Sobhanund Seeparsad
Editor of News On Sunday. Did university studies in the UK and India. Holds an MA , BA (Hons), BCom, PGCE, PCCGE, Diploma in Journalism (IPI-Zurich). Worked in Nairobi and Mumbai. Was chief Sub Editor Indian Express Group of Papers in 70s. Author: Effective Notes on Milton Paradise Lost BK IX (1963); Granper Rakont Nu Enn Zistwar (1998). Also acted in many short and feature films, including popular TV serial C'est La Vie. Tells a folk story in Bhojpuri on MBC radio daily.
PM’s faux pas
- By Sobhanund Seeparsad
- Published 11th April, 2008
I had never ever seen the Prime Minister react so violently against one member of the civil society, and that too, a journalist, as he did this week. He came down heavily on him, calling him all sort of names, and even going to the extent of making defamatory allegations as to his political belonging and loyalty.
What appeared to have irked the PM was a couple of articles and leaders by the journalist, who according to him, did not write the truth. They were packed with lies.
The PM, or any one in public life, has every right to issue denials or their versions of facts if they feel aggrieved by the writing of any media people or if they feel the write-ups do no reflect the truth and are likely to cause prejudice either to them personally or to the society at large. The other recourse is obviously to seek justice in a court of law.
If the PM had anything to say against a private individual, he should have chosen
a different forum or method, not the one he chose to pour his venom against one person in a million. What's worse, his so-called defence and clarification were later relayed, almost in toto, on the national television in its Wednesday evening news bulletin - again a faux pas in bad taste.
A PM or any public figure can talk on issues of national interest. They have a right to defence provided they have recourse to an appropriate channel. It doesn't befit them going round fighting every individual member of the society. If they think this is the best alternative to fight back, then the PM may be well advised to suspend all the works that his status and office call for and spend his time answering to hundreds of vitriolic attacks that he's daily subjected to in street corners, bars and restaurants, and under shop verandas, among others. I maintain, what the PM did on Wednesday was wrong. Except for a handful of boot-lickers, the vast majority of the Mauritians didn't appreciate it.
Note
Click here to listen to the Prime Minister's reaction.
(Interview by Hamish Ramdharry)
What appeared to have irked the PM was a couple of articles and leaders by the journalist, who according to him, did not write the truth. They were packed with lies.
The PM, or any one in public life, has every right to issue denials or their versions of facts if they feel aggrieved by the writing of any media people or if they feel the write-ups do no reflect the truth and are likely to cause prejudice either to them personally or to the society at large. The other recourse is obviously to seek justice in a court of law.
If the PM had anything to say against a private individual, he should have chosen
A PM or any public figure can talk on issues of national interest. They have a right to defence provided they have recourse to an appropriate channel. It doesn't befit them going round fighting every individual member of the society. If they think this is the best alternative to fight back, then the PM may be well advised to suspend all the works that his status and office call for and spend his time answering to hundreds of vitriolic attacks that he's daily subjected to in street corners, bars and restaurants, and under shop verandas, among others. I maintain, what the PM did on Wednesday was wrong. Except for a handful of boot-lickers, the vast majority of the Mauritians didn't appreciate it.
Note
Click here to listen to the Prime Minister's reaction.
(Interview by Hamish Ramdharry)
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6 Responses to "PM’s faux pas" 
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said this on 11 Apr 2008 1:23:59 PM MUT
This kind of behaviour is uncalled for, least from a Prime Minister who should know better when it comes to "modus operandi" in the context of good governance. It is a true sign of weakness rather than that of strength and his supposedly political advisers should have warned him of the pitfalls, irrespective that the criticisms levelled against him may be exagerrated and wholely unjustified. Such irrational behaviour worryingly begs the question "Is he right for office, or is the job proving too onorous for him?
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said this on 11 Apr 2008 3:21:45 PM MUT
nous PM fer modelling lor MBC tv... et li fer li bien..
li fer peu pu pays.. et li coze grand grand cozer... (wa dire p reproche nous..) |
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said this on 11 Apr 2008 5:32:35 PM MUT
That was the best way to deal with people like Mr Raj Meetarbhan. The PM was right when he said that Mr Meetarbhan is a biased person. I never miss his editorials. Any lay man who reads his editorials would come to the conclusion that Mr Meetarbhan is a biased man. I read that editorial which the PM was on about. You could tell that the editorial was a biased one. It's been a long time now since Mr Meetarbhan has been acting in such a way that this government is always taking wrong steps, though that was not the case. I think the PM defended his government as a true leader should have done.
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said this on 12 Apr 2008 8:50:19 AM MUT
BIG HURRAH AND TONS OF CONGRATULATIONS AND KEEP DOING IT MR THE ALMIGHTY PRIME MINISTER OF THE GREAT REPUBLIC OF MAURITIUS WHERE EVERYBODY MUST BOW ,MUST AGREE ,MUST SUBMIT TO ANY NONSENSES OUR GREATEST MAURITIAN MINISTER OF THE WORLD DO... LONG LIVE OUR IGNORIANT MAURITIAN MINISTERS ....
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said this on 12 Apr 2008 5:08:18 PM MUT
I would be much grateful if someone could tell us (me) what the PM said, or where to find what he said?
I already know of a beautiful anecdote he (as Former PM) told a Bharati audience in Kurukshetra, the same joke another PM told us in the Mauritian press! It has to do with the Bhagavad Gita and the Arya Samaj, or something like that. Ghyslaine ROC 12/4/2008 |
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said this on 14 Apr 2008 4:28:39 AM MUT
Après les récentes inondations qui ont exposé l’incompétence des autorités gouvernementales, la stratégie de communication du régime fait eau de toutes parts. Qu’un premier ministre passe son temps à répondre aux critiques de la presse, voilà qui démontre que ses priorités sont mal placées. Ses conseillers en communication veulent lui faire répondre au coup par coup aux critiques de l’opposition et de la presse, mais, ce faisant, ils l’exposent au ridicule. Le PM n’a-t-il pas d’autres chats à fouetter que de répondre à un éditorialiste ? Si l’éditorialiste a écrit des faussetés, le gouvernement peut le poursuivre en cour pour « publication de fausses nouvelles », laquelle est un délit punissable sous notre loi. Pourquoi faut-il se servir de la MBC, boîte de résonance gouvernementale qui a perdu toute crédibilité, pour relayer la réaction du PM ? La réponse agressive du PM fait partie d’une stratégie de confrontation qui vise à intimider la presse indépendante faute de pouvoir la museler. Puisque le gouvernement ne peut censurer la presse, comme le régime de SSR l’avait fait dans les années 70, en raison des normes de gouvernance politique qu’il doit respecter sous le regard vigilant de certaines institutions internationales, alors il veut faire peur à la presse pour l’astreindre à l’autocensure. Face à la propagande gouvernementale débitée sans cesse par la MBC, la presse indépendante est le contre-pouvoir essentiel qui doit jouer son rôle sans peur. Il faut féliciter l’éditorialiste en question pour son courage au moment où les intellectuels de Maurice ont abdiqué leur droit de critique par lèche-bottisme, opportunisme ou indifférence. Il ne faut pas que Maurice devienne un autre Zimbabwe.
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