Patriarchal politics: Profit, Power and Philandery

Who can refute the feminist perception that the men who reach the pinnacle of social hierarchies exhibit three primary compulsions: lust for money, lust for power and lust for sex? If we are to believe the revelations of a penitent king-maker, this model seems appropriate for the patriarchs of modern Mauritian politics. Apparently, one used high office to acquire obscene wealth, another sacrificed all his principles to occupy that office and the third makes Bill Clinton’s office antics appear relatively saintly. It is said that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Is this always true?

Vincent Pellegrin interviews Dr Mu

1. Tell me about your experience, from early beginnings up to now, in an Environmental Non-Governmental Organization (ENGO).

The NGO I work for is actually a charity that a friend and I founded at the end of 2008. Its goals include promoting human rights as well as protecting the environment, expressed as environmental stewardship and social justice. The two are fundamentally linked since the poor destroy the environment out of need and the rich destroy it out of greed. Moreover, the UN Human Rights Council has long been seeking to establish the human right to enjoy a healthy environment. My experience to date has been an exploration of what this actually means in the Mauritian context.

Independence came via a rotten mongol

A brilliant article by Mahen Napal appeared in l’Express yesterday, challenging the official story of how Mauritius became independent. In fact it is too generous to SSR, the Betrayer of the Nation. The Chagos Islands weren’t the price paid for independence back in 1968. At the same time, islands were taken from the Seychelles and later returned to them when they gained independence in 1976. If either nation had raised the issue in the UN then the international community (especially Russia) would not have permitted it.

To buy their silence the Seychelles received an international airport and Mauritius got £3 million. Given that SSR was initially asking for £140 million over 20 years, he sold the Chagos islands and sold out the Chagossian people for peanuts didn’t he? How can that be explained unless the UK offered him a personal “incentive”, remember that was already knighted by then? Yes the UK did pretend that they would snatch away SSR’s legacy of becoming “father of the nation” but only to make him accept the safeguards for the minority communities, i.e. the Best Loser System. Read all about it in the British records. SSR wasn’t the first deceitful politician to re-write history and unfortunately, he won’t be the last…

Proof of the franc-hoes’ vice-like grip on the media?

It is with some bemusement that we interrupt our festive frolicking to make an exceptionally unplanned post. This results from the remarkable headline on the front page of le Mauricien yesterday, describing Dr Munisamy’s complaint to ICAC against certain “VVIPs”. What is most astonishing is the fact that the newspaper has broken ranks with the others to publish this “news”, which in fact was made known to all the media ten days previously.

Somewhat less surprising is the fact that no other newspapers followed suit this morning and so far only Radio Plus has sought an interview with Dr Munisamy. Hence the title of this post. After all, how else can this bizarre behaviour of the so-called “free press” be explained, unless it is in reality the “freemason press”? What is ironic about the general non-publishing of newsworthy press releases from our blog is that it lends credence to Dr Munisamy’s criminal case against the Co-missionary (position) of Police, the Prime Minister’s Orifice and the Three Ass-pair-ants.

And now the end is near…

[OPEN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT]
December 2011, the Thirteenth Day (or the -12th day of Christmas;)

Dear Mr President

Today I am feeling morose. As is so often the case, it is because of a lady. But rather than dwell on it, I will try to cheer myself up with some jokes and foolery.

Yesterday afternoon, I met with the Governor of the Bank of Mauritius in his beautiful office for a cup of tea, although, somewhat ironically, I had grape juice. I asked him what would be the impact on the country if our own “bangsters” (bank + gangsters) were put in jail as was done in Nigeria? He replied that most of the Chief Executive Officers of Mauritian banks have the top job because of their surnames rather than their competence. The banks would only operate better without them. Perhaps he wanted to add that the same would be true for the CEOs of Parliament and that the nation would be better off without them too. Look at Belgium – they have been without an official government for over 18 months; but they do have a head of state. Perhaps I would have jokingly replied that Mauritius has King Richard the Worst and he could be Our Governor!

Re-Branding Maurice Ile Durable

OPEN LETTER TO THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Dear Mr Virahsawmy

This is the first time I have written to you but I sense a connection because of our common Dravidian heritage. Unlike your namesake who I consider a traitor to both the Dravidian and African communities.

Anyway, I am a bit concerned about the status of the “Maurice Ile Durable” project or rather “Maurice Iles Durables” as I and the whole island of Rodrigues prefer to write. So I have had an idea. Think back to when your esteemed colleague Xavier Luc Picard, now Captain of INS Enterprise Mauritius was Minister for “Giving Away Islet Nature Reserves to his Friends and Agents of the Prime Minister”. Following his amazingly successful re-branding of our island from “The Model for Heaven” to “Mauritius – c’est un plaisir” (infinitely better than my own suggestions of “The Divine Island” and “The Island of Eden”), I humbly suggest you do the same thing with MID. I think it is possible with just a minor change in the last word. Permit me to offer some suggestions.

But first let us reflect on some notable MID events of last week.

Why the Convention on Disability Rights should be implemented in Mauritius

It is a great honour and privilege for us to welcome Mervyn Anthony as our guest author. He is a very courageous individual, who is “undoubtedly one of the most outstanding deaf, physically challenged and speech impaired with mild dysarthria, keynote speakers and seminar leaders in the world”.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: IT IS HIGH TIME TO IMPLEMENT THE UNITED NATION CONVENTION ON RIGHTS FOR DISABLED IN MAURITIUS!

Would you buy ANYTHING from this company?

STATEMENT OF DR RICHARD L MUNISAMY:

A testing time for CCID

READER DISCRETION ADVISED. IMAGES CONTAIN FOUL LANGUAGE.

Dear Mr Vuddamalay [Assistant Commissioner of Police]

Please find attached yet more evidence associated with my complaint [against Jameel Peerally]. I am becoming concerned that the police are not performing their sworn duty. Unless action is taken swiftly it will be inferred that you and your subordinates are no longer part of the Mauritian Police Force but form a division of the Leader’s Gestapo. This will not be good for your career. If you don’t follow your conscience now, you had better kill me or you will be spending a very long time in prison. I am guessing more than one inmate will be happy to initiate you. So perhaps it won’t be so long after all.. Of course if something does happen to me, your complicity will surely be suspected as you have quite a strong motive don’t you think? I will be making a declaration against you as a precautionary measure.

Honda’s stepping stones to sustainability

Quite intriguingly, Honda chose the redundant sugar factory –  l’Aventure du Sucre – as the venue to launch three hybrid cars in Mauritius. This excellent museum portrays, in graphic detail, the inhuman exploitation of good people of colour by the “then” racist Franco-Mauritian elite. We attended to publicly ridicule the hybrid green-wash propaganda but were pleasantly surprised…

First, because our sparring partner from Yale, and arch supporter of the hybrid deception, Vedant Seeam was guest of honour. Second, because Mr Yoshiaki Nakamura had the perfect repost to our katana-like critique. In his presentation, the President of Honda Motor Southern Africa declared that Honda is committed to an avergage 50% reduction in CO2 emissions from its vehicles by 2020. How on earth did he expect hybrids to achieve that? we asked. He replied that hybrids are but a stepping stone to fossil-fuel free transport, whether it be all electric or hydrogen. Respect sir!