Commemorating events like these is important to future generations

Jul 13, 2017 Letters

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Dear Editor,
Fifty-three years ago more than forty Lindeners were killed on the Demerara River as they travelled home on the Son Chapman launch at 16:00 hrs on Monday, July 06th, 1964 in the vicinity of Hurudia.
It has been said that ‘To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.’ How very true! The men, women and children who died on the Son Chapman 53 years ago live on in the hearts and minds of their families and friends and the people of Linden. Many of us alive today never knew the men, women and children of the Son Chapman massacre. Yet, we remember them and reflect on their experience because – by their deaths – we have an example of what hatred and brutality can lead to…. senseless loss of life and endless longsuffering.
Regional Chairman, Region 10, Rennis Morian in his feature address last Thursday told the small gathering at Hurudia that in going back to the fateful day of the tragedy , people were talking, mothers were looking over their children with great expectations, having positive thoughts although in the 60’s there was a period of high tension in Guyana, but people were expecting the arrival of the boat and amidst all the tranquility after leaving Hurudia that tranquility was broken by a loud explosion.
“I want us to capture that moment in our hearts, the moment of explosion, the moment of uncertainity, the moment of fear, the moment of panic, the moment that some persons stared death in the face, the moment when those of us who are alive and can still fear that this is my last. A moment when our brothers and sisters were floating in the river because a group of persons, a perpetrator or perpetrators cannot overcome the hatred because that’s the only thing that can destroy your life – hatred and anger,” Morian said
Morian stressed that the history cannot be forgotten and the incident must not die. He said it must be taken into the churches, into schools, street corners and all over so that people will not forget. “It is incumbent on us today to lock hearts and minds that this must never happen again because we are smarter. How can somebody sit with others and plan to take out the lives of others without feeling any sense of remorse, without any sense of saying that is not right. We need to build bridges; too many broken bridges in Linden. This dastardly act needs to bring us together and help us to recognize the wickedness of others.”
The Regional Chairman assured the gathering that there will be some different things next year. “We want to see children involved, we want to see Corporate Linden involved, we want to see Corporate Businesses involved.”
Chairman of the Commemorative Committee and RDC Councillor, Charles Sampson in his reflections pointed out that during that time there were racial tension in some communities around Guyana but not Linden. He noted that things had returned to normalcy in Linden after the disturbance when they got the news of the Son Chapman launch tragedy at Hurudia. “It threw the community of Linden in turmoil. The anger was so much. The Son Chapman explosion destroyed Norman Chapman’s economy; he had to be a strong person to withstand that kind of economic impact because he had children, young children and it wasn’t easy. The river was red with blood and body parts floating.”
Sampson noted that Norman Chapman’s wish was to see the site properly developed. “I will be very, very, very disappointed if I have to come here next year to see this place like this. Again I say like I did last year I would like to see a permanent structure built here with toilet facilities and Son Chapman memoribilia and literature and it could even be a tourist sttraction. Where are the representatives from the top? Where are they? I am sure that if the ‘Big Ones’ were here you would have seen them. We the people of Linden have to take stock and correct what is happening here.”
Sampson also reiterated his call in 2016 for a monument to be built also at Christianburg at the site where the body parts were buried in a mass grave because this occasion is important in the history of Linden and Guyana. He pointed out that this is the worst act of terrorism in the world.
In a statement from former Regional Chairman Region Ten Sharma Solomon read by former MP Vanessa Kissoon he said that incidents such as the Son Chapman massacre and July 18th, 2012 incident must never be allowed to happen again. “We must take the lessons taught by tragedies such as these to guard our actions. For our society to allow such tragedies to reoccur, will be indicative of our corruptive and unwillingness to move forward. The tragedy must be remembered as the resilience of the people of Linden.”
On behalf of the Virtuous Women on a Mission Women’s Group Ms. Kissoon urged the small gathering to never forget July 6th, 1964 and July 18th, 2012. She also noted that more representation was need and noted that the people from Georgetown were not there to commemorate the Son Chapman tragedy and to show respect for the lives of those who suffered. She noted that every school in Linden should have been represented by students in uniforms and to learn about their history.
Also present were daughters and a cousin of three of the martyrs who were too young to remember their respective fathers and cousin. They claimed that they only know what was told to them. Notably absent were the Members of Parliament Jermaine Figueiria and Audwin Rutherford, Mayor Carwyn Holland and Deputy Mayor Waneka Arrindell and other leaders in the Region
Jacquey Bourne

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