British Guiana and the Caribbean. The ground work that Professor Bhaskaranand MA . LLB had laid in building the Arya Samaj movement in British Guiana and the birth of the PPP were to have a glorious convergence when another Arya Samaj Missionary Pandit Usharbudh Arya later arrived in 1956.
Professor Bhaskarananda just 27 years old, was a lawyer who spoke Bhojpuri Hindi, coming from the Uttar Pradesh, he was specifically selected by the Arya Sarvadeshik Pratinidhi Sabha and dispatched to the Caribbean in 1936 as a Vedic Missionary to spread the message of the Arya Samaj. Possessing the courtroom maneuvarability ,necessary adroitness and astuteness of the lawyer,Professor Bhaskarananda operated with caution under the watchful eyes of the British as he travelled in the sugar estates still under indentureship in 1936 when he arrived in British Guiana. He had to face the challenge of both the Sanatanist Hindu Pandits and the Christian missionaries for the ear of the Indian indentured servant. And he was all alone. But he was educated and that was his biggest weapon and it quickly won him victories in making converts to the Arya Samaj way of thinking.
Professor Bhaskarananda's main message preached the mission of the Arya Samaj which called for equal rights for the education of women.,the eradication of caste distinction and the eradication of idolatory as a means of worship, amongst other things.
In India , Arya Samaj leaders were in the forefront for the removal of the British from that country, and indeed Swami Dayananda Saraswati its leader was recognised as the first to call for their expulsion. This was to later build up considerable prestige for the local Arya Samaj leaders in British Guiana the leading member at the time being Pandit Sama Persaud of Buxton who had been to India and who had personally met Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and olther leaders of the Indian independence struggle after his father died in 1948 en route to India.*.Removing the British from governing India was always high on the Arya Samaj agenda. Pandit Sama Persaud now becamed fired with it as well on his return to British Guiana from India.
The convergence which made the PPP and the Arya Samaj movement was the common
bond uniting them for the removal of the British from British Guiana. This made them a symbiotic twin from the beginning of their histories. History was to later record the trail blazing record of achievements which the PPP was to make when it was to win the government during the successive years.
When the PPP won the first elections in 1953 and won 18 seats Pandit Sama
Persaud had been in the midst of the political struggle to remove the British and he was in the ranks of the PPP. He became the first Arya Samaj Pandit to become a Senator in the Senate. Unfortunately the constitution was suspended on October 9th 1953 and everyone was removed.) During the 1946 period the Rice Producers Association (RPA) came into existence and many Arya Samaj Pandits also became active in this organization. These included Pandit Bhowal Kumar of # 59 Village, Corentyne , Pandit Raghubeer of # 64 Corentyne, Pandit Ramdhan of # 60 Village Corentyne and Pandit Budhram Mahadeo of # 66 Village Corentyne. While they were fighting for the rights of farmers they were no less involved in the improvement of the their countrymens' working conditions. They also assisted the PPP in the fight to remove the British from British Guiana. But it was the contributions of the Pandits who were involved in long term hardcore political work in the PPP which led to them being attacked and singled out for harrasment on a prolonged period by the British.
When Pandit Usharbudh Arya,another Arya Samaj Missionary arrived in 1956,he formed the Vir Dal movement in British Guiana. The PPP was in the middle of a split between the Burnham and Jagan factions. The Vir Dal had become a formidable Arya Samaj training ground for strict spiritual and physical training by the time he left in 1964 .Pandit Arya was to succeeded in energizing the country's youth , building on the foundation left by Professor Bhaskaranda . It included a group of young men who were to became his strongest disciples. Pandit Usharbudh Arya was able to generate an enthusiasm in the Arya Samaj movement with his charisma and spirituality which drove men into religious fervor unheard of in the colony. Many were trained as Pandits and became the strongest supporters and worked diligently in the PPP for the removal of the British. Prominent among those who climbed the political ladder in the fight to remove the British and gave endless time and made heroic sacrifices were such men as Pandit Ramlall of Skeldon, Pandit Budhram Mahadeo of #66 village Corentyne, Pandit Ramnath Dwarka of Crabwood Creek and Pandit Harry Persaud of Uitvlugt.
The British Government placed Pandit Ramall in detention in 1964 without charges and in 1965 he was jailed again . After studying in India in 1974 and subsequently receiving numerous awards from India he left for the United States in 1979. Since then he has become the most influential Arya Samaj Guyanese leader in the tri state area and he later founded the Arya Spiritual Center Center.
Pandit Ramnauth Dwarka who worked closely with Pandit Budhram Mahadeo at the regional level of the PPP , fought the Britsh with vigour and without fear and retired from active politics in 1986. Pandit Budhram Mahadeo served as President of the Rice Producers Association (RPA) from 1964 to 1992 during the entire period when the PPP was out of office.He served on the Central Committee of the PPP until 1998 and was appointed to numerous Government Boards when the PPP/Civic won the elections in 1992. He was the first Arya Samaj Pandit to be given the Cacique Crown of Honor (CCH) in 1995 by President Dr Cheddi Jagan. The citation acknowledged his contributions for removing the British and the restoration of democracy in Guyana. But it did not acknowledge his status as a Pandit of the Arya Samaj as he was not representing the movement. He died in Guyana a loyal and proud PPP member in 2000.
There were many valiant fighters who were united under the banner of the PPP,all accepting the leadership of Dr Cheddi Jagan, all who were prominent Arya Samaj leaders and fought fearlessly for the removal of the British. However this article which celebrates the 126 anniversary of Arya Samaj Foundationt of 10 April 1875, now being observed this May month seeks to highlight those few Pandits who gave timless service to Guyana and whose identity were often submerged in the interest of party discipline. All are not included. However they fought under the banner of the PPP but they were never known other than Arya Samaj Pandits. Their contributions and selfless sacrifice to their country and to the promotion of Arya Samaj principles is what makes the history of the Arya Samaj and Guyana richer.
*(Our families shared very close family links as my late paternal granfather Pandit Ramkaran Sukul, the first Arya Samaj Pandit of Enterprise performed the last funeral rites on the ship in 1948 for Pandit Latchman Persaud, the father of Pandit Sama Persaud as the three of them were on their way to India. In numerous chats with Pandit Sama Persaud I found he remained a loyal admirer of Dr Cheddi and Mrs Janet Jagan.
From his unequalled vantage point Pandit Sama Persaud presented fascinating accounts and many tidbits on many of the prominent political and religious personalities of the Guyanese and Indian scene with whom he encountered starting even before and after 1950. He especially knew the entire extended Eusi Kwayana family (formerly Sidney King) of Buxton where Pandit Sama Persaud was born and originally lived. But unfortunately Pandit Persaud had to leave Buxton as he was displaced to Annandale during the 1963 disturbances.)