Regardless, the question now arises: what has driven me to write on today's subject? As it came out, my attention was drawn towards a Parliamentary Question of Rajesh Bhagwan on Government paid publicity to newspapers. That was on last 6 May. The Prime Minister stated that "the information called for in the Parliamentary Question is being compiled". Surprising and shocking as it may sound, a Parliamentarian, close to me, informed me that the said PQ B/380 reply has not yet been laid in the Library of the National Assembly. And that, too, after 78 days!

More troublesome and horrifying now: on 5 December 2006, the same Opposition Parliamentarian asked the Prime Minister a similar PQ relating to Government advertisements in newspapers. The Ag. Prime Minister replied "the information called for……… is being compiled and will be placed in the Library a soon as it is available……". Hold your breath now! One year and eight months will soon elapse since the Ag. Prime Minister's commitments in the highest "instance" of the country. The facts and figures asked for have never been supplied to the Library. Information has been suppressed from public knowledge! Another worrying crucial factor now: Rajesh Bhagwan never dared to pursue the matter further. Nor did he remind the Prime Minister of the PMO's failure when he came up with the second question on 6 May this year- after exactly 17 months. As a matter of priority, he could also have drawn the attention of the Speaker. The Ministers should thank their lucky stars: the best Speaker of the Commonwealth, Sir Harilal Vaghjee, is not in the chair!

After 569 days: Still no reply to a 2006 PQ

For the time being, let's forget about the amateurish culture displayed by some Ministers and Parliamentarians alike. They never ensure a follow-up. Now, wait a moment. Just imagine of my late 1970s and early 1980s passage in Parliament as a backbencher. "Puce"-like, I used to stick to the Ministers to have the best and the quickest possible replies. Fury - like, I pestered them with a hail of supplementary questions. Ant - like, I laboured over all my questions before entering the august House. And military - like, I guarded follow-ups. To me, the work of a Parliamentarian was more of a vocation, nay, a mission, than a mere money-earning profession.

Little wonder then, in those days, many Ministers had sleeping sickness and spent sleepless nights before replying to my Parliamentary Questions. Casualties were "par grappe". Take a few examples. Two Ministers were compelled to resign "par force". A top frontbench "ténor" with an extremely sharp mind and tongue; and gifted with an extraordinary command of English, French and Creole - had to submit his resignation on the spur of the moment: following a rare crossfiring of questions and replies. Others were often rebuked by the then Speaker. It's no wonder that even today after some 28 years; my all-time record of Parliamentary Questions has not been broken. Come what may, it's very serious that after 569 days, following the first 5 December 2006 PQ, the information sought for by Rajesh Bhagwan has not yet been deposited in the Library of the National Assembly. And that's tantamount to a clear-cut contempt of the House!

Against this backdrop, came some unexpected information on Government publicity to the written press. That was during the COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY session on 23 June this year. It emerged from the Prime Minister that the following sums were paid by the Government to some selected newspapers during the budgetary period of 2007/2008:

Advertising policy: That of a one-party state

It's no laughing matter. It's very serious. It concerns public funds being utilized by politicians for political purpose. As if public money, public service, public sector and public property are all the private business of the Prime Minister. Or still, the limited company of his entire clique. It's very worrying and alarming. A close examination of the information supplied by the Prime Minister, on 23 June this year, reveals the following disturbing factors:

(1) WEEKEND, the largest Sunday circulation, did not receive a single rupee.

(2) LE MILITANT, the MMM official mouthpiece, was also boycotted.

(3) LE DEFI PLUS, the top Saturday weekly, was awarded a paltry Rs 324,962.

(4) The two leading dailies--L'EXPRESS and LE MAURICIEN--were granted insignificant amounts. And of the two, LE MAURICIEN suffered the worse fate.

(5) A racist paper, notorious for inciting hatred and whose printer is fake and whose circulation is only a few dozens--receives more money than LA VIE CATHOLIQUE or LE DIMANCHE.

(6) 5-PLUS, one of the outstanding Sunday weeklies, gets only a shameful Rs 18,900--that is one tenth of LA VOIX CREOLE of Mario Flore. Yet, its circulation ratio could be 1000 to 1.

(7) LE SOCIALISTE, which sells hardly a few dozen copies, is the second greatest beneficiary after LE MATINAL.

(8) MAURITIUS TIMES, is pampered for obvious reasons.

(9) IMPACT NEWS, THE STAR and BUSINESS MAGAZINE are not in the good book of the Government. Only miserable Rs 13,800 for BUSINESS MAGAZINE!

Well, let's stop here. Suffice it to say that it's very bad for a democracy. Politicians are toying with public money with total impunity. Freewheeling spree! Up to now, they have had a field day. Those responsible for private use and dilapidation of public money have never been brought to account. And the worst part is that the Government-controlled parastatal bodies spend many times more on advertisements.

Even more so, the 2008/2009 budget reveals more disturbing aspects of the Government largesse and fraud. Under the item GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES, item No 22100005 relates to PUBLIC NOTICES. For the budgetary year 2007/2008, Rs 10 million 30,000 were spent. For 2008/2009, Rs 11 million 990,000 are earmarked. As pointed out, the State-controlled companies may be spending many many times more on their publicity campaign. So, overall, the scandal takes epidemic proportions. Now the question arises: should we continue to be passive onlookers by merely sitting on the fence – just soliloquizing--and wallowing in self-pity? Remember the Prime Minister and his coterie deprived SUNDAY VANI of Government advertisements. Not only that, anybody helping the newspaper directly or indirectly was threatened or punished. In short, SUNDAY VANI was choked to death. Its office, which was helping, in many ways, an average of 50 needy people per day, was also suffocated. A part of my life was killed forever. Gone with the wind for good and all! SUNDAY VANI is dead. It will be a tragedy if other papers will suffer the same fate. It's time for the Supreme Court to give its interpretation of the financial rules and regulations governing such advertisements. Once more, maybe, I'll have to come out in the open. And meet the challenge!

Harish Boodhoo

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• Namaste Harish bhai, kaise hein aap?