Dear Editor,
We thank Swami Aksharananda Ji for highlighting the plight suffered by the bereaved family and hundreds of others on April 8, 2022, where a Hindu funeral was being conducted at Kashi Dham, Ruimzeight, WCD. That such an ‘eye pass’ by one officer to openly bully 200 Hindu/Indian mourners at a cremation site, is a telling failure of racial and religious tolerance in the country. We are incensed that the official from the Ministry of Health, Gary Hinds, would be so callous and insensitive when one expects courtesy, gentility, and civility; on an occasion such as this, going the extra mile to accommodate mourners ought to be the order of the day.
At a time of grief, the mourners had to endure the officer’s antics because he “was prepared to “waste” more of his time to “teach the family a lesson” which he claimed was for his “personal satisfaction”, according to Swami Ji’s letter. That nearly 200 persons who were present at the cremation site allowed the officer to get way with his antics because they “don’t want to get in any trouble” is a sad indicator of Indian docility in the country. We wonder if the statements and behaviour of the officer reflect the government’s ‘One Guyana’ policy that they are advocating. Oneness is the antithesis of the diversity that exists in the country. This incident is not unique, where Indians have had to suffer because a civil servant wishes to flex his/her muscles to demonstrate who the boss is. The officer’s words and attitude are deemed typical of the contempt, repugnance, and condescension that non-Indian civil servants have had for Indian culture and religion.
We call on Dr. Vindhya Persaud, the President of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, who is also a senior government minister, to issue a statement on this matter since her organization claims to represent Hindus. She cannot remain silent. We also call on the government to do the following:
• Issue a statement condemning the officer’s disrespectful actions
• Educate the masses about unity in racial, cultural, and religious
diversity.
• Ensure that civil servants in charge of similar (cremation)
circumstances respect mourners’ traditions, culture, and religion
It would have been more appropriate for a Hindu officer to oversee the goings-on at Hindu cremations rather than someone ill-informed about Hindu culture and religion. The officer in question should immediately be put on leave without pay until the circumstances are duly investigated.
Sincerely,
Somdat Mahabir
Rishi Pooran
Ramesh Gampat
Kumar Mahabir
Vishnu Bisram
Cliff Rajkumar
Sunita Mahabir
Adit Kumar
Veda Mohabir
Jai Lall
Devanand Bhagwan
Dhanpaul Narine
Shivdat Durjan
Nanda Sahadeo
Dhanraj Singh
Baytoram Ramharack
