Readers Response

Readers’ Response/ Opinion

To Our Readers 

Your views are of interest to us. They help us balance the argument in the correct perspective. We welcome you to draw our attention to anything or opinion expressed in the Mauritius Times (or any national or international event of interest) with which you agree from your own angle or disagree due to a different appreciation of facts.

 

 

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mtimes@intnet.mu We may decide to publish your comments or the relevant parts thereof if we consider that they will help our readers better understand specific contexts and maintain MT as the foremost and most balanced analytical newspaper of the country.


Dear Haitians…

 

Your country was once the ‘Pearl of the Caribbean’
Freed from Slavery and Servitude
It became the first independent Black Republic
Two centuries ago

 

You had your legendary hero, a visionary man
Toussaint Louverture had a great dream
A beautiful dream for Haiti and its people

 

During brief intervals

Of growth and stability

The rich and the famous came

To indulge in Port-au-Prince…

 

But my God! How you suffered

in the last two hundred years!

At the hands of the French colons and the Metropole

who sought compensation after the abolition of slavery

At the hands of the Americans the new arch enemy

And the big loan sharks that grounded Haiti in abject poverty…

 

How you suffered from the dictatorship of Papa Doc and Baby Doc

and the Tonton Macoutes

the so-called ‘zombies raised from the dead’

To terrorise you and your children

 

We know they were not zombies

But thugs who killed in total impunity

And had nothing to do with voodoo culture

 

In new clothes others came

To continue the spoliation

and spoke of democracy and national unity

 

Other corrupt politicians

Who plunged Haiti into a vicious circle of crippling debt

Endless violence and calamitous deforestation

 

Then the natural disasters and the interminable catastrophes

Cyclones followed by a series of flooding not so long ago

And today this unimaginable and deadly earthquake!

 

How many have died?
No-body knows.
The death toll keeps on rising

 

Two hundred thousand may have perished

Mostly buried under concrete

Such indignity!

 

How many more are injured and maimed and scarred for life?

How long will it take for the wounds to heal?

Will they ever heal?

 

In this day and age when

other planets can be reached

Who would have imagined that

it would be difficult to bring you water!

To prevent yet more unnecessary deaths

by dehydration this time!

 

Dear Haitians!
We understand your suffering
We share in your pain and desperation
We hope you will recover soon
from this terrible, terrible disaster!

 

Noor Adam Essack

London


Candidats pères et fils (2)


J’apprécie comme il se doit les commentaires de votre collaborateur LEX à la petite note que je vous avais adressée la semaine dernière. Je tiens tout d’abord à assurer ce collaborateur qu’il n’était nullement de mon intention de polémiquer sur la question. Je tenais tout simplement à relever certains faits de notre histoire politique récente.

Qu’il me soit néanmoins permis de signaler que l’ancien président français, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing a, si je ne m’abuse, sollicité un mandat électif après avoir quitté les plus hautes fonctions de la république française. Je préfère pour ma part laisser à l’électeur le soin de choisir son représentant plutôt que de lui imposer des critères autres que le bulletin de vote.


Renaud Marie

rmarie@servihoo.com 

 

LEX’s comments
Sincerely, I was expecting to read about the views of Mr Renaud Marie on the two issues raised but regrettably I have been disappointed.
On the case he has made out concerning President Valery Giscard d’Estaing, I have to point out that we do not operate in the French system of politics, which is far remote from our system. We operate purely in the Westminster system and the comparison does not stand. I do agree that at the end of the day, the electorate will have to choose, but as electors, we have our views which we express through what we write.


Mauritius & tourism

Tourism minister for Tourism, Xavier-Luc Duval,spoke very highly of our tourist industry in a recent speech (Le mauricien 15 Jan 10): Tous ce s efforts, rappelle enfin le ministre, ont été couronnés à Londres en novembre dernier lors de la cérémonie des World Travel Awards lorsque Maurice a été élue Leading Island Destination in the World”. We are all glad at this news. “Pour ce qui est de l’avenir, il prévoit qu’en 2010, nous franchirons la barre d’un million de tourists.” This is again very nice for the economic development of our little country. Those involved deserve all the praises. He speaks of: “1) l’accessibilité ; 2) la visibilité ; et 3) l’attractivité,as a foundation stone for the tourist industry. This is all wonderful; however, one key ingredient is missing, and that is protection of the tourists from all types of theft, burglary and attacks on them while in our country. Unless those visiting our beautiful island are protected the Minister’s vision may not be achieved. The country will be all the poorer; already there are reports in our daily papers of the way the tourists are treated by certain groups of our own citizens. The quicker steps are taken to redress the situation the better for all concerned.

Responsible people in Mauritius are saying that we are neglecting all human values; our society is degenerating. Some sociologists too have been saying the same thing for quite some time now. Yet despite all efforts by some well-meaning individuals and groups no change seems to be on the horizon.

The presisident of the Union of Post Office Workers (UPOW), Ootesh Ramcharitar, noted in the same paper: « Actuellement, notre société est malade, en parlant de la criminalité montante à Maurice et aussi du mauvais comportement des Mauriciens, particulièrement de certains jeunes. » Our society is sick. All of us are responsible for the state of this sickness. Let’s get started. Assist our police force to catch and apprehend those who are giving us a bad name. Law and order is everybody’s business in a civilized society. Corruption must be eradicated from top down. Our top leaders must be seen to be taking the right decisions to ensure our safety, and we must back them up in this move.

Moreover politicians must not play to the gallery to win votes; stronger measures for punishment by the courts must be instituted. It is high time our leaders take note and ensure our country is made safe for all if we wish to play a prominent role on the world stage.

Instead of tourists flocking to the island they will be keeping away resulting in the loss of much needed revenue to our country. The news is spreading like wildfire that Mauritius is too dangerous a destination to spend one’s holidays there. Overseas Mauritians themselves are feeling ashamed to talk of their country as a suitable place for tourists. So, be warned; don’t take things for granted. Do everything possible to change the impression you are giving to the outside world.

Dr David B.Lingiah
Glasgow

 

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