In India, Muslims read and write hindi whilst Hindus master urdu. Similarly, telegu is is the mother tongue of millions of Muslims and Hindus alike. In Saudi Arabia, Arabs are learning Mandarin and German.

The problem in Mauritius is that the school decides who will study which Asian language. Accordingly, Hindus will study hindi, Muslims will learn urdu... It is almost impossible for a Hindu to study urdu or a Muslim to study hindi or telegu or mandarin, for the simple reason that all Asian languages classes are held at the same time. Pupils are not really given the choice. The same situation prevails in secondary schools. Our children are not encouraged to learn a second or third Asian language.

It's one thing to claim that Mauritius is the bridge between Asia and Africa, but how many Mauritians master several Asian and African languages simultaneously? If we want to play a leading role in Africa, we should learn languages like Swahili. The Chinese have already embarked on such a journey. We are lagging behind. Being bilingual is no longer a great feat. Time to get multilingual.

Ali