“Apanjat” — which has several different spellings, including “apan jaat” and “aapan jaat”– is a Guyanese term meaning “vote your own kind.” It was coined in the 1950’s — some attribute it to Daniel Debidin in 1953, others attribute it to J.P Lutchmansingh in 1957 — but whatever the date of origin, the definition is the same. It became the watchword of the Peoples Progressive Party, the political party headed by Cheddi Jagan representing Guyana’s majority East Indian population. If the East Indians stood together and voted only for candidates of their own race, the term suggests, the party would always prevail over the Peoples National Congress, comprising members of the country’s minority Black population.
With Prime Minister Forbes Burnham of the PNC acting as Peoples Temple’s political patron, it is easy to see why Jim Jones and his followers disparaged the term.