Hang Thou Democracy: “Glory to thee, motherland, oh motherland of mine…”

As we prepare to glorify 49 years of the Independence of Mauritius and 25 years Republic, I think of those students proudly raising their flag in honour of our democracy. A democracy which was fought for. I was once among those students, and on each occasion the Prime Minister’s message would remind us how lucky we are to be living in an advanced and developing country. I grew up being proud of my country. As a law student, I was told that the constitution is my bible; master the provisions and practice it. Afterall ‘Mauritius shall be a sovereign democratic State...’

Often I would have arguments with people who would refuse to vote because it never made a positive difference to them as to who would be in power. Oh really people, do you know that not all nations are given the right to vote, our ancestors fought for this right and what about the fact that your abstention is actually the cause of not having a positive difference? Exercise your right, this is the way of voicing out how you want your country to be ruled! This is the Mauritian democracy or rather this should have been the Mauritian democracy as beautifully described by Abraham Lincoln; a‘Government of the people, by the people, for the people’. If one could analyse this quote in a GP essay, he is sure to score an A+ and what a striking way of starting a Court submission. Are we therefore forgetting our basics? No, we are surely not, we are rather choosing to interpret it differently.

The pride for my country grew as I met people across the globe who, according to me, were unfortunate not to be able to choose their head of state. I would give them the horrifying expression and then flaunt about the democratic State of Mauritius. To the European, Mauritius’ reputation of being a paradise island would only increase while for those from the African Continent, Mauritius would be that exception among African countries which every African leader needs to follow. Oh come on Mauritians, we have to be proud, or rather, we should have been proud.

As the Spanish proverb rightly says ‘pride comes before fall. And thus Karma wanted me to fall. On a nice Monday evening this January, I had a phone call from a foreigner friend: ‘What is happening to your democracy my friend?’Pretending to ignore what was making the local newspaper headline on that day, I was invited to read what the BBC had to say about the political situation in Mauritius. It was already in the international news. I received a couple more condolence messages; the worse being ‘Even Trump was elected’. Have we fallen so low?

Hang thou my democracy, I thought. But what was your crime? You did not even benefit from our unique provisional Charge system, you were just hanged. Undefended. 

I wished that during this time of crisis, we would stand together‘…as one people, as one nation, in peace justice and Liberty…’ Butwhile our political leaders were divided and making the most of the situation for their political campaign, our youth feared that they could no longer exercise their freedom of expression. Any truth voiced out could impact on their career. Everyone would express their outrage, the need for change among friends and colleagues but any open debate would automatically lend you into trouble. Does that mean therefore that our freedom of expression is entangle by corruption?

We all tacitly accepted the present situation and allowed a precedence to be set. Our right to vote for who we want as Head of the State does not matter anymore. We all become responsible for the situation our democracy is.

And so when we cannot do anything, we resort to prayers ‘beloved country may God bless thy’… until the time we might have to put our constitutionin an expensive ‘coffret’. It could bring Mauritius a huge amount of revenue!

Vishni Nursimhulu

Hymn to Motherland of ours

In the south west of the Indian Ocean

Where the summer’s sunshine never fades away

Lies lovely tiny mountain-ranged Mauritius.

Here are born our leaders; we have seen leaders

But few so charismatic as they.

They are like Phoenix rising again.

They have been a beacon for Mauritius.

Centuries ago our ancestors took 

The first of the seven steps to Paradise

Road; the God-protected Ark driven with

Heavenly wind to reach the Promised Land.

Much have we travelled in the whole world, but

Little have we seen as in Mauritius.

She is the Poplar with shade, the Sun with warmth.

What a Democracy and Welfare State!

Volcanic island transformed into a 

Paradigm of terrestrial Paradise.

Blessed isle with matchless natural beauty,

Mark Twain mesmerized by her beauty stated:

“Heaven was copied after Mauritius.”

The shining Star and Key of the Indian

Ocean; indeed a beautiful mirror

For peaceful, harmonious co-existence.

Behold! Here East is merged with West

Strengthening our Rainbow Nation:

The Paradise of the Indian Ocean.

Nowhere will you find such a place!

Mauritius, the high altar of various 

Religions with no Seven Sleepers’ den,

Behold amazing blend of various cultures.

Skin, colour, hair may differ; love and peace

Dwell in black and white the same -the same!

Our society built on knowledge of bees 

Not spiders which set up fragile castles.

Mauritian tourism on everybody’s 

Lips: warm Paradise hospitality 

Always acclaimed as legendary, 

World-class and spontaneous throughout the world.

Blessed is our Unity in Diversity

The united orchestra with heavenly music,

None can sever the union of our minds,

The union of our hearts and helping hands.

The Bonsai is now reaching the sky.

The Bonsai is walking with giant strides.

The mighty atom journeys through the world

Being a high economy is her dream.

Paradise is for us, we for Paradise.

May our holy nation resist all cyclones 

And be as lasting as the pyramids!

May the beacon of Light ever shine bright!

Awake! Arise! Let’s join hands and protect 

Our multi-coloured beautiful butterfly

And sing melodious “Motherland of Ours”.

Brij Sookhoo