Something is seriously off balance when the gift of a bridge for public use in burial of the deceased is reportedly criticized. Why? Both SN and KN reported that Mr. Elton McRae, a Triumph Guyanese, reportedly found the bridge “offensive”. The media reported that the area of the BV/Triumph community burial ground for Hindus and Muslims, without an official entrance, received an $840 hundred thousand adorned gateway and bridge.

It was donated by former Deputy Chief Education Officer, Mrs Bibi Shariman Ali, her husband and two sons. Chairman Mr. Bruce Adams received the bridge on behalf of the NDC. The Roman Catholic section of the cemetery has its own bridge and their section is well maintained.

But Mr McRae is complaining that “The bridge was given to the Muslim community between Success to Mon Repos. It was a facilitating endeavour for the members of that religious community so that they can have easier access to their burial ground.” Mr. McRae did not volunteer what impediments actually prevented anyone’s use of the bridge. Under siege and deprived when alive, Indians face the same in death and burial. Could normal maintenance without any tolls be any more abnormal? Neither race nor religion are prerequisite “power sharing”, bridging death and burial.Could it however provide jump start motivation to at least restoring gracious goodness which avoids death and burial as issues of disagreements? Can it? If not so there must be something to the examples of PNC veteran deputy leader, Dr.Ptolemy Reid choosing to be buried in his native Essequibo and Presidents Dr Cheddi and Janet Jagan’s cremation in Berbice. With the latters’ ashes scattered elsewhere over Guyana all three leaders are far removed from the usual hubbub of our living.

Even in death we find so much contentiousness among Guyanese that a donated bridge makes us more unabridged. Indeed, what can be more downright petty than such insensitive disrespect for the dignity of the defenceless dead, even if Indian? See Mr. Elton McRae’s complete letter in the KN of 16-1-14 titled: “Everything linked to this report is
offensive” and in the SN of 16-1-14 titled “BV/Triumph bridge should be maintained by Muslim community, not NDC”. Then the urgency of decentralized Federalism becomes more validated by his criticisms.
Now contrast this to Georgetown’s Le Repentir cemetery, where bodies locomote themselves, not by bridge nor by boat, but by floodwater!
Right after the church funeral service for popular communicator Mr.Terry Holder the funeral cortege was unable to conclude interment at Le Repentir cemetery. In a history-making first, the body returned to the funeral parlour, reportedly by respectful escort of Prime Minister Sam Hinds. Did all the dead come alive in unionized TUC conspiracy to deny Mr Holder his “green card” residency? Nowhere in memory has any Guyanese so ignominiously been actually forced to go back from where he came, when he was dead! In Guyana the Lord Jesus Christ’s directive of “let the dead bury the dead” is not possible
anymore. Who can say if Le Repentir’s residents were walking on water in protest? Who can say if they warned their new comrade not to enter but to go back and plead their case?

Let’s assume Mr. McRae’s criticism unburdens the BV-Triumph NDC of its responsibilities. Such would give matching justifiable glorification to the PPP/C’s astuteness for Mayor Hamilton Green to remain unhinged from theirs. Righteousness would expect Mr. McRae to then bravely go tell it on the garbage mountain – not like Big Foot – but like biblical Moses. Hopes that the Mayor, so preoccupied in the press, would ever awake to his caretaker responsibilities to restore Le Repentir must not be without effort. What an inspiring secret Dick Morris poll campaign that must
have been! Maybe long tortured minds and souls in the cemetery are now in silent screams of remorse, neglected even in death. How did their misplaced, trusting votes prescribe them such karmic Le Repentir hell in Georgetown under the PNC? Mr. McRae should explain his callousness surrounding Mr. Holder’s and all others with equal rights, dying to get in the cemetery but not welcome by kith and kin like him.
All the brimstone and fire raining on Town Clerk Ms Carol Sooba may also explain why some remain quite so comfortable among decay and nastiness to celebrate another Triumph. Everyone knows dignity and respect for the dead is without religion. What else could it be to look a gift Arabian horse in the mouth? For him what is very bothersome is that NDC taxpayers’ funds would caretaker the free bridge in future for
everyone’s wellbeing. He was indeed a surprising protester, with no money no love for those families undertaking sanctuary’s final rest of their beloved. With costs a big issue for him, any reconciliation of taxpayers’ subsidized electricity for Linden alone and its payout to rioters as compensation is unknown. It would take more than only one Hercules to clean up the capital’s stinking Augean stables. But heads
are not likely to roll until tradeoffs are acknowledged and compromises made. The PNC cannot be so dead, unable to first fix Georgetown as a symbol of their ideals and aspirations. Everyone knows where they would not be welcome if dead. Can they do it? Only God knows.
SULTAN MOHAMED