Dear Editor,

With reference to a letter from the members of the Alexander Village Vishnu Mandir pleading for help from their Government, Professor Patrick Fagan has demonstrated that “regular religious practice is both an individual and social good. It is a powerful answer to many of our most significant social problems”.  So why are these people being prevented from practising their religious belief which is a social good and the domestic terrorists are allowed to contribute to the destruction of society under the watchful eyes of the Guyana Police?

When Hindus are exposed, as in any other religion, to domestic terrorist, it is the duty of the secular state to protect them.  It is clear that the tactical and strategic measures that the Police have taken to protect this Mandir and more importantly, this Village are inadequate, ill conceived and defective at minimum.

Since 1998, the right of these people to practise their religious belief was exposed to the onslaught of the domestic terrorist and year after year they are left at the mercy of the oppressors save and except for a superficial Police presence.  I have some suggestions.

1.  They should continue to shut the vehicular traffic off from around the Mandir;

2. They should create a one way walking traffic;

3.  They should only allow a certain amount of people into the quarantine area at any one time so that they can monitor the true visitors from the domestic terrorist. Was that so hard!  Phew.

I know that Minister Rohee was personally brought up to date on this crisis in New York.  In Alexander Village this is a crisis for these people (this may be nothing to Minister Rohee) and he will be under the microscope as his Police Force delivers on their mandate to serve and protect the law-abiding citizens of this community come Diwali 2009. I was born in Alexander Village and under the PNC Government, we never ever had any fear in practising our religion, so why now under Jagdeo we have to be fearful in partaking in this beautiful celebration? I want to remind the leaders in the Jagdeo government that Alexander Village/River View is the only constituency in South Georgetown that votes overwhelmingly PPP and yet this Government continues to be so uncaring to these people.

If Rohee and Jagdeo just do not care, I call on the AFC leadership to physically go down to the Alexander Village Mandir on Diwali night, offer protection to these people, and believe you me that will be the end of the PPP in Alexander Village. These people have suffered for too long. 

Yours faithfully,
Sasenarine Singh