Former Georgetown Mayor and Hindu pandit Ubraj Narine has criticised what he described as silence from the diplomatic community, religious organisations and private sector bodies over the treatment of the Mohamed family, urging those institutions to speak publicly about concerns surrounding justice and democracy.
Speaking at a candlelight vigil for justice at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre on Sunday, November 1, Narine said his attendance was motivated by concerns about fairness rather than support for a political party.
“I’m here because I see injustice, I see unfairness,” he said, arguing that Guyanese should not tolerate actions they believe threaten democracy.
Narine questioned why ambassadors and high commissioners were prepared to issue statements during election periods but, according to him, had not spoken about the matter that brought participants to the vigil. He rejected the suggestion that describing an issue as a domestic matter should place it beyond diplomatic scrutiny, pointing out that elections were also domestic affairs.
“Not only election time, you must come out with statement,” he said. “We need to hear from them. We need to hear from the religious organization.”
The former mayor singled out the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana, the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He alleged that their silence reflected political alignment with the governing People’s Progressive Party. His remarks did not establish whether those organisations had issued statements.
Narine also alleged that the Mohamed family had previously assisted the PPP, including providing campaign support, transportation and security for Irfaan Ali around the 2020 elections. He argued that the treatment of people who had supported the party should prompt ordinary PPP supporters to consider whether they could count on its support when facing difficulties.
He directed sharp criticism at President Ali, the vice-president and government ministers, accusing the administration of placing financial interests ahead of the welfare of citizens. He urged Guyanese to scrutinise the government’s conduct and speak out against what they considered unfair treatment.
