Cheddi Jagan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cheddi Berret Jagan
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| 4th President of Guyana | |
| In office 9 October 1992 – 6 March 1997 |
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| Prime Minister (also First Vice President) | Sam Hinds |
| Preceded by | Desmond Hoyte |
| Succeeded by | Sam Hinds |
| 1st Premier of British Guiana | |
| In office 5 September 1961 – 12 December 1964 |
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| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Preceded by | Inaugural holder |
| Succeeded by | Forbes Burnham |
| 1st Chief Minister of British Guiana | |
| In office 30 May 1953 – 9 October 1953 |
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| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Preceded by | Inaugural holder |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Cheddi Berret Jagan
22 March 1918 Ankerville, Port Mourant, Berbice, British Guiana (present-day East Berbice-Corentyne, Guyana) |
| Died | 6 March 1997 (aged 78) Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C., United States |
| Political party | People's Progressive Party (1950-death) |
| Other political affiliations |
Manpower Citizens' Association (1945-1946) Political Affairs Committee (1946-1950) |
| Spouse | Janet Rosenberg (1943–1997; his death) |
| Children | Cheddi "Joey" Jagan Jr. Nadira Jagan-Brancier |
| Relatives | Derek Chunilall Jagan (brother) |
| Alma mater | Howard University Northwestern University |
| Signature |  |
Cheddi Berret Jagan (born March 22, 1918 – died March 6, 1997) was a very important politician from Guyana. He was first elected as a leader in 1953. Later, he became the Premier of British Guiana (which is now Guyana) from 1961 to 1964.
After many years, he became the President of Guyana in 1992 and served until 1997. Many people in Guyana call him the Father of the Nation. In 1953, he was the first person of Indian heritage to lead a government outside of South Asia.
Contents
Cheddi Jagan's Early Life
Cheddi Berret Jagan was born on March 22, 1918, in a small village called Ankerville. This village is in Port Mourant, Berbice, which is now part of East Berbice-Corentyne, Guyana. He was the oldest of 11 children in his family.
His parents were from India and had moved to British Guiana to work. They came from a place in India that is now called Uttar Pradesh. The Jagan family was not rich and worked hard in the sugar cane fields to make a living.
When Cheddi was fifteen, his father sent him to Queen's College in Georgetown. This city was about 160 kilometers (100 miles) away. He studied there for three years. Life in Georgetown was very different from his village. After high school, Cheddi found it hard to get a job outside of farming. So, his father used their family's savings to send him to the United States to study dentistry.
Studying in the United States
Cheddi Jagan went to the United States in September 1936 with two friends. He stayed there for seven years, returning to British Guiana in October 1943.
He lived in Washington, D.C. for two years. There, he took classes to prepare for dental school at Howard University. To pay for his studies, Cheddi worked as an elevator operator. During the summer, he sold things door-to-door in New York. He did so well that he earned a scholarship for his second year at Howard. In 1938, he was accepted into the four-year dental program at Northwestern University in Chicago.
Cheddi Jagan's Political Journey
Cheddi Jagan started his political journey by helping to create the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) in 1946. Soon after, in November 1947, he was elected to the Legislative Council. He ran as an independent candidate.
On January 1, 1950, Jagan helped start the People's Progressive Party (PPP). This new party was formed by combining the PAC and another group. Cheddi Jagan became the leader of the PPP. His wife, Janet Jagan, became the secretary, and Forbes Burnham became the chairman.
First Time as Chief Minister
Jagan's party won the elections in 1953. He became the Chief Minister. However, the British government worried that Jagan had ideas that were too extreme. They thought he might let the Soviet Union gain influence in South America. There was no real proof that Jagan was connected to any foreign communist groups.
Because of these worries, the British military stepped in just days after his victory. Jagan had to resign after only 133 days in office. Britain then stopped the constitution and put in a temporary government. From 1954 to 1957, Jagan was not allowed to leave Georgetown.
Second Time as Chief Minister
The PPP won again in the August 1961 elections. Jagan became Chief Minister for a second time, serving for three years. In the December 1964 elections, the PPP won the most votes, but not enough seats to form a government alone. Another party, the People's National Congress, and a conservative party joined together. They had more seats and were asked to form the government.
Jagan did not want to resign, so the Governor, Richard Luyt, had to remove him from office. After this, Jagan became a leader of the opposition. He also worked as an activist for workers' rights.
Later Life and Presidency
After 28 years of being in the opposition, the PPP won the elections on October 5, 1992. They received about 54% of the votes. This meant Cheddi Jagan became the President of Guyana.
Even though there were earlier worries about his political ideas, he governed as a democratic socialist. This means he believed in a fair society where everyone has equal chances, but also supported democracy.
His Passing
On February 15, 1997, Jagan had a heart attack. He was taken to a hospital in Georgetown. Later that day, he was flown by U.S. military aircraft to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.. He had heart surgery there.
Cheddi Jagan passed away in Washington on March 6, 1997. This was 16 days before his 79th birthday. The Prime Minister, Sam Hinds, became the new President. He announced six days of mourning for Jagan. He called Jagan "the greatest son and patriot that has ever walked this land."
Cheddi Jagan's Family Life
After finishing dental school in 1942, Jagan met Janet Rosenberg, who was a student nurse. They got married in 1943. They had two children together: Nadira and Cheddi Jr.. They also had five grandchildren.
Janet Jagan followed in her husband's footsteps. She became Prime Minister and then President of Guyana in 1997. She was later succeeded as president by Bharrat Jagdeo in 1999.
Cheddi Jagan's Legacy
Cheddi Jagan left behind a strong legacy in Guyana.
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The Cheddi Jagan Research Centre in Georgetown celebrates his life and work. It even has a copy of his old office. The Cheddi Jagan International Airport, which is the largest airport in Guyana, is also named after him.
Books by Cheddi Jagan
Cheddi Jagan was also a writer and wrote many important books and speeches. Some of his publications include:
- Forbidden Freedom: The Story of British Guiana (1954)
- The West On Trial: My Fight for Guyana's Freedom (1966)
- The Caribbean Revolution (1979)
- The Caribbean: Whose Backyard? (1984)
- Selected Speeches 1992–1994 (1995)
- The USA in South America (1998)
- A New Global Human Order (1999)
- Selected Correspondences 1953–1965 (2004)
Images for kids
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Logo of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport named after him.
See also
In Spanish: Cheddi Jagan para niños
