CATEGORY:COMMENTARY
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By Lloyd Noel, Attorney-at-law
Inside Grenada contributor
Thursday October 19,2006



ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada - Except for the fact - that those of us who were released from Detention at Richmond Hill Prison, and Hope Vale Camp, on the 26th October, 1983 - are now Twenty-three years older come next week Wednesday/Thursday, the question begs itself..... what else is new?

The U.S.A. and Caribbean Forces landed in Grenada on the 25th October, 1983, to begin the Rescue operation - but the release of those 103 or so
Detainees, who were still in detention, were not released until the next day.

But since the landing of those forces, heralded the release of all Grenadians who were then in detention in their own homes, the public holiday of genuine Thanksgiving is celebrated on the 25th October.

It is really amazing how very few young people are aware or even conscious of those historic times and why we are supposed to be giving thanks to
“Jah.”

And I suspect, that the older folks who actually experienced the torrid times, and have survived to this day - they will quite frankly declare, that
they are ‘ketching’ so much hell now, they cannot see the difference. And it is very difficult to dispute that feeling.

However, whatever people maybe feeling now, and regardless of their political outlook regarding what obtained then, as opposed to what now exist
- the fact of the matter remains very clear, and is demanding of our attention and dedication.

Quite a lot of our people suffered from the horrors of the conditions that brought about October, 19 and 25, 1983. And those sufferings went back to March 13, 1979, when a group of Patriots, led a larger group of young enthusiasts - who were fired by the injustices of the times - to resort to the guns, instead of the conventional votes, to topple and change the Government.

Whatever can, or cannot be said about the choice, the sad facts remain, that people, a whole lot of people, were under severe pressure from the
outrageous and disgraceful behavior, and inhumane actions of the then GULP Government. And no matter what many may try to say now, about March 13, 1979 and the days and weeks and months following - the victory of that fateful a.m. was greeted with over-whelming enthusiasm.

People wanted a change; they had reached the point where they could not stomach the pressure any longer, to the extent that they were prepared to
accept and tolerate change by any means - including the “Revo.”

But because the Vanguard movement (NJM) and its Rulers, were more concerned with wielding power by that very unconventional means, for the English
Speaking Caribbean; and even more so, because of their hero-worship for Fidel Castro and his methods of control, as well as his anti-U.S.A.,
Capitalism, Imperialism, and any other “sloganism” they picked up in their visits to Havana - they failed to honor the many promises they
(deceitfully) made to the people, on their way to the top.

And as certain as night following daylight, and goodness will always overcome evil deeds, and the evil which men/women do will live after them
while the good will often be interned with their bones; and just as oppression, and inhumanity, and dishonesty, are all doomed to be overcome in
the fullness of time - October 19 and 25, 1983, were only a matter of “when,” and not “if.”

And so it came about that Grenadians got a second change, and a third chance to pick up the pieces (1951, 1979, and 1983), and chart a different
course by learning from the mistakes that went before, and avoiding the pit falls that keep on taking us as a people backwards.

But Twenty-three years thereafter, and three different Elected Governments by the people, to serve their interest, to eradicate the evils that went before, to put Systems in place to avoid or minimize the problems and pressures from man-made disasters - so as to be better able to withstand the natural disasters that we can do nothing about - and the question is again looming loud and clear, what have we achieved or what else is new?

Despite the many years that have gone by, and the volumes that have been written about the “Revo,” on the one hand; but more significantly about the
happenings on the then “Fort Rupert,” and the trial of the Seventeen or Eighteen, on the other hand; that chapter, in our dark and dismal history,
remains to this day to almost haunt us as we try to make amends.

Many promises were made over the years, and many persons benefited in a variety of ways - on the expected outcome of those promises. Time, and their consciences, may reveal the facts and the let down that transpired in the process.

We even had a so-called Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), in an attempt to try and bridge the gap - but that too is in limbo at this time. However, after all those years, and the many Court cases that pass through our local Courts - to try and bring closure to that chapter of our sad history - the case of the 14/15 on the Hill is on its way to the Privy Council in December, 2006; hopefully for a final decision one way or
another.

Whatever the findings by those Law Lords in London, and or the recommendations to her Majesty for transmission to the Government in Grenada - many, many persons in these Isles, will still continue to harbor their own revengeful views and opinions on the matter.

But be that as it may, the bigger picture, and the people in general are entitled to be considered with a greater measure of priority and importance for the future. Yet in the context of the foregoing, and what now obtains in our dear land - in the Social, Economic, Democratic and Legitimate Sectors of our daily lives - it is very sad to say, that the situation and conditions we are hereby living under and trying to cope with, are no better, and maybe many times much worse, than what obtained pre 1973-1979 and during 1983, when the bubble began to burst open.

True enough, there has been some wide spread capital developments around the Tri-Island State, and many examples of those can be seen - despite the
ravages of “Ivan and Emily.” Against that background, we cannot forget or fail to remember - that the Legacy therefrom is a whopping One point Six ($1.6 B) Billion dollars dept hanging around our necks to be repaid. And because the great majority of those developments were not employment enhancing projects - except during the stages of building and implementing - there is nothing else to be gained
from them, other than the picture they present.

The major exceptions have been the Water, Electricity, and rural roads that also permitted Telephones to reach many areas that were cut off from those facilities.

The development strategy was always centered around the Capital parish, and all incentives towards economic development were given in those areas. The Hotels, new Port facilities and the Stadium are glaring examples of that policy; and while these were on-going, the rest of the Country was almost totally neglected - despite the fact that the same Country areas provided the nation’s largest foreign Currency earnings from Nutmegs and Cocoa.

The natural disasters of “Ivan and Emily,” are now being hypocritically put forward as the causes of our galloping economic and social decline, and the
break down of Law and Order among un-employed and under-privileged Youths, and Parents who cannot feed their families.

So after Thirty-three years, since those of us who came back from overseas - and teamed up with the brothers and struggling comrades, who were battling against ‘Gairyism’ and the oppressive conditions then existing - started the Vanguard movement that brought about some changes, but more importantly gave the people hope and pointed the way towards the Tunnel with light at the end thereof; it all looks as though we are back to where we came in those many years ago.

We seemed to have had releases and relief from pressure and bondage over the years, and that had prompted some people - jokingly or otherwise - to opine that God was a Grenadian, because of His generosity. But after “Ivan,” a Rasta brother stopped me one day to explain - that God or (Jah) had emigrated from Grenada to elsewhere overseas, and that was why so many Church Buildings were devastated by the fury of Ivan. I was stumped for a satisfactory response - as I recalled the widespread damages to Churches in particular.

But whether it was pure co-incidence that the houses of the Lord suffered so badly, or He was really sending us a sign, or some deeper message to change our ways and turn back from corruption, and oppression of the weak and under-privileged, and deceitful and dishonest dealings, and the many other ills and tragedies now almost chronic in our once law-abiding and peaceful Isles - I do not have the answer, but the signs of the times, and
the picture that keeps cropping up around every other national issue, are more than enough causes for frightening concerns.

And even as we celebrate, and assemble to give thanks to Him for His timely Rescue on October 25th 1983, we cannot help noticing, or being moved by the happenings around us. The Lagoon Yacht area, along with the Pandy Beach and the old Islander Hotel site, are again in the fore front of breaking news - in the drive to enhance and modernize and expand our Tourism plant. But as per usual in these disturbing times - the transactions, and the figures in terms of payments making the rounds, leave a whole lot to be desired.

Investigations are continuing, and be assured that the results thereof - good, bad, and indifferent - will be revealed in the fullness of time, as they become available. But as we take a break from whatever we do, to give thanks to that Almighty Being - for rescuing us all Twenty-three years ago from bondage - we cannot help recognizing, that the horrors we are experiencing now-a-days are no different, and perhaps even more chronic than the challenges we faced in those turbulent times of the Seventies and early Eighties.

And a regularly repeated question, in most circles of discussion about how we solve the problems to bring about needed change - is how do the people get those in authority, to wake up from their mis-guided slumber and recognize that they the people are suffering?

It needs organizing and co-coordinating at Village and parish levels, but one method of agitation is gathering in great numbers at those Ministers Offices or MPs Constituency Offices, and picketing the buildings; and then taking to the Streets to show the Region and the World at large - that the situation is grave, and unless urgent action is taken it will get much worse.

Those actions will not be new, but their repetition Twenty-three years thereafter - will surely draw attention to the festering Social disease that is engulfing the Society as a whole.