The Kandhai family - father Kedarnauth, mother Haimwattie, elder brother Khemrajnauth, and younger sister Shivani - still seem shocked by the incident which occurred on July 22 last year.

The father noted that his son went to Berbice to attend the 27th Congress of the PPP and was travelling in the tray of a pickup when he was shot by bandits on the Port Mourant public road on the night of July 22, 2002. Since then, the father related, an empty space has been left in the family.

The father said that a wreath-laying ceremony was held at the Lima Sands Bio-Diversity Park where the ashes from the cremation of his son were buried on July 28 last year. Wreaths were laid by representatives from the PPP, PYO, WPO, RPA, and GAWU, as well as the Region Two administration and Balramnauth’s relatives.

The parents said that they are still trying to cope with the loss of their son who had secured a scholarship to study medicine in Cuba.

They said they were looking forward to their son qualifying as a medical doctor and returning to serve his fellow Guyanese, but all such hopes have been shattered.

The father however urged other scholarship students to “study hard, take all precautions, go by the rules and regulations and do not be carried away by other influences.”

He announced that the family will sponsor a softball competition next month in memory of Balramnauth. The event will be managed by the Golden Fleece Sports Club in conjunction with the PYO. (Yusuf Khan)