Minister of Arts and Culture, Santaram Baboo: “Mauritius is also known for its cultural sites”

Santaram Baboo is the Minister of Arts and Culture since 17 December 2014. He holds an MBA in International Business from the University of Coventry, UK. He wants to introduce a new concept of cultural values. In this interview, he elaborates on his mission and vision of what should be the place occupied by art and culture in Mauritius in the years to come.

What are your priorities as Minister of Arts and Culture?

First of all, I must say that the Ministry of Arts and Culture is one of the ministries that have the largest number of parastatal bodies under its umbrella. My first priority was to undertake an audit of the situation before redefining our priorities and projects. I can say today, that some projects have been realised and numerous others are under way, some of which have already reached the implementation phase. For example, we are working on the creation of a Culture House because there is an urgent need to bring together different entities under one roof. We need to relocate the National Library and the National Archives. Our National Archives was selected in 2015 for a UNESCO exhibition. The theme was “History and significance of the National Archives in the Republic of Mauritius.” These two institutions host historical documents that need to be preserved and, fortunately, we had the support and expertise of the Chinese government to help us carry out this project.

What should be done to promote and present a glimpse of Mauritian Culture to foreigners and in particular to tourists?

Our commitment is to place our country on the international map of cultural heritage and international tourism. We are proud to have two sites on the World Heritage list of UNESCO, the Aapravasi Ghat and Le Morne. Most recently, the Séga Tipik, has been listed in UNESCO as an intangible heritage. As you know, Mauritius has a rich history, a rich cultural history, transmitted by our ancestors mainly from Asia and Africa. All the cultures and traditions must be preserved and transmitted to future generations. Some heritage sites in the South attract more than 5,000 tourists per month. Our Museum attracts more than 50,000 foreigners a year. In one year, twelve religious sites have been classified as national heritage. Among upcoming projects, a museum of slaves will be set up to honour the first slaves from Madagascar and Mozambique. This is a project that will allow us to fulfil our mission to honour the memories of our ancestors. We have sought foreign expertise for this project, including the most prestigious museums in Europe. All these projects will contribute to make Mauritius a cultural destination by choice. Many sites that have been restored are open to visitors. These sites, which are part of our heritage, are popular cultural venues that demonstrate an authentic image of Mauritius. At Grand Bay for example, the Chinese Heritage Centre is a place of remembrance and discovery, which traces the history of Chinese immigrants. There are other attractions such as museums, historic monuments and historic places. Mauritius is not only known for its beaches but also for its cultural sites, where there are things to learn. The folk atmosphere of Port-Louis market for instance, is a cultural place that symbolizes the cultural diversity of our island.

What are your plans to strengthen our ‘multicultural island’ image at local and international levels?

As I mentioned earlier, we now have cultural centres to promote the different cultures that make up our society. There are also speaking unions, for example, working for the promotion of different languages. There are also Cultural Trusts which are organising activities across the island to promote culture and art of our different communities. The Chinese Cultural Centre in Mauritius is currently making an interesting job to promote the linguistic side as well as cultural and artistic values. Courses are even offered free. These organisations are essential in the implementation of the government’s policy to preserve this cultural richness and share it with the population and visitors.

Are you satisfied with the performance of Cultural Centres. Do you plan to re-invigorate these centres for a better artistic production?

We have reconstituted the committees of the cultural centres and now, they must work to promote their respective cultures in Mauritius and make sure that they respect their vision and mission statement.

Mauritius has recently been selected by UNESCO, can you tell us more?

The Republic of Mauritius is now part of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO. This international recognition shows the special place that Mauritius occupies in modern world cultural history. It is not a coincidence if Mauritius has been elected for the first time to form part of this committee. More than 500 participants were present, the Member States elected 12 new members including Mauritius. The State of Mauritius, represented at UNESCO headquarters in Paris by a delegation headed by me during the first week of June, has received the full support of member States for the work on the protection and preservation of our country’s cultural heritage. Last week, the Indenture Immigration Records of Mauritius were inscribed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. This is our second Inscription. The first being in 1997, when the Records of the French Occupation located at the National Archives Department was inscribed.

What does this imply?

Over the past 30 years or more, these records have played a key role for scores of Mauritians who have retraced their ancestry. The Indenture Immigration Records consist of thousands of archival volumes located in the National Archives Department, the MGI Indian Immigration Archives, and the National Library covering the period between 1826 and 1950. Among the most important are the immigrant photo registers which consist of an estimated 175,000 pictures of Indian and non-Indian indentured men, women, and children who were photographed from 1865 to 1915. This collection is unique to Mauritius.

Music Day on June 21

Music Day will be celebrated on 21 June. The Ministry of Arts and Culture will organise a series of special lunchtime “Musical Shows” where artists will perform at the same time in ten sites across Port-Louis. More than one hundred artists will perform. The venues are: (I) Esplanade Renganaden Seeneevassen, Port Louis (ii) Esplanade of Port Louis Municipality (iii) Jardin de La Compagnie (iv) Air Mauritius Building, John Kennedy Street (v) China Town, Royal Street (vi) Port Louis Waterfront (vii) Market Place (viii) Place d’Armes (ix) Victoria Bus Station (x) Aapravasi Ghat Music Day celebrations will also take place at the Pointe Canon Open Theatre, in Mahébourg, on Saturday 18 June as from 11:00 hrs.