|
|
Mauritius: The Way Forward
 |
 |
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
L'Express (Port Louis)
COLUMN
13 March 2008
Posted to the web 13 March 2008
Pauline ETIENNE
Port Louis
Yes, we have reasons for rejoicing. The country celebrated its 40th anniversary yesterday with great pomp and it was right in doing so. For the past 40 years, the country has achieved so much Great leaders in the public and private sectors have succeeded in putting our country on the world map and we will forever be grateful to them. But now, we have to turn towards the future and look at the way forward
Such occasions are opportunities to show that we are proud of our multiculturalism. Yesterday was again a time when the leaders recognized the benefits of the rainbow nation. But reality is different and those same leaders are obviously the main ones responsible for this situation.
That Mauritius lives in peace and harmony is true. There are no major communal or racist fights as such but few of us are truly Mauritian. Most of us first feel they belong to one community, one religion before they feel they belong to the nation. And politicians have proved them right so far.
Before each general election, the various parties cynically do serious calculations to win the majority of votes. With this in mind, they all make sure that they present the right number of each section of the population. Instead of giving the right example - as leaders - they just get into the system and contribute to making it livelier year after year.
We should then not be astonished to see such a low number of mixed marriages and to hear the scandal such an event would bring into "Mauritian" families. Even though this practice has tended to be slightly more frequent over the past few years, it is still taboo in many families even today.
|
But the biggest problem is at national level. Despite their speeches of gatherer, all those at the head of political parties today just acknowledge communalism in their actions. The more so, if they think they could win something - something meaning votes or at least sympathy - from the public.
None of them have the least remorse to resort to such low practices. For them, the "end justifies the means" whatever happens afterwards. It is a pity that after 40 years of independence, we are still prisoners of old principles that merely weaken the country instead of making it even stronger It is even more a pity that the situation has not improved since 1968.
The Meade report stated that the multiculturalism of Mauritius would lead to the decline of the Mauritian nation. Events and people of this country have proved this wrong. It is now up to all of us to go even further And particularly to the ones in power today or those who aspire to it tomorrow!
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Copyright © 2008 L'Express. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections -- or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Make allAfrica.com your home page | RSS Feed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top | Site Guide | Who We Are | Advertising | Search | Subscribe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Questions or Comments? Contact us. Read our Privacy Statement. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
