…say religious leaders as they call for peace and unity

FOLLOWING the recent events of violence and hate spewed across the country, several religious leaders are calling for their fellow Guyanese to keep the peace and unity during this critical period, as the country awaits the March 2 elections results.

On Friday, several riots broke out across the country as citizens grew frustrated and impatient given the delay in the declaration of the results. The outcome of the said riots has left several young children bruised and traumatised, as well as several officers of the Guyana Police Force injured and some hospitalised. The unfortunate events have also left a family mourning the death of their 18-year-old loved one.

Pandit Dhanesh Prashad, in an invited comment, told the Guyana Chronicle that the recent outburst of violence was uncalled for, stating that persons could’ve have went about the protest in a more decent and lawful manner. Pandit Prashad added that the aggression and violence seen on Friday was unbelievable.

“I’m very concerned at the moment, however, tension is rising in the country and I don’t feel people should make things escalate as it would have been up in Berbice and up in Lusignan. I feel like those situations could have been handled differently. The protest in particular, it could’ve been handle in a different way, a more subtle way, not in the very aggressive manner that they did it,” Prashad stated.

Adding that the protest was a waste of time and energy seeing that the very same politicians the protestors were appealing to, took no heed to their cries, Prashad stated civilians should just leave the politics to the politicians, “the protest was a waste of time … let these minsters, let these MPs [members of parliament], let them trash it out, eventually they will get an answer for them.”

Appealing to the general public, Prashad noted that the level of violence which was seen over the weekend was totally uncalled for and as such, he is asking Guyanese to promote peace and not provoke each other during this sensitive period. “We did not need to go to all that length to create such steam in Berbice and Lusignan, so I’m appealing to all the people of Guyana to not let things get out of hand because every action [will see] a reaction and if you want peace to prevail you have to act in a peaceful manner,” he stated.

The young pandit further stated that he is praying for peace to prevail since the country has plunged into a state of depression and fear. “I just want peace to be prevalent right now in the country. People are scared to come out of their homes right now, business is slow right now; businesses are closing down, people aren’t working, and its not good for our country in the whole.”

Reverend Claude Brooks of Love and Faith Ministries, who also shared his views on the country’s current state, noted that he believes that it is not the politicians who fuel the hate, but the people themselves, the politics is just the lighter that ignites flames. “We allow the politicians to divide and separate us during elections. The politicians are not the ones dividing us, they are the second chair I should say, but we are divided in our hearts because of hate. If hatred was not in our hearts no politician could make us hate,” Brooks stated.

Additionally, Reverend Brooks stated that Guyanese now have to change their mentality of identifying themselves by ethnicity and instead, just identify themselves as one people of one nation.

“Indo-Guyanese, Afro-Guyanese or Amerindian-Guyanese, we have got to see each other has just Guyanese and once we continue to label and put ethnicity as our identity and not nationality, we cannot take Guyana forward …once we keep labelling ourselves the division will continue and I want to send that message out to every inch of Guyana,” he added.

A MESSAGE TO THE POLITICAL LEADERS
Meanwhile, in an appeal to the political leaders, Reverend Brooks stated that the political leaders first have to set the example and put their differences aside to see the calm and change in the people that the country has been longing for.

“We as Guyanese, we have to walk in love and only love can heal and overcome hate. Hate cannot fuel hate and that is what is happening now. A lot of the leaders [are] fuelling hate through statements and things that are being posted…a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. The message that I’m sending out is that our leaders have to love each other, and they have to heal this nation together, this nation has been divided for two long,” he stated.

The reverend further stated that the political leaders of Guyana should take responsibility for fuelling the hate and division that has always been prevalent between Guyanese people, however he added that they have the platform to put some sort of stop to it and they should use their platform wisely to send a message loud and clear.
In an appeal to the nation, reverend Brooks urged all Guyanese to promote love and unity as the elections season continues its course, “So I’m asking all Guyanese to join me in sending the message of love and not hate, and I appeal to every Guyanese to stop fuelling hate and let us pray for the reconciliation of this nation.”