Eric
Gairy was born in Grenada
in 1922. A schoolteacher and trade union leader
he formed the left of centre political party, the Grenada United Labour
Party (GULP) in 1950.
Gairy
soon became an important political figure in Grenada and held the
posts of Chief Minister in the Federation of the West Indies (1957-1962)
and became prime minister of Grenada in 1967. During this period,
the main opposition to the GULP came from the Grenada National Party
(GNP).
In
1969 Maurice Bishop returned to Grenada
after studying law in England. Bishop now became Gairy's main rival.
Bishop helped form the Movement for Assemblies of the People (MAP)
and the Movement for the Advance of Community (MACE). Later these
organizations merged with Joint Endeavor for Welfare, Education and
Liberation (JEWEL) to establish the New
Jewel Movement (NJM).
In
1970 Gairy formed a private army called the Mongoose Gang. On 18th
November, 1973, Maurice Bishop and two
other members of the NJM were badly beaten by this gang. Bishop suffered
a broken jaw in the attack and was hospitalized for several weeks.
After
his election victory in 1972 Gairy argued that Grenada should be granted
its independence from Britain. In May 1973 Gairy visited London
where he discussed this issue with Edward Heath
and it was agreed that Grenada would become independent in February,
1974.
Some
people in Grenada were worried by this decision. It was feared that
Gairy would install himself as a dictator after independence. A Committee
of 22 was established by the trade unions, civic organizations and
the church. On 1st January 1974 the group called a national strike.
On
21st January 1974 the Committee of 22 held a protest march. During
the demonstration the marchers were attacked by the police. Several
people were injured and Rupert Bishop, the father of Maurice
Bishop, the leader of the New Jewel
Movement, was killed.
Eric
Gairy and his Grenada United Labour Party won the elections held on
7th November, 1976. However, opposition leaders complained that all
election officials were members of GULP and that they had tampered
with the voting papers.
In
1977 Gairy began receiving advice from General Augusto
Pinochet of
Chile
on
how to deal with civil unrest. His police and military also received
"counter insurgency" training from the Pinochet regime.
The New Jewel Movement retaliated by
developing links with Fidel Castro and
his Marxist government in Cuba.
Gairy's
state of mind also raised concerns. In October 1977 Gairy addressed
the General Assembly of the United Nations.
During his speech he urged the UN to establish an Agency for Psychic
Research into Unidentified Flying Objects and the Bermuda Triangle.
He also called for 1978 to be established as "The Year of the
UFO".
In
1978 Gairy's police began arresting members of the opposition. Political
leaders went into hiding and on 13th March 1979, Maurice
Bishop of the New Jewel Movement
led an overthrow of the government.
Gairy
moved to the United States and lived in New
York before moving to San Diego. He returned to Grenada
in
1984 and after suffering a stroke died on 23rd August 1997.
(1)
United States State Department reported on the activities of Eric
Gairy in 1978.
The formation of the infamous Mongoose Gang in 1970 - an illegal act
since Gairy had no legal authority to establish law enforcement agencies
outside the provision of the law of the state - unleashed a series
of unspeakable atrocities against the Grenada citizenry, constitution
a veritable reign of terror.
(2)
Eric
Gairy,
speech (February 1972)
Take warning, my dear people, and remember that we, as human beings,
can fool one another, but we cannot fool God. In Carriacou today,
there are a number of organization that are being operated under the
guise of social, cultural or even charitable intentions, but you know
as well as I do, that their motives are very sinister and contrary
to what the organizers profess them to be. You know too, that certain
persons have been going around by night and day, telling lies, preaching
hate, and like wolves in sheep clothing have been deceiving the poor
people and robbing them of their much needed pennies, under false
pretences. Beware, my dear people, and again remember that they are
only fooling themselves, because we believe that there is a just God
whom they cannot fool.
Obviously, this terrible
drought situation is a consequence of the sinful way of life which
prevails in Carriacou and Petit Martinique today. This sinful way
of hate, of violence, of ungratefulness and of untruth is not the
Way of God, but of men who represent the devil and his followers,
and consequently are responsible for summoning the wrath of God upon
us all."
(3)
Eric
Gairy,
speech (7th February 1974)
We are now completely free, liberated, independent. In spite of a
wicked, malicious, obstructive, destructive minority of noise-making
self-publicists, God has heard our prayers. God has been merciful.
God has triumphed.
(4)
Maurice
Bishop, speech (March, 1979)
Let me assure the people of Grenada that all democratic freedoms,
including freedom of elections, religious and political opinion, will
be fully restored to the people. People of Grenada, this revolution
is for work, for food, for decent housing and health services, and
for a bright future for our children and great grandchildren.
Available
from Amazon Books (order below)
