“Our first Christmas without our beloved baby boy”

…Ramkaran Mohan’s family still mourns loss
…as driver yet to be charged

By Kizzy Coleman

Christmas is made special for a number of reasons, but most significant are the foods, fairy lights, Christmas tree with its dazzling star, the smell of new flowers, the sweet sound of Christmas carols and for most parents, the delightful look on their children’s faces on Christmas morning especially when it is time to open the Christmas presents.
Some parents are anticipating that reality on December 25, but for others, it is but

a mere dream.
In the case of the Mohan family, it is but a dream after the life of their four- year-old baby boy, Ramkaran Mohan, was snatched from him.
Many parents are privileged to see their children grow to adulthood; Ramkaran’s parents were able to just enjoy four years with him.
His life was tragically taken on the fateful morning of March 15, 2017 just a short distance away from his Lot 1088 Tuschen New Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) home.
Ramkaran was said to be playing joyfully, like he normally did, with his brother and teenage uncle.
Tragedy struck after the three ventured to a shop obliquely opposite their home to purchase a ball.
A woman known to be a reckless driver was on that day reportedly speeding. Ramkaran – who was standing in the corner of the road with his uncle who was holding his and his brother’s hands waiting for the woman to pass – was hooked by her vehicle, motor car PVV 5084, which reportedly swerved into the corner of the road.
The child was then run over by the vehicle and dragged. It was only the sight of Ramkaran’s teenaged uncle running behind the woman’s car and signalling her to stop that prompted her to do so. It was then that she saw the child hanging from the side of her car.
The young woman began to scream after realising what she had done. The child was quickly picked up and rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
The parents of Ramkaran at this time had no clue what had transpired as it was only until the child was already on his way to the hospital that they were informed of the accident.
Screams emanated from the Mohans’ residence as the teenaged uncle of the lad relayed to them what had occurred.
The family quickly rushed to the Leonora Cottage Hospital where the child was taken … unaware that it was already too late.
Little Ramkaran was buried a week later following a heart-rending funeral service. His mother cried uncontrollably; one could only begin to imagine her pain.
But instead of healing with time, the wound in the heart of Mrs Mohan only widened as the woman who struck her child was released on self-bail, and to date, faced no penalty.
She is reportedly the daughter of a presidential guard who following her release taunted the Mohan family with phrases like “I’m untouchable”.
Weeks after the child’s demise, the Mohan family staged a protest action calling for the injustice that met their family to be corrected.
Mohan’s grandmother, Bibi Nazoom Khan sounded her plea “I am calling for justice, because this female driver hit my grandson and drag him and she paid no attention or is paying no interest; they did not even come and sympathise with my family. She is even saying that her father works under the President and she is untouchable, so we all calling for justice here”.
The mother of Ramkaran, whose pain was visible, cried” “I need justice; I don’t want any money, she dragged my baby like a dog and if that boy did not run in front of her car, she would’ve never stopped! I just need justice for my son…I need justice!”
The protest was met with no response from the authorities. The family was then prompted to beg for a meeting with the Opposition Leader, who also was unable to help.
As months go by, the family members continue their wait for justice and are being told by the authorities “we are awaiting a response from the Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP)”.
Now nine months after the tragedy, the Mohan family told Guyana Times: “it feels like yesterday; our wounds cannot be healed.”
According to Mrs Mohan, it is a daily struggle for her to continue to live without the presence of her son.
“Every day, I am surrounded by memories of Ram; it is causing me so much pain because up to now it didn’t register that I will never get to see him again,” she cried.
According to Mohan’s father, “This boy here (referring to Mohan’s older brother) now deh all by himself, like it does feel lonely because when Ram was alive, you know the house never used to deh quiet, but like everything change since he dead; it hard, it really hard.”
And his grandmother said: “I really want justice because this baby can enjoy nothing anymore; just like that, he gone and he cannot enjoy life anymore; it is really unfair to our family.”
So, as we all enjoy this year’s Christmas festivities, remember the smile and the cheer of little Ramkaran, whose innocent life was tragically taken from him, who is unable to be loved by his parents and whose parents are unable to love him in person.