radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
Torn by her son’s death, Jassodra Lallack collapsed into her husband’s arms as they bid farewell to their son Hemraj Alex Sooknanan, who was murdered at sea along with six other fishermen last week.
Struggling to come to terms with his death, Lallack sobbed quietly as she looked at the sealed casket of her son who died trying to help them put food on the family’s table.
The poverty under which they lived was evident yesterday. The casket stood in front of their blue plyboard home at Orange Valley, Carapichaima, where Alex grew up with his brothers, sisters and cousin.
Gabriella Soriah Mohammed, who delivered the eulogy, gave mourners a snippet of the happy life they shared although they were poor.
Recalling her cousin’s joyful laugh, Mohammed said he was fond of playing pranks and up to the time he died, Alex always teased her about a time in their childhood when he broke her doll.
Mohammed said they used to make floating rafts out of styrofoam and take it down to the river where they had a great time together.
His brothers Kevin Lallack, Sachin Sooknanan, Alvin Lallack and Terry Sooknanan conducted his last rites along with Marvin Satter.
Pundit Biswajit Maharaj urged mourners to develop a sense of detachment to the young man they all loved. Maharaj did not speak about the cruel way that Sooknanan died. However, he urged the mourners not to harbour ill will against each other but to love and care for each other.
“You have to take care of your family, your community and your country. Prepare your children and protect them,” Maharaj said.
MP for the area Ramona Ramdial, who spoke at the funeral, said she wanted to dispel rumours that had spread about the seven fishermen.
“To the mischief-makers out there who are suggesting other things about our beloved brothers, if those rumours were true we would have had a funeral with large gold chains and wads of money. Our boys who were murdered were making an honest dollar working hard with diligence and discipline. One only needs to come to Orange Valley and visit the family to see what really took place. This is nothing but mass murder and I hope this does not happen to any other family,” she said.
Ramdial said she spoke to Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith who told her that more suspects were in custody.
“I want you to keep the faith. I know that our institutions have failed us. While our fishermen were out there doing searches we could not get help from our authorities,” she recalled.
Ramdial said the Minister of National Security Stuart Young has given a commitment that he would meet with the fishermen of Orange Valley to address their concerns about security.