Narcissus, the Greek hero after whom narcissism is named, became obsessed with his own reflection.  When calling upon Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam to sack Minister Dharam Gokhool, R.A.J. was merely looking at his own reflection and believing in his "celebrity" status in anonymity.

Following a French grammatical rule, I will refer to the un-named author writing under the initials R.A.J. as a he.  I have read, with a certain amount of disgust, his article « April the first : When sanctimonious idiots queue up to spout nonsense », posted on the Défi Media Group website on 1st April 2008 and also published in Le Mauricien of the same date.  He believes that by quoting (perhaps from a Book of Quotations) from well-known figures such as, Napolean Bonaparte, Albert Einstein, George Orwell (Eric Arthur Blair), Rudyard Kipling, Mark Twain, this would make him a big shot as he would like to think he is.  He is so much in love with himself that he even quotes himself to spew out even more nonsense.  His flaw is that he uses quotations as recommendations upon which he bases his own thinking and then holds them to be true for every other person.  On the other hand, he denies Cassam Uteem, ex-President of the Republic of Mauritius, the right to think for himself when he insults and accuses Mr Uteem of suffering from 'thought paralysis'.  [Ref. R.A.J. comments on the Défi Media Blog, 29 April 2008 : « Cassam Uteem et la nation mauricienne » of Parvez Dookhy].  In fact, by stating that Paul Bérenger should not present himself as PM at the next general elections, [Ref. Mr Uteem's interview in le Week-End 27th April 2008], Cassam Uteem does not base his thoughts by copying any author like R.A.J. tends to do incessantly.  One wonders who is truly suffering from « thought paralysis »!

R.A.J. quotes Mark Twain as saying that « April 1st: This is the day upon which we are reminded of what we are on the other three hundred and sixty four. »   This may be true of him and Mark Twain, but not necessarily true for other people unless he possesses the heavenly gift to reflect their minds when he admires himself.  He uses this totally inappropriate quotation to attack and insult the Minister for Education Dharam Gokhool who, through a self-quote (of 229 words), R.A.J. describes as a « most incompetent and ludicrous Minister », « arrogant », « proverbial rabbit », « unsuited for the post of Minister of Education », « the young child hiding under the blankets in the hope that the nasty monster will simply vanish », and much more, all in the context of Gokhool's proposals for Star Colleges, and demanded, under anonymity, that Mr Gokhool be « removed » from office « to take him out of his misery ».

R.A.J. then uses those attacks, insults, allegations and opinions against Minister Gokhool to back his further opinion that the Minister should resign in the aftermath of the sad death of one 13 year old student as a result of the torrential rains on Wednesday 26th March 2008 which could not even be predicted by the Meteorological Office.  In fact, four people sadly lost their lives in this Act of God, but R.A.J. only discriminated against Mr Gokhool by barking for his resignation and who he clearly holds responsible for the death of the student Laura Paul when he says: « Laura Paul's memory deserves nothing less than those responsible for this squalid level of incompetence to be sanctioned ».  He effectively demanded that the Minister should have used his discretion and ordered the closure of all schools in the absence of a report form the Met Office forecasting torrential rains that day.  But he is unable to show that the Minister acted unlawfully by not using his discretion.  Surely, even though many people may be unhappy with what they regard as Mr Gokhool's inaction, R.A.J. is in no position to tell a Minister when and how to use his discretion.  Who does he think he is?  He is merely pushing his narcissism (love of himself) to the extreme.  When he sarcastically describes the PM Dr Ramgoolam as « the astute politician he likes to think he is » when calling upon him to sack Minister Gokhool, R.A.J. was merely looking at his own reflection and believing in his ‘celebrity’ status in anonymity.  In fact, the « idiocy » and « nonsense » he is talking about can only be a reflection of himself which he is trying to hide through his anonymity, the use of big words (often made up and inappropriate) and bombastic language.

R.A.J. accepts that Minister Gokhool « should not be made to carry the can on his own », but he does not single out any one else for resignation.  He argues that the « opposition is rightly condemning Gokhool and the Met Office for the tragedies of last Wednesday » when, in truth, Paul Bérenger, leader of the opposition, has absolved the Met Office and held Minister Gokhool and the PM Ramgoolam solely and entirely responsible [le Mauricien 31st March 2008 « Bérenger : Gokhool et le PM seuls responsables »].

In fact, R.A.J. has misinterpreted and misapplied Mark Twain's saying, since he has done the reminding for Minister Gokhool when the Minister should have done his own reminding about himself.  His delusion through his love of himself makes him believe that he can enter the mind of Mr Gokhool and do the thinking for him.  It never crossed his mind that Mr Gokhool may not share Mark Twain's and his view of how people think.  The un-named author couples his misunderstanding of Mark Twain by doing the reminding for Robert Mugabe and the Governor of the Bank of Mauritius as well.  This is a clear attempt to link Dr Ramgoolam's government with the Mugabe's of this world, which appears to be his hidden agenda.  R.A.J. has completely misunderstood the substance of Mark Twain's quotation, which is pivotal to his article, and is misleading readers in the process by writing over 2000 words of sheer drivel.

M Rafic Soormally