Nation urged to always seek peace in times of conflict
THE annual three-night satsangh hosted by East Coast Pandits and mandir leaders during Pitri Paksh observances to commemorate the horrific Lusignan massacre will culminate tonight following a spirited start on Friday.
According to Pandit Haresh Tewari, 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 farther afield have made it their duty to attend the service — the brainchild of Pandit Haresh Tewari of the Gopal Mandir in Lusignan and his cousin, Pandit Ravi Persaud – ever since it was first held back in September 2008.
This year’s event is being held on the lawns of the Gopal Mandir rather than on the traditional Lusignan market tarmac because of the labour-intensive and time-consuming effort it takes to get the latter venue ready.
Pitri Paksh is a 15-day period in the Hindu calendar, observed during the dark half of the Hindu month of Ashwin (September-October), during which tillanjali (water with black sesame seeds) and prayers to Lord Brahma, the Creator, are offered to grant salvation to the souls of the departed.
The tiny community of Lusignan on the East Coast corridor was plunged into mourning on the night of January 26, 2008 following the senseless taking of innocent lives by gun-toting criminals, an event that not only sent shockwaves throughout the nation but also succeeded in making the entire country cringe in fear.
Eleven persons, including children, were slaughtered in their beds that fateful night at the hands of the villains whose weapons of choice were shotguns and the deadly AK-47 assault rifle.  The beasts in human form unleashed almost 15 minutes of terror of such bestiality, it has left graphic pictures that have seared the soul of the nation and memories of an agony of such proportions  will never be extinguished.
They mercilessly gunned down 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 community’s police precinct 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 during last year’s observances, the event serves a dual purpose – observing Pitri Paksh and remembering those who were killed during the horrific crime wave in Guyana.
Last Friday’s satsang began with an opening prayer by Pt. Ravi, after which Bhai Ramraj Khemraj of the Lusignan Gopal Mandir welcomed the participants and guests. The Taarpan, which is paying homage to departed souls, was performed by Pt. Ganesh of the Annandale Mandir.
Renditions of the Sumiran and Ramayan bhajans were done by the Amardeep Ramayan Sangh, followed by a bhajan in the taan style by Bhai Arjune Boodhoo of the Enterprise Mandir.
Remarks were made by Bhai Prabhu Krishna of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, who said that, in the Vedic calendar, every day is meaningful for followers of Sanata Dharma, and adjured the audience to, on a daily basis, pause and assess their actions.
The feature address was delivered by teacher of over 40 years and an official of the Unity Village NDC, Ms Anupattie Veeren.
She urged that victims of these tragedies  forgive the perpetrators and not  think of vengeance or retaliation; but acknowledged that it is not easy for this.  However, the families and survivors have all along since indicated that they want their loved ones to rest in peace and that they have no vengeful thoughts of those who caused them such pain and loss of dearly loved relatives.
Encouraging support for victims of tragedies, because when people are alone they tend to get depressed and think dark thoughts, she related that the pastor who was attacked and whose life is now hanging by a thread in hospital is her nephew who has a wife and young children, who are now left without a protector and provider.
But she reiterated that Man’s greatest possession is faith, and related several stories where faith prevailed over circumstances to strengthen victims, enough that they forgave and moved on.  She urged the audience to think of ways and means to avoid negativity, because this causes stress, which in turn causes illness.
She concluded her address with a quote from Mahatma Mohandas Karamchand Gandhiji, as follows: “When doubts haunt you; when disappointment stares you in the face; when there is not a ray of hope on the horizon, that is the time to turn to the Bhagwat Gita (or Bible, Koran, or any holy book) and read a verse, then you will be able to smile miraculously amidst overwhelming grief.”
The Lusignan carnage that was a dark abyss in the history of this nation precluded a miracle in the form of two babies, who were harbingers of hope in the nation.  These were badly injured five-year-old Roberto Thomas, who miraculously survived the attack despite life-threatening injuries, and baby Padmini, born to Vishnu Seecharran and his wife months after the fateful night of the Lusignan massacre, in which Vishnu tragically lost his mother, father, and sister.
Mere weeks after the Lusignan massacre, terror erupted once more in the community of Bartica, leaving more senseless deaths.
During this Navraat period, Guyanese need to reflect on our past – without rancour; but with the resilience and the promise that never again would we allow – as a nation, such atrocities to ever again be committed in our beautiful homeland, because the tenets of every religion forbid mankind to act in the manner of beasts of the jungle.
Pandit Haresh, in relating the importance of honouring the lives of our foreparents, related that this 11-year-old son was held spellbound when he one day reminisced on the life of his (Pt. Haresh’s) nana (maternal grandfather).
He said that the little boy was fascinated to hear that his per dada (great-grandfather) always walked barefeet and never owned a belt, except one that he wove himself from plantain stalks.
He reflected that the elders need to tell the tales of the past to the younger generation so that they can have a sense of belonging and an appreciation for family traditions.
Adults also, in moments of quiet introspection, need to meditate and reflect on where they came from, and on the contributions that their foreparents made on their status in life; because it is the sacrifices of past generations that have carved the road to a better life for this current and future generations; only then can they understand their own circumstances and appreciate the need to propagate the ancient traditions of their foreparents. According to Pt. Haresh, nothing was given to us, but evolved as a process through the sacrifices made by ancestors.
Reflecting on this would then enable us to understand where we are as a nation, as a community, and as a society; and he urged the elders of families and communities to ensure that the children learn of and appreciate the genesis of their lives and then evaluate the tremendous inspiration of past struggles and sacrifices made by forefathers so as to ensure that their descendants are afforded better lives and lifestyles.
He said that his nana, who could not read in his lifetime, when  he passed on, was presided over by himself, with eight grandchildren who had attended the best universities in the world paying obeisance to him. He said Pitri Paksh is to honour such foreparents and other relatives.
The students of the Cove and John Ashram and the Valmiki Vidyalaya Primary School offer recitations from the Bhagwat Gita each year, and the students of the Valmiki Vidyalaya Primary School always offer a prayer of the school, which goes thus:  “Om, may he protect all teachers and students.  May he look after us all to enjoy the fruits of our spiritual studies. May we exert together to find the true meaning of the sacred texts.  May we never quarrel with each other. Om Shanti (peace), shanti, shanti.”
Other presentations at Friday’s satsangh were done by Michael of the Triumph Indian Cultural Centre; Pt. Navin of the Good Hope Mandir; and Bhai Tarachan of the Helena No. 1 Mandir.
Last evening, Principal of the Hindu College, Shrimattie Rajkumarie Singh, made a presentation, while Pt Ravi delivered the feature address. Pandit Haresh of the Lusignan Gopal Mandir is expected to deliver the feature address today.
All the mandirs on the East Coast participated in the programmes and prepared the bhojan (food), Prasad (offering), and beverages.