By Hudson George
Grenada is an amazing country when it comes to politics based on ideology and the people considered as intellectuals. And it seems as though the self-claimed intellectuals are the ones who professed to be anti-neo-liberalists and belong to the progressive forces but lacking the courage and skills to create a left-wing political movement.
The thought is, to be accepted within the political intellectual circle in Grenada, citizens must have progressive political thoughts. And it is very interesting to hear some of them speak with confidence as they take pleasure to criticise neo-liberal government politics and label others who reject their political values as lesser intelligent citizens.
But the most disappointing thing about them is that they are lacking the talent and skills to form a progressive left-wing political party to present themselves with confidence, to the grassroots working-class citizens with a manifesto to explain the political plans they have for a future progressive government. Unfortunately, they will never try.
Most of them prefer to open a social media account and tag citizens whom they think are advocating a different brand of politics, that is not aligned to their political thoughts and always try to create political agreements.
Now that we are in October 2020, they are supposed to hold political discussions about their glories Grenada revolution and to make their annual Marxists pilgrimage journey to Fort George to commemorate the death of the revolution; and to blame imperialism for their own demised. However, due to the present COVID-19 virus pandemic, they are unable to travel as freely as they are accustomed to.
In addition, there are some Caribbean scholars with left-wing political ideas who are sympathetic towards the Grenada revolution. Some of them are Grenadians scholars too and they are very vocal. They are even making suggestions that the history of the Grenada revolution should be taught in schools. But the big question is: Who will be the one willing to tell the true story about the Grenada revolution without any biases?
As a Grenadian myself, I think there should be a museum built in Grenada to show all the military equipment’s that were used by the People Revolutionary Army (PRA), during the period of the revolution, so that Grenadians and foreigners could visit Grenada’s political history.
As for the annual visit to Fort George to commemorate the October 19, 1983 bloodbath and try to make it a sort of ideological and political ritual. I think that activities must end because we are not governed by the laws of the PRG regime. Furthermore, it is a waste of time and energy remembering an event that remains a secret to the masses of the population. There is no active left-wing political party in Grenada presently. Some of those well-known PRG so-called communists are now advisors for the ruling right-wing New National Party (NNP) government.
The late Maurice Bishop was not a political figure as former president Evo Morales of Bolivia who champions the cause of working-class Bolivian peasants and workers. For example, Morales was deposed by some members of Bolivia’s army and he was forced into exile, but his working-class socialist party was able to win the general elections held recently.
However, Bishop never created a popular left-wing party. His rise to political leadership started when he joined an alliance with the popular rural grassroots New Jewel Movement. He crushed the Jewel Movement after the March 13, revolution.
In conclusion, I would say that the last surviving voices of the Grenada revolution and their scholarly sympathisers are like puppies with teeth. They only bark and make noise. They do not have any connection with working-class people struggle in Grenada. Therefore, progressive intellectual political discourse cannot win working-class people support. They are not grassroots.
