WE ALL GRIEVE

“The little boy eh do them nothing. Somebody bring back meh child nah. Wake him up for me. Mummy calling you darling,” she wailed.

It was pain only a mother could feel, moreso one who bore just one child. And mourners, who looked on pitifully, joined in her grief.

Some wept openly while others clutched their young children as if trying to both comfort and shield them from the remnants of the horrific ordeal which unfolded just days before.

On Wednesday, Videsh, 12, a student of Ward’s Living Learning Institute, was placed in the care of a neighbour, Hafeeza Mohammed, a few houses away from his home, while his parents went to work.

At some point during the day, intruders entered Mohammed’s home and ransacked the premises before murdering the woman and the young boy, who would have turned 13 on December 18.

The bodies of Mohammed, 56, and Videsh were discovered by her husband, Shariff, bound and gagged. Their throats had been slit.

Police believe that robbery was the motive as several household items and the family’s car were missing. It is also believed that the two were killed because they recognised their perpetrators. Mohammed’s funeral took place at her home on Friday.

Videsh, who had written the Secondary Entrance Assessment examination was said to have been eagerly awaiting the results, which are due this week. Education Minister Anthony Garcia has confirmed that the boy was placed at a secondary school near his Malabar hometown.

The killings, which rattled residents in the closely-knit Ajim Baksh Trace, has triggered widespread outrage and condemnation among social media users as well as religious leaders, politicians and civil society.

A private motion in the House of Representatives on Friday dealt specifically with crime with Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar and MPs condemning acts of cold-hearted brutality, which they felt were being carried out unabated.

Yesterday, Persad-Bissessar, who is also the mother of an only child, a son, was among the mourners who crammed the Subar home to pay their last respects to young Videsh, whom many felt had gone way too soon.

Tears streaming down her face, her voice cracking, Persad- Bissessar called for a united front to combat the crime scourge.

“What I do know is that we, as a country and as a people, we have to stop the slaughter. We have to come together. We have to work together,” she said.

She said there was need to do much more in the fight against crime.

“In our country is murder and mayhem. But what, as a country are we doing?” Persad- Bissessar asked.

“We come and we cry and we hug up but what are we doing? We come to the funeral today and what happens tomorrow - tomorrow will be another one.

“So, let us join hands, let us work together and let us stop this brutality. Let us stop these monsters. What kind of monster would do this?” Persad-Bissessar said the country has failed to protect its most vulnerable, the young and innocent.

“It is our fault, every one of us, it is our fault because we have failed to protect the young and the innocent.” But as she lamented the worsening crime situation, Persad-Bissessar urged mourners to accept God’s will even in times of adversity.

“God give is the strength please to accept your will. It is very hard to accept the Lord’s will. All we can do is to pray for the strength,” she said.

“So, to all of you please do not wash your hands when you leave here. Let us be our brothers and sisters keeper of all children. Let us work together.

Please, let us do that.” The Opposition Leader said death was the only certainty in life.

“When we are born, there is only one thing that is certain in our lives and that is that one day we must die,” she said.

“There is nothing else that is certain in life. What we do not know is when. What we do not know is how. What we do not know is where. So, death is the only thing that is certain in life.” Garcia, the Arima MP, in a brief address, also bemoaned the crime situation.

“It is really a sad day for all of us here. I don’t know what has become of our country. Crime seems to have taken a hold of us,” he said, adding it was the responsibility of all citizens to look out for one another.

“While we share sorrow with the bereaved family, let us not forget, let us remember always that we are our brother’s keeper and if it is one thing we can do in memory of this lost soul is that we must bind together and ensure that we stamp out this scourge of crime.” Port-of-Spain Mayor Joel Martinez said people were fed up.

“We are really in a very uncomfortable situation. People are angry and our tolerance is becoming less and less,” he said. “We have to deal with the criminal elements of our country.” Arima Mayor Lisa Morris-Julien also spoke.

But it was Videsh’s mother’s cries which brought tears to the eyes of almost every mourner.

Even before the funeral began, her gut-wrenching wails could have been heard along the street.

“Why they do meh baby that for?” she asked repeatedly, her voice diminishing in intensity.

Later, as the coffin bearing her son’s remains arrived at the home, Veena could not suppress her emotion and had to be consoled by family and friends.

And as bhajans were sung during the viewing of the body towards the end of the service, her pain was again evident.

“Bring back meh child nah.

Mummy calling you darling.” Emergency health workers were on hand to assist the distraught mother.

Veena’s husband, Lennon, for the most part, maintained his composure.

For his farewell service, a princely-looking Videsh was dressed in traditional Hindu wear, complete with turban.

Red roses were placed about his body and on the periphery of the coffin.

Close friend Justin, speaking on behalf of Videsh’s classmates, recalled the fun times they had together.

“He was a warm-hearted person who had everyone laughing,” he said.

Pundit Prakash Samsundar Tiwari urged mourners to support one another in this time of need.

Among those attending the service were D’Abadie/O’Meara MP retired Brigadier Ancil Antoine, Opposition senator Gerald Ramdeen and members of the Arima Borough Council.

After a brief Hindu ritual, Videsh was cremated at the Caroni Cremation Site. See page 7