University College for Mauritius

Mauritius Times – 70 Years

By Dookhee Rai

It is an undeniable fact that the Education Department has already made significant progress. However, it must advance further to take its rightful place among the more developed nations.

To achieve this, the present government, fortunate to have a Minister of Education who enjoys the confidence of the entire House, must eliminate illiteracy through a mass literacy and education campaign. The government cannot remain indifferent to the provision of both primary and secondary education. If it heeds Professor Meade’s advice, it must encourage the large-scale production of technicians and technologists.

The Labour Party can help produce such individuals, who are urgently needed in modern Mauritius, by fulfilling its election promise to establish a University College where both technical and academic education will be provided. It could be modelled after the West Indian University College in Kingston, Jamaica. Such an institution would also nurture future leaders in politics, administration, law, education, and medicine.

Mr. Arthur Lewis, a former professor at Manchester University and an advisor in Ghana and at the United Nations Headquarters, is the newly appointed principal of the British Caribbean University College. This institution is set to become autonomous, awarding degrees to all individuals regardless of colour or creed. However, it will be of particular service to the West Indian islands, as well as to British Guiana and British Honduras. Like several other university colleges within the Commonwealth, it has established a “special relationship” with the University of London, though it aims to achieve full university status in the near future.

Currently, the college has 700 students enrolled, with this number expected to double by 1965. It consists of three faculties: medicine, science, and arts. Soon, additional chairs will be established in classics, geography, philosophy, Spanish, geology, mathematics, and physics. The Cato Committee, after examining every aspect of the college’s operations, has recommended the creation of three more faculties — agriculture, engineering, and social sciences.

The University College of Ghana, on the other hand, prepares candidates for the University of London external degrees in both arts and science. The University of London recognizes the degree program in engineering offered at the Kumasi College of Technology.

The curricula of both these institutions are heavily influenced by the University of London’s external degree programs. To support the establishment of these two Ghanaian colleges, the United Kingdom Colonial Development and Welfare Fund provided a grant of £400,000, while the United Kingdom Commonwealth Services contributed a special grant of £350,000.

A University College in Mauritius would be of tremendous benefit to underprivileged Mauritian students who cannot afford to study abroad. It would produce graduates capable of organizing and administering the rapidly expanding Civil Service and industries. Additionally, it would ensure that qualified teachers are readily available within the country.

There is an urgent need in Mauritius for highly trained technologists who can apply modern discoveries to contemporary needs. Mauritius, too, could potentially secure grants from the Colonial Development and Welfare Fund.

The only challenge might be the limited number of students willing to enrol in such an institution. However, once established, it is likely that Mauritius could attract visiting professors of high repute who, during their academic breaks, would be pleased to visit and contribute to the institution in various ways.

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The Gandia and Hashish Smoker

The government deserves commendation for its efforts to eradicate social evils such as football pools. At present, the Minister of Health and Reform Institutions is tackling a pressing health issue — an anti-social activity that has become increasingly problematic in Mauritius: gandia.

To combat this issue, an awareness campaign will be launched to educate the public about the severe social and economic consequences of gandia consumption. Medical officers, youth organizers, schoolteachers, religious organizations, and village councils will play a crucial role in this initiative. Additional efforts will include pamphlets, broadcasts, and film strips. To ensure the campaign’s success, the Minister of Education and Cultural Affairs, along with the Minister of Labour and Social Security, must actively participate.

Between 1956 and 1959, police records indicate 57 cases related to gandia cultivation, involving 65 individuals and a total of 75,126 plants. During the same period, 323 cases involving 44 traders and 14 car drivers — who were prosecuted for possession of gandia — were reported. Of these individuals, 57, ranging in age from 11 to 70, required admission to Brown Sequard Hospital (the mental hospital) for treatment.

In January 1959, Hon. G. Forget, Minister of Health and Reform Institutions, appointed a committee to “enquire into the use and cultivation of gandia.” The committee’s task is to identify the specific social or age groups most affected by gandia addiction. Additionally, it is expected to make recommendations for eliminating both the cultivation and use of gandia in Mauritius.

The government has approved the allocation of a substantial sum of money to the Commissioner of Police and the Conservator of Forests. Of this amount, up to Rs 5,000 will be awarded as a reward to anyone providing credible information about the cultivation, distribution, and use of gandia. Furthermore, specialized training will be provided to a select group of police officers to improve their ability to detect offenders.

Harsher penalties will be imposed on those who cultivate and distribute gandia than on consumers, as the former are responsible for its widespread use. However, users will also face heavy fines. The names of offenders will be published in the Government Gazette. Traders and drivers found conducting business related to gandia will have their licenses revoked or suspended. Any vehicle caught transporting gandia will be confiscated. Both police and forest officers will be granted the same powers to arrest and prosecute individuals involved in cultivating gandia plants.

Hashish — the dried top leaves of hemp, commonly smoked in Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, India, and other regions — has several by-products, including “charas,” “chira,” “bhang,” and “ganja.” These drugs are consumed by approximately 200 million people worldwide. A hashish smoker, once intoxicated, enters a state of ecstasy and behaves abnormally. Their speech and gestures become exaggerated, their moral judgment and reasoning are impaired, and they may react irritably if disturbed. While in this altered state, they feel detached from reality. If left undisturbed, they may quickly return to normal, but excessive consumption can lead to delirium or temporary insanity. Many individuals turn to these substances to escape moments of intense anxiety and to experience a fleeting sense of well-being.

The gandia addict often speaks humorously, sometimes even wittily. A noticeable change in their speech occurs — they may become cheeky despite previously being reserved. Their perception of reality is altered; objects may appear larger or smaller, nearer or farther than usual. This distorted sensory experience, whether real or imagined, is what draws many smokers to these drugs.

The mind of a hashish smoker is more impaired than that of any other substance user, including alcoholics. To illustrate this, consider an old Persian tale:

“One night, three companions arrived at Ispahan, only to find the town gates closed. The first, an alcoholic, suggested, ‘Let us break the gate.’ The second, an opium smoker, proposed, ‘Let us sleep here until morning.’ The third, a hashish smoker, after a long pause, declared, ‘Let us pass through the keyholes.’”

From Mauritius Times – Friday 20th May, 1960

Mauritius Times ePaper Friday 21 March 2025