Mauritius Times @ 70

Personal Recollections

At this critical juncture in the chequered history of Mauritius, more than at any time in the past, the onus is squarely on the voter to sift the wheat from the chaff of the freebies galore at public expense

By Mrinal Roy

It would be very remiss not to pen some thoughts and add my voice to the chorus of tribute to brand Mauritius Times on the momentous milestone of the 70th anniversary of the paper established on 14 August 1954.

This special date chosen to launch the first edition of Mauritius Times must have been inspired by the date that Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India delivered his historic and rousing ‘India’s tryst with destiny’ speech on the eve of India’s independence on 15 August to announce to the world: ‘At the stroke of midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom… when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.’

The path-breaking struggle for the independence of India, the jewel in the crown of the British Empire and India’s freedom from British yoke on 15 August 1947 was a harbinger of hope for freedom in the British colonies. At the Mauritius Times it anchored the guiding ethos and inspiring ideals of a newspaper geared to support the cause of freedom in the country.

Longevity

Other illustrious newspapers such as Advance founded in 1940, and Janata launched in 1947 which carried the voice of the downtrodden in the country and which were at the forefront of our own fight for independence from British rule lost their way after independence under those entrusted to carry forward its iconic and potent legacy and lofty ideals. They petered off after independence. Despite attempts to revive Advance after independence, its brief avatars floundered ignominiously.

Mauritius Times‘ longevity, despite periods of boycott to silence its editorial independence and its contributors’ incisive take and opinion by those in power, is therefore a crying testimony of the very special place and popularity it has forged for itself from modest beginnings over time over the multitude of Mauritians who yearn for loftier ideals and want to help build a far better socio-economic and political order for people and country.

Mauritius Times assembles a diversity of select contributors who every week enlighten public opinion through their expert analysis and insights on a variety of topical or other subjects of germane interest to help fashion a better Mauritius for people and future generations..

In essence, Mauritius Times has conceived and established a new brand in the media landscape of Mauritius. Anybody who picks up a random sample of editions of Mauritius Times over a certain period is impressed by the diversity of Mauritians from various professional backgrounds who readily share their learned and incisive views on a plethora of topical issues hobbling our country and affecting the people as well as their learned analysis and take on international issues.

Every week, Mauritius Times also showcases the wide range of both local and international topical subjects analysed with thought provoking insight by its regular contributors over the past decades. The tenor and erudition of past articles from 60 years ago, reproduced in each edition, attest to a long tradition of being a vibrant forum of eminent columnists driven by the same ethos of ensuring, through their learned analysis and wise counsel, that Mauritius avoids policy pitfalls as the nascent nation defined its policy framework post-independence.

On a mission

In a world context where the recent events in Bangladesh reminded us yet again the importance people across the world attribute, in a context of unemployment, nepotism and economic downturn, to a secure and pensionable government job. Beekrumsing Ramlallah driven by the higher and altruistic calling of contributing to the cause of freedom of the country and help fashion a far better future for people and country, resigned from a secure government teacher’s job to launch Mauritius Times.

In a context where the media across the world is in general driven by the rat race of sensational breaking news and doctored narratives  to depict events which are regularly exposed by the growing world brigade of independent journalists, Mauritius Times has adopted its own brand of potent and thought provoking journalism. It  thus provides through the tenor and thrust of the articles of its contributors and its incisive interviews and learned views of a wide cross section of Mauritians from diverse professional backgrounds as well as its thought provoking editorials on topical issues of public interest a welcome insight into very often complex and obtuse matters to help shape public opinion.

Over the past decades, Mauritius Times has faced and overcome many difficult challenges and has relentlessly forged its way forward to occupy a unique place in the media landscape of Mauritius. The Covid-19 epidemic has forced it to adapt and convert into a 24-page colour digital format covering a broad spectrum of topical local and international topics as well a wide range of eclectic subjects addressing a diverse range of MT readers. A small but dedicated team motivated by the same ideals of the founders of Mauritius Times have loyally helped tide over every challenge to keep the seminal ethos of the founders of Mauritius Times alive and uncompromising on its core principles and ideals as an independent weekly.

Mauritius Times regularly thus hosts major opinion leaders and a broad range of regular contributors who share their incisive perspectives and expert take on a wide range of topical local and international subjects across time. In simple terms, Mauritius Times carries the singular distinction that the views and expert opinions expressed in the newspaper matter and their tenor and thrust is assiduously followed by the movers and shakers of the country and its political and business decisions makers.

Beacon of light

Such an independent forum is particularly important as a beacon of light to guide voters in the current context of our country where so many things are amiss and bewildering ahead of the impending general elections in an unprecedented context of pervasive alienation of the voter against the main political parties and the political class who have undermined public trust through systemic poor governance, lack of financial accountability and let down people and country.

At this critical juncture in the chequered history of Mauritius, more than at any time in the past, the onus is squarely on the voter to sift the wheat from the chaff of the freebies galore at public expense in highly devalued Rupees and daily government propaganda blitzkrieg and make an enlightened choice regarding those with the altruistic commitment and profoundly game changing people and country centric proposals to be entrusted with the country’s future.

Mauritius Times ePaper Friday 16 August 2024