Dear Editor,
I wish to condemn in the strongest possible way the attacks carried out by unruly and inconsiderate persons on the Alexander Village Mandir and community on Diwali night.
By throwing explosive devices at and into the Mandir, they not only disrupted the Mandir’s service and committed sacrilege, but they placed people’s safety and lives at risk. If such reprehensible actions are not dealt with condignly by the relevant authorities, then one can only expect worse next year, since this lawlessness has been escalating over the years.
These exploding squibs affect not only humans but the animals as well. We ought to be more considerate towards them also. Christmas and Old Year/New Year, when exploding squibs and loud booms seem to be the norm, are coming up.
I therefore join the others in making an appeal for the relevant authorities to take decisive actions to preserve the sanctity of our mandirs/places of worship and communities and to ensure that such nightmarish events do not occur again in Alexander Village or any other community in Guyana.
Yours faithfully,
Valmikki Singh
I would add the following points if I may, Valmikki Singh
1 You mention Christmas and Old Year/New Year, when exploding squibs seem to be the norm and you liken this as being similar to the Alexander Village incident.
I think the Christmas seasonal and general use of squibs are matters of indirect and general nuisance but in the recent incident, there was a dark side of terror and evidence of a concerted organised attack against the place of worship.
The recent incident therefore has a much more sinister side.
2 You seem shy to mention the failure of MINISTER ROHEE to use his powers in order to prevent the degradation of law and order even though the community had visited Minister Rohee prior to the festival to apprise him of their concerns about intimidation from outsiders. The residents’ petition should have been acted on with enthusiasm and zeal by Minister Rohee because there has been 10 years of such intimidation.
It seems therefore that it is not some ‘faceless’ relevant authority which needs to explain their failures but MINISTER ROHEE HIMSELF.
Poor Rohee, give him a chance!
He gon wake up when election time comes.
Should be considered a hate crime.