Dear Editor,
In a SN Article of March 28, the writer gave a brief history of the neglected Le Repentir Cemetery which is now owned and operated by the City of Georgetown. Unfortunately, much was not said about the extent of its dereliction and what could be done for its improvement if ever possible. The City collects a fee for burial right to a plot of land in the cemetery. Operations such as maintenance and security of the plot or how many persons could be buried in it is never given. Hence once the deceased has been laid to rest at Le-Repentir, the city’s responsibility ends or so it seems.
The evidence shown in the article’s accompanying photo, clearly indicates that the cemetery lacks basic maintenance such as weeding the elephant grass, cutting the bushes, filling the potholes on the driveways and cleaning the drains. The original white plantation owners kept the cemetery well maintained even with palm trees planted along the driveways to keep alive the memory of their deceased but the new owners consider it more an income generating machinery. Therefore, little has and will be done to bring Le Repentir back to its former glory since there is no empathy for the dead or their loved ones.
Many readers have suggested cremation for the deceased in order to prevent hassles and other challenges with burial grounds authorities for one reason or the other. The choice however, burial or cremation is generally based on one’s religious and/or personal preference as well as cost. Cemeteries, if properly managed and maintained, can be worthy places to visit and reflect on one’s after-life with loved ones who have been interred and are on their journey to eternity.
Guyanese burial grounds are either owned by religious bodies or were donated by estate owners to the community. Most of them, due to poor management and lack of resources, have been neglected and taken over by the elements. This will continue to be so unless funding is provided by the relevant community to upkeep them to the required standard. Unfortunately, many think Guyanese are too selfish and greedy for such community-based resource allocation.
Sincerely,
Charles Sohan
