Dear Editor,
Over the past ten years the people of Alexander Village had no peace as people from other communities would invade their Diwali celebration and disrupt the celebration.
They would consume alcohol and light squibs, destroying the properties of some residents and the Mandir. Some of these hooligans come from Nabaclis, Paradise and Dem Amstel smoking marijuana while others would sell alcoholic beverages in front of the Mandir. This is a regular act by the intruders over the past ten years, without police intervention and protection to prevent the destruction of the Vishnu Mandir.
The residents noted that they are dissatisfied with the response they received each time from the Guyana Police Force, who only turned up at the scene after the destruction was finished. The residents of Alexander Village would write letters outlining their concerns and distress as the situation became unbearable to the Commissioner of Police, President Jagdeo and the Minister of Home Affairs. A great portion of the Mandir memory has been erased by these destructions. The residents of Alexander Village wonder why this particular Mandir is a part of the campaign of destruction and terror. When will the government executive come out against this organized assault against the Hindus and their celebrations? I hereby appeal to our Hindu brothers and sisters and thousands of peace loving Guyanese to harbour no thoughts of retaliation.
Leave it to our gallant security services who, by and large are still offering service and protection.
Yours faithfully,
Mohamed Khan
A good idea would be to invite some high-level government functionaries to attend this celebration. I bet there will be peace and quite.
I think a good idea would be to invite some high-level government functionaries to attend this celebration. I bet there will be peace and quiet.
Let’s see if Rohee and the Commissioner of Police will act this time around on Diwali night.The army should go their too and make sure that the peace is kept.
There is nothing wrong in principle with what you say in your letter, Mr Khan however the problem comes when YEAR AFTER YEAR the security forces:
1 FAIL TO PROTECT THE CITIZENS’ FREEDOM TO PRAY IN PEACE.
2 ARREST THE TROUBLE MAKERS AND SUBSEQUENTLY RELEASE THEM WITHOUT CHARGE
3 SOME SECURITY OFFICERS TELLING THE RESIDENTS THAT BECAUSE THEY VOTED PPP, THEY DESERVE TO BECOME VICTIMS OF TERROR.
Given these three problems, Mr Khan; I hope you can see why folk may raise up in protest.
Diwali is a time of peace, contentment and happiness. That is all we wish for the long suffering people of Alexander Village.
Thank you Mr. Khan for adding your voice.
I too herald Mr. Khan’s call for peace. Based on the Minister’s assurances we have reason to believe this year will be better. Once this does indeed turn out so, the Alexander Village Mandir can then work toward regaining what it had become renowned for.
Bhai Satish, you have touched on the prevailing mood in the Village and we can only pray the Minister is successful in his efforts. The last thing we want is for the image of the Village to be further sullied, and more importantly, we do not want heightened tensions that could reverberate beyond our Village either.
After years of rituals and traditions that condones rum drinking, song and dance, and fireworks, we are now complaing that it has gotten out of hand??? Why doesn’t the mandir teach its devotees that alcohol is the root cause of most of these kinds of problems?
We encourage ALL to participate in our festivities but when the decadence that we do nothing to discourage manifests itself we cry for relief.
The trouble-makers ARE NOT HINDU RUM DRINKERS WHO HAVE GOT OUT OF HAND, csingh. If you read Mr Khan’s letter you will observe……….. “Some of these hooligans come from Nabaclis, Paradise and Dem Amstel smoking marijuana while others would sell alcoholic beverages in front of the Mandir”.
You are so off the point here csingh. Please read some of the related articles above. You are also casting aspersions on a Mandir with a distinguished history of service to the community and beyond for more than 100 years. This issue must transcend narrow views my friend.
I read the article and I am familiar with the issue. I know who the troublemakers are. Our religious celebrations have turned into an excuse to party for many. Who created this monster?
As a hindu I cringe everytime I see alcohol consumed at religious gatherings and the pandit says nothing. Hasn’t our Phagwah celebrations gotten out of control??? Other cultures/religions join in for the ‘partying’. Where is the condemnation??? Why don’t the muslims have this problem??? Guyanese Hindus do not address this issue. Muslims do.
These hooligans that come from other areas are coming to participate in the Diwali celebrations. Unfortunately they celebrate the only way they know how. They are only doing what we have permitted them to do all along. I am delighted we hindus are finally seeing the product of alcohol abuse and are finally speaking out against it. Not only at diwali, but phagwah, and all other functions.
I suggest you should be a brave Hindu, csingh and tell Mr Khan that he is wrong!