Religious service opens Enmore Martyrs’ Day observances

President Donald Ramotar and Prime Minister Samuel Hinds on Sunday joined relatives and residents of Enmore at the Enmore Shiv Mandir, East Coast Demerara to begin the commemoration of the Enmore Martyrs.
Enmore Martyrs’ Day is in remembrance of the five sugar workers who were shot and killed on June 16, 1948, by colonial police while they were demonstrating for better working conditions. President Ramotar said that Enmore Martyrs’ Day has become one of the most important days in the history of Guyana for several reasons, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.
Firstly, “It was a coming together of many, many, things that were happening at the time. Internationally the Second World War had just ended, Hitlerite Fascism was defeated, and there was a major anti-colonial drive in the world taking place.”
Secondly, the president said the Enmore sugar workers’ move ignited and gave life to the first call of the Political Affairs Committee that was formed by Dr Cheddi Jagan, a call for independence and “in our own country that call became very much a call of national interest.” The first Enmore Martyrs’ Day also coincided with the struggle for democracy, including workers’ and industrial democracy.
That major struggle of the sugar workers had the recognition of the Manpower Citizens’ Association (MPCA). The first major battle was at Leonora, West Coast Demerara in 1939.
President Ramotar also noted the importance of sugar to the colony and the betrayal of the workers by the union, and pointed out that there have always been major struggles in the sugar industry mainly because of the need of the industry in the economy.
He added that one of the characteristic features of the sugar workers was their political consciousness, pointing to the fact that during the 80-day strike in the 1960s, “the sugar workers did not strike, because they realised that striking then, was against their own interest and the national interest of the country.”
“We have to understand the depths of the struggle… then we were fighting for independence, democracy, freedom and rights… Today we have a new situation, where we need to apply the same political consciousnesses and adherence on what is happening,” President Ramotar stated.
He added that the main task is the path of development, “to recapture the lost years that we had when we were living in an undemocratic state, when our country went backward. We have a lot to do to catch up”. The president explained that this is the political consciousness workers need to have.
“This is what they need to understand. That we now have a new situation… focus has gone, sugar workers are not working for development anymore.” He stated emphatically that “what we work for in the sugar industry must contribute to national development”. Observing that people are more and more working for themselves, President Ramotar said, while things have changed a lot, the administration is still striving to ensure the strengthening of the people through the social sectors, education, health and housing.
“We must recognise that 58 per cent of the revenue of GuySuCo goes to the unionised workers, and the largest expense of the sugar industry is paying wages,” he pointed out. He also noted that advanced thinking by sugar workers and their families has caused a reduction in the sugar labour force, which is one reason that the industry has to be changed and become mechanised.