Political stability is one of those wild cards that Mauritius waves when speaking of itself. Oddly enough, many of my countrymen don’t see the political situation as a stable one – while the whole world seems convinced that we’re having one of the best democracies on the planet. The situation is not a paradox but may be confusing for those willing to set home in paradise-island. Here’s my two pence worth of comments and opinions.
Stability through Historical Coherence
What everybody calls ‘stability’, in my opinion, is more a historical coherence that has been prevailing over times. We are inspired (or directed) by our historical origins and ties. India, for instance, is (and has been) inevitable. The majority of our population is of Indian origin; descendants of the indentured Indian laborers. Needless to convince anybody of the impact of India on our political system. Even if we are not tagging ourselves as communal or racists, we do accept that the Prime Minister-ship of the country should always be held by a Hindu, and that, of a particular elite caste. The only non-Hindu having tried his luck as Prime Minister had first to bargain for a two-year mandate (with a Hindu ally) instead of a five-year term. Thereafter, he stayed glued in the opposition.
Yes-so: historical coherence, I was trying to define this. The basic point is that every leader of the country vows an unconditional fidelity to India. Such vow pleases the powerful socio-cultural lobbies and paves the way for non-disturbance of our Mother-India-styled-heart-throbbing emotion. So we have a consensus on two things here: we need a Hindu Prime Minister & India is our mother. As long as we stick to these two basic factors, we follow the rail… and the train moves. This is very basic as opinion, but for me it is the fundamental equation of our political system.
Now, take the above example and apply it to any part of the world from where our population originates, you will get almost the same results. Europe, France: from there came the first colons. They took possession of lands, developed the sugar cane industry, owned the mills – and proved to be very sharp businessmen. The situation is still prevailing at this day. Descendants have, for so long, been at the head of the economic Mauritius. They made our success on worldwide sugar trade, then shifted to tourism with the same success. Take one person from that part of the population and transform him into a taxi driver: you’re inviting trouble. That could shake the whole nation! You might be putting the legendary stability at stake.
Another example? People of African origin. Our ancestors from Africa were slaves and manual workers – after abolition of slavery. The descendants are known to be strong men and therefore ideal for manual works. Their situation is somewhat close to slavery and most of them flirt with the poverty line. Am I being racist? No, never, I’m talking about stability. True, however, that the younger generation is trying its best to get out of this tagline… and has so far been wonderfully successful. The mentality and the perception is still the same though: black people = hard work + low pay! Sad! Who does not remember the Black Golden Boy: Jean Suzanne? Sure, his downfall was somewhat his responsibility – his skin colour brought him to the worst Court of Law: trial by public. He shouldn’t have been at the head of such a fortune, firstly – and that’s most people blame him for. He’s black, if he’s rich, then he’s either a swindler or a thief. We have a common expression: Nation (black people) soit li voleur ou li vantard! Go and seek a translation – and please, don’t be surprised.
As long as we don’t disturb the above equation, we are sure to keep the country stable. We bet? I define this equation as Historical coherence.
Dynasties and innate qualities – Political coherence
Political coherence, under my definition, has a similar working mechanism. We can call ourselves stable because we are not disturbing none of the well established mentality, even if they are outdated and obsolete. Doesn’t matter if some of us believe that we are not evolving… we are not disturbing anything, so we are protecting stability.
The country’s leadership changes and evolves through a system of dynasty. Being of a certain religion or caste is not sufficient – you have to be from one of those ruling dynasties. Take the actual Prime Minister as example. Hon Navin Ramgoolam is the son of the father of the nation, Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam. No, I’m not discrediting him from excellent leadership qualities. He has proven to be a very good Prime Minister, on his second attempt. But still, I can’t help wondering whether he would have reached that position if he was not the son of his dad. We have all been laughing on his frequent reference to his dad in his speeches: ‘Mo papa ti dire (my dad said).. mo papa ti fer (my dad did..). I think that beyond these innocent statements and beyond the simple father & son affection, he was just deliberately hammering the name of his father on our brains and get us mix him and his dad. That’s what dynasties are all about, aren’t they? When you vote, you vote for what Ramgoolam represents to your brain; a large part of his party supporters think that way.
The other big dynasty is the Jugnauth. Sir Aneerood Jugnauth was the great architect of the modern Mauritius. He had a vision – and I remember he was the one to bring color television and video players to our households. As a kid, all I could gather was that and it really stayed in my mind. Told you, I’m a common man, not a political analyst – not even a political observer. In the 80s, Sir Aneerood Jugnauth led the country’s transformation and earned us the status of ‘Tiger of the Indian Ocean’. From a sugarcane dependent economy, we ploughed our way to be one of the most reliable textiles manufacturers of the world. Massive investments from Asian giants gave birth to an impressive number of textiles factories in the country and in turn created employment. Revolution: housewives were transformed into income earners and many households saw their income doubled. I witnessed this major change in the country. Was a bit weird to see buses full of ladies in the morning, going to work, being active and happy to contribute to their households – and to the country’s economy. From there, the consumer market exploded. Color TV (again, yeah), VHS video players, washing machines, people were getting sophisticated and modern. All thanks and glory to Sir Aneerood Jugnauth.
The son and brother of Sir Aneerood came to the political world through this new dynasty. If you are a Jugnauth, then the population would assume you have the charisma and the potential of a Prime Minister. Did we not see Mr Ashok Jugnauth (brother of Sir Aneerood) being proposed as a Prime Minister candidate – even if he did nothing exceptional as a Minister? Pravind Jugnauth (son) also flirted sometimes ago with the Prime Minister’s seat and he still stand as a ‘serious’ contender for this role. This is what dynasties are all about (bis).
Point to note on the two dynasties above: they have all the qualities – they are Hindus of a particular caste. This is not a racist statement but the reality of the political Mauritius.
A smaller dynasty would be the Duval. Origin: Sir Gaetan Duval, mastermind of the tourism industry of the country. He was a popular figure, glamorous, generous and super-charismatic. Not from a Hindu religion but a catholic – an exception from African-origin population. He had the support of creoles and Catholics of the country and therefore was an important element on the political scene. An alliance with him guaranteed votes from the creole population, crucial sometimes to get a majority in parliament. Fun-loving and ‘bon vivant’ he had a very turbulent stay while in power. First owner of a Rolls Royce, one of the most popular villas on the Island, friend of monarchs and sheiks, known to international stars – he happened to position Mauritius on the international stage as one of the finest tourist destination. Success of our tourism industry is based on his efforts and connections. Xavier-Luc (son) took over. He enjoys almost the same popularity and represents the creole population of the country. A fine and intelligent person with whom I had the privilege to work for years, Xavier-Luc (even if he denies it) enjoys the benefit of his family name. Naturally he was a very good tourism minister. But lately he was shifted to a less glamorous post: Minister for Social Integration. Now with the latest political turmoil which saw Pravind Jugnauth ejected from government – Xavier-Luc has been posted to the Finance Ministry. I’m confident that he’ll do a good job there because I’ve known him as one of the finest Chartered Accountants of Mauritius.
Richard (the other son) is also enjoying the windfalls gains from power. I don’t know him personally and cannot remind myself of his contribution to the country. If you know of any of his works, please help. True benefit of being in the dynasty, however small that dynasty is. He enjoys duty-free German limos, is paid a salary from tax contribution and has a good life. I know of many young people who would do tremendous things for this country if allowed the same privileges and honors. But these young people do not belong to any dynasties – too bad for them!
There are some exceptions. There are some exceptional talents that emerged from nowhere and carved their names in the political arena. Well I find a simple explanation for that: dynasties are not yet large families, we are a young nation and we’re still building up. The dynasties have to recruit support to keep them on the topmost position.
Internet revolution – glowing light
The rotation of power among dynasties does not please – and should not please – many of us. There are so many competent people out there to serve the country, but it’s almost impossible for them to get in the play. The political scene is framed and controlled – access is limited, your profile should suit the sentry. I’ve seen some movement on Facebook and Linkedin. Some are now trying to bypass the classic system and instigate a small revolution through the internet. Hope it’s not going to be as radical as in Egypt – yeah, to be honest we don’t have Mubarak here, our leaders are not ogres. If they were, I would not be sitting here writing all this!
Those leading this internet revolution are fed up seeing the same people (and families) in power and they are right. It’s time to renew the political environment with new blood and new ideas. We are thinking of having competent persons in the leading roles, not simply representatives of a particular section of the population or bearers of impressive family names. Very honest cause, I admit. But then, let me be the Devil’s advocate: we will surely have some collateral damage – are we ready to bear the consequences? Will we be able to absorb the Opportunity Cost?
Let me just expose two points: First, the historical voters (those who vote by tradition) need to change their mindset. You see that grandma in her red sari kissing ‘her’ Navin voting for a dynamic and competent professional who doesn’t inspire anything to her? Do you see Tonton Michel in his blue shirt voting for someone other than a Duval? This is where the votes are. Mauritius is all about tradition and it’s dangerous to try and change tradition, isn’t it?
My second point is that we would necessarily go through a ‘trial and error’ system. Potential ministers might not necessarily be good ministers. By the time we test, confirm or replace someone, we will be losing pace in our development. This could cause some damage, great damage.
Do we need change? What to change? How much to change?
We don’t change a winning team my dad used to say (and Kenny Dalglish also!). Mauritius has been progressing steadily over the years. Don’t be a hypocrite please! It’s good to live here, you are free to do and live your life the way you want. I am from a modest family (my dad was a primary school teacher) – but happen to get out of my small village to get myself an office in the Cybercity. I worked my way through the maze; focused and determined. Many of my friends also did the same. They are living a pretty happy life with their families, got a car & a house…and a dog & a cat – breathing fresh and enjoying the salted water of our lagoons.
I’m not saying that things are perfect. There’s always room for improvement… What risks are we ready to take through change? What if tomorrow we lose that freedom – or what if we spend some decades in a slump because of change? Are we ready to take those risks and, for example, expose our kids to them? The country could collapse if we bring a radical change. Is a revolution justified when people are living quite a free and happy life? My experience as a Mauritian: everything is possible, if you work for it.
I love this country. If Americans have the American dream (and most of them trying to survive), Mauritius is not too far away. Laborious people will always succeed here and really, it’s not that difficult to succeed. The ex-Finance Minister, Mr Rama Sithanen, is a concrete example. He comes from a poor, very poor family but he is one of the most talented finance expert of the country. He worked his way towards most senior position in the top 2 companies on the island. And then (he is one of those exceptions I mentioned above) – he was used as support to safeguard Navin Ramgoolam’s position. When not needed, he was kicked aside without any elegance. And that’s the political Mauritius. Else he is still enjoying a high-level job, great pay and honours. And that’s real Mauritius.
So I conclude that Mauritius is free and fair! If you want to live your life, achieve your dreams and secure your family – you’re in the right country. But if you have a political agenda and want to serve the country, then you’ve got a different fight at hand.
Before trying to change, we need to cast a look at other countries around us and compare. It’s always good to review a well-anchored system after some time, test whether it still stands good in the modern world or whether changes are to be brought. My question goes beyond that point: what do we need to change? How much do we need to change? Are we prepared for the consequences?
Dear readers, feel free to comment. But please bear in mind that I not a political expert, but a common man. This article reflects my feelings and my way of seeing things around me.
I seek to educate myself constantly, so your criticisms and comments are most welcomed.
