The ugly incident which saw Grenada’s double world javelin champion Anderson Peters being beaten and thrown overboard a boat by a group of Trinidadians has caused a wave of contention between Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago.
The brawl, which occurred aboard the Harbour Master, owned by a Trinidadian businessman, has led to widespread condemnation in Grenada and word coming from the famous spice isle is that the incident has angered ordinary Grenadians, who are still celebrating Peters’ recent exploits at the World Championships and Commonwealth Games. According to news reports coming out of Grenada, citizens there are so enraged at the attack on their champion and sporting icon that they have even called for protests.
Top sporting bodies, the Grenada Athletic Association (GAA) and the local sporting club linked to Anderson, the St David’s Track Blazers (SDTB) Inc, have issued statements calling for a full investigation into the incident by the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF), whose officers responded quickly to the incident aboard the boat on Wednesday.
The alleged beating came a mere two days after Peters received a hero’s welcome as he returned to Grenada. After all, having secured a gold medal at the World Championships in the United States, Peters followed that up with a silver at the Commonwealth Games in England, so there was much to celebrate.
The episode has also caught the attention of Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell, prompting him to issue a statement denouncing the violent attack and calling for healing. Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Amery Browne also made a call to his Grenada counterpart, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Export Development Joseph Andall, to express regret at the incident and to no doubt assure that it will in no way shake the strong ties between the two countries.
Aside from the physical injuries and emotional trauma sustained to Peters, the fracas has served to create a deep division between two Caribbean neighbours with long-standing good relations.
Grenada and T&T have enjoyed close ties over the decades, including in the cultural, economic, political and social spheres.
In fact, the closeness between the two nations has been bolstered by the ease of migration, which has led to many generations of Trini-Grenadians or Grenadian-Trinidadians in the two countries.
This is why the Grenadian Prime Minister’s call for healing must be heeded.
While the full details about what led up to the brawl have not been released, the law must take its course and those culpable for committing a crime or crimes ought to be held to account.
The severity of what took place aboard the vessel should not be ignored by Trinis and Grenadians alike.
However, years of strong relationships between the two nations should not be so easily severed.
There should be room for diplomatic dialogue to nip any brewing animosity in the bud before its spreads and creates any fragmentation in ties between the two countries. But it should not have to get that far if good sense prevails.
Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago can ill-afford any discord at a time when Caricom countries, and indeed nations across the globe, are strengthening connections to navigate through the ravages of incidents like the COVID-19 pandemic and the fallout from the Ukraine/Russia war.