Guyana’s 1905 Rebellion
— Nigel Westmaas
“The people are doing nothing. It is the Government who are rioting and shooting down the people.”
—Guyanese worker to British soldier: Guiana Chronicle, 5th December 1905 (1)
1905 WAS A landmark year in the history of Guyana, as it was for several places around the world. In Russia, the Tsar and his troops shot workers delivering a petition in St. Petersburg. In Bengal there were communal shootings; in South West Africa the German massacre of the Herero people was in full progress.
In the British Caribbean, just two years previously, the Trinidad Water Rebellion was characterized by violence and killings, culminating in the burning of the government Red House, symbol of the British colonial occupation. British Guiana (Guyana)(2) in 1905 was no different. The rebellion that year had a dramatic and forceful impact.
Guyana in 1905 was still an important British colony and one of the biggest producers of sugar in the world. Anthony Trollope once characterized it as “a despotism tempered by sugar,” and it was also deemed the “Magnificent Province.” But the colony was now apparently bereft of this Magnificence; excepting the Governor, the wealthy, and the cushioned middle class, everyone was feeling the burden of hard living, partly due to international economic conditions. [more]
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Reblogged this on Guyanese Association of Barbados Inc.
wonderful and truthfully honest interpretation of GUYANS history..
Walter Rodney lives on in the minds and hearts of all who read his works…
would love to read on from 1905 before comenting further on the history of the working classes….an inspiring read so far. !!
My memory of 60 s as a teenager remains as a vivid picture in my physce….
Anti colonial sentiments prevail…but no animosity is in my heart.
It was the sign of the times…..I remember the “black-watch” arriving in GT
after it was “ablaze”… my brother was leading rioters protesting for the BRITISH
to go home … even burning the BRITISH flag. I did not join in the protest
possibly through my “fear” of being shot !
on instructions from KENNEDY(irish president USA) during CUBAN
missile crisis instructed Mcmillian (PM UK) to suspend the constitution
and call new elections under the PR system ….Kennedy did not want CHEDDI
as PM.. a “communist sympathiser” democratically elected to become Pm
of an independant GUYANA…….CHEDDI
(who was no communist but communist sympathiser) Janet his white american wife was a member of the communist party….
New elections were held which brought Forbes Lyndon Samson Burnham
to power after the merger of Burnham/Daguiar under a PR (proportional representation) elections…..the rest is now history…..
my understanding of what transpired in GUYANA in early 1960 s unto independance in May 1966. I was despatched to UK as decided to join the military rather than furthering my education….after 5 years in ROYAL AIR FORCE transgressing the globe I got married at 23 and returned to GUYANA
with my wife and daughter.I worked for BANK BREWERIES in Esequibo/Bartica/mackenzie/New Amsterdam and finally DEMICO HOUSE GT as Kenneth De Abreu s deputy general manager at 29…..I was climbing the corporate ladder…
Three of my siblings were born in GT GUYANA.
I returned to UK with my wife and 4 children in 1978 as my Gibraltarian
English born wife was homesick.
I worked in UK until finally deciding that ROYAL MAIL (giant government organisation) was more suited to my political beliefs….also a guaranteed
retirement pensionable employer….with possibilities of retiring at 55 or 60.
I became a very active trade unionist (elected) and fought many battles not only with Management (by fear and intimidation) and my own union superiors.
Was “sacked” and re-instated three times before finally receiving a “golden handshake” and retired at 60….bought a farm in southern SPAIN where I spend
most of my time in Alpujaras mountains in peaceful tranquility and a semi reclusive lifestyle….my haven on the planet.
As a pensioner of UK with three pensions (RAF ROYAL MAIL and STATE)
I can hibernate for few weeks at a time then pack my bags and travel …
UK EUROPE USA CANADA and my favourite Latin America….. mostly
GUYANA BRAZIL VENEZUELA.
If I exit the planet tommorrow my 4 children and 5 grandchildren will carry my legacy with them wherever they decide to put their roots ….. the world is my oyster and my genes will live on forever in them.
but me nah dead nor dying yet ! ha ha !
kamptan thanks for reading my epitath…..
nigel
I thank you for the bit of history of de father/motherland.
It was interesting to learn that “women” were active in the rebellion of 1905.
It was not until 1938 that women (suffergates) won the right to vote in the UK.
Fast forward and it was not until THATCHER came to power in UK that the nail in the coffen of the trade union (miners union led by Arthur Scargill) movement was finally crushed…..THATCHER was the then trade unionist of the conservatives
before she became leader of the party.
Scargill was holding the country to ransom by stopping the production of coal in a winter of discontent……as it was later described by media.
The confrontation brought some fundamental changes in the labour laws….
It used to be a “show of hands” before strike action…today members must be balloted for strike action and have a majority of 51% of its membership voting “yes”….for the strike to go ahead…democracy in practice.
As a trade unionist I fought long and hard battles with management and also my union bosses I may add….on the closed shop principle…
1. In order to be employed you had to be a member of the union….
2. Unless you were a member of the union i could not defend you …
3. Unless you agreed to become a member I still could not defend you.
Needless to say I was asked to resign from the union my ALAN JOHNSON the then leader of the UCW…I ignored his threat defended the non member had her re-instated and she later re-joined the union ….he later became a minister in TONY BLAIRS labour government…then GORDON BROWN made him shadow chancellor….GORDON BROWN was also de-selected. ALAN JOHNSON is now just another of the 600 MP but in opposition….no shadow ministerial post…
KARMA
WORKERS MUST ALWAYS HAVE THE RIGHT TO WITHDRAW THEIR LABOUR
it is fair and just…but it must also be democratic….
once again thanks NIGEL WESTMAAS for such an insightful historical enlightment of guyanese wherever they are….
kamptan…
“(who was no communist but communist sympathiser)”.
It depends upon your point of view.
During the Wynn-Parry hearing, in response to a question by Mr. Lionel Luckhoo, Dr Jagan conceded that under the tenet – from each according to his ability; to each according to his need – he was a communist.