IN their missive, “How come no reports to police on Agricola robberies?” (SN Oct 22), Messrs Asquith Rose and Sasenarine Singh, describing me as “an embattled pollster”, penned that I claimed “only Indians were beaten and robbed” – a deliberate attempt to put those like myself, who condemned the violence, on the defensive.

For the record, I made no claim that only Indians were robbed and/or beaten.  The fact is Indians were targeted, and all the newspapers, except KN, stated Indians were the victims.

And even if I had made a claim that Indians were the only victims, it does not change the fact of what happened to innocent people on that terrible day.

If people other than Indians were beaten, does that make the violence justified? Also, the attack on Lindeners does not justify the attack on Indians on the East Bank.

Rose and Singh said people were using the Agricola violence as propaganda. For the record, no newspaper manufactured reports on the attacks on Indians, and on the violence associated with the protests. There was no propaganda associated with it. The protest and accompanying violence actually occurred, except in the minds of Rose and Singh.

Even Khemraj Ramjattan admitted Indians were targeted victims. The newspapers carried photos of the attackers engaging the police and robbing people.

In addition, TV stations, I am informed, carried clippings of the violence and the beatings and robberies. Many religious and civic organisations condemned the violence and the attack on Indians.  Are they also propagandists?

Messrs Rose and Singh also said they got evidence that agent provocateurs targeted Indo-Guyanese to unleash their political agenda” – very illogical and confusing when they also stated that Indians were not targeted.

If Rose and Singh have evidence of planned attacks, they are committing a crime by withholding evidence from the police. They should file a police report identifying the provocateurs and who commissioned them, as failure to do so makes them as culpable as the actual attackers.

Messrs Rose and Singh said their party, the AFC, commiserate with the victims. Then they should make every effort to assist the victims with filing police reports, and helping them to recover looted assets and just compensation for their injuries.

Attacking me or those who empathise with the victims will not help the AFC.

Rose and Singh said people are focusing on the Agricola protest victims – thousands of them – but not the Linden victims.  What happened in Linden does not, and can never, justify the attack on Indians. These chaps write as though Indians have no right to their safety and valuables.