“Most, if not all buildings were decorated with buntings, colors of the new Guyana flag, and lights. The trees on Main Street and Camp street avenues were all lit up and were like a fairly land. Citizens (including yours truly) strolled through the avenues and window shopped at night just to admire the lights and decorations,” The Duke of Edinburgh was in town for the celebrations as were other foreigners either on official business or otherwise. The Demerara Rowing Club hosted a Regatta in the Demerara River. Some of us were allowed time off from work to attend (in the Club house of course). It was really a festive time the likes of which I have not seen since, and reminded of the Coronation celebrations in the ‘50s. People were able to put aside their differences, political and otherwise for a while to be united in celebrating this significant, historical event.”
These were the fond recollections of a then young Guyanese girl, of Chinese ancestry; now a grown woman and preparing for the country’s 52nd Independence Anniversary, the memories of that auspicious period still had the power to bring a warm smile. Throughout the early part of 1966, preparations for Guyana’s independence were in full swing; guests included Dignitaries and the Duke and Duchess of Kent.
Independence is one of the most significant days in this country’s history, a history that must never be erased. To even understand this day’s significance, we have to indulge and engage ourselves into the past to feel the experiences of previous generations, to understand the reasons for the Independence struggle, and to sustain the gains accrued since 1966.
Former President Cheddi Jagan asserted that the reasons for the Independence struggle were “…Because life was hard and conditions were abominable. (Excerpt from the Guyana Chronicle 2003) (Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)
