Saturday, December 26, 2009

2009: Another Year in Paradise

2009: Another Year in Paradise

The author shares his insights on the present situation of Mauritius before the ‘peuple admirable’ gets ready to forget the many injustices it endured during the year choosing to embark on that safe selective retention mode while the country’s democratically elected Chief Entertainer gets ready for his white X-Mas. In an annum marked by Navin’s multiple historic trysts with world greats, the No.8 elections and numerous other scandals arising from the laissez faire style of the country heads, the unthinking majority chose yet again to postpone its baptism in active citizenship sine die.



What you should not forget...but you’ll forget anyway

No exit clause, no excuses: We witnessed how at the Air Mauritius, a real life version of Pope’s The Rape of the Lock unfolded where poor decisions resulting from the incompetence of some meant that the company had to compromise its short and medium term profitability. In the process, our Phaeton Rubicola effectively lost its credibility but the situation also highlighted the inability of the Great One to put the right people in the right place.



And Justice for all?: The travesty of justice in several cases continued to grab headlines with favouritism now openly practiced with the rooting for the interests of family members, political acquaintances and corporate entities (read political financiers). The King of hollow speeches shouted with all his might that he has managed to turn this country around and thereby salvaged our collective destinies from ‘l’oligarchie sucrière’. The majority of the population heeded his words believing that the much needed democratisation of the economy would materialise. Unfortunately for our motherland, the sly fox had been veiled as the protective shepherd back in 2005 and we failed to notice it.



Capitalism x 2: A double dose of Sithanenomics in this post-crisis year, with most experts close to the nantis lauding the greatness and profound intelligence of the Minister while the public, as is customary now, unable to overstand the many issues now accepting the visionless minister’s actions as a boon. How our national maven, for all his knowledge in economics and political science, managed to submit his resignation to the wrong person in 2007 still riddles our minds. Till today, many of us still rue this missed opportunity.




Welcome to the Navin Show:

Our glorious leader managed a master stroke by garnering all the credit for Pravind's win in the No.8 family feud.However, his haughtiness reached new heights with his ever growing desire to be perceived as someone highly important at global level. And who has to put up with the renditions of his discussions with the heads of economic powerhouses? We do. Puerility on Navin’s behalf? No, more pernicious than that, pure unbridled adulation of oneself. Part of the press that answers to Ramgoolam’s every beck and call also managed to instill in our minds the idea that the outcome of the next elections was already finalised.



Protection Montagne: How we managed to let ethnicity be the leverage for success, or how politics was perverted to tolerate illegality (with the latest example being the efforts of the former Lord Mayor squashed as a means of ethnic baiting) was another defining feature of 2009.

Occult forces continued to operate in several sectors providing an almost endless supply of money to fuel businesses. Of special interest was the greater use of greeting codes that are now that all powerful sesame and which possess the unique ability to open locked doors. This today offers the ability to show one’s appartenance to the right clique in public (extending to radio waves) and private spheres thus resulting in a flawed system where some of us are allowed undue privileges because of their racial affiliations.

The No.8 elections showed that the new king makers were vain individuals from socio-cultural organizations that continued to let their destructive influence tarnish an already soiled democratic space. A long way from “Ene sel lepep, ene sel nation”.



Other Issues: The MMM? Still lost.Pravind? Sans envergure.


A glimmer of hope.

Eliminating the rat race: Bunwaree laid the foundations for a thinking society with such bold propositions that included the projected scrapping of the elitist system. This was followed, as expected, by such simplistic comments from pseudo experts as “akoz ou zenfant pas laureat ou p dire sa”. This is far from being an issue springing out of any form of jealousy or feeling of resentment. It has to do with the simple realization that this present system which thrives on parrot learning is ending up doing more harm than good. It also has to do with the return on investment which is simply not worth the amount of money devoted to such an endeavour. Especially so, if the greater part of the country’s nationally funded eminence grise’s only aim is to pad its bank accounts by working abroad. Not that there is anything wrong with that. But not with studies financed by taxpayers’ money.





Others claimed that they would not return to the country because of the lack of meritocracy and corruption that phagocytes it. But are those acute issues pertinent to Mauritius only? Are they not present in even the most developed of countries? The greatness of all responsible citizens consists in helping change their country for the better instead of deciding to escape to foreign shores. Equally vile were the attacks on the Minister’s reforms were the conservatives’ claim that it constituted a form of ethnic bashing. Until we extirpate the debate on education from the communal gutter, no expected outcome will ever be translated into reality.

The Mauritian(s) of the year award:

2009 belongs to Sam Lauthan and Jack Bizlall. The former for being noble in a party that is no longer so and for having the class of leaving politics untainted selecting to stick to his beliefs while others have long succumbed to their gluttony for power. The second one for having the ability to say things in the ‘overcrowded baracoon’ that confirms that not all of us have given up their quest for a better society. Both of them militans (the coaltar not the caviar versions). The rarest of breeds these days.


The untimely departed

James Burty David, that quick-witted, courageous soldier, peerless in loyalty among labourites shall be missed by many. Hardworking with an unwavering attachment to the venerable institution that the Labour Party is, JBD shall be an example for many aspiring and practicing politicians. Chapeau bas!



Vivement 2010.

Chetan Ramchurn

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Nail in The Coffin by Chetan Ramchurn (Le Mauricien 29.09.09)

1969-2009-MMM

NAIL IN THE COFFIN

Time to annihilate this archaic version of the MMM… let the vitriol from my Parker Sonnet flow…



My faith in the Purple Heart has not wavered since I chose to be part of it. Has not faltered, despite the hateful salvos of the arrogance-inebriated propagandists so keen on reducing the party to néant and has not vacillated in the face of accusations of our supposed surgically-precise partitioning of different communities. But the fact that we are stuck in that damning navel gazing mode where we celebrate our past glories and overlook the many inglorious episodes that have led us to be branded as obsolete have made the last few months the nadir of my young political days.



Succinctly, before our eyes, plagued by an abysmal absence of vision, the party mires into fibrillation with an intellectual side that has stopped pumping for far too long. What we should ask ourselves at this defining moment of the party’s existence is how we never managed to shake off that infamous “Le Parti des Minorités” tag that others slapped on us or how when in power we failed to bring much needed changes with electoral reforms or more transparency in the public and private sectors and as importantly in political financing, or as from 1983 onwards how everything that we stood for became confined to the realm of ideas and was never translated into action (bar the reform of the education sector), how corruption that lynchpin of so many other societal wrongs was seen to be tolerated by us…or that the self-professed Noble Party witnessed backroom shenanigans where worthless candidates were promoted in favour of more able ones for positions of power to suit the whims and wishes of some of the party heads.



Trapped in culpable inaction, the Militans, guardians of the moral sacredness of the MMM need to understand that if they follow this treacherous path, no return to the genesis of the party can be achieved. No longer can they let themselves be frogmarched into accepting the unacceptable; the promotion of insipid figures chosen because of their past affiliations, the loss of ideological foundations to our lutte. Or the relinquishing of that ingredient that was at the origin of this whole journey; the fight against all forms of racial divisions and the celebration of Mauritianism (Ene sel lepep, ene sel nation). Indeed, has the party that advocated class warfare stooped so low that our winning formula for the next elections resides in the return of that crucial missing piece that led to our defeat in the 2005 elections? (“Aujourd'hui la désillusion de l'électorat musulman face à l'Alliance Sociale est totale et il revient en masse vers le MMM.” Bérenger/ Week-End 20/09/09).



But maybe I am veering away from what I should be doing as the archetypal ‘militan’, going beyond merely being a beni-oui-oui and engaging in something that is so rare within the MMM ranks these days; thinking. My interest in and subsequent decision to be a contributor to Mauritian politics was strongly motivated by the Kaya Riots and l’Affaire Amicale, both incidents showing the sinister side of Paradise Island. The first one reminding us of the frailty of our society and the second one demonstrating the intolerance the human kind was capable of. In 2008, I joined the MMM. Convinced that if there was one party that could prevent our motherland from falling prey to intestinal divisions, it would be one that combined the teachings of former Labour greats with that of Marx and which had an unrivalled history in its formative years of fighting for the proletariat.



Listening to the self-professed opinion leaders pullulating on our radio waves, the conclusion would be that Bérenger is the root cause of all woes within the MMM. With his place alongside the likes such illustrious Mauritians like Anquetil, Curé ,Rozemont, Bissoondoyal and SSR now firmly enshrined, the leader of the MMM might have slipped into solipsism choosing to heed only to himself and has failed (until recently, with le retour aux sources) to give the needed strategic thrust to the party. And in the meantime, philanderers of the MMM temple abounded, all indulging in some form of ideological molesting with a party conceptualised by utopians.



The time has come for us to change the way we do politics. We should refrain from mechanical mudslinging and abstain from what Navin did back in 2005, rely on demagogic “Le Grand Soir” style discourses and foster ideas that are adapted to modern realities. Let us genuinely strive to alter how party members view their role and ensure that the now famous line “Dans la lutte pena recompense” is an ode to meritocracy and not simply used to thwart those petits copains that the party fails to serve. Let us stop playing the ostrich game and question ourselves and start from scratch with militans that genuinely care about the future of this nation.





I am not worried about what lies ahead. The MMM will rise again from its present ideological and intellectual blackout. Having read with optimism the paper “Qu’est-ce qu’être militan en 2009” and having spoken to some of my peers, I know that there are other inhabitants of Planet MMM that share my views. Yet, more than ever now, there is the need to discard those ideas and people that have made us so hollow over the years. The ambition of the party at its creation was to eradicate the trenches between the different communities and was based on socialist principles such as the establishment of a more egalitarian society… ideals that like the MMM simply will never die.



Here is my cri de coeur, “Thinking militans, unite”



Chetan Ramchurn

A Young Member of the MMM

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Far From the Madding Crowd/Chetan Ramchurn/Le Mauricien/10/09/09

OF MASS CONSUMPTION, CULTURE AND US

Far from the madding crowd
Port Louis can be distressing… had Descartes been through its hectic streets on a normal day, no further proof would be required for him to proclaim that mind had effectively lost against matter. A cauldron humming with very important people with very important files on their very important laptops, accents so fabricated you would swear there must be some kind of oral deficiency with those using them, discussions so very important you would think the future of the world must be depending on their outcomes, characters so shallow and pavlovian in their fabric that you would bet they were plucked from Huxley's influential work. Come Friday, the noise slowly dies… the sanctuary of consumption leaves behind desolate and desert streets.



When the HRDC haughtily announced its idea to have this concrete Mecca buzzing for 24 hours ; where there would be no noticeable difference between night and day, I shuddered. Port Louis can be excruciatingly boring during daytime, why bother replicating ennui to night time. Some say the 24/7 was all good, it showed the resilience of the Mauritian economy to the crisis, it demonstrated that Mauritians are still avid consumers and no longer fettered by the ambient economic morosity. Consumption is well and truly our soma, a blissful, self-gratifying activity that entangles us in a world where we are reduced to what we consume.

A New Mauritius cannot be built on those consumerist ideals ; certainly there must be other ways of uplifting Mauritian souls than by having them engaged in buyer-seller relationships. Would our government not be more inspired to organise a 24/7 of culture next time as opposed to last time's 24/7 of consumption ? This would give the ideal platform to creators and thinkers to show the richness of our society.


Ateliers would be on hand for aspiring entertainers, reading sessions of masters of prose like Cabon, Poe, Joyce and Balzac would allow whole generations to discover the power of words, historians would tell of the unique destinies of our land and its people, live musicians would confirm the greatness of our diversity, street theatre performers would demonstrate the mettle of our artists, local filmmakers would get to show us creations inspired by Mauritian life, contemporary sages would interact with various audiences offering a rich blend of ideas… ultimately creating an atmosphere that would make us grow as human beings.

Let us set our minds free…

Chetan Ramchurn

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Rethinking Mauritius (L'Express 07/07/09/Le Mauricien 10/07/09)

C’est l’histoire d’un homme qui tombe d’un immeuble de cinquante étages.

Le mec, au fur et à mesure de sa chute se répète sans cesse pour se rassurer : jusqu’ici tout va bien, jusqu’ici tout va bien, jusqu’ici tout va bien.
Mais l’important ce n’est pas la chute, c’est l’atterrissage.
(”La Haine” de Mathieu Kassovitz)

Rethinking Mauritius

Like most of you reading this column, it pains us to see our nation trapped in a tortuous downward spiral with no one bothering to send even so much as a lifesaver to it. We should all be worried, lest there should not be any sand left in the hourglass to salvage the destiny our motherland from what awaits it.

No need to be a modern day Pythia to see what lies ahead; the greater divide between the wealthy and the needy, the complete loss of trust in our political leaders (government and opposition alike, even more now when distinguishing them would require a combination of Sherlock Holmes’s and Miss Marple’s sharp minds), the burying of meritocracy, the absence of thinkers in the future (A country without thinkers is one that is bereft of a moral compass, it sails aimlessly towards an illusory destination) and the death of Mauritianism.

Those enjoying the benefits of this flawed system (the political nominees, the hardened capitalists and the conformists) will choose to believe that the views of the ones penning this article are grossly exaggerated and offer an Orwellian portrayal of our society. Yet the advocates of progressionism will recognize that if we fail to act now, we run the risk of reaching a point de non retour…For this is not only about us; this has to do with what we bequeath to the upcoming generations. Either we leave them with a society in a state of advanced moral decomposition or we choose to act now.

Here are two young idealists’ take on issues that warrant our urgent attention.

·

For a transparent political finance regime: The creation of a truly balanced mixed economy with a government that can act as the champion of the oppressed can only materialise if and when our decision makers are no longer mere puppets of financial juggernauts. In the same vein, the democratization of the economy, a must go through path to create a better society, will be translated into reality when power is effectively placed in the hands of the people and where their representatives in the Legislative Assembly are truly concerned about the lives of the masses instead of the bank accounts of their financial benefactors. The need for a truly independent political finance regulator is a must for a more prosperous nation.

·

Where education would no longer be about, what Einstein has dubbed, “the crippling of individuals”: No longer can children be mere robots trained to puke what they’ve memorised. Now is the time for young souls to finally experience the joys of learning; where one’s desire would be fueled by curiosity and where imagination and creativity would no longer be banned from classrooms. Education, if limited to the mere amassing of paper credentials, defeats its purpose. It is only when moral and ethical values gain prominence in schools and universities that we shall have a nation of responsible citizens. Another negative trait of the present Mauritian society lies in the way those that fail to achieve academically are treated. A truly humane society thrives on giving those outcasts other paths than academia where they would feel valued and respected. The makings of an ‘intelligent’ society would require that we do away with an archaic method and embrace an educational system that would reap thinking individuals.

· The creation of a real rainbow nation:.. Where strength to love shall be possessed by one and all where we would learn to understand and tolerate the differences that exist between us and celebrate the common traits that bind us. Of equal importance is the understanding that until we ostracize religious leaders that have at heart only their personal gratification and create a laical society where socio-cultural organizations would not dictate the future of a country, we will remain divided.

·

Ode to meritocracy: With clear examples of those at the end of the ladder having to foot the bill for the poor decisions of unmeritorious people grabbing headlines on a daily basis, our country can no longer afford to let those who have failed be entrusted with new positions of power. No more can the private and public sectors be allowed to operate opaquely. Herein lies our doom…

To those that share our hellish view of the present situation, now is the time for them to come forward and start making a telling difference. Yes a Sisyphean task awaits us, but there is still hope. Together, we definitely can.

Chetan Ramchurn & Arnaud

Monday, April 20, 2009

From the heart... (21.04.09/ Le Mauricien)

From the heart...

"Quand le sage désigne la lune, l'idiot regarde le doigt "

Chinese Proverb



Dear MMM,

Your ears must be hurting by now with all the foul things that have been said about you over the last few weeks. Fuelled by media propagandists that are bent on putting you in that most insufferable political coffin, the anti-MMM movement has seemingly gathered enough ammunition to threaten your 40-year old journey. Leading this pack is the personal friend of world leaders, the God-anointed Saviour of the people, Navin. The Chosen One in yet another of his hubristic fits even predicted that he will be the one with the shovel gleefully digging your grave and who will reduce you to political abyss.



But are all those that have made themselves heard filled with destructive venom? No, a few who genuinely care about your wellbeing have been prescribing medication that will help keep the ‘zom magouyeurs’ and similar diseases away. G.Ahnee pertinently raised the need for clarification on the values and the vision you stand for and posed to your followers a question that has been addling the minds of most of us; ‘Quel est le sens de votre combat?’



Let me add my voice to his, for this perceived dearth of ideas and absence of farsightedness has been plaguing you since 2005. There is the need to come forward with credible solutions to the following strategic issues; how do we reduce the gap between the haves and have-nots, do we keep an archaic education system that thrives on parrot learning or do we finally set the bases for a thinking society, how do we put reins on the capitalism beast and help create a greener society. My beloved MMM, what you need more than anything at this defining moment of your existence is lifeblood in the form of strong ideas, and they, unlike some of your members, will not waver with time…





Let me also request that you do not forget the reasons that have lead some of your children to leave your bosom. Some of your disillusioned disciples felt (and I believe that their case was not totally unfounded) that the last promotion exercise was one that did not give much consideration to meritocracy and was merely a public relations exercise that had been amateurly executed. Let us all hope that other meritorious candidates who have been denied that much-sought ticket for a ride on the power wagon will choose patience over haste and will remain steadfast in their commitment. Let us also pray that the internal wars finally cease and that your members stop tearing you apart. It is not too late to get yourself rid of the haughty young and old incompetents that pretend to love you only for their personal gains. Not when you have able people that are sincere in their dedication but who are overlooked.



The MMM cannot afford to fail. Not now. Now when the country’s future looks bleak and you are its sole ray of hope…



Your loving son,



Chetan Ramchurn



18.04.09



P.S: May I remind all of your adherents of their pledge when they joined the party

« Tout membre du MMM doit se plier a la discipline du Parti, militer activement au sein du Parti, étudier l’histoire du MMM, s’imprégner de ses valeurs, s’efforcer de se doter d’une solide formation politique, se mêler au peuple et y rester proche et au besoin l’aider, pratiquer l’ entraide avec les camarades du Parti, pratiquer l’autocritique quand nécessaire, n’avoir aucune activité ou conduite qui puisse nuire a l’image du Parti … »

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Sithanenomics will lead us to oblivion by Chetan Ramchurn (26.06.09 Le Mauricien/ L'Express 23/06/09)

“Jeunes hommes avides, croyez-moi. Il n’existe que deux manières de gagner la partie: jouer coeur ou tricher. Tricher est difficile; un tricheur pris est battu. Jouer coeur est simple. Il faut en avoir, voilà tout. Vous vous croyez sans coeur. Vous regardez mal vos cartes.”

(Jean Cocteau)

Sithanenomics will lead us to oblivion

The unlikeliest of turnarounds and the most splendid of image makeovers …all in barely seven days. And in came the new Che, the guardian of public weal, the one man that understands the pain of the downtrodden, the Honourable Sithanen who discovered that winning the heart of the population only meant the sacrifice of macroeconomic policies. How the governing alliance morphed from one that collected scandals as badges to a caring government might stun some, but not the thinking man. 2010 is not that far away and the clock has started ticking…

The application of internationally accepted standards might be lauded by several experts but no one should be fooled, the deepening of the trenches between the rich and the poor is well under way. While the microeconomic decisions now afford some breathing space to those in dire need, the absence of any clear cut long term vision is appalling but should not surprise anyone. Sithanen as highly knowledgeable as he claims he is in his field does lack the ability to go beyond what has been laid down in books; a boon so important in the long term survival of a nation. Alain Ah-Vee’s words might not rank high on the flowery language meter but he said it best; “Enn Minis Finans ti bizin pli prevwayan”. Unable to sow the seeds for the building of a new Mauritius during his mandate, Navin should know that as good a storyteller he is, the absence of any real change will lead to his fall from grace and ultimate downfall.

Let not the formidable post-budget PR campaign by the governing alliance blind you from the future economic hurdles that await our motherland. For this promise-laden budget raises even more questions than before. Will the hype generated by the micro initiatives geared at creating the ‘Maurice Ile Durable’ be translated into reality? How does the economic mastermind that Sithanen is tame the inflation beast? How do we put a halt to the continued disintegration of moral values and tackle the law and order issue? How do we breathe new life into the various ailing sectors of our economy? The jury is out and the countdown has begun…


Chetan Ramchurn

Paradise Lost by Chetan Ramchurn (12/09/08 Le Mauricien/ 03/09/08 L'Express)

“Of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste
Brought death into the world and all our woe…”
Paradise Lost

John Milton

Paradise Lost

Mark Twain’s now famous quote linking Mauritius to paradise now sounds like a bitter remembrance of what our fledgling democracy used to be. The state of moral decay that is gangrening our nation leads us to one conclusion; our motherland deserves a better class of leaders.

All guilty

Who should take the blame for further soiling our moral values? All of us are equal partners in crime. We, the “peuple admirable” for having and continuing to bear with hoards of self-centered egomaniacs that have and continue to fool us with lofty words and false pledges. Religious leaders for stooping to unknown levels of immorality in their quest for personal power. Political leaders from successive governments who failed to understand the nobility of serving of one’s country.

Dr Navin Mr Ramgoolam

Navin Ramgoolam, in the role of the greatest agent of chaos and now renowned for his inability to take bold decisions, has helped further tarnish the moral sanctity of our society. Our P.M carries the role of the incompetent leader with such aplomb that he makes the case for his cohort of even more ineffectual bootlickers. Navin is together with all those around him the silent culprits responsible for creating a system that thrives on incompetence and corruption.

From someone who represented change back in the mid 1990s to the master manipulator that he now is, Navin symbolises the degeneration of moral values our country has experienced over the last decade. Declared politically dead in 2000, he has managed a tour de force return to power heavily infused with newly acquired communication skills that focused on an all talk and no action stance .

The leader of the Labour Party has mastered the art of communication and understood that image is everything. Case in point: a scandal filled month with the Boskalis case, Cindy Legallant, Sada Curpen, Valayden’s resignation, Cunningham’s sudden departure, Bel Ombre S.E all making headlines and the only image that will be left in the voter’s mind will be Navin’s sega dancing skills at Le Morne.

Call to arms

The successive list of scams involving bearers of power is a cause for concern but what is even more distressing is that corruption and incompetence are now an ingrained part of our culture. There is no secret mantra to end this but only the will to stand for what is right. Dear co victims, let us extirpate ourselves from our lethargic state and bury those who have repeatedly failed us. Let us not be confined to a state of slumber, lulled in a sense of comfort and security by propagandists. Let us rise above the muck before it is too late.

Chetan Ramchurn

Le delit de sale gueule (Le Mauricien 16/12/08)

Le délit de sale gueule…
Digne des plus grands vaudevilles, le spectacle burlesque offert au parlement mardi dernier a permis aux députés de la majorité de donner dans la bassesse. Certes, la phrase de Bérenger faisant référence au physique du ministre des finances est une maladresse…mais en la replaçant dans son contexte, nous ne pouvons que nous poser la question de savoir s’’il est humainement possible de rester calme devant tant d’arrogance et de condescendance ? Ce qui s’ensuivit fut le déclenchement d’une véritable hystérie collective des membres de la majorité… et le paroxysme de la bêtise fut atteint quand le leader de l’opposition fut traité de colon.

Le lien évident entre la couleur de peau de Bérenger et cette invective devrait tous nous interpeller. Le combat du MMM et de son leader est la suite logique de la lutte commencée par les Rozemont, Curé et Seeneevassen…Difficile ainsi de croire que celui qui fut inspiré par les mots de Frantz Fanon ait un quelconque penchant colonialiste. Des propos nauséeux, inquiétants et inacceptables de ce type confirment une fois de plus que nos dirigeants sont toujours à l’affût du moindre incident pour donner dans l’agressivité verbale. La PNQ du leader du MMM devait nous apprendre plus sur le gaspillage des fonds publics, sur le cas du QG de la BAI… à sa place nous avons assisté aux clowneries de certains de nos parlementaires.
Le député David, dont le rôle de porte flingue du parti travailliste lui sied à merveille, et auquel nous reconnaissons volontiers des qualités de grand travailleur, est sans doute un de ceux les mieux placés pour comprendre la pertinence d’une question ayant trait aux dépenses inutiles qui sont payées avec l’argent des contribuables. Le titre de « Serial Offender » attribué à Bérenger ne peut que nous faire sourire. Nous nous souvenons tous de l’épisode peu reluisant de « sa vie le rat blanc », le titre qui sérierait mieux à Bérenger serait celui de « Serial Victim ». La lecture de l’excellent ouvrage « De la question sociale à la question raciale? » s’impose à nos députés. Un des auteurs de ce livre a défini la race comme étant une « construction mentale qui fait que l’on traite différemment des personnes en fonction de leur couleur de peau, de leur mode de vie, de leur religion même… » . La race existe uniquement dans nos têtes. Nous pouvons, si nous le voulons, penser différemment.

Notre tissu social est fragile, les inégalités demeurent. Elles datent en partie de l’époque coloniale et nous sommes tous conscients que l’ascenseur social reste bloqué. Arrêtons de souiller cet espace démocratique qu’est le parlement avec des comparaisons honteuses. Pour que notre société change, nos représentants doivent commencer par eux-mêmes. Avec de tels dérapages verbaux, nous tuons l’espoir d’un avenir meilleur.
Chetan R.

Who shot our Phaeton Rubicola? by Chetan Ramchurn ( Le Mauricien 27/01/09)

Air Mauritius
Who shot our Phaeton Rubicola?

Dubbed the “Soul of Mauritius”, the much hyped ambassador of Mauritius, our premier company, our very own national airline is in deep mire. Amidst rumours of takeovers, leaked secret conversations and XLD’s almost too little too late attempts to turn back the tide, lies a venerable institution in tatters.

Welcome to Navinland

While some have sniffed blood and are now on the prowl for further damning evidence against the architects of Air Mauritius’s doom, we watch once again with awe the appalling absence of leadership at the head of the state. While the first rats have begun to leave the sinking ship, the much hoped sanctions against those who have failed have yet to come. In truth, in Navinland, the axe never seems to fall on those who are guilty of sacrilegious wrongs…

This latest saga will be remembered as yet another Ramgoolam botched moment, yet another missed opportunity to rise to the occasion and soothe a scandal-weary population. In times of chaos, we turn to those who wield power to show us the way forward; or as Faye Wattleton says “The only safe ship in a storm is leadership.” Alone we stand in these troubled times…

Arrogant fools

Accessorius sequitur comes to mind when deciding on who should be punished. The blame should first and foremost be attributed to those that were at the gambling table with our money. The absence of any exit clause attached to a hedging contract of that magnitude is a gaffe that deserves no clemency. And what do we have instead of unequivocal professions of guilt? Interviews of arrogant fools that abound in our newspapers where all claim to have made the right decisions regardless of evidence to the contrary. What terrifies us is the sight of those who have previously given glaring demonstrations of their incompetence who are rewarded with hefty paychecks and renewed positions of power. No doubt Cunningham had to leave…

In these times of economic and financial havoc, what we need more that anything is a guiding figure in whom we trust. These are defining times for our country… times where real leaders emerge and fake ones crumble…

Chets Ramchurn

The Navin Show by Chetan Ramchurn (L’Express 06.02.09/ Le Mauricien 07.02.09)

THE NAVIN SHOW
And thus spake the Great One…

Citizens of Mauritius, feel blessed to have been addressed by the Chosen One. Our hardworking Prime Minister, in his great benevolence, took some of the precious time he usually spends discussing with the likes of Chirac and Sarkozy to deal with the trivial Mauritian issues.


Revealing his misery and loneliness, the compassionate Navin also disclosed that he will be gracing President Obama with that great intelligence of his and we certainly believe that he will seize this opportunity to teach him a trick or two about how bold decisions are taken in tough times. Our leader talked at length about the fruits of his intelligent decisions using references spanning from the Bible to Kissinger and admitted that the No.8 elections were of little interest to him for he is now more than ever focused on the economy.


When our beloved P.M highlighted the hassles of holding his much coveted title, all of us sympathised with him. How can we let this often betrayed great ruler stay in such conditions with hardly any friends and suspicions on the few that he has? No, we cannot and should not let Ramgoolam Junior suffer more than he has already endured for our sake. We should relieve him of his great distress and it is now our moral duty to offer him salvation in the coming general elections.


Hubris

Last Thursday’s marathon speech which was nothing more than an unsavoury potpourri of quotes, examples from other failed hedging experiments and incoherent ramblings clearly smacked of hubris. So much arrogance from a man who has so lamentably failed time and time again should have irked most of us. But, nothing of that sort happened as a sizeable proportion of the “peuple admirable” chose to put style over substance and saw in SSR’s heir’s insufferable mumbo jumbo some kind of verbal prowess that the rest of us must have missed.


Ramgoolam’s power ride has been a bumpy one and the grotesque masquerade that this public relations exercise was proved once again that his all talk and no action attitude is likely to continue…until we finally decide to punish him…

Yeshwant Ramchurn