Dear Editor,
Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha in his Facebook post paid tribute to his late father Owal Mustapha Rahman of Bloomfield, saying he was an admirable, decent, wonderful man who lived a life of principles and who taught him (Zulfikar) to live a life of honesty and that he has been following in the stalwart’s footsteps and guided by his values. The old man, who we in Bloomfield, Letter Kenny, and Whim called Uncle Mustapha, was a PPP stalwart, a very strong PPP man who indeed taught myself, his children, and all other party activists of Bloomfield to live a principled, honest life. I don’t think his son, the Minister, paid heed to the old man’s advice and teachings and the values he imparted on us. Zulfi is not known for the words used to describe the old man.
Uncle Mustapha, the 91 year old, was a genuine, uncompromising PPPite on good values, a follower of Jaganism, who worked very hard and who served Dr Jagan and the PPP with dedication and integrity as we all true Jaganites did. There were never allegations against him. He lived in a simple home just like Jagan. No one that I know in the surrounding areas ever had anything negative to say about him. Can we say the same about his son Zulfikar? Is Zulfikar really following in his dad’s footsteps? Are Zulfi’s children following in the footsteps of Uncle Mustapha. Look at Zulfi’s behavior in parliament against Pandit Vishnu Panday and other opposition MPs! Was it necessary to disrespect the humble pandit? Would the old man have approved of such behavior?
Uncle Mustapha was a humble, down to earth, decent, hardworking, honest person. It is a travesty when others cite the personality of the dead to make claim of themselves to what they are not. Few in the PPP are emulating the values of the old man and of Comrade Cheddi who was incorruptible.The old man is buried within yards of Cheddi and Janet’s ashes. I salute the old man and join in condoling his passing, but I reject the claim of his son that he emulates the values of decency, honesty, and honor. Some in the PPP go to extreme to invoke the names of people of outstanding character, comparing themselves with stalwarts. They even exploit the image of dead to present themselves as persons of great character. It shows their mindset and the ends they go, invoking the dead, to make themselves look good.
Yours truly,
Shamzam Ally
