IT is said that a society is judged by the way it treats its elderly and its children. I wish to add another category- that of its dead. A look at the cemeteries in Guyana, more particularly in our capital city makes for depressing sights with tombs lost into oblivion by shrubs and vines. In some cases, bushes obscure places where loved ones were laid to rest. During rainy periods, some of these cemeteries are flooded for prolonged periods as in the case of the Good Hope cemetery on the East Coast of Demerara. Apart from its unsightly looks, it also poses a serious health hazard during times of floods as happened during the great floods of 2005 when the entire East Coast was inundated by flood waters.
More attention should be placed on our cemeteries and burial sites by the authorities. There is need to have regular and sustained cleaning and de-bushing of our burial sites as in the case of other countries where burial sites are preserved as heritage sites.
Individuals also have a responsibility to keep the final resting places of their loved ones in a friendlier manner even though the final responsibility lies with the City Council or the NDCs where these sites are located.