It has been a long walk since the beginning of the IXXth century. It has been a country with a heavy historical past, from the days where people were brought to this place as slaves or as coolies. To me, they had the same fate, but differently. For sure, we cannot deny the fact that people from all over the world during that period have been humiliated, dehumanized and ripped off of their dignity and real values. I am of course referring to that period where people were treated as more human beings or lesser human beings than others.

A country with people coming from different parts of the world, with pain and very much disillusioned as well, for those believing that life would be easier here, that they would find golden coins by lifting rocks. Disillusionment Gross! This is what most probably makes of us so special a country, a nation today, where we are no more physically chained, neither in our minds. We rejoice from being free. Freedom to Be, Freedom to Choose, Freedom to Vote, Freedom to agree or disagree.

The road has been a long one, with many committing suicide off from Le Morne Mountain, historically said and believed. Many of us, have been long suffering from all sorts of discrimination, and many even from political and brutalité policière.

What a beautiful population, though we do have some highlighting their dismay over that cultural mixity. Mrs Hervet is not the only one. Not to forget that socio-cultural groups and mainstream political parties as well play a major role into igniting communal tension and absurdities with how tickets are distributed for the mad race related to the suffrage universel.

Ms Deerpalsing, the victim of Mrs Hervet, was so right in saying that we need to re-define our state as being a secular one, the issue being a political one, fought against by all those who have been standing against  communalism in the country. The fight officially dates back to 1983, Lalit, taken over and brought to another political dimension by Rezistans ek Alternativ (2010), Mouvman Premye Mai and independent citizens in 2010 (Blok 104).

To Mrs. Hervet & all the other Mrs Hervets who have not encountered with the public so far, for I am sure, many are there, looking forward to exterminating ‘the other’, if you have been a victim of communalism or you have never had the chance to exchange conversations with people whom you would consider as different from you, then, it is high time that you transcend your own limitations. Else, it might be a life wasted.

Intensely beautiful is our country because we are able to communicate, share, respect and live together, despite our differences. I say the above, bearing in mind that the first people of our land, be they colons, slaves, coolies, or other… they all came from different regions of the globe: Portugal, Holland, France, Britain, China, India, Africa, Madagascar.

A land enriched with different languages and diversity, wherein we have now a common language – Mauritian Creole, something which we did not have, back in 1810. A result of a very painful history for all of us. The rhythm of the African drums which merge with the drums or tabla from India, to resonate with our heartbeats is what makes us so unique as a country. The common language used to express our thoughts and the history of our country is so intense that there is no way expressing ourselves wrongly when it comes to our Mauritian history and stories.

I choose a language other than my mother-tongue here to allow the thought, the message to travel. We are all brothers and sisters in this country. The political elected members as well as all the countrymen of the country have the duty to leave a rich cultural and political legacy to all the children of Mauritius. Jailing Mrs Hervet shall not bring the much sought after political change and electoral reform we have been long waiting for.

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