Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem:
On June 13 it was exactly 25 years since the
assassination of the Guyanese scholar-activist, Walter
Rodney. To commemorate his life the Walter Rodney
International Commemoration Committee headed by
Professor Horace Campbell and their Local counter
parts in Guyana organised a week long series of
groundings across the country that culminated in the
unveiling of a memorial plaque and opening of a public
park around the spot where Rodney was assassinated,
June 13 1980, by a remote controlled bomb. The
government of Burnham Forbes claimed that a bombing
device he was carrying allegedly to attack the Central
prison where some of the activists of his party,
Working Peoples Alliance of Guyana (WPA) were being
held killed Rodney. This official lie could have
turned his assassination into a perfect murder but for
the fact that his brother, Donald, was with him in the
fateful car survived explosion. A state security
operative, Smith, was fingered as the perpetrator of
the dastardly act. He was quickly spirited out of the
country to French Guyana where he died a few years
ago.
The murder trail did not begin or end with Smith.
Burnham Forbes regime and his party, the PNC, bears
responsibility for the assassination and the cover up
since then. It is sad that 25 years after the
assassination and thirteen years since the PNC was
replaced as governing party by the PPP no closure has
been brought to the Rodney assassination.
The Commemoration was not about Rodney’s death but a
celebration of his principled politics, philosophy of
human and self emancipation, leadership by example
and consistent practice and Rodney’s life –long
commitment to the masses. Participants came from
several countries and continents including the
Caribbean, Europe, North America and Africa. Many of
them people who knew and worked with Rodney and still
more who were influenced by his writing. Prof. Ali
Mazrui was there as was Prof. Loxley. Both of them
were in Makerere University when Rodney was at the
University of Dar Es Salaam. In a very generous
appreciation despite ideological and political
differences with Rodney Prof. Mazrui paid tribute to
Rodney and recounted with great humour and
truthfulness the famous Mazrui-Rodney debate at the
Great Hall of Makerere University where for many years
Mazrui was the leading academic. Over the years it has
been fashionable on the Left to be distrustful and
ideologically hostile to Mazrui but it has to be said
that he is a better human being and decent person than
many posturing professional Leftocrats. He was never
afraid to speak his mind and stand for schorlarly
integrity even if he may not agree with you
ideologically. He was the father of the occasion and
was universally treated as such.
Rodney’s widow, Patricia and their three children:
Shaka, Kanini and Asha (the last two were born in Dar
es Salaam) were there. Pat and her two daughters (one
a medical Doctor and the other a human rights lawyer)
were in Guyana for the first time since Rodney’s
assassination. Shaka (who is in business in Barbados)
had been home before in the early years of the PPP
government when he staged a hunger strike to force an
inquiry into his father's assassination. The
government did set up some commission, which soon
fizzled out.
Dr Patricia Rodney a the official opening of the
Groundings gave a comprehensive appreciation of her
late husband as a human being, imperfect but an
ordinary man who did extra ordinary things. It was
highly emotional to hear Pat sweeping through their
trial and tribulations from Guyana to the UK to
Jamaica to Tanzania back to Guyana in 1974 leading to
Walter's assassination 6 years later. The meeting
recognised, applauded and saluted Pat’s courage,
determination and comradeship with Rodney.
Often we treat our ‘heroes’ in isolation of their
private lives and forget about their family lives and
loves. Sometimes it is as if they died with the hero.
Patricia was not just a wife to Rodney but a partner
and comrade in arms. The way she has raised their
children after his tragic death at a very young age of
only 38 is a testimony to her fully shared
commitment with Walter that a different world is
possible.
For many Africans Walter's legacy remains his
influential and seminal book: HOW EUROPE
UNDERDEVELOPED AFRICA. A book that was published when
Walter was only 29 years old having secured his PHD at
the age of 24!
By whatever standard whether professionally or
politically Rodney was an exceptional person whose
influence will continue among all struggling peoples
desiring a different world and working to make it
possible. He packed so much into his 38 years as if he
knew would come calling so soon. In How Europe
Undeveloped Africa Rodney laid bare the historical
process through which Africa became the mess that we
see all around us. He established that there was
nothing natural or God ordained about the processes.
They were man made and therefore changeable by act of
human will and determination. He showed how Africa
developed before contact with Europeans through
slavery (400 years) and colonialism (100 years); what
happened under slavery and colonialism and how both
led to Africa contributing to the development of
Europe while Europe was under developing Africa in the
same process.
Rodney was not just a brilliant academic but also a
committed political activist who put his knowledge at
the service of the masses wherever he was. He was a
scholar who proved through his life that the true test
of knowledge was a proven capacity for action. Whether
in Jamaica where he began his academic career or
Tanzania where he became internationally prominent or
in Guyana where he returned (initially to teach but
the government withdrew the appointment when he
arrived) Rodney was part of all the struggles around
him. In Dar which was then a centre of progressive
ideas, honest attempt at social transformation and
African liberation struggles Rodney was part of the
ferment, supporting the struggles and at times
offering critical inputs and made friends and comrades
of many leading radical intellectuals and liberation
fighters of the time and influencing generations of
students. I wonder though what Rodney would have said
to some of his comrades like President Museveni, who
have captured state power and instead of building
socialism and a new society have made their peace
with imperialism and free market. Sadder still what
would Rodney have made of Tanzania of today where the
term Ndugu is more out of jest than the camaraderie of
the past, a place where Uhuru “now has a new name
…..mobitel” as caricatured in a an advert for mobile
phones I saw a few years ago on the street of Dar.
When he returned to Guyana and he was denied his
professorial post at the University he turned to
independent research publishing the firs volume of his
definite History of the Guyanese Working Class. He
showed how whether Indian or African the Guyanese
workers were exploited first by colonialists and later
successive ruling elites be they African or Indian.
From that analysis he sought a solution in building an
alliance of workers across race and ethnic divide.
That was how he and other progressive elements formed
the Working Peoples Alliance whose aim was social
transformation of Guyana. That political stance and
his popularity across the divides made him a number
one enemy of the forces of darkness.
But the remembrance has shown that though Rodney is
dead his ideas and example continues to Live on. It
was very symbolic that one of the highlights of the
activities was an all-night cultural extravaganza,
Rhythm for Rodney which was held in Burnham’s former
house where he and his henchmen were waiting for the
news of Walter’s assassination on that fateful evening
on June 13 1980. The theme of the groundings was A
different world is necessary’ but it is not only
necessary it is possible. The people of Guyana and
other Caribbean states simmering under not so hidden
racial bigotry and sectarian politics need Rodney’s
non racialist pro people politics; Africa needs his
non mercenary scholarship and political commitment to
the cause of the masses while world need his message
of love for all humanity and optimism about capacity
of ordinary folks supported by organic intellectuals
and other progressives to change their conditions for
the better.
In addition to many practical resolutions and action
points agreed on the final day of the groundings to
bring Walter’s work and inspiration to new generation
of the young and activists by popularising his work
and speeches through reissuing new editions and
translations we adopted two important resolutions.
Both of them were directed at the Guyanese people and
government but those outside can lend their support
through active solidarity. The first resolution is
asks that Rodney’s contribution to Guyana be
rocognised statutorily by being declared a National
Hero. The second resolution supported the call by
Patricia Rodney and their family for a closure to be
brought to the assassination through an International
Commission of Enquiry. Without truth there cannot be
any hope of reconciliation. You can support these
calls by writing letters to the President of Guyana or
any Guyanese High Commission, Consulate or other
diplomatic near you. You can urge your foreign
minister or Heads of State/ Government to raise these
issues with their Guyanese counterparts at various
multilateral diplomatic forums where they meet. As
another Caribbean Radical intellectual activist, CLR
James used to say: “ there is always something that
can be done”. Keep Rodney alive by doing something
today*.
*Visit the Website of the Walter Rodney Commemoration
Committee for full reports of the Groundings and also
other groundings across the world and related
activities: WWW.RODNEY25.ORG