Dear Editor,
The gruesome murder of the Henry cousins, followed by the retribution murder of Haresh Singh, is unacceptable in any civilized society. That is not to say that such heinous crimes are not committed in the developed world. However, the manner in which these young men met their demise rightly sent shockwaves throughout an otherwise close-knit society like Guyana.
These three young men were innocent victims and did not deserve to die the way they did. They had their entire lives ahead of them, and those that snuffed out the lives of these young men need to face the full force of the law. Additionally, the destruction of public infrastructure (i.e., our roadways) and the countless attacks on innocent Guyanese and their property in the name of justice was unwarranted. It is also hoped that those that were hurt or had their property stolen or destroyed will also receive justice.
Every right-minded Guyanese should demand and support the call for justice in an orderly and peaceful manner. However, the complete lack of leadership from Mr. Harmon and Mr. Granger, especially after tempers were flying high, was once again on display for the world to see. As the Guyana Police Force began their investigation, both Mr. Harmon and Mr. Granger politicized the brutal murders and discredited the investigators’ work even before much was known.
As Opposition Leader, Mr. Harmon’s utterance was unbecoming and lacked refinement, to say the least. Instead of teaching Guyanese to love when all they wanted to do is hate, Mr. Harmon placed political self-interest ahead of social cohesion. Equally disappointing is Mr. Granger’s stance. As a former president and elder statesman, one would have expected him to seize the opportunity to bring calm to an already ominous situation. This is especially after the Crime Chief indicated that there was no evidence to suggest the brutal murders of Joel and Isaiah were politically motivated. Instead, they both took full advantage of the heart-wrenching state of affairs and escalated feelings of distrust and ethnic strife.
Having seen what Mr. Harmon and Mr. Granger put Guyana through following the recent general and regional elections, no one should be terribly surprised by their actions. Instead of helping Guyanese to overcome their sorrow, all they wanted to do is help themselves overcome their political failure. They failed to win and have the March 2 elections stolen so they have settled on dividing the country even further. Their actions have only resulted in the destruction of public and private property and the unwarranted attacks on innocent Guyanese. Needless to say, the death of Haresh Singh rests squarely on their shoulders. Guyana does not need leaders like these. And at the very least, they should not be allowed to tarnish the memories of these young men.
Amongst all of this race-baiting is the interview of Mr. Gladson Henry. Having just witnessed his son’s and nephew’s Post Mortem Examination, this grieving father and uncle summed up all his strength and called for peace and love. In his own words, Mr. Henry noted that “I am not racist, I still love my Indian brothers and sisters”. How can someone who has lost so much still have the courage and peace of mind to express such words of unity, when those that are expected to lead have chosen to escalate an already tense situation? In short, Mr. Henry demonstrated more leadership than Mr. Harmon and Mr. Granger combined. Perhaps they can both learn something from Mr. Henry, a man who has shown more class in one short interview than these two so called leaders have offered in the last six months.
Yours faithfully,
Omchand Mahdu
