On 12th March 1968, the victorious Island of Mauritius gained its independence from the British. Geographically located in the Indian Ocean, off the southeast coast of Africa and east of Madagascar, Mauritius is an amalgamation of cultures, languages, religions and people who came together and formed the Mauritian culture and Mauritian way of life.
This year marks the 50th independence of the Republic of Mauritius and it was celebrated with magnificence and grandeur at Champ de Mars Racecourse in the capital of Mauritius, Port Louis. 12th March also marked Mauritius' 26th anniversary as a Republic. On this historical event, the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind graced the occasion as a chief guest, where he sat alongside the President of Mauritius, Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, and the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Jugnauth. The nation witnessed an array of colours, music and dance spectacles, parades, as well as fireworks and an aerial parade of helicopters.
In his message to the nation aired on the national channel, MBC (Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation) Pravind Jugnauth spoke about empowering women, as well as spoke about a vision of seeing a female Mauritian Prime Minister in the near future. He said, "The education of a mother is the education of a whole generation. We have already recognised the contribution of women in different sectors. Some already hold positions of responsibility and make important decisions for the progress of the country. I believe that women still have a bigger role to play in the future of the country. Why not in the future have a woman as Prime Minister.”
Addressing the youth of Mauritius, the Prime Minister saids he has confidence in them. "The world we live in offers a lot of opportunities for young people to make the right choices in life. Choose a hobby that will allow you to grow healthy. Take advantage of opportunities in education, sports, culture and get ready to develop your skills to take over. Do not be dragged into bad routes." He went on to say that it is unfortunate that children and those who are vulnerable become victims of drug abuse or become prey to drug lords. He advised, "Learn to say no and come to us if you feel vulnerable. Youth is one of our greatest riches."
Brief historical outline of Mauritius and Indian labourers
Mauritius was first claimed by the Dutch in 1598 and named it after their head of state, Maurice, Prince of Orange and Count of Nassau.
In 1715, French East India Company claimed Mauritius for France and renamed the island Ile de France. And in 1767, the French East Indian Company sold Mauritius and the transferred the control of the island to the French Government.
After defeating the French in battle at Cap Malheureux in 1810, British forces land in Mauritius. And in 1814, Mauritius, along with Seychelles and Rodrigues were granted to Britain under the Treaty of Paris.
The British abolished slavery in 1834 and introduced an indentured labour system a year later in which hundreds of thousands of workers arrived on the island from India to work on the sugar estate. Indian labourers were mainly drawn from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh provinces, but also from southern provinces of colonial India, passed through the gate of Aapravasi Ghat in the capital of Mauritius.
The indentured labour system was abolished in 1910. Between 1834- 1910, 451,776 Indians were brought to Mauritius to work, of which 157,639 returned to India.
During the indentured labour system, after arriving at the Aapravasi Ghat, labourers either stayed on in Mauritius to work as indentured labour in the sugar plantations or elsewhere, or sailed on to further destinations, such as Guyana, Suriname and Reunion Island.
In 2018, the island has an estimated population of 1.27 million, two-thirds of the total population are made up of people of Indian origin, while the remaining ethnic groups comprise of Creoles, Sino-Mauritians (Chinese), and Franco-Mauritians.
It is remarkable that with so there are so many people who belong to different cultures and religion who live together in communal harmony, and have been doing so for many decades without fail. Many nations can take a leaf or two out of Mauritius' book, in terms of taking pride in themselves as well as setting as example of how to live harmoniously with one another despite their differences.
