Dear Editor,
March 13, 1979 has gone down in world history in general and the Caribbean in particular.
It was on that date that a thirty-odd member detachment of the armed wing of the New Jewel Movement (NJM) led by Maurice Bishop, swooped down on the island’s army barracks in South St. George’s, Grenada and within a matter of minutes, took control of the military.
The armed group then proceeded to take control of key and vital points as well as the only radio station in the country. The island came under their control politically and militarily.
The PPP, then in opposition, welcomed the assumption to power of the NJM under Maurice Bishop. So did the ruling PNC.
There was general satisfaction and relief throughout the Caribbean region that the island’s Prime Minister, Eric Gairy, the celebrated regional buffoon known for sighting UFO’s and practising of witchcraft had been overthrown.
On March 14, 1979, I was despatched by the PPP to Grenada. After overnighting in Port-of- Spain, I arrived in St. George’s on March 15, one day before my birthday.
I proceeded to the headquarters of the newly established ’Provisional Revolutionary Government’ (PRG) located at the time at the radio station which had been renamed ‘Radio Free Grenada’.
On my arrival, I was greeted by Maurice Bishop, the Political Leader of the NJM as the first visitor from a fraternal party since the overthrow of the old order in Grenada. Veteran Guyanese and Caribbean journalist Ricky Singh was to follow a few days later.
I had in my possession a sealed envelope addressed to Bishop. It contained a personal
letter for Bishop’s personal attention.
After reading the letter, Bishop shared with me its contents.
In his letter, apart from congratulating Bishop and the NJM Dr. Jagan wanted to know from Bishop what was the immediate priority of his new PRG administration.
Bishop immediately put through a call to Dr. Jagan via the local Cable and Wireless office.
He informed Dr. Jagan that his immediate priority was to gain diplomatic recognition for the new administration.
While I was still at his improvised office at the radio station, within a few moments of Bishop’s conversation with Dr. Jagan, Michael Manley, Prime Minister of Jamaica called Bishop making a similar enquiry. Bishop’s response to Manley was the same as he had told Dr. Jagan.
Diplomatic recognition of the Provisional Revolutionary Government (PRG) was an uphill challenge for Maurice Bishop.
Out of fear that they may be endorsing a government that had come to power through the ‘barrel of a gun’ and fearing a precedent that they might be sending a wrong signal about the road to political power by their own opposition forces, some CARICOM governments were reluctant to follow the governments of Guyana and Jamaica who had taken the lead in recognizing the PRG of Grenada.
Success was however eventually achieved on the diplomatic front after Michael Manley had lobbied governments belonging to the Socialist International, while Burnham lobbied governments belonging to the Non-aligned Movement and Cheddi Jagan the USSR and socialist governments in Eastern Europe.
General elections and democracy Westminster-style was rejected by the PRG of Grenada. Their argument was that the Westminster model was a failed model of governance and had to be replaced by a model best suited for Grenada but only after a new constitution had been promulgated following a referendum which the government was preparing to hold.
Four and a half years after, Grenada had scored much success on the economic and social fronts. New low-cost housing schemes were built, great strides were made in public health, education became free of cost, agricultural development assumed a transformative character and a new modern international airport was built with the help of the Cuban government.
But alas, internal ideological differences emerged between the leaders of the ruling NJM. The differences were manifested in the emergence of two factions.
There were those led by Bernard Coard, the Deputy Prime Minister who wanted to go the orthodox Marxist way while others led by Bishop opted to proceed along the path of a national democracy.
The Coard faction seized power and placed Bishop and his followers under house arrest.
The revolution began to disintegrate.
Internal and external forces hostile to the PRG, its programmes and policies invited the US to intervene militarily using the safety of US residents and students on the island as well as the Cuban presence as the pretext to do so.
Dr. Jagan was called upon to travel to the island to act as a mediator. He could not because of the rapidly deteriorating situation on the island.
The rest is history.
Yours faithfully,
Clement J. Rohee
