–        now a calendar event
THE East Coast Pandits and mandir leaders have once again hosted a three-night commemorative satsangh during ‘Pitri Paksh’ observances to mark the horrific Lusignan massacre on the Lusignan Market Tarmac.
As Pandit Haresh Tewari said, this yearly observance is merely to honour the souls of the slain victims, and not to cast blame or hold rancour against the perpetrators.
Thousands from the East Coast corridor, and even further afield, have attended the three nights event since this brainchild of Pandit Haresh Tewari of the Gopal Mandir in Lusignan was first held in September of 2008.
This year the event was held on Monday 4th, Tuesday 5th, and Wednesday 6th October, with presentations of speeches, renditions of appropriate bhajans, and a havan conducted by various mandir leaders every night.
Pitri Paksh is a 15-day period in the Hindu calendar dedicated to offering prayers to Lord Brahma, the Creator, to grant salvation to the souls of departed ones.
On January 26th 2008, gunmen mercilessly slaughtered Raywattie Ramsingh, Saleem Baksh, Clarence Thomas and his two children, Vanessa and Ron, Rooplall Seecharran, Shazad Mohamed, Seegobin Harilall, Seegopaul Harilall, Dhanrajie Seecharran, and Mohandia Gourdat.
The bloodied bodies of children and their parents were discovered strewn in their respective homes after the carnage. Many others were seriously wounded in the massacre.
Honoured during the annual observances, also, are the souls of those slain during the Bartica massacre, during which gunmen even invaded the police station and slaughtered policemen.
While adjuring the audience to always follow the way of peace, speakers said that the Pitri Paksh observances at Lusignan marks, lest we forget, what man can descend to when he abdicates his humanity and instead becomes a bestial being.
Thus, as remarked by Pt. Ravi Persaud, the event serves a dual purpose – observing Pitri Paksh and remembering those who were killed during the horrific crime wave in Guyana.
The Taarpan, which is paying homage to departed souls, was performed by Pt. Dhamo of the Cane Grove Mandir, while Pt Ravi, assisted by a resident of Lusignan, conducted the Havan.
Amit Persaud emceed the event.  Bhaiji Kampta Persaud appropriately sang Mohamed Rafi’s “The World is One.”
Bhaiji Krishna said that it is important to be conscious, sincere, and dedicated to religion and that one should perform one’s duty wholeheartedly as a gift to the world.
He said that one’s thoughts becomes his words, which catalyses into one’s actions, which then become one’s habits, which coalesces into one’s character, which further transmutes into one’s destiny.
Bahenji Urmilla Sookdowar, Administrative Manager of GPHC Medical Laboratory and student of the Vedanta University, which is located in the upper storey of the Valmiki Vidyalaya High School, also gave an inspiring speech, where she encouraged the youths to follow the dharmic path and principles.
Pt. Ravi, in his presentation said that religious leaders need to work with communities to advance the principles of Sanatan Dharma and that their lives should be an inspiration for adherents to uphold their personal and societal pride and dignity.
He said that, while Pitri Paksh is a time to reflect on the contributions of our foreparents, it is also time to take cognizance of the present, as well as of lives yet unborn, as all are integral to the cosmic forces.
Stating that erratic and irrational decisions are most often based on self-identity and selfish motives and agenda, he urged that one should give themselves and efforts toward striving to promote peace and harmony, because everyone is part of something – a family, a community, a society, and that no-one lives in isolation, thus decisions should be based on these considerations or else everything could be destroyed if there is no integrated approach to problem-resolution.
The pandit said that peace depends on purity, and on aspiring toward the attainment of a common goal, idea, objective, which could breach every border and barrier, because we all worship one God, although everyone is born to their own unique traditions, which each person should maintain as traditions provide a sense of belonging.
He warned that when dharmic traditions decline then there is a preponderance of adharmic (evil) behavior and the society disintegrates.  He urged that members of every religion should protect and preserve their own heredity, that Hindus should not compromise Sanatan Dharma, and that everyone should be the best of what one is – whether as Christians, Moslems, Hindus, Sikhs, Jews, etcetera.
Pt. Ravi ended his presentation by encouraging everyone to embrace giving as opposed to receiving, citing as an example the sea, which always receives, thus it becomes the receptacle of all the garbage in the world.  He concluded that giving is similar to embracing the embodiment of the brilliance and light of the sun, which invokes God’s blessings.
Pt. Haresh Tewari presented the feature address on Wednesday evening.