Leguan, Hans Buer, culture and crematorium

Dear Editor,
Leguan, the island of our birth, has often been in the news but the picture is not the inspiration for these thoughts but a photo on Facebook of the Leguan Neighborhood Democratic Council cleaning up an area for a cremation site. The posting has attracted many comments from those as far away as Iceland where the Guyana flag was flown out of school recently with the grandchildren of former Leguan residents. Some have already indicated that they intend to return to be cremated there when they die but this should not be an excuse to delay the long overdue project.
There is much history to be proud of in those associated with this seagull-shaped land at the mouth of the giant Essequibo. Around the time slavery was abolished, there were 23 sugar estates and 3 coffee plantations there suffering from labor shortages.
Those interested in some Google Indentureship-Guyana Sugar Burning history can listen to an interview with Moses Rampershad born in Blenheim on February 26, 1897. His parents were interned in the Henrietta estate. In 1906 they left for India only to leave again for Trinidad and eventually for Blenheim, the village that now boasts what may be the tallest Hanuman structure in the hemisphere.
The Anglican Church in Enterprise has stood prestigious as a landmark since the early 18th century. Others have heard stories of Muslims from the island paddling across the river to attend religious ceremonies in East Philadelphia, on the east bank of Essequibo, the site of the first masjid not only in Guyana but in South America, founded in 1860 .
Our ancestors of all religions continued to practice many aspects of their culture which enabled them to endure many hardships.
However, cremation was not one of them because it was illegal until 1956. Credit must be given to the late Jung Bahadur Singh who was the first to be cremated on Ogle Beach at a time when the bill that initiated it was not such an exception special again had to be sought from the Governor. This ancient practice is now widely accepted as it also has many benefits. Land is limited for burials that are more expensive, it requires a tomb and regular maintenance. There is no doubt, however, that more websites are needed across the country. The poor, for example, can rarely afford this final ceremony if they had to take a deceased body from Bartica to Ruimzight on the West Coast of Demerara.
There are hundreds of good guys expressing themselves on the Friends Of Leguan Island Facebook page set up by Hans Buer. This friend traveled to the island the world from his homeland of Germany and found peace, quiet and meaning in this paradise. He informs us as if he is the Minister of Information for which we are grateful especially in announcing the deaths of loved ones who may live and die in our own city unknown to us. It is also an appropriate place to let everyone who says RIP or sympathy know if the deceased’s family needs any temporary help. Sadness and flowers are not always enough.
Hans has also been generous to the extent that should embarrass the rest of us. Last year he donated only 5 bikes to the best students on the island leaving one to wonder why others could not contribute. Continuing support is needed for graduating high school students who cannot afford a university education. Schools, religious and social organizations, sports groups all need to communicate with and reach out to past residents when needed.
Many outside Leguan are paying attention and some are willing to enter into partnerships with those locally, provided there is proper organization, reporting and accountability. We remember after 1992 when each school had at least 3 trustees, who were not active in any political party, to receive and account for money, and materials donated from abroad when the country as a whole was in serious financial difficulties. SIMAP and the Canadian Institute for Development through Education (CODE) with the help of former residents abroad repaired schools and set up the library that is now out of high school. Most of the books for this and other schools were from Canada. Although the financial situation has improved today and the Government at all levels have fundamental responsibilities they should not be involved in all human activity. Expecting this is to restrict the individual’s freedom and stifle initiative and motivation.
A few remember men like Mr Lowe who operated a rice factory in Blenheim in the 1950s. When transportation was a problem, he built his own boat. As kids, we swam around and wondered how he was going to get it from land to water. It was a time of workers but also of volunteering and collaboration. Men hold on to ropes and with pure muscle pulled this masterpiece on logs and rolled it over the sand until it floated. Getting a free ride among the rice bags as this ship moved the Atlantic waves from the koker where it was docked straight to the jetty at the Rice Marketing Board in Georgetown was one of indelible memories of childhood.
It is worrying to read that this oasis of peace and tranquility is now being ruined by excessive alcohol and drug consumption leading to serious crime. Similarly, I wonder why a Minister has to visit the island to learn that newspapers are not distributed there.
There is room for improvement but with the internet, souls like Hans Buer and those who now cherish memories of once living there we can all help to reshape the island’s future before we make our final journey to land the crematorium.
We live all over the world but we are Leguans.

Correctly,
Ram Sahadeo, O Sharma, D Persaud, V Teekah, M Rampershad, R Gomes, W Armstrong and others