ST. GEORGE ‘S, Grenada: Saturday here has turned out to be like any other weekend, except that on the history calendar it is on that date 25 years ago that the Grenada revolution was born. Surprisingly there has been little fanfare here even though some of the creators of the revolution are enjoying increasing influence a quarter of a century later. Many ordinary people on the street who still holds the revolution close to their heart have expressed dismay that the considered senior leaders have failed to take a leading roles in hosting a major event fitting of a 25th anniversary celebrations. Disparate groups of Grenadians in London and New York have organized low-keyed events, while in Grenada the only advertised activity has been a lecture Saturday organized by the October 19th Martyrs Foundation whose only visible activists are Dr Terrence Marryshow, a medical doctor who studied in Cuba and Peggy Nesfield, who was Bishop’s Secretary. The speaker at the lecture is Trinidadian Dr David Abdullah. Some of the key players in the revolution have either refused or could not find the time to help plan any major activities even though some of them were approached months ago. Others cited the lack or an organizational framework and scarcity of funds that worked against planning anything substantial. It was on this day in 1979 that the New Jewel Movement overthrew the elected government of former Prime Minister Sir Eric Gairy. Maurice Bishop took charge of the first experiment of its kind in the English-speaking Caribbean. The revolution lasted four years before Bishop was killed at the hands of his comrades at the tailend of a bitter leadership feud. Some of the people who led the assault on the Gairy army barracks 25 years are now behind bars, charged with the killing of Bishop and others four years later. The likes of Ewart Layne and Leon Cornwall, members of the assault team were this week more looking forward to March 16 rather than March 13. On March 16 a Grenada High Court judge is to rule on constitutional motions filed in their name, if successful could eventually lead to their freedom. Those on the outside could equally not be bothered for varying reasons. Among those is Einstein Louison, now Leader of government business in the Senate and considered one of the most influential men in the current Keith Mitchell administration. An Army Major during the revolution he was among those that led the initial assault that triggered the revolution. For the past few months Louison has resisted invitations to join the planning of events to observe the 25ht anniversary. He was instead this week in New York with Prime Minister Mitchell, visiting the New York Stock Exchange and negotiating capitalist investments for Grenada. Opposition members Peter David, George Prime and Nazim Burke and independent Senator Chester Humphrey – now all parliamentarians -- were all emerging players in either the People’s Revolutionary Government or the New Jewel Movement by the time of the 1983 collapse. Finance Minister Anthony Boatswain, who claims the PRG was the best government he has ever worked for and business senator Aaron Moses, were leading technocrats of the Bishop government. “We have a lot of so-called comrades in places of influence and nobody saw it fit to lead anything to ensure that this anniversary is celebrated in a proper way,” a solder with the People’s Revolutionary Army told CARIBUPDATE this week. “Boy this thing has turned out to be very disappointment and all our leaders have failed us,” another former army member who flew from Fort Rupert during the 1983 massacre commented. He did not want to use his name he said because of fear or angering some of his old comrades. There was the odd mention about the anniversary in the local media this week and a growing anger among a diminishing band of faithful that the anniversary has passed by with little activity. “You know the more I think about it the more I realize this is unforgivable. We have done a disservice to our history,” the former soldier said. “I think the problem is that Grenadians pay little attention to their history, the same way we pay little attention to our historic buildings and so on, and that is the reason why there was no major activity this week,” David told CARIBUPDATE when specifically asked. “We have just not gotten into the habit of appropriately observing our major historic dates,” he said. Last month the 30th anniversary of Grenada’s independence was observed with unusual pomp and gusto, and with more enthusiasm than normal by the population. But this David said is because the state put its resources behind the promotion and organizing. Asked why he as a current leader was not at the forefront or organizing something special, David said economic consideration more than anything else influenced it. But he said a number of small activities have been organized, and he will be the guest speaker at one of them. Since Bishop overthrew Gairy, an whole new generation of Grenadians have grown up, many of them whose memory of the event is some exotic story of “empowerment” told by their now aging parents. The average Grenadinan – and there are many – who participated directly in the process, are is more concerned with issues of survival – mortgages an all that – rather than dwell on their idealistic past. If activities of the 25th anniversary are anything to go by – it might just simply be a footnote in history by the time the next generation of Grenadians emerge. SOURCE: CARIBUPDATE.COM