Don’t resort to racism and politics

Dear editor,

PLEASE allow me to share my views as to the prolonged call for justice for the Henry boys, as the situation is being used and fuelled by some politicians. The Henry boys were brutality murdered by unknown persons.  I would like to once again extend my sympathies to the parents of the Henry boys, Haresh Singh, and all those who were murdered by unknown persons.  No one deserves to die this way.

I wish that those who committed those acts of murdering the innocent will be brought to justice swiftly, after a comprehensive investigations is being done with creditability. As we all know, investigations into such acts take time, and should not be rushed because some want it to.
Rushing into charging people for the acts may see innocent persons being charged and their character being tarnished. Justice should be served, and served in a manner that the innocent must not pay for those guilty of committing the acts, and are walking free; roaming the streets and roads.
Those who are guilty of the acts of murdering our brothers and sisters innocently must face the consequences, and the same goes for all who committed acts of violence against our brothers and sisters.

Over the years, we saw many innocent ones being convicted for things they were not involved in. Many innocent ones are paying the price that they should not have to.  Many of those people that are innocent but yet convicted and sentenced are the poor, because they have no money and can’t afford a lawyer to defend them.  So they have to face what they have to, because of being poor, and moreover, because of bad investigations by the Guyana Police Force.

I must say that as I penned this letter, it pains me to know that the innocent have to pay for another man’s act, because I was sentenced innocently when I never did or was never involved, and I was made to pay for my innocence through bad investigations and political involvement.
But this letter is not about me; it’s about all those innocent people that are being murdered, beaten, etc, and also about those who are innocently accused and have to pay for an act they didn’t do.

Since the murder of the Henry boys, I keep following the matter closely, especially since one politician is using it to create a massive and unwarranted unrest in West Berbice and parts of Guyana just for political gains and purposes.

At no time did I ever hear that very young lawyer and APNU+AFC candidate voice his concern for all the innocent people who are being convicted.  Not at one time did I hear that very young man voice his concerns for all the others that were innocently murdered, beaten, robbed, etc.  But all of a sudden, he found his voice and makes it known through his racial and political acts.

Yes, I said racial, because he used racism to stir up the violence in Region Five the very night he went live on the APNU+AFC Facebook page.  That very young man called out the people of Cotton Tree as if they are all guilty as to what happens. Statements made by him warranted him to be investigated and charged for racial incitement.

It is my personal view, and I firmly believe that the murder of the Henry boys had nothing to do with politics, because they were not politicians.  I do not believe it had anything to do with race, because they grew up in a multi-ethnic and multicultural society. It’s my humble view that it has nothing to do with either of that mentioned, as that young APNU+AFC political candidate and lawyer put it over to the public.

In Region Five, I can say we never had a racial problem since I know myself; we live as one big family. And yes, we may have our differences, but we live together.  As an Indian, and I know many more Indians who will go to Number Five, Hopetown, Paradise, Ithaca, Belladrum, etc, and support the road-corner food shops; we will hang out on weekends and so on.  My African brothers and sisters will do the same in villages like Bath, Bush Lot, Cotton Tree, etc.

We will sit together, we will eat together, we will drink together, we will laugh together, we will mourn together, we will dance together, and never have I experienced any such racism that this one APNU+AFC young man started, all because of political mileage and wanting political attention for himself and his party, by using the death of those two innocent young men that were brutally murdered.

In fact, after the young lawyer used racism to start the unrest in Region Five, he was joined and his sentiments were echoed by a few top-notch members of his party, and they also started to encourage the racism to spread more.  They never condemned the acts of unrest, but keep calling for more.
It surprises me that those very APNU+AFC top-notch members are lawyers and historians, and yet didn’t tell the public that justice cannot be served in one day, in one week, or one month, but justice can only be served when a comprehensive and credible investigation is being done so that the innocent do not have to pay for something they know nothing about.

No, they did not do that; they want justice in one day, and not less than one week, knowing it cannot happen that way. Why? It’s because they turned the murder into politics, knowing the political situation in Guyana, after they had to give up government. And the truth is, they took advantage by using racism, because those accused are Indians and said to be supporters of a different political party.
I must say thanks to Volda Lawrence for coming out and showing leadership quality that the APNU+AFC is lacking, by calling on the supporters of the ‘Coalition’ to stop the unwanted hostile behaviour against others, and for us to have peace in this dear land.

Yes, Volda stopped the unrest caused by that young, immature PNC politician in Region Five that was fully supported by many of the top leaders in the APNU+AFC.  Volda ensures that the ‘Coalition’ supporters stop their violent acts and behave in a manner that will see justice being brought, no matter what. Thanks, Volda Lawrence.
So, if we fighting for justice, don’t take the innocent people that are being accused because of their race and throw them into political bandwagons of destruction for selfish political gains, and make them innocently punish.

The law is there and the law also at times sends innocent people to jail, I am one of those people.  There are processes that have to be followed in ensuring justice.  There will be investigations that have to be done, but yet again can we trust the local police to investigate anything because some are incompetent in conducting investigations and yes again they did it against me.
I call for justice for the Henry boys, Haresh Singh, and all who were innocently murdered and acts of criminality committed against them.  But please let’s not try to get justice by accusing the wrong people and allowing those that commit the acts to walk the road free.

Let’s not force justice to happen because we have a political agenda when innocent lives are being involved through accusations especially encouraged by politicians. Justice must be served and must be served in a timely manner and those guilty of the act must face the consequences, not those innocent.
Brothers and sisters of Region Five let’s not go down the road that some politicians want us to by hating each other.  We were never like that and we should never be.  We can and must continue to show our love and live as we use to before, as one, no matter what.

We must not allow a few narrow-minded people who are seeking political fame and game to lead us against each other, we were never like that before.  We do have our differences at all times but we never show the hate as we are doing now since the young lawyer started the racial tension.
We must not allow it to ever happen again, no matter what.  We must continue to live together, walk together, eat together, dine together, cry together, laugh together, and show our love that we once had for each other.

We can only have justice if we are all in it together and allow the law to takes its course whereby the innocent do not have to pay.
Justice takes time and will be served if not here, it will by the Almighty.
One love! Peace!

Yours sincerely,
Abel Seetaram
Former Regional Councillor