THE Indian Arrival Committee (IAC), last Monday evening, held its annual inter-faith service, an “Evening of Remembrance”, in observance of the seventh anniversary of the Lusignan massacre.Seven years ago, eleven innocent Guyanese — five children and six adults — were slaughtered without mercy during the massacre at approximately 01:30 hours on the morning of January 26, 2008. Some were still in their beds when the bestial gunmen, armed with shotguns and AK-47s, struck. The IAC has since reached out to the survivors, families of the victims, and the community at large in an annual commemorative inter-faith programme that has since become a calendar event.

The event, which commenced at 17:00 hrs (5:00 p.m.) at Tract “A”, Lusignan (the place of the horrific crime), was, as usual, done in collaboration with the relatives of the slain victims, residents of Lusignan, and the religious community. Tributes were paid by the IAC, relatives, representatives of the three major religions, and by officials.

At last year’s event, a special feature was the ceremonial opening of a Memorial Arch in memory of the victims of the brutal Lusignan massacre.

The trauma of the horrific events of that fateful January morning has seared the souls of the Guyanese nation; moreso when the carnage continued with the massacre at Bartica and other parts of the country.

The inhuman, inhumane gunmen invaded the homes of five Lusignan families and slaughtered at will, in a hail of bullets, CLARENCE THOMAS, 48; VANESSA THOMAS, 12; RON THOMAS, 11; MOHAN GOORDAT, 32; SEEGOPAUL HARILALL, 10; SEEGOBIN HARILALL, 4; DHANWAJIE RAMSINGH, 52; SEECHARRAN ROOPLALL, 56; RAYWATTIE RAMSINGH, 11; SHAZAM MOHAMMED, 22; and SHALEEM BAKSH, 52.

The blood-soaked remains of the children who were murdered were still in their beds when reporters visited the scene.

Two members of the Rondell ‘Fine-Man’ Rawlins gang — Mark Royden Williams, called ‘Smallie’, and James Anthony Hyles, aka ‘Sally’ — were charged for the murders. However, they were set free by a jury, the foreman of which had a years-old association with defence lawyer, Nigel Hughes.

A former gang member who turned State witness testified, but this did not sway the jury. The Director of Public Prosecutions has appealed the High Court decision.
FALSE CHAMPIONS

At last Monday’s commemorative inter-faith event, AG Anil Nandlall, representing President Donald Ramotar, urged all Guyanese in general, and victims of those affected by the crime wave of those times particularly — especially the Lusignan survivors — to stand resolute against those who seek to mislead them by representing themselves as their champions, rather than the instigators of the tragedy that has impacted their lives in such a violent manner, as it has impacted the lives of many others.

Nandlall referred to the infamous ‘Lusignan Massacre’ court case, where an executive member of an Opposition political party successfully defended the indefensible in court; a matter which was allowed to proceed, despite allegations of jury tampering by the defence lawyer, who had a long association with the jury foreman, but who attempted to draw a red herring to deflect attention from his actions by implicating Nandlall in a despicable attempt to smear the Attorney-General with the allegations that the jury foreman of the Lusignan murder case was Nandlall’s client, rather than defence attorney Nigel Hughes’s years-long associate.

He also alluded to the gross insensitivity of a political opposition party which recently ran an advertisement in the ‘Kaieteur News’, using the politically-driven Lusignan Massacre as an elections campaign tool, when, conversely, it was that party’s vice-chairman who defended the men charged with the Lusignan murders; an action that was applauded by the Opposition collective.

Nandlall recalled arriving at Lusignan even before the bodies had been removed, and spoke of the horror of the strewn-asunder bodies mutilated by the fusillade of bullets, soaked in their own blood; images that still resonates in his mind and memory. He reminisced, in the aftermath of those horrific slayings that shocked and traumatised the entire country, on the indescribable frustration, anger, anguish, and sense of helplessness pervading the community, which drove a protest that ensued in police arresting persons, whom he represented out of empathy and sympathy.

Those horrific slayings, noted Nandlall, should be a lesson that such events should never be allowed to be replicated; because this was no ordinary crime, as the Lusignan community comprises mainly poor people. He stressed that the killers came to wreak their havoc with an agenda; they came specifically to kill; and he reiterated his plea not to allow the political opportunists to use the community as a political football.

Nandlall concluded his address by lauding the leadership, especially Pandit Haresh Tewari, for melding the community into a brotherhood that demonstrates inordinate strength and fortitude.
A RACE-HATE CRIME

The Lusignan and other massacres, emphasized Bishop Juan Edghill, were not ordinary crimes committed for material gain, but were indubitably race-hate crimes based on vengeance and driven by political opportunism.

It was wrong, he stressed, and no amount of explaining and attempts at justification or re-creation of history could deny the fact that perpetrating violence against helpless people was, is, and will always be wrong. He made this point to underscore the attempts of political protagonists who, even while they ‘condemned’ the barbarous acts, simultaneously attempted to justify the heinous crime committed against the peaceful residents of Lusignan “…as if the helpless people had done something to deserve this.”

He noted that people with political agendas should not send open and subliminal messages (to criminal-minded elements) to hurt peaceful people.

Lauding former President Jagdeo’s strong leadership, the Bishop reminded the gathering that Jagdeo had kept his promise to have the joint services hunt down the perpetrators and bring them to justice when the people of Lusignan and the entire country had felt forsaken and abandoned to the criminals.

However, Edghill lamented that, while some met their demise at the hands of the joint services, others still living were brought before the courts and were defended by those who want to lead Guyana into the future. Today, he said, those perpetrators are enjoying their lives while Lusignan still mourns its dead, only because those who are offering themselves as leaders defended them in the courts. The defenders of the murderers were also applauded by their associates for their success, he reminded the gathering.

He also urged that Lusignan heed the lessons of the past, and not be swayed by those who visited tragedy on their community, then defended the killers of their loved ones, and are now attempting to portray themselves as champions of the people.

Declaring his pride at being part of a government construct that places premium care on social cohesion and inclusivity, Edghill stated that, seven years after the crime wave in the country, Guyana did not collapse; and through mature leadership and responses to citizens’ grievances, the country will continue to move forward.

He applauded the strength of the residents for sending messages of forgiveness and reconciliation, even in the midst of their pain, which he said denotes their strength; a strength that fortifies the nation.
HARROWING EXPERIENCES

After a bhajan by Rudolph Madray, and Quranic Recitation by Haji Zahid Ally, through which he urged that the afflicted “…seek help in steadfastness and prayer”, resident and leader of Lusignan, Pt. Haresh Tewari, offered a prayer that begged, inter alia, “May none suffer from that which is ill-fated.”

He reminisced of the unfolding incidents of that ill-fated January night, when what seemed like a never-ending fusillade of bullets — an eternity of terror — erupted in the peaceful village in which he was born and lived all his life.

In the aftermath of that hail of gunfire, bodies were left strewn in their own blood and gore, slain while in their beds like so many animals. Little five-year-old Roberto Thomas and his 19-year-old brother Howard Thomas, as well as Nadir Mohamed, 48, were badly injured; with the intestines of Roberto pouring through a huge hole blasted in his tiny belly.

Pt. Haresh recalled speeding through the night, taking about 5-6 minutes to reach the GPHC, with big brother Howard trying to contain his unconscious baby brother’s entrails that were sliding through his fingers.

Those gruesome events, emphasized Pt. Haresh, perpetuate in the hearts, minds and memories of residents and all those who witnessed the aftermath; but, he adjured, those afflicted should take comfort from and be guided by the scriptures of yore which, while urging the twin pillars of forgiveness and compassion, also warn that whatever a man sows that shall he reap, and that oppressors will be punished with the reciprocal fruit of their evil deeds.

Quoting from the Book of Matthew, Verse 22, Pastor Balgobin Ragnauth drew parallels between the storms of those biblical times and the storms that visit current day humanity. He proffered the message of healing of the soul through the peace that the Lord Jesus will bring to humanity.

Others participating in the programme were Kemba Brown, who sang a hymn, “I look to you”; Ryan Adams, who recited a Quaseeda; Haji Abdul Sattaur, who said a prayer in supplication for peace and tranquility; Bhisham Budhu, who did an Anup Jalota bhajan; and Rupert Singh, who sang a song, “You lift me up to more than I can be”.

The programme commenced with a spiel on the massacre and welcome MC Neaz Subhan, after which a minute of silence was observed for the departed; and concluded with prayers from representatives of the three major faiths – Pastor Patrick Findlay, Pt. Ravi Persaud, and Imam Shaheed Mohamed with Munajat T Azeem by Ashmead Mohamed.

“Take it to the Lord in prayer”, melodically rendered by Jessica Findlay, encapsulates the ethos of the evening of remembrance for the slain victims of the Lusignan massacre, and for the surviving community.