fbpx
  • Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • Opinions
  • Features
  • Letters
  • Videos
  • Editorials
  • Columns
Ravi-Dev

The fire this time

September 13, 2020
Guyana-map

GUYANA NEEDS A CONSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT WITH THE UNITED STATES

May 10, 2025
Dr. Jerry Jailall

The Adrianna “scrapehead” riots must be a wake-up call to Indo-Guyanese as we race towards the 2025 elections

May 10, 2025
Dr. Vishnu Bisram

Racial Unity in Grief over death of Afro Child in Guyana; divided by racial attacks on Indians; call for an inquiry

May 10, 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
Indian Arrival Day celebrations were held at Better Hope Mandir compound Friday May 5 afternoon.

The Struggle for Indian Arrival as a Holiday in Guyana

May 10, 2025
Vassan Ramracha

CIVILITY IN TRINIDAD ELECTIONS

May 10, 2025
Dr. Vishnu Bisram

Racial Attacks Divided Guyanese nation united in grief

May 10, 2025
Kamla Persad Bissessar

IDC CONGRATULATES HON. KAMLA PERSAD BISSESSAR ON TRINIDAD & TOBAGO ELECTIONS VICTORY

May 4, 2025
Dool Hanomansingh

Pakistan has always been a puppet nation

May 3, 2025
Dool Hanomansingh

Never too late for Dinesh to redeem himself!

May 3, 2025
Dr. Vishnu Bisram

Guyana must seek USA Protection against Venezuela Threat

May 2, 2025
Albert Baldeo

ADRIANNA YOUNGE’S DEATH MANDATES COMPETENT INVESTIGATION & PROSECUTION

May 2, 2025
Dr. Vishnu Bisram

Condemn Violent Protests in Guyana & Ethnic Attacks: President Ali Praised for agreeing to family’s demands

May 2, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and Condition
Saturday, May 10, 2025
  • Login
Indo Caribbean Diaspora News
  • Home
  • Columns
    Dr. Jerry Jailall

    The Adrianna “scrapehead” riots must be a wake-up call to Indo-Guyanese as we race towards the 2025 elections

    Dr. Vishnu Bisram

    Racial Unity in Grief over death of Afro Child in Guyana; divided by racial attacks on Indians; call for an inquiry

    Indian Arrival Day celebrations were held at Better Hope Mandir compound Friday May 5 afternoon.

    The Struggle for Indian Arrival as a Holiday in Guyana

    Vassan Ramracha

    CIVILITY IN TRINIDAD ELECTIONS

    Dr. Vishnu Bisram

    Racial Attacks Divided Guyanese nation united in grief

    Kamla Persad Bissessar

    IDC CONGRATULATES HON. KAMLA PERSAD BISSESSAR ON TRINIDAD & TOBAGO ELECTIONS VICTORY

    Dr. Vishnu Bisram

    Guyana must seek USA Protection against Venezuela Threat

    Albert Baldeo

    ADRIANNA YOUNGE’S DEATH MANDATES COMPETENT INVESTIGATION & PROSECUTION

    Dr. Vishnu Bisram

    Condemn Violent Protests in Guyana & Ethnic Attacks: President Ali Praised for agreeing to family’s demands

    Dr. Vishnu Bisram

    In Support of Guyana President in Condemning India Terror Attack

  • Letters
    Guyana Rohee’s mocking of Illegal Guyanese & Green Card Holders in America

    Guyana Rohee’s mocking of Illegal Guyanese & Green Card Holders in America

    Charles Sugrim

    Authenticating Dr Bisram’s Poll in Guyana

    Gary Griffith

    United We Stand, Divided We Fall

    Ravi Balgobin Maharaj

    Democrats More Dangerous to Dragon Gas than Republicans

    Ravi Balgobin Maharaj

    Who Really Lost in the Junior Sammy Matter in Trinidad?

    Jai Lall

    A challenge to become the rainbow in Leonora’s cloud

    Rabindra-Moonan

    The opposition UNC led by Kamla Persad Bissessar has gone into meltdown mode.

    Jai Lall

    Residents of Leonora, Guyana are ashamed and embarrassed

    Kamla Persad Bissessar

    Trinidad & Tobago REPUBLIC DAY MESSAGE 2024 OF LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION

    Ravi Balgobin Maharaj

    Crime has reached a high level in Trinidad and Tobago

  • Community News
    Indian-Caribbeans Observe Hanuman Birth Anniversary

    Indian-Caribbeans Observe Hanuman Birth Anniversary

    Ram Navami 2023 Observed

    Indo Caribbean Americans Observed 2025 Ram Naumi or Navami

    Dool Hanomansingh

    Gowtam Maharaj: “Phagwa is much more than gulal and abeer; it is building family love and strong communities.”

    Queens Boro President hosts 2025 Holi (Phagwah) Celebration

    Queens Boro President hosts 2025 Holi (Phagwah) Celebration

    Indian-Caribbean Americans in 2025 Phagwah (Holi) Spirit

    Indian-Caribbean Americans in 2025 Phagwah (Holi) Spirit

    Indo-Caribbeans Spellbound by the Maha Kumbh in India

    Indo-Caribbeans Spellbound by the Maha Kumbh in India

    Indo-Caribbean New Yorkers Observe Shivratri

    Indo-Caribbean New Yorkers Observe Shivratri

    Caribbean Airlines

    Caribbean Airlines Supports ECO Canada’s Day 2 Global Tourism Resilience Day Conference February 17-19, 2025 | Hanover, Jamaica

    Dool Hanomansingh

    Amarjyoth Sabha launches music class for youths

    Swami Sarvalokananda of Delhi

    Swami Sarvalokananda of Delhi, India visited Trinidad and Guyana

  • Editorials
    cliff-rajkumar

    VANISHING FOOTPRINTS

    Kamla Persad Bissessar

    Trinidad and Tobago OPPOSITION LEADER addresses TOWN HALL MEETING ON EDUCATION IN SAN FERNANDO WEST

    Jai Lall

    Guyana Leonora’s villagers are inseparable

    Dr. Vishnu Bisram

    Indo-Caribbean to speak on India’s Soft Power in Delhi

    Jai Lall

    Empty vessels make the most noise – politics in Guyana

    Ashook-Ramsaran

    In Commemoration of the 23rd Anniversary

    Kamla Persad Bissessar

    Hope for UNC of Trinidad?

    Ravi Balgobin Maharaj

    Is there No Other Musical Instrument Indigenous to T&T?

    Guyana-map

    October 2024 Hindu Conference bring back memories of Humiliation of Indians in Guyana

    Jai Lall

    Is Kamala Harris the “Trump” card for the Democrats?

  • Opinions
    Dool Hanomansingh

    Pakistan has always been a puppet nation

    Dool Hanomansingh

    Never too late for Dinesh to redeem himself!

    Dool Hanomansingh

    Bhadase and Sat were successful in so many ways

    Dool Hanomansingh

    The UNC is a Bullet Train Today

    Dool Hanomansingh

    Why is the EU Grant for Ex-Cane Farmers Not Paid?

    Dool Hanomansingh

    PNM hates Poor Black People

    Dool Hanomansingh

    Why whites are fleeing South Africa?

    Dool Hanomansingh

    Crime and the Hindu Community

    Dr. Vishnu Bisram

    Guyana January 2025 poll puts PPP in lead against a struggling opposition with opportunity for new parties

    Dool Hanomansingh

    Citizens must dictate how their tax dollars are spent

  • Videos
    Dool-Hanomansingh-003

    US Congress woman Tulsi Gabbard condemns the ongoing genocide of Hindus and other minorities

    Geeta-Vaahini

    Geeta Vaahini, President of the  Hindu Prachaar Kendra speaks on the social significance of Ganga Dhara Festival.

    Geeta-Vaahini

    Geeta Vaahini, President of the Hindu Prachaar Kendra speaks on the Hindu view of the environment.

    swami-brahmadeo

    Swami Brahmadeo – Hindus are top CEOs and Medics in North America and Europe

    Gowtam-Maharaj

    Gowtam Maharaj, a farmer of Barrackpore, South Trinidad, shares his challenges being a farmer.

    BAMBOO #1 Flooding – Frustrated Residents

    BAMBOO #1 Flooding – Frustrated Residents

    NATIONAL-LOTUS-THEATRE

    NATIONAL LOTUS THEATRE – Performance of Niyantran

    radica-jairam

    Story of RADICA JAIRAM from Orange Valley

    fisherman-trinidad

    Families of Orange Valley felt neglected by PNM Government

    Dr Subramanian Swamy

    Dr Subramanian Swamy – Dharma Rising London April 2015

  • Features
    ravi-ratiram

    Trinidad MP Ravi Ratiram Condemns Government’s Failures Amidst Rising Crime in Central Trinidad and Calls for Immediate Action to Protect Citizens

    Pandit Ramdular Singh

    Pandit Ramdular Singh on Guyana’s Dharmic Sabha

    Vassan Ramracha

    PNM bent on Africanizing Trinidad

    Baldeo_Chanderpaul-3

    West Indian cricketers must strive to emulate Shiv Chanderpaul of Guyana

    Jai Lall

    Who in Guyana will ever buy the PNC/AFC/APNU “honesty, integrity and decency” pitch again?

    cliff-rajkumar

    Non Indians Embracing Sanathan Dharma

    Mr. Rudranath Indarsingh

    INDARSINGH ON RELOCATION OF PRINCES TOWN FIRE OFFICERS

    Vassan Ramracha

    TRIBAL AFRICANS DO NOT CONDONE INTERRACIAL MARRIAGES

    Jai Lall

    Guyana President Ali and Cabinet Ministers Engaged West Coast Supporters

    Dr Jerry Jailall

    PPP Government responds quickly to changing “Negro” on Government forms, will they also add “Indian” to Arrival Day?

No Result
View All Result
Indo Caribbean Diaspora News
No Result
View All Result

The fire this time

by Ravi Dev
September 13, 2020
in Columns
0
Ravi-Dev

Photo : Ravi Dev

9
SHARES
103
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

ROAR of Ravi Dev

When late last Sunday afternoon I received the news of the horrible murder and mutilation of teenagers Joel and Isaiah Henry in the back-dam of Cotton Tree, as the father of four children, I could only think about the anguish of the parents of the unfortunate boys. No parent wants have their children die before them – and certainly not in this gruesome manner. The angry fellow villagers who blocked the roads and burnt tires the same evening, even as police arrested three persons and called for a restoration of order, echoed the shock I had felt.

 However, the presence of a young attorney, who had aggressively defended several figures fingered in the recent elections rigging attempt, among the protestors calling for “guaranteed justice”, led to a sinking feeling in my stomach. A nexus with the political tension would be made. Having lived through bouts of ethnic violence starting from Black Friday 1962 when angry mobs were stirred up to by rumors of a killing, I feared what lay ahead if these actual killings were exploited for political mileage. 

And those fears were realized the next morning when PNC leader David Granger and Leader of the Opposition Joseph Harmon showed up at the home of Isaiah Henry. Pouring fuel into the embers of anger, Granger complimented the organizers of the protests and declared, “we have to establish some self defence society … because unless we protect ourselves nobody is going to protect us.” Yet in March 2017, he had denounced the PPP’s prediction that fired sugar workers would stage protests as, “reckless remarks about an uprising and provocative calls for the mobilization of foot soldiers (which) have the potential to rip apart the fragile fabric of social cohesion that we enjoy.” 

Harmon even more irresponsibly pushed Granger’s politicizing envelope by undermining the GPF’s investigative capacity and impartiality when he claimed it had been “infiltrated by thugs” since the PPP acceded to office. It was not surprising, therefore that the “protests” immediately escalated and spiraled into lawless “unrest” in African-Guyanese dominated villages all along the West Berbice Public Road. 

This was even as Heads of Joint Services met the very day and warned that, “robbing citizens and damaging public property will not result in a solution to the problem but rather cause unnecessary and unwanted tension and anger. This will most certainly distract attention from a proper and professional investigation intended to bring those responsible for these heinous crimes to justice.” 

Yet in what would be become the pattern for three days, vehicles that were forced to stop at the fiery roadblocks were ruthlessly battered with their Indian-Guyanese passengers robbed and viciously beaten. Many were forced to proceed onwards on foot; one individual was beaten with a hammer all while racial invectives were hurled at them.  In one particularly egregious instance, on Tuesday after soldiers were deployed, they and the police stood by as rioters halted two paddy trucks, dumped the paddy and then burnt the trucks. The rioters had evidently agreed that the Henry boys were killed by politically motivated Indian Guyanese and they were now retaliating. 

On Wednesday 9th, the body of 17-year old Haresh Singh, grandson of the Cotton Tree farmer on whose land the bodies of Joel and Isaiah had been found, was found behind the village. Indian Guyanese concluded this had to be an escalation of the retribution by African Guyanese.  The same day, Prettipaul Hargobin, 34, of Bath was beaten to death after he was evidently harassed by protestors and returned with a shotgun and fired in their direction. Social Media was flooded by images illustrating the agony of hundreds of Indian Guyanese caught in the terror of gratuitous violence inflicted on them. However, amidst this reign of terror, were numerous instances of empathy by African Guyanese individuals who placed their safety on the line to rescue their besieged fellow Guyanese.

But the hero of the entire conflagration was Gladston Henry, father of Isaiah, who declared “I am not supporting un-moral protesting because I went out in Number Five (Village) and tell them straight ‘if you want to protest, is our right, let we do it peacefully’, you understand. And doing it peacefully, the nation cannot be fighting against one another because this is going on too long, let we don’t see this thing as Black or White or Chiney or Portuguese.”

Facebook Comments Box
Tags: GuyanaRavi DevROAR of Ravi DevThe fire this time
Share4Tweet2Share1
ADVERTISEMENT
Ravi Dev

Ravi Dev

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Dool Hanomansingh

Never too late for Dinesh to redeem himself!

May 3, 2025
Dool Hanomansingh

Pakistan has always been a puppet nation

May 3, 2025
High Commission of India in Guyana extends Indian Arrival Greetings

High Commission of India in Guyana extends Indian Arrival Greetings

May 5, 2023
Nabbie Baksh

Tribute to Guyanese Umpire Nabbie Baksh who Passes on in Queens

April 21, 2025
Guyana-map

GUYANA NEEDS A CONSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT WITH THE UNITED STATES

May 10, 2025
Dr. Jerry Jailall

The Adrianna “scrapehead” riots must be a wake-up call to Indo-Guyanese as we race towards the 2025 elections

May 10, 2025
Dr. Vishnu Bisram

Racial Unity in Grief over death of Afro Child in Guyana; divided by racial attacks on Indians; call for an inquiry

May 10, 2025
Indian Arrival Day celebrations were held at Better Hope Mandir compound Friday May 5 afternoon.

The Struggle for Indian Arrival as a Holiday in Guyana

May 10, 2025

The most important world news and events of the day.

Get ICDN daily newsletter on your inbox.

ADVERTISEMENT
Indo Caribbean Diaspora News

© 2024 Indo-Caribbean Diaspora News. All rights Reserved

Navigate Site

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and Condition

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Columns
  • Letters
  • Community News
  • Opinions
  • Videos
  • Features
  • Editorials

© 2024 Indo-Caribbean Diaspora News. All rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In