I remember in this article, the late, great Grenadian Prime Minister, Maurice Bishop. His career as a politician, civil rights leader and Caribbean statesman led to significant social changes in Grenada but, tragically, he was killed in an internal coup in 1983. Bishop came to power through a bloodless Grenadian Revolution of 1979 that overthrew the administration of Prime Minister, Eric Gairy, at that time. Bishop was a brilliant communicator, and his mutual empathy with the masses of the people was one of the major driving forces of the Revolution. Bishop placed the freedom and progress of Grenadians ahead of any selfish material interest. It is argued that Bishop was also influenced by Julius K. Nyrere of Tanzania who observed that, “Capitalism means that the masses will work, and a few people – who may not labor at all – will benefit from that work. The few will sit down to a banquet, and the masses will eat whatever is left over.” Bishop’s vision was for his people to be treated as equals. He noted that “the revolution is for work, for food, for decent housing and health services, and for a better future for our children.”
Bishop’s performance as Prime Minister, during the four-and-a-half years of the Revolution, was brilliant and unprecedented. He was able to articulate the concerns of the ordinary people in a very eloquent way and he spoke not only for Grenadians but for the poor, the dispossessed and the downtrodden of the world. There was an instant connection between Bishop and the people of the Caribbean as he was swamped by people wherever he went, eager to hear his message of hope and his vision for a new Caribbean.
Under Bishop’s leadership, all Grenadians prospered financially and socially. Bishop introduced many significant improvements in Grenada. He eliminated illiteracy, that saw the rate drop from 35 percent to just 5 percent, by establishing adult education programmes. He promoted agricultural development, extended legal rights to women, created tourism initiatives, and started a modern international airport, now named in his honor. Bishop also promoted tertiary education whereby many Grenadian students were given scholarships to study in Cuba and Russia. During his administration, healthcare became free and unemployment dropped from 50 percent to 14 percent. Bishop also introduced a system of direct democracy where citizens were able to voice their opinions on matters affecting the country, and even gave input into the island’s budget. Bishop’s administration accomplished all this without the help of the U.S.A. Government.
Don Rojas, Bishop’s Press Secretary, summed up the orientation of his Revolution in the following statement:
“Maurice Bishop was attempting to empower the Grenadian people, a people who had a long history of slavery, followed by British colonialism, followed by independence in 1974 … Maurice Bishop’s vision for Grenada was of a small country standing tall and proud in the Caribbean region and in the world community. He was able to bring his message very successfully of a new way for Grenada and the Caribbean to the world, to the United Nations, to the non-aligned movement, et cetera, and received tremendous acclaim around the world at a time.”
In addition to leading the fight for economic, political, social, racial, gender and cultural justice in Grenada, and in addition to working tirelessly to improve the lot of ordinary Grenadian people, Bishop was also a great friend to the socialist and anti-imperialist world, notably Cuba and Russia. Grenada also became a magnetic attraction for black power activists from the US. Little wonder it was considered such a threat by the U.S.A. administration.
It was also argued that Bishop had become a personality cult because he was revered so much by the people. Former Cuban President and close ally of Bishop, Fidel Castro, countered this notion with the view that, “It was impossible to imagine anyone more noble, modest and unselfish. He could never have been guilty of being authoritarian; if he had any defect, it was his excessive tolerance and trust. In our view, [the anti – popular coup] objectively destroyed the Revolution and opened the door to the [U.S.] invasion “. Ralph Gonzales, St. Vincent and The Grenadines Prime Minister, speaking about his comrade Bishop drew similarities of him to Nehemiah, who was also mocked by his enemies and, despite the adversity, he was a committed leader who triumphed leading his people for noble causes.
Bishop was fearless and eloquent in his speeches about the plight of the small man, and the sovereignty of his country, and was considered to be the Martin Luther King Jr. of the Caribbean. Bishop noted, “We are a small country, we are a poor country, with a population of largely African descent, we are a part of the exploited Third World, and we definitely have a stake in seeking the creation of a new international economic order which would assist in ensuring economic justice for the oppressed and exploited peoples of the world, and in ensuring that the resources of the sea are used for the benefit of all the people of the world and not for a tiny minority of profiteers. Our aim, therefore, is to join all organizations and work with all countries that will help us to become more independent and more in control of our own resources. In this regard, nobody who understands present-day realities can seriously challenge our right to develop working relations with a variety of countries.” Now, when was the last time you heard a Caribbean politician talking like that?
Maurice Bishop’s legacy still lives on where the fight for recognition and fair treatment of the small man must be a priority for those in leadership. Notwithstanding, the fact is that we are still fighting the imperialists who are promoting their agenda at our expense. Bishop, during his short-lived leadership, was able to transform an entire society and restore hope and order to an oppressed people. Bishop was a leader who served his people with distinction, rather than wanting them to serve him. He had a heart of gold. A characteristic many Caribbean leaders lack nowadays. A True Leader builds a society that favored the great good for all, and not just for a selected few. Bishop perfectly exemplified the principle that “to whom much is given, from him much is required.”
