Dear Editor,
Something is seriously off balance when the gift of a bridge for public use in the burial of the deceased is reportedly criticized ‒ for what? What’s next to go on and on? The media reported that the area of the BV/Triumph community burial ground for Muslims, in need of a bridge, received an $840,000 adorned gateway and bridge. It was donated by former Deputy Chief Education Officer, Mrs Bibi Shariman Ali, her husband and two sons. Chairman Mr Bruce Adams received the bridge on behalf of the NDC. The Roman Catholic section of the cemetery has its own bridge and their section is well maintained.
But Mr McRae is complaining that: “The bridge was given to their Muslim community between Success to Mon Repos. It was a facilitating endeavour for the members of that religious community so that they can have easier access to their burial ground.” Mr McRae did not volunteer what impediments actually prevented anyone’s use of the bridge. Could normal maintenance without any tolls be any more abnormal? Neither race nor religion are prerequisite “power sharing” bridging death and burial. Could it however provide jump start motivation to at least restore gracious goodness which avoids death and burial as issues of disagreement? Can it?
Even in death we find so much contentiousness among Guyanese that a donated bridge makes us more unabridged. Indeed what can be more downright petty for such insensitive disrespect for the dignity of the defenceless dead? See Mr Elton McRae’s letter in the SN of January 16 titled ‘BV/ Triumph bridge should be maintained by the Muslim community not the NDC.’ Then the urgency of decentralized federalism be-comes more validated by his criticisms.
Now contrast this to Georgetown’s Le Repentir cemetery where bodies locomote themselves, not by bridge or by boat but by floodwater! Right after the church funeral service for popular communicator Mr Terry Holder the funeral cortège was unable to conclude interment at Le- Repentir cemetery. In a history-making first, the body returned to the funeral parlour reportedly by respectful escort of Prime Minister Sam Hinds. Did all the dead come alive in unionized TUC conspiracy to deny Mr Holder his ‘green card’ residency? Nowhere in memory has any Guyanese so ignominiously been actually forced to go back from where he came, when he was dead! Who can say if Le- Repentir’s residents were walking on water in protest? Who can say if they warned their new comrade not to enter but to go back and plead their case?
Mr McRae, associated with the African Cultural Development Association was not presumably acting in their name. For him what is very bothersome is that NDC taxpayer’s funds would caretaker the free bridge in future for everyone’s wellbeing. He was indeed a surprising protestor.
Yours faithfully,
Sultan Mohamed
