Dear Editor,
Violence continues to plague El Dorado as men maim and murder innocent children and women whose powerlessness lie in their economic dependency on the men.
Organizations like Red Thread and CADVA have brought the anti-violence agenda to the forefront but recent incidents whereby wives and children were brutally murdered indicate an upsurge of crisis proportions.
Whatever the politics of the land and whoever, players are and however the ‘game’ is being played, the stark reality is that there must be a political coming together to address and redress this crisis before it becomes all consuming. It is incumbent upon the powers that be to reach out to all stakeholders, local and overseas, craft a national plan that would seek to identify warning signs and proactively intercede starting from the village and climbing the ladder of treatment, legal intervention, counseling, and constantly monitoring and following through.
In effect, it’s time to display political will and gumption beyond self-serving interests and political tit for tat, to involve the churches, mandirs and mosques, the village leadership, the NGOs, law enforcement, professionals, culture, theatre, creative writing, music, the media, and the political/administrative structure at all levels; in effect all and sundry who can ensure a fabric without holes and stalling impediments. There must be sensitization, education, preemptive intervention, legal enforcement, economic empowerment and a social safety network in place.
The stark reality is that no matter how well meaning, piecemeal, ad hoc actions and mere rhetoric are woefully inadequate to prevent.
Yours faithfully,
Annan Boodram
