allAfrica.com: Mauritius: "The Modern Mauritian Reduced Now to a Confused Bundle of Uncertainties" (Page 1 of 1)

Mauritius: "The Modern Mauritian Reduced Now to a Confused Bundle of Uncertainties"

There has been a spate of heinous crimes recently. Shakuntala Hawoldar, as an enlightened observer, gives her views on what is wrong with society while offering food for thought on possible remedies.

What are the ills of modern Mauritian society?

The ills of the Mauritian society are complex and compounded by several factors - cultural, social, psychological, political and economic. It is a fast mutating society, vulnerable in the sense that global forces play havoc with its multicultural and existential fabric. International players can reduce it to pulp through trade agreements and disagreements as well as evolving and dissolving financial protocols. And further other economic factors intertwined with the gigantic international corporate grip of its multinational actors and events makes Mauritius dive for cover and gasp for air.

Whether it be our food security issue or ecological disasters, Mauritius often finds itself as a victim of an unlevelled playing field rather than as a full-team player with calculated skills and cunning to match strategies of the giants and markets of the world. The information explosion has also reduced the modern Mauritian to a confused trembling bundle of uncertainties. Where do we invest? What do we invest? Who can we trust?

What strengths can we capitalize on?

There is hope among the youth who are quick on the uptake of new scenarios weaving into the new information digital age with amazing alacrity, enthusiasm and ease. The youth are versatile, dynamic and creative about new job opportunities but lack the drive toward excellence and often rest contented with less performance and more bravado. A more holistic education where body, mind and spiritual values can be channelled afresh may turn our youth into more reflective individuals who may refuse the extra dollars, move into more fruitful marriages, wholesome hobbies, creative pastimes, giving more depth and purpose to our community life, which is fast evaporating.

The entrepreneurial field is calling the young and not so young into newer service industries with new needs of our society. There is a greater demand for more fitness clubs, better food regimens, quality health therapies and sports, part-time activities for the ageing population and childcare for the very young. Nursing care and alternative medicine for the tired and sick Mauritians and tourists. Mauritian society is evolving fast and is caught among many world views struggling to find its own identity.

"You cannot nourish private interest at the cost of public welfare. Issues like poverty, unemployment and other inequalities will need to be addressed not 'en masse' but on a case to case basis."

What practical measures can the decision-makers take to nurture a healthier society?

Arvind Boolell must revive the young farmer services, give incentives to popularize kitchen gardens, local milk products, poultry, develop village cooperatives for fresh vegetables and fruits. He will need to put his foot down on the indiscriminate use of insecticides, pesticides and impose severe penalties on misuse. A society as sick as Mauritius (diabetes, heart disease, cholesterol all the highest in the world) needs to be on the war path against health problems. Watch the hawkers observe basic rules of hygiene and health. We need to ensure one hot meal goes to every child in Mauritius with the help of parent- teachers' associations which need to cooperate with schools instead of being critical only of the school system.

Instead of people chasing Dharam Gokhool, they should chase the people who have slept on the sanitation and drainage system in our country for the past decades. We need real managers with accountability right across the board in the public sector and local government to build a true accueil centre for investors and tourists. The private sector, on the other hand, should not only oil the wheels of the shareholders but also contribute to public welfare and concerns. You cannot nourish private interest at the cost of public welfare.

Issues like poverty, unemployment and other inequalities will need to be addressed not "en masse" but on a case to case basis. For example, the ministry of Finance will need to support and sponsor basic food items like dholl, oil, rice and farine de blé (not white flour) for Mauritians to tide over the tsunami of rising prices.

We need to deploy the SMF anew since we are not sending them to Iraq, Iran or Afghanistan yet. Let us get the poor police force trained to act and not fear the criminals! We need to give them their dignity and be proud of them as our protectors.

Ideally, how should Mauritians envolve?

Let's go back to our good old practices to build our community life, our healthy neighbourhood, our family values and get togetherness and, above all, our wonderful Mauritian hospitality and openness.

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