Having lost a loved one to crime in Trinidad and Tobago, a relative of the murder victim believes that the only way to reduce the escalating crime wave that is present in the Caribbean region is to put anger and revenge aside and work in a unified manner to address the problem.
Anand Singh, an IT Manager in the community of St. Augustine, related his ordeal in the loss of a very close relative who was kidnapped and murdered five years ago in Trinidad and Tobago.
Singh, who is in the Federation as part of the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University two-day lecture, said that each individual who could make a positive contribution to society, irrespective of their social, political and or economic situation, should make a contribution in attempting to reduce crime.
He pointed out that his relative, who was a very prominent figure in the Trinidad and Tobago community, had her life violently stuffed out after she was kidnapped and the ransom demands were not met. He said there was a lot of anger and a desire for revenge owing to how she was killed, and the fact that the authorities were unable to retrieve her body.
“She was kidnapped and to this day her body was not retrieved. But while a lot of persons were filled with anger and revenge, I recognized that this cycle will only continue if we do something out of the desire for revenge which will lead to the other person’s relatives doing the same. If revenge were the ultimate goal, then the cycle will continue. Conclusively, this means that the only way to stop the senseless killings is to unite, so as to ensure that the ills causing scourge and other problems can be properly addressed,” Singh said.
Singh is calling on the Federation’s youth to seriously think about their action, noting that one should be cognizant of the legacy that they leave behind. He also noted that they should concentrate on leaving a positive image of themselves when they would have departed the land of the living.
“I would like to urge the young people of St. Kitts and Nevis to not loose sight of the value of life and the importance of self-esteem, for while many seek quick and fast prettification and returns, I must warn you that they are just illusions in life. You have to be cognizant that quick and fast returns in life through the negative things that you’re engaged in will only create a deficit in the laws of life, so please do not loose sight of you purpose,” he urged.
Singh cautioned the youths to see each other as equals, noting that each individual possesses the potential to make a difference in the world. He reiterated that youths should take mote of the legacy they would leave behind, warning that in many cases, because of the negative legacy at their funerals, the eulogies are wrapped in lies rather than the truth.
Singh said that when his relative was kidnapped and subsequently murdered, there were many unanswered questions as to why it happened, taking into consideration that she was well respected and seen as a vital person in the community where she lived.
“We have to understand that if we focus our energies on always finding the reasons for these criminal acts, we will keep asking the question…why? And when we get one answer we will continue to ask the same question over and over. We fail to recognize that instead of asking why, we should ask, ‘What can I do and how can I help in making a difference in being able to unite,’” he said.
Singh dismissed what he called the general and popular notion that people could not do anything to help. “…we all can help, as we can offer some prayers, wishes, pure thoughts, hope, determination and courage to guide the individuals through their difficulties,” he stressed.
Singh added that the current crime rate in the region points to the growing social ills that affect every citizen, stressing that the time is here for all to put petty and frivolous differences aside and address the challenges and difficulties in a united and concerted way.
