The Inter- Religious Organisation (IRO)of Guyana on Wednesday issued a call for peace in the mining town of Linden which has been rocked by almost one month of violent protest, after residents rose up against a plan by the government to implement an increase in the region ten electricity tariff. The unrest has left three persons dead, over a dozen injured and several buildings including a school, reduced to rubbles as a result of deliberate fires.
Vice Chairman of the IRO Pastor Ronald McGarrell said he is hopeful that the town can return to normalcy as soon as possible since this is having severe impact on the spiritual and economic fabric of not only Region 10 by many other parts of Guyana.
“I would like to ask all Guyanese to be peaceful, there is solution to every problem, most important let us pray and ask God for a solution, I think most of all dialogue is important…the greatest upheavals in the world were solved by dialogue, so I would like to ask my Guyanese brothers and sisters in Linden to look for a peaceful solution to the situation” McGarrell said.
Several other organizations including the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha and the Muslim community have also issued calls for the situation in the mining town to be urgently addressed.
The religious leaders believe, the situation will spiral further out of control if quick solutions are not derived.
They also underscore the importance of spiritual intervention.