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Thousands attend grand IAC mela in Georgetown
By Priya Nauth
THOUSANDS of Guyanese, many decked out in their traditional colourful Indian wear, gathered at the National Park in Georgetown yesterday afternoon for a grand cultural mela (fair) and family fun day to commemorate the 170th anniversary of the arrival of Indians in Guyana.

The show, organised by the Indian Arrival Committee (IAC), included a packed programme of mesmerizing classical and filmi dances from various troupes, singing, poetry reading as well as tassa drumming.

There were a variety of Indian dishes and ‘sweetmeats’ on sale; various booths on display, and lots of games and fun for the children and the entire family.

However, one of main highlights of the show was the Bhojpuri Folk and Dance Troupe from India.

The mela opened with the customary prayers by representatives from the Hindu, Muslim and Christian communities.

The first performance entitled ‘East of India’ aptly setting the mood, saw the Apex Academy presenting a dance piece depicting the various cultures, religions and festivals brought by our ancestors from India.

The large crowd was also treated to dazzling performances by the Shellita Dance Troupe and the Indian Cultural Centre, while the music was provided by the Shakti Strings Orchestra. Qaseedas and bhajans (devotional songs) were also done.

Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Mr. Subit Kumar Mandal said Indians had a lot of challenges ahead of them which brought out sterling qualities making them what they are and what they will be in the future.

The High Commissioner also noted that the Indian High Commission is pleased to associate and participate in the celebrations to mark Indian arrival in Guyana.

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony said that 170 years since the first Indian immigrants came to Guyana to now, they have made tremendous progress helping to change and transform the Caribbean society.

“…coming to this part of the world and merging with those who were already here in Guyana, we are a richer and a more vibrant society,” he observed.

“…when we celebrate arrival day we must give a thought to our ancestors…for their sacrifice and resilience that have got us here,” the minister posited.

He also noted that Guyanese should remember the other immigrants who came to the country.

The Indian Arrival Committee (IAC) also honoured three Indo-Guyanese for their outstanding contributions to the development of Guyana.Those honoured were Imaam Shaheed Mohamed of the Queenstown Jama Masjid for his sterling contribution to religion; Harry Ramsaroop of the Dharm Shala for his services to humanity; and a posthumous award for the late Chanderpaul Persaud, popularly known as ‘Paul O’Hara’ for his work and role in the field of journalism.

IAC is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation (NGO) established in January 2003 to focus on cultural, educational and social issues and concerns of mainly Indo-Guyanese.

The final mela will be held today, Arrival Day, at the Albion Sports Complex, Corentyne, Berbice.

Hundreds bid moving farewell at
KALAMADEEN’S FUNERAL
By Shirley Thomas
THE body of businessman Farouk Kalamadeen was yesterday buried at the Eccles cemetery, following a very moving Janaza at the Muslim Youth Organisation (MYO) Headquarters, Woolford Avenue, attended by hundreds of sorrowing relatives and friends.

There was a flood of emotions, and family members wept bitterly as the draped casket was hoisted into the compound and placed before the large gathering of mourners and sympathizers.

Among those present were representatives of the business sector, the motor racing fraternity, and hundreds of members of the Muslim body in Guyana, of which he was an integral part.

As the draped casket lay before the gathering with a framed photograph of Farouk Kalamadeen atop, literally hundreds of mourners filed past to pay their last respects.

Meanwhile, in his tribute to the celebrated former motor racer who in his life time had participated in many races, Chief Executive Officer of the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG), Sheikh Moen Ul-Haq, referred to the occasion as Kalamadeen’s ‘last race’, adding on a very somber note, “…and we bid farewell to him this afternoon”.

Referring to the period of uncertainty and anxiety following the disappearance of Farouk Kalamadeen on April 2 last, Haq observed that it has been a very traumatic period. It was a month characterised by severe trials, tests and tribulation – not only to the family members, but all those who have been associated with the ‘dear brother’, he said.

He also expressed thanks to God Almighty that they have been able to bring that chapter to a close, and that they were able to recover all parts of his body, adding that nothing escapes the attention of the Maker.

Standing alongside the casket, Haq asserted very passionately: “This life is a cycle and what goes around comes around.”

He conceded that if justice is not received from mankind, surely it will be received from the best of judges – God Almighty.

The CIOG leader noted that what was witnessed in relation to the demise of the brother, is a reflection of “a society that is Godless”, and described the scenario as an epidemic – one where immorality prevails, removing the border between human life and animal life.

He prayed that “the truth will come to light” in relation to the brutal death of Kalamadeen.

And an elder member of the Muslim body – the pain of loss evident as he spoke, trying to build courage, remarked: “We have to die some how, sometime, but I would like to thank God that our brother here died as a Muslim.”

Meanwhile, eulogizing the life of Mohamed Farouk Kalamadeen, his nephew Damon Fung Fook described him as a quiet and kind individual, with two of his hobbies being motor racing and playing pools.

He recalled his uncle never liked asking for help, but was always willing to lend a hand where help was needed.

He gave generously to the Masjid, and other humanitarian causes in society, but always “did his good deeds quietly,” Damon recounted.

A man of incredible strength, Farouk’s words of counsel to Damon and other relatives, was that they should always be strong in the face of hardships and tragedies.

He recalled his uncle Farouk admonishing him not to shed tears if ever he heard that he (Farouk) was dead.

Fung Fook expressed confidence that his uncle had lived his life well, and was not afraid to meet his Maker.

Prior to his burial yesterday, the severed head of the City businessman was found in a canal a block away from his Light Street and North Road business place early Saturday morning.

The gruesome discovery was made three days after his headless cadaver was found dumped at another location north of the City.

One relative who spoke with the Guyana Chronicle on Saturday said the family is “certain” that the head is Kalamadeen’s and that now that it could be finally “reunited with the body,” they are in a better frame of mind to continue with arrangements to bury him today (yesterday).”

The Police recovered the head after being alerted by passers-by who saw it lying in a muddy canal at Albert Street and North Road here in the capital, just a street away from Jiffy Lubes, the motor services outlet that Kalamadeen owned and operated.

The missing head was examined by Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh who, according to the Police, concluded that Kalamadeen had suffered blunt trauma to the back of the head and injuries to the mouth.

As news of the discovery spread, a large crowd gathered at the site where the head was found just opposite the popular Bakewell bakery. The discovery was made sometime around 08:30 h.

Neighbours shuddered on recounting the story, saying the head was “black” when it was fished out of the trench.

Kalamadeen’s headless body was found early Wednesday morning, almost a month after he disappeared, in the Kingston area on a parapet at Cowan Street.

Relatives were prepared to go ahead with the funeral Friday without the head, but this was stalled because the Police needed to verify that the cadaver was his from its fingerprints.

Since Kalamadeen had not yet been registered in the current registration exercise, there were no fingerprints of his available at the Guyana Elections Commission to make that comparison.

Relatives, however, had said the Police were able to “lift” fingerprints from equipment Kalamadeen used when he would go in the interior.

Those fingerprints matched those of the headless cadaver, thus providing further conclusive evidence in the identity of the body.

Kalamadeen disappeared without a trace after leaving his Barrington Apartments home in Houston just outside the City on the lower East Bank on April 2, for his daily jog.

He was presumed abducted, but according to the family, there were no ransom demands. The Police are still continuing with their investigations.

Another road fatality
Pedal cyclist dies in Linden accident
THE police are investigating a fatal accident that occurred about 05:00 h yesterday, at Washer Pond Road, Linden, which resulted in the death of pedal cyclist Royston Bailey, 56, of Canvas City, Wismar – also in Linden.

Investigations revealed that the driver of a motor lorry with a trailer attached was proceeding along Washer Pond Road when it is alleged that he failed to stop at the inter-section with Riverside Drive and collided with the pedal cyclist.

Royston Bailey was taken to the Mackenzie Hospital where he died while receiving medical attention.

The driver of the motor lorry is in police custody assisting with the investigations.

POLICE FORCE NOT AFRAID
of going after bandits
- says it will aggressively carry fight against those involved in terrorism, banditry
THE Guyana Police Force yesterday declared that it supports the earlier views expressed by Minister of Home Affairs, Mr. Clement Rohee, that the Force must be aggressive and carry the fight to those involved in terrorism and banditry.

“The police are not afraid of the bandits and are going after them relentlessly, using the intelligence and other resources available,” the GPF said in a statement yesterday.

“However, at the same time, we must apply common sense,” the Police added.

In this regard, the Police said measures taken are not intended to be defensive, but are “part of the strategy in support of our law enforcement posture”.

“We have intensified our operations with a number of raids being conducted, based on intelligence, in the city of Georgetown and on the East Bank and East Coast of Demerara along with patrols, roadblocks and searches.”

“Barriers are in place to reduce the possibility of certain strategic locations being targeted and to provide a degree of comfort and security for our ranks,” the Police Force added.

It said the measures being used are temporary and have been used as requisite from time to time.

The Guyana Police Force is calling on all members of the public to give their full support in this fight against crime and lawlessness at this period of Guyana’s history.

“We intend to stay on top of the crime situation and will do so with great resolve,” the GPF declared. 

GUYANA AS 'FOODLAND'
- a comparison with Trinidad
By Lennox Grant
(well-known Trinidadian journalist who participated in last week's Caribbean Media and Communication Conference in Guyana)
GEORGETOWN: Wednesday morning, on Regent Street, one image, catching a Trini's eye from the window of a passing maxi, worked as a logo, or a postage stamp, branding Guyana today. The image was that of rice in large plastic bags being unloaded from a truck.

Rice, allegedly hard to get in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T), is all over the place in Guyana.

Guyana had gained the Trini title, "Mudland." 

As "crisis" regularly attaches to the word "food," Guyana now merits identification as "Foodland."

Two years before, I had heard from Bert Wilkinson, Georgetown journalist, the assurance that "Guyanese will never starve."

From this bountiful land, where continental, not island, scale is taken for granted, to earn a foreign exchange premium, they could well export all the rice they grow. In any event, Guyanese will eat other food they produce, or catch, or hunt, or pick from trees.

In 2006, one learning experience came from ordering what the Herdmanston Lodge breakfast menu described as steamed potatoes with fish stewed in tomatoes. The kitchen delivered sweet potatoes; the waitress explained my order had not specified "Irish" potatoes.

I managed that early morning to eat some sweet potato (a vegetable long alien to my tastebuds). It was also my gesture of comradely solidarity with a default Guyanese readiness to prefer what they produce over what they import.

"Chips," to go with chicken and fish, is recognised in T&T as the final product processed from white sticks frozen in a plastic bag labelled after exporters in Idaho, USA or Atlantic Canada.

In Guyana, unless a fast-food diner pronounces the word "potato" before "chips," his styrofoam box could arrive loaded with wedges and slivers of deep-fried, unripe plantain.

Plantain, supersize and small, sliced and fried, goes a long way in the former "BG." Common at the political rallies was the sight, moving over the heads of the crowds, of upraised wooden racks hung with cellophane packs of disk-shaped plantain chips. To go with the chips, the vendors supplied a condiment called "sour" squirted out of plastic bottles.

The people of "Foodland" will eat their obviously abundant plantains no matter what. Like rice, plantain is cultivated and counts as agricultural output.

But fish to go with the fries are there for the catching in rivers. So vast are their waterways that an island-unclued visiting Guyanese journalist once asked me if the stretch of water separating Chaguaramas from Nelson Island was a river.

Driving through Liliendaal, I was attracted to the wide, roadside canal, its surface covered with brilliant blue, giant lilies. The taxi driver didn't know the name of the lilies.

He volunteered a story, however. During school vacation, he said, a small boy would spend hours lying on the banks of the canal, one arm stuck into the dark water where his fingers could tickle and pull out fish hiding in the mud.

Catching fish is child's play: that was the message. I could believe it. On buffet groaning boards or in food courts, various kinds of fish were laid out; few people knew or cared to share with a curious visitor the names of the species.

Other 'Foodlanders' hunt their dinner. At one memorable party inside the well-preserved officers' mess of Police Headquarters, I counted five or six buffet trays of wild meat.

Again, apart from those who identified "labba," few guests knew or cared to name the bushland species providing exotic fare for the police gourmet table. You know you're in Guyana when police officers look quizzically at someone asking about a "close season" for hunting.

Guyana gets a bad press, and Guyanese, notoriously in Caribbean airports, get little respect. It is Guyanese, however, whose mass emigration has created the impression of their country as a place to leave.

Rice and coconut
It is as a source of food, not only rice, that Guyana has newly entered the T&T consciousness.

Guyana has the land; T&T has the fertiliser; and, presumably, Haiti has the agricultural workers.

Coconut trees, taller and more perpendicular than in Manzanilla, occupy endless miles alongside the highway in Berbice.

Let's bring it all together somewhere in the backlands of Foodland, conveniently close a river navigable by ocean-going vessels exporting produce. And, maybe also, fish and the jumbo shrimp Guyanese call "prawns."

Such at least were my imaginings, as I strolled in Bourda Market on the busy evening before the May 1 public holiday.

Don't look down, I counselled myself, against viewing the bubbly, stagnant, black-water canals that traverse everywhere in Georgetown.

Instead, I surveyed stalls of fresh green vegetables and fruit, and mentally divided the tag prices by 30 to calculate in TT dollars a hypothetical shopping bill. By my sample survey, everything was cheaper than if not competitive with the San Juan market where I had shopped the week before.

Especially the dasheen "blue food" which in Bourda is labelled "eddoes."

Four jumbo-size limes go for the equivalent of $TT3.50.

The real excitement lay in what wasn't available to, and was indeed exotic in the eyes of, someone making market in San Juan.

Bodi has a skinny Guyanese cousin, wearing a darker green, called "bora." Bourda melongene appears in a lighter coat of lilac-purple than in San Juan.

Sold loose rather than in bundles, chive is longer and thinner, and called "shallot." It must be the season for spinach, to judge from the many heaps of exquisitely soft, smooth stems and leaves. 

It was strange fruit, or rare fruit, that mostly drew me. A vendor talked me into trying a peach-shaped "mammy apple," shaped like a BC apple but with skin like a ripe pommecythere's.

I found it inedible, neither sweet nor tart, with a sticky, milky flesh I feared would cling to my lips and teeth.

But mammy ci-pote was delightful and one third the price of San Juan's last week.
(Reprinted, courtesy yesterday's Sunday Guardian of Trinidad and Tobago).
NEWS

Determination enabled East Indian immigrants to lay groundwork for future generation – Acting President
FOLLOWING his attendance on Saturday at the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha’s celebration at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, acting President Samuel Hinds next attended Pushpanjali 8, hosted by the Indian Commemoration Trust.

There he told the gathering that in spite of the harsh and dehumanizing conditions their fore-parents endured, their determination enabled their, and the future generation’s  survival.

“No doubt, they would have been brave, courageous and adventurous souls who would have signed up to leave their customs,  land of birth and venture in the cramped sailing ships of those days across the kala pani (black waters) to the other side of the world, to live among and to tie bundle with people unknown.”

At the event held at the Indian monument gardens, Camp and Church streets, the acting President said that the rich culture, dance, music, songs and religious observances which were brought by the East Indian immigrants from India 170 years ago have provided consolation and comfort to enable the group to come to terms with conditions, predicaments and to allow them to work to overcome situations.

The acting President noted that while it was the East Indian immigrants who arrived in Guyana on May 5, the government has consciously named that day ‘Arrival Day’ to symbolize the coming of the other ethnic groups to Guyana’s shore.

These include the Portuguese and Chinese.
Moving to the present day, Mr. Hinds noted that Guyana today continues to face the major task of building a young country, the standard of living and the prosperity of the people.

“It is the belief and hope of the government that as we work together to better the lives of all of us in Guyana, we will have the experiences of victories and achievements, common success, and common failures that will bind us together as one people.” 

Indian High Commissioner to Guyana Mr. Kumar Mandal, in tracing the arduous journey of the East Indians from India to British Guiana, said that they had confidence in themselves and found traces of hope in a hopeless situation. It was their perseverance and the hope of a better future that propelled them onward, he asserted.

The evening’s activity saw performances based on many aspects of East Indian culture mainly in the form of songs and dances.

East Indians first arrived in British Guiana on May 5, 1838 aboard the ships the HMS Whitby and the HMS Hesperus.

Almost 240,000 East Indian indentured labourers were brought to British Guiana during the period 1838 to 1917. Many of them after their contracts expired chose not to return to their homeland.

The Portuguese arrived in May 1835 while the Chinese came in May 1853. (GINA)

Govt, private sector partnering to push cattle, livestock development
GOVERNMENT’S interest in cattle and livestock development as part of the diversification drive is being adopted by the private sector with significant investments being made at Liberty Island along the Essequibo River, to improve the breeds of cows, sheep and goats available locally.

Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud, on Saturday last visited the island where he inspected the various types and breeds of animals being developed and the facilities and practices being employed at Liberty farm.

Discussions were held with the farmer/investor Hakeem Mohamed on the potential for extending the breeding activities to farmers across the country.

One of the farm’s main activities is development of the Brangus cows, which were imported from Florida, United States, during last year. Sixty animals were imported by Mohamed with support from Government through the Ministry of Agriculture, to kick start the breeding programme at Liberty Island.

The animals, imported at a cost of approximately US$5000 each, are a cross breed of the Brahman and Angus cattle that has become very popular. The Brahman has high disease resistance, overall hardiness and outstanding maternal instincts while Angus cows are known for their superior meat quality.

Minister Persaud noted the usefulness of the initiative to test the animals’ adaptability to local climatic conditions since based on the results, which have been positive to date, other farmers can be encouraged to get involved.

The investor plans to extend his cattle investments to the intermediate savannahs so more farmers can access improved breeds while at the Ministry of Agriculture, consideration is being given to the importation of more breeding animals to be used as ‘service bulls’ in various communities.

Additionally, the service of specialists from the Florida University will be utilised to introduce a specific type of grass in the savannahs to support the breeding and cattle rearing activities.

If successful, it is expected that rearing of small ruminants will be explored in the savannahs.

Minister Persaud commended the farmer for the investment, which represents the leadership by the private sector in response to Government’s call to diversify and for more emphasis to be placed on improved breeding stock.

“This is a good model of Government and the private sector partnership with the Ministry encouraging the investor and the investor responding. It is a model where we will share resources and experience and use it also as a demonstration facility for farmers. We hope we can see more of this taking place and we can see our cattle and goat and sheep industries growing in many regards,” he said.

He added that the livestock industry is one that Government wants to develop significantly for increased production and export of meat and meat products such as beef, pork, mutton and goat.

“I think given the global situation and the cry for more food, and with our enormous resource base, we hope investors here and overseas will see the tremendous opportunity and the leadership and direction and policy investment Government is making,” the Minister stated.

Mohammed acknowledged that the investment was made in response to Government’s call for increased food production and agricultural diversification in light of the opportunities that exist in the cattle and livestock industries and the need for improved breeds to ensure better meat yield.

Other activities ongoing at Liberty farm include development of the Dorper sheep which is also being cross-bred with the Black Belly sheep while Boer goats are being reared for breeding purposes.

Following an inspection of the pens housing the goats and sheep, Minister Persaud highlighted the need to promote the pattern in other areas.

Previous initiatives by the administration to develop the livestock industry include importation and development of various breeds and types of animals such as the Boer goats and the Dorper, Barbados Black Belly and Virginia White sheep.

Efforts are underway to introduce other breeds such as the Texel sheep from the United Kingdom though which artificial insemination and embryo transplants were recently conducted.

A national pig breeding programme has been launched and seeks to ensure the availability of improved breeds to farmers.

Among those present during the visit to Liberty farm on Saturday were Region Three Chairman Julius Faerber and several senior officers of various departments within the Agriculture Ministry.

These include the National Dairy Development Programme (NDDP), National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) and the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC).

‘Grow More’ campaign introduced to Berbice river communities
MINISTER of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai, on Wednesday last, distributed seeds to farmers of the five communities along the Berbice River, in Region Ten, to encourage them to expand cultivation as part of the Ministry of Agriculture’s ‘Grow More’ food campaign.

At a meeting with the Toshaos and other residents at Wiruni, Minister Sukhai explained to the residents why it is necessary for communities to grow more food. 

Minister Sukhai said in light of climate changes and increasing food prices globally, the Government has been initiating several interventions to help cushion the effects.

She encouraged the farmers and other villagers to utilise their resources such as the fertile land and produce food that will sustain them.

It was noted that with the increasing demand for food, Guyana can again become the ‘bread-basket’ of the Caribbean. 

Taking this into consideration, Minister Sukhai urged Toshaos to take-up the responsibility and help their respective communities to produce food, not only commercially, but on a large scale for export.

The Minister said that Amerindians have the expertise to grow a lot of food in their communities which is traditional to them because of the availability of land and water. 

Farmers of Wikki/Calcuni, Sand Hills, Wiruni, Hururu and Kimbia expressed their gratitude to both Ministries of Amerindian Affairs and Agriculture for the assistance. 

Farmers requested other help from the Minister of Amerindian Affairs, such as garden tools and insecticides.

Minister Sukhai promised to assist all Amerindian communities in this initiative to ‘grow more’.

The minister assured residents of the communities that the Ministry’s mandate and community work programme will continue as planned. (GINA)

Several Police stations in Georgetown to undergo renovation - Rohee
MINISTER of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, on Saturday last, visited four police stations in the city and reiterated government’s commitment towards improving the work environment of members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF).

He also indicated that several stations will be renovated this year.

The Minister inspected the East La Penitence, Kitty, Alberttown and Brickdam Police stations on Saturday morning and expressed dissatisfaction over the state of the stations’ infrastructure.

“Water facilities, lavatory facilities and general sanitation facilities need to be radically improved. The infrastructure of the stations needs rehabilitating …some of these stations would undergo some vast improvement,” Minister Rohee said.

During his visit to the Brickdam Police station, Rohee said the state of the lock-ups will be addressed but noted this will take a while.

“The conditions of the lock-ups and at most of the stations need to be vastly improved particularly at the Brickdam Police station.”

He noted that the stations which had lock-ups but were abandoned will be reinstituted.

Speaking on the issue of shortage of ranks, the Minister said the presence of Rural Constables (RCs) can help to complement the work of the force, particularly with the recent drive-by shooting of the East La Penitence station.

“At the annual Officers’ conference, this matter was discussed where the issue of community policing in ‘A’ division is seriously lacking as well as RCs coming from community policing can help significantly. I think the rural constabulary can be of tremendous assistance to give the necessary support to police stations where there is a deficiency in terms of the ranks.”

Shortly after midnight on April 29, gunmen discharged a volley of shots that hit the walls of the East La Penitence station, located at the junction of Mandela Avenue and Arapaima Street.

The actual strength of the Guyana Police Force is 2,552 while the establishment is 3,570 and the administration is fully aware of the shortages of ranks and has been pushing for the establishment of more Community Policing Groups (CPGs) with rural constables to assist the Police in crime fighting.

Since 1993, government has been investing a lot in the law enforcement agencies to improve their capacity. In this year’s budget, the security and defence sectors have been allocated $13.7B to improve their capabilities.

More Police intelligence work needed – Minister Rohee
MINISTER of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, has reiterated the need for members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to improve on their intelligence gathering, which, with the changing nature of crime, has proven to be crucial in the crime fight.

“The Police by the very nature have the capacity to gather intelligence; they have been trained in this area. However, clearly more work has to be done. There is always room for improvement. The recent capacity building exercises which the British Government has introduced in the Police Force will help but we cannot expect to see these things over night. There is some slow but sure progress being made,” Minister Rohee said whilst speaking to the Government Information Agency.

Recognising that intelligence gathering can allow the Force to be more proactive, Rohee declared, “This is not the time to be complacent…the criminal enterprise out there is still very active...The public would like to see more confrontations between the criminals and Police with the police coming out on top in every confrontation.”   

It was pointed out by the Home Affairs Minister that petty thieves and criminals who engage in ‘not so serious’ crimes could easily be handled by the Police but emphasised the challenges that lie in confronting the serious crimes.

He said that the dedication to providing the Force with the requisite tools to fight crime will not change but pointed to deficiencies which included shortage of ranks and the issue of intelligence gathering.

“We have to admit that we have a shortage of ranks …We are giving more resources to increase their (Police) mobility whether in the air, water or on land. So the question is, if the Police have the resources both human and mobility, then what is the problem? The problem has always been on the intelligence front.”

Though the Police have recorded a decrease in gun robberies for this year which have been plaguing the country for the last decade, there has been an increase in murders compared to the corresponding period last year.

The year 2007 was regarded as one of the most successful for the Police, when serious crimes declined from 16 per day to 9 per day, a 24 percent decrease.

According to GINA, the murder rate for the year 2007 was the lowest since 2002 with 113 for the year.

This year major emphasis will be placed on improving the capability of rapid response systems to serious crimes; upgrading communication systems and expanding access to police and other databases; improving intelligence gathering and analysis capabilities and intensifying training in special operations for selected Joint Services members among other critical areas as government undertakes reforming the police force.

Visiting religious leaders call on Acting President Samuel Hinds
ACTING President, Samuel Hinds, on Friday last received a courtesy call from Haile Mickel Hovell, Administrator of the Ethiopia Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) and Dr. Abraham Garnet Springer, Trinidadian Administrator and Arch-Priest of the EOTC of the Caribbean and Latin America.

According to a statement from the Government Information Agency, the religious leaders updated Mr. Hinds on their religious beliefs. Dr. Abraham Garnet Springer also presented the Acting President with one of his publications, as seen in this GINA photo.

Electrical fire at West Coast Berbice pump station affects water supply
- GWI working to replace damaged electric panel  
A MAJOR mishap caused by an electrical fire at the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) pump station at No. 7 Village, West Coast Berbice in Region Five, has affected a significant proportion of residents.

Chief Executive Officer of GWI, Mr. Karan Singh, said the fire which is reported to have started at 22:00 h on Saturday night, was caused by a Guyana Power and Light (GPL) problem which damaged the GWI’s electrical panel at the pump station, and which was not in operation at the time.

Singh said residents heard a loud explosion and saw sparks coming from the GPL pole which subsequently affected the electrical panel causing complete damage to the electrical system.

GWI is working towards obtaining a new panel to replace the one damaged so that potable water can be restored, Singh said.

Residents are also urged not to damage GWI’s water distribution networks and pipelines to get water.

A statement from the Government Information Agency said GWI will be working towards ensuring delivery of water to the communities that are more severely affected via trucks.

It was noted that pumping water from the Bath Settlement and D’Edward wells are under consideration which will provide some relief to the residents but will not give the same level of service.

AFC extends greetings on the occasion of Arrival Day
THE Alliance For Change (AFC) has extended greetings to all Guyanese as the nation celebrates Arrival day today.

“While the circumstances under which most of our ancestors arrived in the land we now call Guyana were sad and deplorable, it is indeed a sign of their strength and resilience that we are still here to remember their arrival,” the AFC said in a statement.

The party also acknowledged the hard work, the pain and the sacrifice of those who endured long voyages to Guyana’s shores, and said it is proud to be part of the rich cultural kaleidoscope that Guyana has become as a result of their arrival.

“Our hope on this day is that together we can build a nation that will become a prosperous and permanent home, and not one from which we are forced to travel yet again.”

“By celebrating the arrival of all ethnic groups to Guyana, we are in fact celebrating an act which brought us all together,” the AFC asserted.

“It is with this togetherness in mind that the AFC wishes all Guyanese a happy arrival day,” the party added.

Neville Bissember dies
NEVILLE James Bissember, retired attorney-at-law and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Government between 1964 and 1970, passed away on Saturday last at the St. Joseph’s Mercy Hospital after a short illness.

He died of complications from pneumonia.

Bissember, who was born in Corentyne, Berbice, grew up at Whim-Lancaster on the Corentyne. He read Law at the Middle Temple, London, and graduated in 1949 at the age of 21.

He entered parliament in 1961 as the Representative for the Bel Air-Campbellville constituency.

He attended two of the three constitutional conferences held in London, in 1962 and 1963, which sought to negotiate independence for Guyana from Britain.

He was the PNC’s representative on the conference’s legal committee which drafted the constitution for an independent Guyana.

Bissember also held portfolios including Health and Housing, Information, and Trade in the PNC government that came into office in December 1964, and was also Leader of Government Business in Parliament.

He visited several countries on official business as a Cabinet minister in the 1960s and also represented Guyana at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) and served on the CPA Executive representing the Central and South American region.

Bissember resigned from the government in 1970.

In 1970, Mr. Bissember accepted the position of Chairman of the Guyana Telecommunications Corporation (GTC) for 2 years then resumed full-time law practice in Croal Street, Georgetown.

He was awarded the National Award of the Cacique Crown of Honour (CCH) in 1987, for exemplary service beyond the call of duty in the field of politics.

From 1990 to 1992, he served as a member of the Elections Commission of Guyana overseeing the important free and fair elections of 1992.

Mr. Bissember suffered a mild stroke in the mid-1990's which led him to reduce his professional activities.

He later retired completely in October 2004 after further illness. He recovered subsequently, and led a peaceful life of retirement with his wife and family.

He leaves to mourn his wife of fifty-four years, Mary; children Elfrieda, Curator of the National Gallery and Neville Jnr., former Legal Adviser of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1983 to 1996 and current Deputy General Counsel, CARICOM; five grandchildren, siblings and other relatives.

Ramsammy, Gossai outline national
strategy for curbing suicide
By Nathalene DeFreitas
SUICIDE, a leading cause of death in Guyana, has been declared a major public health issue, on the basis of a study done by the Ministry of Health.

Based on the findings of the survey, it was recognised as having severe negative consequences on the social fabric of society.

Cognisant of the concern requiring a response, the Ministry of Health has established a National Committee for Suicide Prevention (NCSP), the Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy disclosed last week.

In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, he acknowledged that suicide traumatises everyone and, as Guyana develops a programme for it, there is need to think of prevention and create a format to deal with those families who have suffered the experience.

“The problem in Guyana is a serious one. Many people in Guyana believe that suicide is a peculiarly Guyanese problem. But it is not, it is a humanity problem. The issues are many and we have to address them.

“At the end of the day, if you ask people what are the reasons for suicide, they will tell you, domestic or financial problems.

“But this is not the direct problem. It is the symptom of the problem,” Ramsammy posited.

He explained that, when domestic and financial problems are carefully examined, it would be discovered that a lot of people suffer from depression, which is the major cause of suicide in this country.

Alcohol
Ramsammy pointed out that, if suicide is to be eliminated, issues of mental health must be addressed across the country, as well as the abusive consumption of alcohol.

According to the minister, people who have mental health problems and consume a lot of alcohol become vulnerable and the habit of sustained use dependency must also be taken into account.

Ramsammy said the Health Ministry, together with civil society organisations, has been working on providing treatment and support for potential victims and, soon, the ministry will be developing a scheme, to be launched in June, for treating persons suffering substance use dependency.

It will be established first at Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) and New Amsterdam Hospital in Berbice, then countrywide, Ramsammy said.

He said, during the years when the problem of mental health was emerging, individuals were not diagnosed nor received treatment and many people died as a result of suicide, because of lack of diagnosis.

Ramsammy said programmes are being expanded this year and will focus on detecting mental health at an early stage.

Plans are underway to benefit persons in every community, not just at the named hospitals and more people would get early diagnosis, he revealed.

Ramsammy said an awareness drive is also expected to start, so that families can be able to recognise the symptoms of suicide early.

“We need to have a national awareness programme where everyone is involved and is aware. So that we can therefore make early identification of the symptoms instead of waiting until the problem becomes severe,” he reiterated.

Minister Ramsammy said, recognising that many health care workers are not trained enough to handle mental cases, the ministry will initiate training for all of them.

He said, with the new approaches to mental health, he is confident of a reduction in suicides.

Agreeing with Ramsammy, Co-Chairman of NCSP, Shri Prakash Gossai advocated that all religious leaders should spread the message about the value of life.

The Special Assistant to President Bharrat Jagdeo believes that, through that strategy, the issue of suicide will be curbed, towards the final goal of eradication.

Gossai said the committee will be conducting seminars and workshops in every region but the simple analysis to prevent suicide is to talk to people and isolate, from society, the things that are used to commit the act.

“Long ago, people used to use the ‘Panchayat’ system to help solve family issues that led to suicide,” he recalled, stating that the procedure was for people in the community to come together as one to solve problems.

“But now, in these modern times, we keep everything to ourselves and the Panchayat system was demolished,” he lamented.

Objectives
The NCSP was established in March 2007 and is currently in the ground stage of developing, with the objectives being to:

* reduce premature deaths due to suicide;

* lower the rate of suicidal behaviour;

* decrease the harmful aftermath and stigma associated with suicidal behaviour and the traumatic effect of suicide on family and friends and

* promote awareness that suicide is preventable and train more persons in recognising mental health problems.

In order to achieve those goals, the committee has to:

* develop a strategy for the control and prevention of suicide;

* conduct seminars on mental health with a focus on suicidal behaviour and ability to recognise same (with emphasis on causes, consequences and prevention);

* conduct workshops on stress management, substance abuse and other suicide-related issues;

* organise more public education and awareness programmes, using the media (TV, radio and newspapers) to increase knowledge about symptoms of depression and the warning signs of suicidal thinking and behaviour;

* provide training for social and community workers to understand and use intervention skills that can help avert the tragedy of suicide;

* establish hot lines and other points of contact for easy reach of the public;

* establish mechanisms for providing counselling services for those who have attempted suicide and families of those who have committed the act;

* recommend appropriate policy measures and social action, with a view to bringing the suicide rate down and even eliminate it and

* ensure that target groups for training and awareness activities include parents, teachers, priests and other religious leaders, police officers and journalists, community and youth leaders.

The NCSP includes representatives of the Ministries of Education, Labour, Human Services and Social Security, Home Affairs, Culture, Youth and Sport and Amerindian Affairs.

Represented on that body, too, are the public and private sectors, non-governmental organisations, the religious community, Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Region Five (Mahaica/ Berbice) and Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) AIDS Committees, University of Guyana Berbice Campus and the legal fraternity.

Psychiatrists, Dr. Bhiro Harry and Dr. Frank Beckles are also members of the NCSP.

Three Essequibo Coast schools win garden competition tools
THE President’s Youth Award - Republic of Guyana (PYARG) Programme, in collaboration with Food for the Poor Inc., has donated garden tools to three secondary schools on the Essequibo Coast.