Blog Mauritius
Blog: Mauritius is neither Brazil nor Turkey
Paul Berenger, in a bid of exaggeration for sensational politicking, warned Navin Ramgoolam against creating a situation of mass rebellion by likening Mauritius with Brazil and Turkey. In these two countries the disgruntlement of the common man has given to such proportions that thousands of people have taken to the streets of Sao Paulo or invaded the Taksim square to protest against the breach between the rulers and the ruled. One has the slight suspicion that the opposition that has been exhausted of political debate through parliamentary means or through the free media takes pleasure in the street demonstration of …
06 Jul 2013, Le Matinal
Blog: Can NTC survive?
In the present circumstances and form, I do not think the NTC can survive. All the problems which were swept under the carpet for too long have come to the surface. This started with a string of calamities since the accident at Sorèze which killed 10 people and injured 45 followed by its buses catching fire and followed by other serious bus accidents.
05 Jul 2013, Le Matinal
Blog: Character, not certificate
The Yatin Varma episode is very revealing on many counts. It will look improper and uncouth to comment on an incident that besets a young person who seems to be beleaguered by many personal and private crises that have a knack of mounting to such a head that one may think it is the end of the world.
28 Jun 2013, Le Matinal
Blog: Detoxification and depoliticisation
Commenting on a statement made by the Leader of the Opposition, Alan Ganoo, on the strike of NTC workers on Wednesday, a radio listener said that when the country is on fire, everybody should refrain from pouring petrol on it. What an appropriate, wise and patriotic remark!
28 Jun 2013, Le Matinal
Blog: Varmagate or Jeannotgate - Christian Priests vis-à-vis Somduth Dulthumun
It is an extraordinary quirk of fate or coincidence that in the context of the Yatin Varma saga some Christian priests decided to make a public statement about the climate of fear allegedly blowing over the country, the impunity allegedly enjoyed by high profile people and an erosion of the values of our institutions.
28 Jun 2013, Le Matinal
Blog: Honesty and Politics
Paul Berenger who is used to insult people by the use of hyperboles has had the other day to offer apologies to Shakeel Mohamed who had filed a defamation case against him. At least he had the good sense and humility of doing so. But how many insults and unsubstantiated allegations of his against political rivals or against those who occupy high positions in key institutions have been accepted as gospel truth by the public and have gone unpunished? He is still at it by insulting Navin Ramgoolam day in and day out just as he was insulting Pravind Jugnauth …
14 Jun 2013, Le Matinal
Blog: Commendable initiative of the Ministry of Education
The most difficult stage of education to manage in a changing environment is not tertiary education, where there is currently an unprecedented dynamism and entrepreneurial innovativeness, but the primary and secondary levels. Here in spite of eloquent rhetoric and attractive policies effective transformation is elusive and slippery. The system seems to remain the same despite the efforts made to change them.
14 Jun 2013, Le Matinal
Blog: Delhi University shows the way
Last week, I happened to watch a very interesting face to face program on TV in India. The vice chancellor of Delhi University was facing alone representatives of students, teachers and parents, all unhappy with Delhi University’s decision to introduce a new four-year undergraduate program instead of the usual three.
14 Jun 2013, Le Matinal
Blog: Press Freedom and Human Dignity
In a judgment delivered on 29 May 2013 and which has gone almost unnoticed by the those self-professed defenders of human values in the traditional press Her Honour Magistrate W. Rangan found that Mr. Imraan Hossany the editor of the Sunday Times, Mauritius, was guilty of the offence of outrage against good morals for having published in the issue of 15th July 2012 pictures of the corpse of the late Ms. Harte who was murdered as the act of publication amounted to a violation of human dignity.
07 Jun 2013, Le Matinal
Blog: The sleaze behind expecting Bachoo to resign
Minister Anil Bachoo was, for a short time, slated to become Prime Minister in the event of Navin Ramgoolam being absent from power. This expectation caused many layers of fear and suspicion in the mass to proliferate hostile responses.
07 Jun 2013, Le Matinal
Blog: Interreligious dialogue under threat?
On the occasion of the release of the International Religious Report, May 2013, American Secretary of State John Kerry remarked that freedom to profess and practice faith, to believe or not to believe or to change one’s belief, is a birth right of every human being. These rights are rightly recognized under international law. Religious freedom remains an integral part of America’s diplomatic engagement.
07 Jun 2013, Le Matinal
Blog: Spoiling a school’s image
The title of the article should not give the impression of a person who is using important tabloid space to extol a school for having rebelled against a new rector. The new rector is an able and mature leader but it is the absence of genuine leadership in the ministry or in the regional directorate that has caused a school that is gaining esteem in public eye to plummet miserably and cause parents to be suspicious of entrusting their wards to its custody.
31 May 2013, Le Matinal
Blog: The MMM at a turning point
When Paul Berenger announced that he had a health issue a few months ago and was hailed as a hero by the traditional press for having done so no one, even his most ardent supporters and his fans in the traditional press could have predicted that this announcement was a clarion call for a possible major change in the MMM leadership. Paul Berenger resigned as Leader of the Opposition and entrusted the leadership of the MMM to Alan Ganoo who is vying hard to show his mettle as a leader. That effort so far is limited to blasting the government …
31 May 2013, Le Matinal
Blog: Why all this fuss?
Xavier Duval, vice Prime Minister and minister of Finance, has recently stated the obvious: the money to pay for the recommendations of the Manraj Commission on errors, omissions and anomalies will come from the pockets of every citizen of the country. He has revealed that a sum of Rs 4,300 per person or Rs 9,300 per worker will be required to meet the expenses of PRB.
31 May 2013, Le Matinal
Blog: Mauritius rebuilds its reputation
Five years ago, the Indian Ocean idyll seemed in danger of being eclipsed by the Seychelles and the Maldives. Now, says Nicki Grihault, a swathe of new hotels and gourmet offerings is bringing visitors back to an island on the up.• New luxury resorts, hotels and villas in Mauritius
29 May 2013, Le Matinal
Blog: The Yatin Varma Accident
What is now known as the Varma accident saga has brought to light what we have always known in Mauritius. If Mr. Varma allowed the road rage syndrome to prevail over common sense and he inflicted blows on the car driver then he is to blame.
23 May 2013, Le Matinal
Chagos: Conservationists are swimming in murky waters
“Being in Chagos is an incredibly special experience,” says Rachel Jones, deputy team leader of the Aquarium at ZSL London Zoo, in a new YouTube posting extolling the “unique” environment of the warm, pristine waters of the archipelago. “It’s literally like going back in time… It’s what reefs, I imagine, were like 50 or 60 years ago. She adds: “It’s very special being somewhere where you know you’re the only one there. There’s no one else around.”
23 May 2013, Le Matinal
Blog: Tired. You Too?
I watch TV, I read newspapers, I listen to radio, sometimes I browse the internet, I am sure most of you do the same, but lately I have started feeling tired of the contents of our radio, TV and newspapers. I do not know if you share the same feelings.
17 May 2013, Le Matinal
Blog: To Ved Gopee and others
I am not supposed to write about you because, apparently, there is a prima facie case against you and you are under a charge allegedly related to a violation of the Equal Opportunities Act. It seems that someone has, with premeditation, studied the underpinnings of the legal system in order to pin down for whatever you did to provoke this predicament.
17 May 2013, Le Matinal
Blog: Outrage or no outrage - Sir Gaetan Duval and Pascale Bodet
It appears or it is a reality now that the MMM has two leaders. One is described as the historic leader by the traditional press regularly and he is Paul Berenger. The other one is described as the leader of the opposition coming from the MMM rank and file. The constant reference to the historic leader must be a constant reminder to Alan Ganoo that the traditional press does not want to let go of Paul Berenger. The MSM also has a leader of the remake 2000 in the person of Sir Anerood Jugnauth and a leader of the MSM …
17 May 2013, Le Matinal