[Blog] Remembering my friend, Siram Sakaram

I usually write on topics of public interest but this article is a personal one. At 6 pm on 5th March I returned from my daily stroll at Trou- aux-Cerfs where I go to breathe the fresh air, admire nature and chat with people whom I happen to know. My wife told me to sit down and relax. I immediately apprehended that something untoward was coming. Then she broke the heart-piercing news: Siram was no more.

I was completely devastated.  Our friendship dates back to the days when we were doing our HSC classes at Bhujoharry College. Like our classmates, we were the first cohort of adolescents of post-independence Mauritius.  We all had dreams and aspirations for our newly independent country and for ourselves. Our conversations usually revolved around themes like “mauritianism”, the need for a post-colonial Mauritian culture and the sense of belonging to a budding nation.

Those were the "années de braise". A revolution was brewing in Mauritius. A bunch of young intellectuals, fresh from universities, inflamed our imagination with ideas and speeches on concepts heretofore unknown and unspoken: anti-communalism, patriotism, oneness as a nation, human brotherhood, struggle against social injustice and inequality, meritocracy and the building of a just society. With their long hair, “pattes d'éléphants” and flowery shirts, they toured the island, mobilized the masses and disseminated their leftist ideas and ideology.  

While for most of our friends, these ideas were a source of inspiration and we were in sympathy with the developing political movement, we, however followed it from 

afar. Siram, on the other hand, threw himself head and soul in the emerging political maelstrom. He related to me his first encounter with the historical leader of MMM. It was in 1971. He was returning from tuition when, still in his shorts, he barged into a meeting that was being held in the municipal hall of Quatre Bornes. The discussions hovered around the eventual participation of MMM in the forthcoming bye-election at Triolet. The name that was being floated for candidature was that of another fiery leader, Dev Virahsawmy. Siram, who was sitting at the back, rose up and proposed the name of Paul Bérenger. He stated that this would give a strong signal in favour of “mauritianism” which was a cardinal principle of the party. At the end of the meeting, Bérenger, as always with his legendary moustache and leather jacket, beckoned Siram and told him to wait. "Jeune homme, come with me". He took him in his car and brought him home. There he gave him a bunch of books on Marx, Rosa Luxembourg, Frantz Fanon, Samir Amin and other revolutionary thinkers. He told him to read them and return him without fail.

Another anecdote that he used to relate to me was about the emblem of MMM which was in peril at some point of time. That was in 1993 or so. There was an important schism in the party when the MMM was kicked out of government and some heavy weights decided to stay with the ruling party. They formed the RMM and attempted to appropriate the quasi-sacred symbol of the MMM. A case was even lodged in court. Like all sincere members, Siram was gripped with the fear of losing it. He spent the night perusing the constitution of the party and finally came up with a solution. Early in the morning he phoned Paul Bérenger and informed him that as per the constitution of the party, it is the assembly of delegates which has the prerogative to decide on matters relating to emblem. As a result, an assembly of delegates was hastily called and the majority voted to keep the existing emblem. This, and other occasions where Siram had been helpful to the party, endeared him to the leader. This was not without consequences as jealousy was created that finally led to his alienation from the party. 

All these anecdotes he related to me later in life because after our studies our paths diverged. Like many other classmates, I joined the public service whereas others joined the teaching profession and others still carved out a career in different fields. 

Siram became a teacher in a prestigious institution and in parallel pursued his political career as a prominent member of MMM.  He rose up to become the Mayor of Quatre Bornes (and he would say, "once a mayor always a mayor", thus echoing the words of our GP teacher, Oomashankar Hawoldar who had also occupied the post once). He was one of the youngest candidates to be fielded by his Party in 1983 when he lost by a narrow margin. In 1996 and 2000, he was returned as a successful candidate representing constituency number 16. As a member of the legislative assembly, he made his mark.  If I am not mistaken, he was among the first one to raise the subject of ocean economy and the first one to speak on the necessity of having a second university in Mauritius. 
 
After my retirement I began to write some articles for the local press. This was the thread that helped to reunite us. He contacted me and we began to meet regularly to converse around a glass of coffee or a lunch. Later we were joined by Trilock Dwarka with whom we shared (and I still do) a strong bond of friendship as we had sat on the same bench at college. For long hours we would reminisce about the past, share, memories, discuss about the political and economic situation, make jokes etc. Siram was always a jovial man and possessed a good sense of humour. I remember one day in the past I met him accidentally and learning that I was not yet married, he said “Eyta to pa encore maryer . Taler to pou bizin met solde la". He was also proud of his two sons, both of whom are top professionals in their respective fields. 

The last time we met, the three of us, was shortly after the general elections. We met to celebrate the thumping victory of the Alliance for Change. Siram was more than jubilant because right from the beginning, starting with the meeting at Mare D'Albert, he had predicted a 60/0. His experience in the field enabled him to appropriately gauge the mood of the people. 

Furthermore, he had invested himself thoroughly in the campaign at Number 18 where he accompanied the 3 candidates, especially Arvind Boolell, and supported them in every nook and corner of the constituency. That was his last battle. Coincidentally, it was at this last meeting of ours in a coffee house at Curepipe that he informed us of his health problems. One night he felt suffocated and had to be rushed to hospital. The doctors diagnosed a cardiac complication and they put him on the waiting list for operation. We were flabbergasted because we knew that he was leading a healthy ilifestyle. He went for long walks with his dog every morning, went to swim regularly at Flic en Flac and had a strong preference for bio-products. It was him who used to advise us on types of food to eat to maintain our health.
  
His operation having been carried out successfully, we looked forward to meet again as usual. On 3rd March, he called me from the hospital. He told me that he would be discharged in a day or two and we could meet at his place. He added "continuer ecrire. To ena 1 bon coup de plume". Little did I realize that these were the last words that I would hear from him.
  
I feel an immense sense of loss.

Azize Bankur