“A day in politics is a long time” Sir Winston Churchill’
Soon after the large victory of Arvin Boolell of the Labour Party in the constituency N0 18, the fever of a general election is intensifying day by day among the population. The defeat of both the MMM and the PMSD has directly or indirectly brought a great deception among their followers at large.
The most concerned in this by-election is that the ruling parties were physically absent in this contest. Whether we accept it or not, it was a sign of weakness on their parts. Ridiculous or farfelous analysis of the victory of the Labour party and the defeat of the adverse parties will change nothing anymore about the realities on the ground. It was the result of deep frustration of LEPEP soon after they have enthusiastically brought the alliance led by Sir Aneerood Jugnauth to power. All their hopes and expectations were reduced to ashes and evaporated.
Once climbing to the ladder of power politicians forget that popularity depends strongly on the progress and achievements of the country and its population. Cheap politics, insult, repressive measures, intimidation, make-believe policy and petty trials bring nothing except frustrations and discords among the people.
The famous mantra “divide and rule” existed only under British rule. Our ancestors strongly complained against such poisonous dope which badly affected social harmony in our multi-cultural, multi-racial and multi-religious nation. Once they freed our people from colonial ghosts, a sort of fraternal feeling invaded our heart. It was an era which marked the wake of true sense of patriotism and the blossoming of love, affection and fondness in our beautiful garden of brotherhood.
What late Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam has done for this country can’t be denied by anybody. He had a true sense of patriotism. Each and every one owes his gratitude to him and his team who have contributed massively in term of their know-hows, their capabilities, their skills and their acquired knowledge. They have invested of all their potentialities, abilities and their aptitudes to build a rainbow nation where man of different confessions, ethnicities and races stood up together face to face in perfect harmony to nurture our inherited ancestral values without any major frictions. We are a proud nation. We have learnt how to respect each other. He was honoured by the highest distinction due to his achievements by receiving the title of the “Father of the nation” which is not given to everybody.
The real beauty of his achievements are wrapped in the warm relationship that exist between all the components of the Mauritian nation. When we wake up in the morning, we freely walk on the street, when we go to the market, when we venture all around, when we fulfill our professional obligations, when we conduct our business in free and fair manner, when we meet in offices and schools, we come to face our co-citizens everywhere whatsoever is their creeds, religions, faith or social groups, we merge as one people, one nation with no distinctions. Such perfect human relation and freedom of conscience are rarely visible even in the so-called most civilized nations around the world.
But alas! Our own people have re-instated the policy of “divide and rule” by the instauration of communalism, casteism and racial hatred in the heart of our nation just to secure their positions and be stable on their chairs. Their sole aim is to focus on their own interests by fooling the population in every step of life and remain in power as far as possible. The world population has witnessed since long the fact that when power is uprooted in the mind of man, all other values of order, discipline, and responsibility are ignored, brushed and put aside. Authority, honour, wealth and high life become their exclusive sovereign values. Liberty, freedom and legitimate rights of the population become empty words and are being mercilessly hijacked. When massive powerful voices are being raised up against bad governance they are harshly smashed. Power becomes the most powerful tool between their hands. Then the same people who brought them to power regrets deeply for the blank check they signed in total ignorance. They did not even imagined that such dirty politics will appears in the horizon and will turn everything upside down.
The population should realize only on the fact that once the election is over all the protagonists are back in their architectural comfortable offices, earning big wages, luxurious and most sophisticated cars without casting any single glance of what is really happening behind them. The large mass are left on their own. « Entre temp mange biscuits et boire dilo pandan ki pouvoir politik fer ravage dehor ».
The population should once more live side by side in their respective localities. Politicians disappeared soon after. It becomes almost difficult to restore the broken relationship, mutual respect, and esteem which have been cautiously nurtured and preserved by our ancestors by shedding their perspirations and blood.
Socio-cultural and religious groups should realize that religions are not their private properties which can be sold to dirty politics. Religions have no price and cannot be exposed in the political market. Lot of lives have been sacrificed, lot of sufferings have been endured and lot of blood have been poured to irrigate the soil of faith to preserve it.