Hurricane Beryl is no more, but she left a lot for us to chew on

At the end of my last column, I promised to deal with our response to Beryl’s devastation in part of our state while agreeing to continue with our carnival festivities. This is now no big thing because it has passed, and we are left to face the challenges that the category 4 hurricane brought to us.

I have to admit that it was a difficult situation. Hundreds of people had come in for Carnival, some having stayed on after the T 20 Cricket. Others had already booked their flights for the week when Beryl arrived.

A lot of money would have been invested, remembering too, that this is the time when some persons make most of their income for the year. Then there were those who had paid down on their costumes, particularly those from overseas who would likely not be able to make it back if they had shifted the date. Beside, Carnival is our biggest national festival. Well, that is only one part of the story, for the news from the Southern Grenadines would probably have warranted the declaration of a State of Emergency in those areas. The image of a disaster affecting many of our people and others partying like party can’t done sends certain signals to the rest of the world whom we are depending on to come to our assistance. As it turned out, many seemed not to have had a major problem with the continuation of the festivity. I doubt that many would have lost an interest in offering us support because of that.

In the end it probably came down to a personal decision. The temporary disruption to my life caused by Beryl was not serious; in fact, was a big joke when I began hearing stories about how some people were affected and how they made it through the period of onslaught by Beryl. We have certainly not heard all of the stories, which of course would have lessons for us.

We have to remember too, that we are really still at the beginning of the hurricane season. When I saw videos of what some persons were going through, I really had to say No! No! to carnival.

But I have no problem with those who continued as though everything was normal.

Now we are facing certain harsh realities.

We might not have been directly affected, but the limited resources of the state have to be put toward meeting the challenges of reconstruction not only of the Southern Grenadines, but also dealing with many on the mainland who might have been affected. I have up to now not heard a proper assessment of

damages on the mainland, and I am almost sure that they are more than we have been led to believe. Not, of course, compared to the Southern Grenadines but meaningful to those affected. In times of crises and disaster the tendency is for unity among the people but there is a large distrust that is preventing it. When I hear reports of what is said and being done by the Prime Minister, I am left feeling that we are in the midst of a political campaign.

I saw pictures of CARICOM officials, including Government Ministers, in the Southern Grenadines and was left to ask why the peoples’ representatives from the Grenadines are not involved. When I heard that our PM was making the point that his long experience taught him the right buttons to touch and also claiming to be friends of those in positions to assist, I thought of our young Grenadian Prime Minister and Wondered! It is as though our PM came into office with all of this in place.

What is needed most at this stage is an agreement on areas of priority. I suspect that before many of those directly affected get fully into support mood, they want to be ensured that their home situation is being addressed. I get the impression from the Southern Grenadines that the people are ready to rebuild their community, but certain things have to be put in place. What is needed is not some order coming from the mainland, from a Kingdom, as Patches would say, but a frank discussion with the people on the ground to decide on how they move forward.

They must, of course, be fully involved in the reconstruction of their homeland. Let us in all of this not forget that the representatives of the people from the Grenadines are members of the Opposing Party in Government and need to be fully a part of the process of moving forward. Let us do something right for once!

Let us put centre stage the issue of transparency and accountability for all of those seeking assistance on behalf of the people in the Southern Grenadines.

_ Dr Adrian Fraser is a social commentator and historian