– Son of Bartica massacre survivor still weeping over dad’s condition

RAYMOND White is one of the fortunate survivors of the notorious Bartica massacre that occurred on February 17, 2008- exactly 11 years ago. The bullets that penetrated his body on that fateful night, now renders him unable to move, or do just about anything for himself.

Mr White, a father of three, was just 51 years old when he experienced this event that would change his life forever. He was in the vicinity of the Bartica Stelling, getting a ride home in his neighbour’s car.

While his neighbour was shot dead, Mr White, of One and a Half Miles, Potaro Road, sustained gunshot wounds about his body. He wasn’t a target of the criminals, but was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“After that night when he met his tragedy; from then on, things took a turn for him,” Mr White’s 22-year-old son, Marlon, told the Pepperpot Magazine during an interview at their home in Bartica.

Marlon has decided to dedicate his entire life towards caring for his dad, which means always being at home so that he can attend to his every need. The problem is that Mr. White cannot communicate any of his needs, and hence it is important that someone always be around so as to be able to observe him.
Mr. White’s wife, Erma, is busy during the day working so as to help ends meet in the home. Prior to the incident, her husband, who was a businessman, took care of everything.
And it is this thought that constantly resonates with Marlon. “I love my father because he used to do everything for me; I didn’t have to do anything,” he expressed, shortly before departing from the interview for a while.

Marlon was too emotional to continue speaking about his dad and needed a few minutes to regain control of his feelings.
It hurts him terribly to see how his dad’s life changed from being in control of their family to now sitting in a chair all day long with the radio as his only company on most days.
Explaining what his own life is like at the moment, Marlon says: “My father can’t do anything, so I take care of him. I have to do everything for him; bathe, feed and do every single thing for him.” Of course, other family members pitch in whenever they are available.
But Marlon refuses to complain about his lot in life, and happily embraces the chance he is getting to care for his father.
“I can’t complain; I got to live with it. A lot of work is involved in caring for him, but it’s a commitment. I choose not to go anywhere because I have to be around him all the time. I can’t go out with my friends; hang out nowhere. You have to be around him in case he wants anything because he doesn’t speak. He wears pampers and when he wants to sleep, you would notice and put him to lie down. When he’s thirsty, you’d notice it too; everything you would notice. Because I am around him for so long, I know what he wants.”
Because of having to be at home all day, Marlon has decided to open a shop and begin rearing chickens, so that he can earn a living.
“This could happen to anyone. I’m getting big and it can happen to me too at a future time, and anyone would like for someone to give them a helping hand.”

PEACE WALK

Meanwhile, the Bartica Town Council is scheduled to host a ‘walk for peace’ in memory of the victims of the Bartica massacre today, beginning at 16:00hrs. The walk, through the streets of Bartica, is expected to see participation from government agencies and departments, the Regional Democratic Council, non-governmental organisations, religious organisations, and residents.

“We named it the `peace walk’ because on that night of February 17, 2008, Bartica was basically terrorised, so we’ll continue to push a peaceful agenda, Mayor of Bartica Gifford Marshall told this publication.
The hour-long walk will culminate in a meeting at the Monument of Hope, where Marshall said a simple, but meaningful ceremony will be held. It will see remarks from the commander of ‘F’ Division, the regional chairman, the mayor, and other representatives within the township.

Twelve men lost their lives on that horrifying day. Those who were killed when the marauding gunmen stormed the police station were Lance Corporal Zaheer Zakhir of Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo; Constables Shane Fredricks, 35, of 241 Herstelling, East Bank Demerara; and Ron Osborne of 198 Robb Street, Georgetown.
After killing the three policemen and wounding others, the gunmen broke into a ‘steel strong box’ which housed weapons and ammunition and carted away five rifles, four revolvers and a shotgun, along with a quantity of ammunition. From another ‘strong box’ which they also broke into, they stole $64,450.
Armed with the keys for one of the police jeeps, the now mobile and marauding gunmen moved along First Avenue where they killed security guards: Edwin Gilkes, who was on duty at the Banks DIH outlet; Irving Ferreira, who was guarding the CB&R Mining Enterprise; and taxi driver, Dexter Adrian, 37, of 581 Conciliation Street, Tucville and One Mile Potaro, who was on his way to buy gasoline.

And, as they hastily made their escape using the T&HD Stelling, they attacked and killed the crew that was aboard ‘Dave 11’, a vessel belonging to the conglomerate Banks DIH Limited, and on another vessel ‘Little Giant’. Both vessels were moored alongside the T&HD wharf.
The men, Ashraf Ally Khan, of Essequibo Coast; Errol Thomas, 41, of 810 Tuschen Housing Scheme; Deonarine Singh of Wakenaam, Essequibo River; Ronald Gomes of Kururu, Soesdyke/Linden Highway; Baldeo Singh, of 153 Second Street, Montrose, East Coast Demerara; and Abdool Yasseen, 23, of 153 Good Hope, ECD, were at the time resting in their hammocks. They were hauled outside and ordered to lie on the wharf and each shot execution-style in the head.