I WISH to refer to a Kaieteur News article in its issue of Wednesday January 8, 2014, under the caption: “Mother of puma attack victim fears for children’s safety- seeks assistance to clear ‘Bushes’ around home.”

Kindly permit me to state the following:
1. Desiree Joseph of Isseneru village, the mother of three-year-old Jasmine Joseph who was nearly killed by a ferocious puma while playing in her yard, is calling on the relevant authorities to help clear the thick bushes around her home because she is fearful that other attacks may happen even though the puma was killed. Desiree Joseph has six children.
2. Now Desiree Joseph is calling on the “relevant authorities” to help her clear the thick bushes around her home. This is quite interesting since the question here is who are the relevant authorities? The answer is the Toshao and Village Council of Isseneru which is located in the middle Mazaruni, Region 7.
3. Let me make it very clear here, that if little Jasmine had been killed by the puma, the Toshao and Village Council would have been responsible for her death because of poor or bad village management. It is a disgrace and the Toshao should cover his face in shame. All that the Toshao and the Council are concerned about is more and more land for mining and more and more gold and to hell with the welfare of poor village residents. I am saying that the Toshao and Village Council must resign now on the basis of village neglect and let the village elders retake control of the village.
4. But if the Toshao and Village Council had the interests of its poor village residents at heart, they would have organised on a monthly basis as many Amerindian communities would do, a Kaiyap, mission work or self-help for the general cleaning of its village homesteads. Sadly, this cultural practice has disappeared in Isseneru Village because its leadership is only concerned about gold-mining and not the welfare of the poor Isseneru residents.
5. I wish to express my deepest sympathy to the mother and grandmother and other relatives on the tragic incident of little Jasmine Joseph and with God’s help I am wishing her a speedy recovery.

PETER PERSAUD