Guyana Chronicle
May 11, 2001

THE 10-year-old boy, his father and the young man shot execution-style in the East Coast Demerara backdam (backland) Sunday, were buried side by side yesterday as thousands from around the country turned out to mourn their loss.

President Bharrat Jagdeo attended the wakes for the three at their homes Wednesday night and Prime Minister Sam Hinds and several other government ministers and leaders of some other political parties were at the funeral yesterday.

Guyanese turned out in huge crowds to pay their last tributes and respects to Bemchand Barran, 43, a fisherman and labourer of Enterprise Squatting Area; his 10-year-old son Morvin (a pupil of Enterprise Primary School; and Dhanpaul Jagdeo, 26, a labourer of Non Pariel Housing Scheme.

Police said there were no incidents at the funeral.

The three were gunned down on a dam in the sugar cane fields aback of their villages. The body of Jagdeo was found at Annandale about a mile from the spot at Vigilance where the father and son were killed.

Barran and his son had gone fishing and Jagdeo, a labourer, was checking on a cane field for his employer when they were cold-bloodedly killed.

A top Police team was yesterday continuing investigations into the killing.

After moving funeral services, the father and son were laid to rest at about 16:45 hrs in one tomb and Jagdeo in another at their side at the Enterprise cemetery.

The three bodies left the Lee's Funeral Parlour at Camp and Lamaha streets, Georgetown at around 10:00 hrs yesterday and were taken to the homes of the respective families in Non Pariel and Enterprise.

Jagdeo's body was at his home in Non Pariel for about 45 minutes before it was taken to the Enterprise Baptist Church where a memorial service was conducted.

A short distance away from the Baptist Church, the funeral ceremony according to Hindu rites was performed for the father and son at their home in the Enterprise Squatting Area.

Crowds packed the streets linking the Baptist Church and the home of the Barrans as the services were under way.

The thousands went from one ceremony to the other to pay their respects to what some of them called "the fallen martyrs and heroes".

The Baptist Church was packed, with mourners spilling on to the streets.

At the service for the father and son, persons had to form long queues from the street in front of their houses to get a glimpse of the bodies lying side by side.

Standing over the coffin of Barran was his eldest son, Vicky, 20, while 16-year old Ravi stood at the head of the coffin of his brother Morvin.

Their mother Pramla sat near the coffins with other women soaking her head with `Limacol' to help keep her cool and revived.

The same scene was repeated at Jagdeo's memorial service as his tearful wife, Bibi Zamina, her baby Naiomi, and her mother and father, Bibi Zabeeda and Rahamat Ali sat beside the coffin of their beloved.

At both ceremonies, family members, relatives, friends and strangers were close beside the coffins of their loved ones, many of them, especially the women, weeping.

After both services were completed, the three bodies were taken to the Enterprise Cemetery just after 16:00 hrs where the last rites were performed.

Among others at the funeral were Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mr Reepu Daman Persaud; Agriculture Minister, Mr Navin Chandarpal; Minister of Fisheries, Crops and Livestock, Mr Satyadeow Sawh; Home Affairs Minister, Mr Ronald Gajraj, General Secretary of the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/Civic), Mr Donald Ramotar; Presidential Advisor, Mr Kellawan Lall; former Amerindian Affairs Minister, Mr Vibert DeSouza; Minister of Labour, Dr Dale Bisnauth; leader of The United Force, Mr Manzoor Nadir; leader of the Rise, Organise and Rebuild (ROAR) movement, Mr Ravi Dev; and President of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), Mr Komal Chand.

Prime Minister Hinds said the government will ensure that everything is done so that justice can be served and those who perpetuated this barbaric act will be brought to justice.

Incidents like this could lead to the country being destroyed, he said.

Speaking to mourners, while he and Minister Chandarpal were viewing the bodies of Bemchand and Morvin, Mr Hinds said, "we will do all we can to ensure we can determine those who carry out this crime."

Minister Persaud told mourners, "we must pray that those responsible for the death of the three persons be brought to justice".

A group of mourners crowded around the Prime Minister at the cemetery and vented their frustration verbally at the current situation of violence and unrest in the country.

Some also said that East Indians in this country are being pushed too far for too long and the time is fast approaching when they will stand up and fight for their rights.

They called on the Prime Minister for more protection and to ensure that there are constant Police and Army patrols in the affected areas on the East Coast.

Mr Hinds listened attentively to all and assured that all their concerns will be taken into account and looked into. Comments at the funeral Prime Minister Sam Hinds: "A most distressing event has occurred. We all cry out for justice. These people were going about trying to make their living and in the course of their efforts they have been shot.

"The government would ensure that all is done to determine the circumstances, and those who perpetuated this crime. In the meantime, I think that whilst we would all have our suspicions, I hope that we can hold our suspicions until the investigations are concluded.

"I know that it is difficult and I feel very hurt because incidents like this will put our whole country at risk and could lead to our country being destroyed. So we are very disturbed and distressed at this incident and we would do all we can to ensure that we can determine those who carried out this crime.

"This is a sad day, not only for you in Enterprise, but for all Guyana."Minister Navin Chandarpal: "The President has promised that in addition to getting justice done, he will also ensure that the families will be assisted so that they can continue with their lives. It is not easy because a loss like this cannot be replaced but we hope that you can take comfort and faith in the fact that people all over the country are sharing your grief and are also hoping like you for justice to be done.

"So we ask that they have a good resting place. You who have mourned this loss along with us will be able gradually to overcome this hurt and try to continue though it will be difficult. My condolences, once again, to you all." Mr Komal Chand:
"This situation is really, really sad. These guys were murdered in execution style and it shows that the actors have no mercy and they were callous and they were just covered under the political orchestration of the PNC/Reform who have started the campaign against the PPP/Civic. One can see the connection of the death of these people to the main opposition party.

"It is time that that party should now condemn outrightly these types of barbaric acts." Mrs. Philomena Sahoye-Shury: "In my heart I feel sad...The people who did this don't have a conscience, they don't have feelings. And in a country where I am mixed, Guyana belongs to all of us.

"It is time we sit down and contemplate the damage we are doing to Guyana, its people and all the children.

"I am very sad and very disturbed that you can go and wipe a young man's life in such a manner." Mr Ravi Dev: "I am struck by the dignity of our people in sending their dead to rest. Obviously, this is a most terrible act of murder, a barbaric act, a savage act.

"Yet you can see how the people came, because this is our custom and our culture; they've put them to rest. But it doesn't mean that people are call...My hope is that the people who called themselves the good people of Guyana will stand up and condemn this type of behaviour."