THE EDITOR: I met Cheval Ramjattan for the first time on April 15 while I canvassed Aranguez for sponsorship for a Bhakti TV broadcast taking place at the Satya Anand Ashram. It was the first and last time I would see him. He was murdered Tuesday night.

We spoke at length about our community of Aranguez and the high crime rate, we spoke about Ramjattan's life, his children, his wife. He poured his life savings into his pharmacy, Potions and Pills (if you read Harry Potter you would know where the name came from).

Tuesday night I passed by and saw police at Madeo's Mini Plaza and I just assumed they were there to set up a roadblock, but sadly, as usual, they were on scene after the crime had been committed. A life filled with potential lost. Children fatherless, a husband lost to gun violence, a businessman murdered.

Aranguez is under siege. We are being picked off one at a time, yet the police are intent on sharing tickets for traffic infractions. Take, for instance, April 15 at 2 am. Police were out in numbers with some device catching speeding drivers on the east-bound lane of the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway. They were hiding just after the Aranguez Bridge - with tickets being shared by Nestle.

All these police resources deployed to earn revenue for the Government. What a waste. The police motto is To Protect and Serve, but who exactly are they protecting when an entire community is hiding indoors as soon as residents get home? And the police are out collecting revenue for the Government.

How much more must we take? Death is a very final thing and in this life we can only die once. The bandits are making sure it is final.

We are living in self-imposed jails. We are our own jailers. We are living in Hell right here in sweet in TT.

I keep asking myself why are we not more angry? The answer is deafening silence. How many more good people must die before the Government takes action against these career criminals? Why is the Commissioner of Police not doing more than throwing her hands in the air and praying for help?

I am reminded that God helps those who help themselves. We must now help ourselves. I don't subscribe to vigilante justice, but we do need protection and a private security firm is the answer.

It is time that we take our community back by all means legally possible. The bandits do not play by the same rules as we do and, sadly, we are not armed. And, even if we were, we are reminded that standing our ground is often considered a show of force and if we were to take a life in the process we are as guilty as the bandits,

Time to man-up, Dr Rowley, and take back our country from the bandits. The buck stops with you, Prime Minister.

Heartfelt condolences to Cheval Ramjattan's wife, children and family.

SATYANAND MAHARAJ

pundit, spiritual head

Satya Anand Ashram