Young Professionals - our institution drifting, at low ebb : Why and Why?

According to the recent report of Straconsult, the young generations are losing trust and faith in our main institution. Why is there this decline in a small democracy like ours? What could be its impact? The young professionals analyse this situation.

Anjinsen Valamootoo : “The country has faced lots of ups and downs”

According to the latest Afrobarometer survey, Mauritians are less satisfied with their democracy and have less trust in their institutions than they did just a few years ago. Support for democracy has declined while citizens overwhelmingly insist on government accountability.

“Since the general elections in 2015, the country has faced lots of ups and downs on the political front. Furthermore, the way politicians are behaving in parliament is conveying a negative image to the younger generations; the proverb goes “Do as I say, not as I do.”

He argues that another disruption of trust is from the police force with the recent case of David Gaiqui, where the picture of a naked man held in chains hit the headlines of numerous newspapers and this picture was even published on Facebook, thus creating a buzz on the national scene. “Even if a naked search is common practice in the police force for safety and security measures, can the human rights of a person be baffled?”

He adds that “with the rising of drug-trafficking, public officials like customs officers as well as police officers involved in this illicit trade, has created scepticism in the reliability of enforcement organisations like the police force and the Mauritius Revenue Authority.”

Anousha Junggee : “Mauritius is a blessed country”

Anousha Junggee states that our young generation trusts our main institutions, be it is religious, educational, professional, governmental or social.

“We should be proud of the fact that Mauritius is the only African country where freedom of the press is respected, which therefore encourages our citizens to voice out any abuse or injustice. Today, our young people are educated and more aware of their fundamental rights; therefore they react against malpractice within any institution.”

Anousha argues that they believe in our democracy, our law and again the institutions. “I am currently in India and have been interacting with people in different institutions including the government and I must say that Mauritius has « healthy » institutions. India being the third largest democracy of the world, it is sad to see how institutions are not respected. Mauritius is a blessed country and we should be thankful to our elders who have set strong institutions.”

Ashneema Seebun : “Decline of trust in institutions is not new”

The decline of trust in the main institutions is nothing new, highlights Ashneema. “Trust in the institutions to do the right thing is akin to accountability. The struggle for a proper job and salary, despite the numerous years spent studying and doing internships in firms has become something common. The causes of such systemic distrust of our systems are various. Some are incomprehensible. The higher level of involvement from youngsters in building back the trust may be the solution. The citizens tend to recognize when institutional improvements take place.”

Parwez Nunnoo : “Need for deeper reforms”

In an era of technology whereby access to information is at the tip of our fingers, we cannot afford to have institutions which are not independent, says Parwez.

“The recruitment of managers and other officials need to be more transparent. Heads of institutions can no longer be political nominees, just because they have intensively participated in electoral campaigns. The need of a deeper reform in the system as a whole to enable more meritocracy and transparency is vital. Promotion to higher positions must be done according to performance that is assessed on a regular basis and not by their political, religious or ethnic affiliations.”

He remarks that the main objective of all institutions is to serve the nation, however this has to be done in a fair manner so that everybody is treated equally.

Fawzi Allymun : “There is no place for democracy”

Nowadays youngsters do not put their faith in the Mauritian institutions such as the judicial system, the ICAC, the medical field for numerous reasons.

“There is a phenomenal distrust in the public for the government and other institutions because it is no longer safe to put our trust in them. Police brutality is not unknown to us. Failures in all sectors, be it the political, economical, educational and even religious ones, have left their imprints in the lives of so many among us.”

He further adds that “we should not blame our youth for their scepticism in our institutions, as in this so called modern society, there is no place for democracy or meritocracy. Even the media, which was once regarded as a tool for the propagation of accurate information, is now being viewed as the ‘controller of information’. Information is being manipulated at every instance and that’s why the distrust that the public bear for them will continue.”