Arya Samaj plans Inter-faith service, candlelight vigil for sexually-abused victims

Feb 12, 2012 News

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By Leon Suseran
For the first time in Berbice, there will be a collaborative effort to show disgust with the problem

of sexual abuse and rapes in the Region and country. There is also a move to show solidarity with the victims and their families of such horrible crimes.
The New Jersey Arya Samaj Humanitarian Mission (NJASHM) in conjunction with several Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs), The Region Six Administration, Rotary Club, Lion’s Club, Law Enforcement Agencies and religious bodies in the region will, on Wednesday, host a grand candlelight Inter-faith Prayer Service at the Spready’s Bakery Tarmac in Port Mourant from 6:00 pm.
According to President of NJASHM, Pandit Suresh Sugrim, the event “is addressing the issues of physical and sexual abuse and domestic violence”.
He stated, “We as NGO…have decided to address the epidemic that has been destroying Guyana and Region Six”.
He chronicled the instances of rape and abuse that have been carried in the media over the past couple of weeks and that the problem needs urgent redress.  “We had a five-year-old, a seven- year- old, a nine-year-old and the worst out of all, a 23-year-old mentally challenged woman was brutally raped,” he stated.
Sugrim is calling on the respective authorities. “Enough is enough and we need to bring an end to this injustice to these defenseless acts and to the cruelty on women of Region Six.”
He is calling on all NGOs to come out on Wednesday and let their voices be heard. He said that government needs “to toughen the penalties”.
“We need to start to care for the children instead of destroying them,” he posited. “We need to hold several agencies accountable of not taking the necessary stops.”
“Most of these rapes are happening to innocent, defenseless children and it is sad to see the pain and scars these children have to bear in the hands of a cold- blooded rapist.”
He expressed his disgust with many offenders who “are still walking the streets freely as it is right now.” No woman deserves to be treated as a sex machine, a baby machine or a slave for her husband.” “Women need to get themselves educated and not subject to the domain of a man and his foolishness of being his maid, baby- machine and sex machines,” he posited.
If a wife says ‘no’ to her husband, that she does not want to have sex, the man should not— avoiding a situation called statutory rape in the United States.
Pandit Sugrim said that the event on Wednesday will see a massive gathering of several stakeholders to send a message “that enough is enough, since we have laid back for too long and let these crimes creep up in our society”.
Sugrim noted that most of the victims of rape and sexual abuse are East Indians but that other ethnicities may have been affected but not captured in the media.
“A lot of these incidents happen in poor communities and these are the areas where persons prey on innocent children.”
Sugrim noted that the wider Guyanese community is watching, keenly, the events that have been unfolding during the past weeks here. One of these events sees the head of a law enforcement organization being indicted. “What role model is he setting for others to follow?”
Sugrim thanked Region Six chairman Mr David Armogan for “doing such a good job.” He said that he has faith in him that he will turn this region into one that will stand out.”
The movie ‘Enough’ starring Jennifer Lopez will be shown on the evening and many keynote speakers will be addressing the audience about the issues. There will be a candlelight vigil for the victims and families “suffering at this moment based on the scars”.
President of the Upper Corentyne Chambers of Commerce (UCCCI), Vishnu Doerga plans to involve his agency in the night’s activities and give his support to the project. “It’s a very serious issue and one that has driven our chamber to take specific actions to create awareness,” he noted.
Doerga is delighted that Sugrim and his team have decided to host this event. He stated that it will be a good opportunity to have everyone “on the same wavelength.”
He said much needs to be done to reinforce the Sexual Offences Act. When an offender gets caught and is on $20,000 bail, “it doesn’t mould well for justice for the victims”. “That is not right and that is why enforcement is one of the biggest issues.”
President of the Central Corentyne Chambers of Commerce (CCCC), Imran Hamid, too supports the event and blames the lack of recreational facilities in the Region and people having too much idle time on their hands to commit these heinous acts.
He believes the location is appropriate since it will be held on the Central Corentyne area.

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