Dear Editor,
I am a resident of La Grange, West Bank Demerara and my five year old child attends the La Grange Nursery School. I am a Christian but yesterday the teachers at the nursery school went against my beliefs and threw a mixture of different colour powders to celebrate the Hindu tradition of Phagwah on my child’s head, covering his face and uniform.
I must stress that as an active Christian I am not going to or ever will have my children participate in any cultural or religious activity that is against my religion!
I am calling on the Minister of Education to remind teachers that nothing must be forced upon a child especially in these circumstances even though a lot has been forced upon the Guyanese people already. It is for this very reason that none of my children will ever participate in Mashramani celebrations; it is vulgar, immoral, and against all things righteous! There are better ways of celebrating Republic Day without the vulgarity.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address supplied)