News Analysis by Lincoln Depradine ST GEORGE'S, GRENADA: The road ahead for Grenada, pummeled by Hurricane Ivan September 7, is a long and difficult one. Restoring and rebuilding the beaten and battered economy and infrastructure will require cash – lots of it. But as equally important, the process will require a mass mobilization of the people of Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique; a mobilization on the scale witnessed under the 1979 – 1983 People Revolutionary Government of former Prime Minister Maurice Bishop, when hundreds regularly volunteered their time, talent and energy to teach adults to read and write; to clean up their communities; and to build and repair schools and community centers. A month after Ivan delivered a bull’s eye hit on Grenada, remnants of the hurricane’s fury are still clearly visible and obvious. They are unmistakable even as one peers through the narrow windows of the aircrafts that land at Point Saline International Airport in the south of the island, invariably loaded with relief supplies of food, clothing and medicine. The hurricane, with its penchant for dislodging roofs, has been renamed “Roofus’’ by Grenadians. Galvanized sheets, popular roofing material, are strewn across mountainsides not far from the airport. It’s a scene that is repeated as one tours the island, particularly the hardest hit areas in the parishes of St. George’s, St. David’s and St. Andrew’s. The devastation makes Grenada looks like a land that has just gone through a bombing campaign and is now in the throes of a terrible famine. Gone are the lush, green landscape and the shimmering leaves of trees, bidding you a friendly welcome. When the winds had subsided, and Ivan left Grenada to continue its rampage, everything was bare, dry, brown and leafless – even trees in the well-known Grand Etang Forest. Coconut trees drooped limply, cocoa and nutmeg plantations were flattened, and huge breadfruit and tamarind trees lay in lazy heaps, toppled from their roots. The fury of the hurricane also descended on vehicles, many left with shattered windshields as if someone had smashed them with sledgehammers. Large sections of the National Stadium, scheduled to host games of the 2007 World Cup of Cricket, crumbled like a deck of cards. Many describe Ivan as a combination of “twister and tornado.’’ Others said that with its rage and force, Ivan sounded “like a being speaking in tongues.’’ One 85-year-old woman, who said she could never remember Ivan’s name, had taken to calling the hurricane, “The Henchman.’’ The human suffering caused by “The Henchman’’ is staggering: more than two dozen people dead; up to 8,000 people taking refuge in shelters because their homes have been destroyed or damaged; telecommunications and water-supply systems almost totally disrupted; and hundreds of schools and businesses having to shut their doors, not knowing when they’ll reopen. To add insult to injury, many businesses suffered a second setback when looters and vandals sacked them shortly after the passage of Hurricane Ivan. As Grenadians reflect on Ivan and the life-changing experience it wrought, many are asking questions and trying to find meaning. Often, the question is whether there is a message from God. In the Town of St. George alone, at least three major houses of worship were destroyed: the Roman Catholic Cathedral and the Anglican and Presbyterian churches. On a bus ride to Grand Anse in South St. George’s, passengers are almost unanimous in agreeing on the religious undertone associated with Ivan. One suggests that Grenadians should read the Biblical book of “Jeremiah;’’ another suggests “John;’’ and a third says: “God is a God of love. He is just chastising us.’’ Politics, too, is not far from the lips of people. Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell and his government are blamed less for any shortcomings in preparing the nation for “The Henchman’’ Ivan, a.k.a. “Roofus,’’ than they are for their response to the hurricane in the post-September 7 period. If the government is excused for lack of proper planning and preparation, it’s because almost no one seemed to have expected Ivan to hit the island or, at least, pound the island with the force it did. Prior to Ivan, the last major hurricane to hit Grenada was Janet in 1955. But in small groups, in living rooms and on internet chat sites, many Grenadians are questioning what appeared to be the absence of governmental and public authority in the immediate aftermath of Ivan. With no local security in place, the prison badly damaged and prisoners on the lam, looting and vandalism were easy. Grenadians have highly praised Prime Minister Patrick Manning of neighboring Trinidad and Tobago for expeditiously offering his country’s help to Grenada. Trinidad and Tobago’s assistance included the dispatching of troops that played the lead role in quelling the looting and vandalism. But even now, there are complaints about the government handling of the distribution of relief supplies and the apparent lack of urgency in tackling other existing problems. There is no denying that the problems are huge and will require simultaneous attention. For example, some schools that weren’t badly damaged or destroyed are being used as shelters. For those schools to re-open, the men, women and children in the shelters must have some other place to go. Then, there are farmers who are looking for help to restart planting on their lands. The government also has to meet with business leaders – some of whom lost everything to Ivan and the looters – and it has to seek international assistance for the rebuilding of the infrastructure and economy. In general elections last year, Dr. Mitchell’s New National Party (NNP) was returned to power, winning eight seats to seven by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 15-member Lower House of Parliament. Animosity between the two sides led to corruption allegations being leveled at the Prime Minister by the opposition. Dr. Mitchell countered by filing libel suits against NDC members, including party leader Tillman Thomas. The opposition, however, in a gesture it said was prompted by crisis created by Ivan, urged Dr. Mitchell to set up a National Unity Government (NUG) that will include all 15 MPs from the NNP and NDC. It also recommended that the NUG, with Thomas as Deputy Prime Minister, would include representatives from business, the religious community and other sectors. Dr. Mitchell has rejected the unity government proposal of the NDC. However, he seemed to have adopted one of the party’s recommendations, which advocated the formation of a National Reconstruction Agency. The Prime Minister said all parties, including the NDC, would be invited to nominate members to the agency that will have a voice in the country’s revival. Dr. Mitchell has expressed optimism that Grenada can recover from Ivan “within five.’’ To achieve that optimistic goal, he must have a clearly defined plan, ought to be able to attract millions of dollars in foreign aid, and must find a way to motivate and mobilize the population behind the cause. After almost two decades in Grenada politics, Dr. Mitchell has proven that he is a wily survivor. He survived the spirited effort of the NDC last November 27, winning general elections by just one seat. The previous election he had won all 15 seats. Whether he will survive the crisis left by Ivan – including a decimated economy and with some segments of the populace none too pleased with his handling of the crisis thus far – it’s left to be seen. Dr. Mitchell’s future is frequently a topic of conversation. Ivan added impetus to the conversation, with more than a few wondering aloud about the behavior of the hurricane as it relates to the Prime Minister. Dr. Mitchell’s official residence was destroyed. And in the departure lounge of Point Saline International Airport, of all the pictures of current and former Prime Ministers and Governors-General hanging on a wall, only one was dislodged and destroyed by Ivan: Dr. Mitchell’s. Some say the incident is pure coincidence. Others believe there is a symbolic meaning behind it. SOURCE: CARIBUPDATE.COM