Loulou (guest)
Loulou is a writer living in Melbourne, Australia who promotes the self-determination of the Rodriguan people.
Tempest in a Teapot
- By Loulou (guest)
- Published 7th July, 2008
On a private visit to India recently, Mauritian President, Anerood Jugnauth, said that India shares blood relations with Mauritius, where Indian customs and traditions were still practised. Some critics (Mauritian expatriates) argue that his speech impinged on the contributions of other ethnic groups.
Maybe I missed something, but I didn’t get that impression. Far from speaking out of school, he merely highlighted a self-evident truth. What if an Irish Australian Head of State, on visiting Ireland had said that Australia shared blood relations with Ireland, or that Australia had Irish pubs? Would we honestly have expected him/her to acknowledge all Greek, Chinese, French, Mauritian, Serbs, Croatians, Turkish, Italian, German, and Vietnamese contributions? Methinks not.
By the way, wasn’t that the same President who visited Australia a few years back? Yes it was. I remember now. Well cravated, protocol-savvy, overawed peepoule in their Sunday best, falling over each other to shake his hand, to bow and to curtsy too. Others even bought special clothes to attend the ‘much-sought-after’ function. Oh yes, I saw the pics and cringed at the breathtaking hypocrisy.
Sot du Coq a L’ane (careful with translation): In the mid-eighties, when I suggested inter alia (pompous word 4 the silly) that Creoles reject imperialists’ tags, speak Kreol and wear the traditional African clothing of their ancestors; I was met with stupefying disbelief and derision. Francophiles would not hear of it, they wanted
to splinter splinters and make of us watered-down versions of others.
As both Indian and Creole populations in Mauritius shared pretty much the same ruler-ruled relationship during the colonial epoch, why did one culture flourish while the other waned? Simple, apart from a pre-colonial civilization and weight of numbers, among other things, Indians didn’t want to be 15% or 60% European; they aspired to be 100% Indians. Despite coming from different parts of the sub-continent, from different socio political backgrounds, they united under the Indian identity. Accordingly, they fiercely defended their culture, and retained their names, clothing, languages, beliefs, traditions, food habits and even transplanted systems of local governance. As a result, regardless of migration, their culture blossomed.
Had (good) Creole leaders drawn a line through this phenomenon, then, it follows quite logically, that we should have been welded on to an African identity – years ago. But, no, Le Pont D’Avignon, La Marseillaise and even God Save the Queen took precedence over Sega; the rest as they say is history. Zordi zour, there is a belated movement afoot to regroup and give Creoles an identity. Bravo to those in the mix; they are doing what others before them couldn’t or wouldn’t do.
In the context of local cultural pluralism, it’s a good start. With a bit of luck, it’ll grow from a national to a pan-national movement. A strong African identity will not only promote unity but give it teeth internationally. Here’s hoping.
Alain L'évêque
Maybe I missed something, but I didn’t get that impression. Far from speaking out of school, he merely highlighted a self-evident truth. What if an Irish Australian Head of State, on visiting Ireland had said that Australia shared blood relations with Ireland, or that Australia had Irish pubs? Would we honestly have expected him/her to acknowledge all Greek, Chinese, French, Mauritian, Serbs, Croatians, Turkish, Italian, German, and Vietnamese contributions? Methinks not.
By the way, wasn’t that the same President who visited Australia a few years back? Yes it was. I remember now. Well cravated, protocol-savvy, overawed peepoule in their Sunday best, falling over each other to shake his hand, to bow and to curtsy too. Others even bought special clothes to attend the ‘much-sought-after’ function. Oh yes, I saw the pics and cringed at the breathtaking hypocrisy.
Sot du Coq a L’ane (careful with translation): In the mid-eighties, when I suggested inter alia (pompous word 4 the silly) that Creoles reject imperialists’ tags, speak Kreol and wear the traditional African clothing of their ancestors; I was met with stupefying disbelief and derision. Francophiles would not hear of it, they wanted
As both Indian and Creole populations in Mauritius shared pretty much the same ruler-ruled relationship during the colonial epoch, why did one culture flourish while the other waned? Simple, apart from a pre-colonial civilization and weight of numbers, among other things, Indians didn’t want to be 15% or 60% European; they aspired to be 100% Indians. Despite coming from different parts of the sub-continent, from different socio political backgrounds, they united under the Indian identity. Accordingly, they fiercely defended their culture, and retained their names, clothing, languages, beliefs, traditions, food habits and even transplanted systems of local governance. As a result, regardless of migration, their culture blossomed.
Had (good) Creole leaders drawn a line through this phenomenon, then, it follows quite logically, that we should have been welded on to an African identity – years ago. But, no, Le Pont D’Avignon, La Marseillaise and even God Save the Queen took precedence over Sega; the rest as they say is history. Zordi zour, there is a belated movement afoot to regroup and give Creoles an identity. Bravo to those in the mix; they are doing what others before them couldn’t or wouldn’t do.
In the context of local cultural pluralism, it’s a good start. With a bit of luck, it’ll grow from a national to a pan-national movement. A strong African identity will not only promote unity but give it teeth internationally. Here’s hoping.
Alain L'évêque
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