Let he who has never committed murder/suicide cast the first stone.
Pundit Sunil Seetahal-Maharaj may attract the attention of a whole new clientele after his funeral service for Sanjeev Rambarran, who killed his ex-wife, Dian Paladee, before taking his own life last Friday.
Seetahal-Maharaj chastised members of the public who might be quick to judge Rambarran for the naughty little beating of his ex-wife with a rolling pin, handcuffing her, putting duct-tape around her mouth and shooting her in the head with a shotgun.
“We will stand and judge Sanjeev but every single one of us here has a problem,” said Seetahal-Maharaj, in today’s Trinidad Express.
Just yesterday, for instance, Mr Live Wire did not wash his wares after lunch. Point taken, pundit.
Rambarran was probably a wonderful man when he was not murdering his ex-wife. But, if we cannot judge people that physically abuse, torture and murder unsuspecting victims, then who can we turn our noses up on?
All I can say, if I may paraphrase from Food Production Minister Devant Maharaj’s denial of sexual misconduct, is that “I am not aware of any complaints of murder/suicide against me.” But can one ever be completely certain?
Mr Live Wire will try to mind his own affairs in the future. And Seetahal-Maharaj? Where there are murder victims, there are murderers who will need a holy man one day; and Trinidad and Tobago is crawling with them at the moment.
Who are we to judge another man’s business?
Mr. Live Wire is an avid news reader who translates media reports for persons who can handle the truth. And satire. Unlike Jack Nicholson, he rarely yells.
Camille, the act was done already,so it’s not about judging anymore,we have to forgive yes but
a vow was made to love your wife as yourself, and though shalt not kill, so the Pundit should have spoken along those lines, so that others would think again.
Why everything have to be about race for you people! Well said Camille…the Pundit was sensitive to the two most important people in the gathering…i.e. the children of the couple…
Many criminals have children. How should you suggest we be sensitive to the next one that is caught red-handed?
Luckily, the pundit has no sway beyond his flock. But I think it is a slippery slope when you start requesting special treatment for the murderers who you like. And the ones who, according to the Prime Minister, are “law-abiding” murderers.
The pundit did not have to be unkind to the grieving relatives in his speech. But he did not have to slap common sense and morality across the face either.
And Pari, what do you mean “you people”! Okay, I was kidding there… 🙂
No Lester, I am not joking. And neither am I religious. And neither do I feel any sort of pity towards the murderer. I was simply stating that the Pundit is a religious figure and it’s his duty to preach forgiveness. Imagine the shock of the congregation if he had started cussing and demanding vigilante justice.
Religious law and the law of the land often do not agree and it’s a good thing too because If it did, I would have been stoned to death by now.
Excerpt from January 7 Trinidad Express article:
“In answer to a question, the Prime Minister said she believed there should be a disaggregation of crime between crimes committed by criminals against each other, crimes committed by the criminal element against law-abiding citizens and crimes committed by one law-abiding citizen against another…”
I assume this case falls into Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s “one law-abiding citizen against another category” and, in her mind, a “law-abiding” murderer deserves different treatment of some sort.
I have passed judgement on that son of a bitch
I don’t think the Pundit was asking the public to “lay off the murderer.” I think he was just doing his religious duty to remind his followers of the merits of forgiveness.”Judge not lest ye be judged” is a concept of every major religion and is not unique to this particular case. He probably preaches the same thing at every gathering.
Well, I can’t argue with you about the authenticity of that quote. But the law does in fact allow a man to be judged for his crimes by a jury of his peers.
So I retort with: “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s…”
Camille: I hope you are joking!!!
Thank you Camille, people feign ignorance. He’s a religious figure what do people expect him to preach?
What? Pleading for understanding of a man who committed a murder/suicide is somehow acceptable because he is a religious figure?
Would the goodly Pundit have had the same sentiments if the killer was of a different ethnic or religious make up than his own?