Dear Editor,
I am one who is ever grateful to the senior citizens who served this country and today are too old to earn a living. Our country owes them more than mere gratitude. They need the ability to survive, feel comfortable, and live with joy and peace for the rest of their lives, served by a grateful government and people. We will all get there sooner or later. This writer is nearby.
It hurt me when I saw that a 101-year-old citizen, Ms Millicent Springer-Smith, had to suffer the severe inconvenience of being transported to get her identity card. Can there not be a policy of GECOM taking the ID cards to citizens over, say, 70 years of age? Will it make GECOM broke, or if so, why can’t they ask the inter-religious organization for help to ferry their reps to deliver the cards? Or even ask public-spirited citizens for transport assistance? I am positive that if approached the various chairmen of the regions would be happy to assist the citizens of this country. As a people, government and nation, we must always respect and help our elders, those who worked and helped in the development of this country. Even housewives render great service to a country by making children and caring for families, causing the husbands to be able to produce in the fields or find employment. Some sadly have the tendency of saying, oh, well housewives do not help a nation. “Teach a woman and you teach a nation” (Prophet Muhammad). In most cases the mother/wife/woman is the first teacher and inspiration of the child.
We have seen cases where old women have been raped by youths, even when they were over 80 or 90. Retired workers and remigrants have been killed for a pittance by youths. Our society must reject such deviants, and honour the elderly, looking to them for guidance. Young children should not pelt old people when they walk in the streets, or when they seem to talk to themselves, or are in a dingy condition due to a lack of care from the families they served. Whenever we witness such atrocities, we as sane people must call the children and educate them, as I personally have done many times, and show them how these people made our country and possibilities, had children and now need love. One promised he would never do it again; he was tearful and apologized.
Twenty-five years later that kid identified himself and reintroduced himself to me just after the birth of my last son in a hospital in New York City. He said, “Mr Khan, I always remembered what you said, the tone, the voice and how you helped change me, which made me a teacher since then.” Beautiful words of comfort, which shows that children will listen.
I recall when Health Foods (a subsidiary of Prashad’s Hospital) was operating a bakery at the Continental Complex in South Ruimveldt, Aubrey Barker St, when I had just started my security service with $7.50, and my old motorcycle. A young, handsome, muscular lad was always robbing people of their bread. This client was one of my earliest ones, and they asked me to post a rank there and spend some time. I was a kind of superman in those days to my clients, and even to myself. I stood a distance away and observed the modus operandi of this youngster after having had him quietly identified by people. He was a nice kid, moulded by the delinquent company he was keeping. I am sure his parents and as usual, his grandmother, would have wanted no such life for their handsome son and grandson. I felt not as a typical security officer or person with a police mentality, that I would snatch him, arrest him, and hand him over to the police; I really wanted to help this youngster. I did not wish for him to end up in jail for a loaf of bread and cause a mind and life to be destroyed, where he would have been nurtured, schooled and become hardened as a real criminal. I approached this youngster and when I identified myself to him, he clammed up. However, I assured him that I wanted to help him, and give him a job. He was flabbergasted, shocked to his wits end! I told him that I saw the good in him, I saw ambition, and I knew his grandma (for these kids’ grandmas are usually always there) would be pleased if he got a job and she got good news. He smiled, relaxed, and looked at me as a father figure instead. I told him I would make him a trainee security guard, and his job was to ensure no customer or child purchasing bread was molested or robbed. He said that was cool and easy. I pinned on the arm band (that was my early uniform), and gave him a baton, and for the month he stood there, no one was ever robbed, and his grandma was proud of him. I wish this person would make himself known to me today.
My heart pounded for joy when I read a few weeks ago that Chairman of Region 6 Zulfikar Mustapha had launched medical health visits for senior citizens. This is the work of a visionary politician I would say. Excellent! Fantastic! The Chairman should receive special kudos for this. From the few interactions I had with him, I saw vision and wisdom, and I saw tact. This Chairman is a powerhouse, with the ability to be a minister or an ambassador. I urge all the chairmen of the regions at least to dispatch health workers to the senior citizens. Home visits would help them, comfort them, make them feel loved and appreciated, and would also help the government of the day.
As the Mighty Sparrow said: “Honour your heroes Caribbean.” Our older folks must be our heroes. They stayed, toiled and built the land and treasury.
Yours faithfully,
Roshan Khan
