"Everything isn’t all right at Mauritus.com"

(Published in l'express, 29 Dec 2020)

Recently, at the beginning of the Kistnen affair, we became conscious that we have crossed a new threshold that is scaring and chilling for the country. As other consequential events unfolded, it seems to reinstate the fact that there’s something that is fundamentally wrong with the country. Allow me to share with you, some of the interesting and challenging bits and pieces I have picked up from the local press and social media to confirm that everything is not all right with the country- not right at all.

Who are the liars ?

“Azordi mansonz inn vinn enn zafer trop fasil…”

That was Leela-Devi Dookun-Luchoomun at the Arya Samaj of L’Avenir on Sunday 20th December . She was discoursing on the principles of the Arya Samaj and was unashamedly drawing a parallel to the difficulties encountered by Swami Dayanand with the ways of doing of some people here…She also added that "Bien que la vérité prenne du temps, elle fera surface un jour (..) “

Supplementary Appropriation 2020-2021 Bill: Meeting the cost of the BAI Saga ! This Govt's end-of-the-year gift to the population.

The Supplementary Appropriation 2020-21 Bill provides for additional expenditure of Rs17 bn, of which the bulk relates to an equity injection of Rs11.9 bn into the National Property Fund.(NPF)

The Supplementary Appropriation 2018-2019 Bill: Money down the drain !

This Bill provides for supplementary appropriation of a sum of Rs1.4 mn for the Ministry of Financial Services and Good Governance for the year 2018-19.

Le Commissaire de Police déculotté

You may not have a special liking for the pro bono lawyers on the Kistnen case, but we have to acknowledge that, today, they did give the Commissioner a real hiding ; I'm sure that he will regret his brisk two mins press conference where he admonished the lawyers for "créer une psychose" and advised them “de faire montre de retenue dans leurs déclarations publiques.”

MBC TV : the government’s lapdog

Total black out by the MBC on the Kistnen affair and on the sanction against Top FM; every single household is forking out Rs 150 monthly to get nothing but trash. 

The murder of our democracy goes on !

Top FM has been suspended for three days starting from to-morrow December 16 .

The new political parties

Most of the mainstream political parties and the new ones, as I had written earlier in my article “The resurgence of identity politics”-see my blog- cannot transcend identity politics . Even some of the religious leaders have joined in the fray - Jean-Maurice Labour of the diocese of Port Louis at a press conference on the ethnic census had this to say: “ The minority of yesterday is no longer the minority of today.”

TEMPO LA BIEN BIEN SO !

The latest edition of “Tempo la So” on Top FM is really shocking. The Police and its Commissioner, and the Telecom and its CEO, have lost all credibility. (tampering of evidence, complicity...19 bn for Safe City that has no data recovery, no back-up; PM's inquiry? which inquiry, a parallel inquiry by whom ?-a parallel police ?)

ReA : "Enn Commission d’enquête lor tender rigging dan Gouvernment"

Ou pé truv ban ti kopains kuma Mungroo, bo- frer, konneksyon dan l’espaynn-Pack and Blisters, ban dan quinkailleri , dan construction, ex-marsan ambulans osi, pé tap plein plein pu enn tender médikal !! Ki san là ti pé présid sa comité là ? Kot mon foté?

If taxpayers are saving on the PM’s electricity bill , they are also bearing the cost of CEB’s investment.

On a question by Mr Assirvaden to the Minister of Energy and Public Utilities in regard to PV Installation for Residential Purpose at the PM’s residence at Angus Road., the latter replied that

Safe City project or "Surveillance State" project: They told us it will reduce crime…..They didn’t tell us that it will cover up crime !!!”

The Safe City project which comprises the installation of 4,000 intelligent surveillance cameras, 4,500 trunking smart handsets, 350 vehicle-mounted radios, 150 fixed desktop terminals to be installed in various Police Stations/Posts and an Emergency Response Management System is being financed by a loan of Rs 16 billion from Export-Import (Exim) Bank of China, payable over 20 years.

Gilbert Ducasse of “Linion Sitwayen” on our education system.

Some time back when I was contributing to MTmes, I used to pick up some of the worthy statements/ opinions of some of our opinion leaders and shapers from different newspapers and comment on them. I wish thus to share with you some chosen bits of Gilbert Ducasse’s interview in today’s l’express.

“IT IS REALLY SCARING FOR THE COUNTRY !!!

With the Kistnen affair, we have crossed a new threshold that is scaring and chilling for the country.

Kistnen, an activist of the MSM, was found dead, half burnt, in a cane field, barefoot with the remains of burned documents found in his hand. His death seems to be related to cases of fraud, corruption and embezzlement.

"Le pays a un train de vie dont il n’a pas les moyens” argues Arnaud Lagesse the CEO of IBL

“Un train de vie” which neither the private sector nor the public sector is a model to emulate, least of all the public sector.

How Much Debt Is Too Much?

Very interesting article by Raghuram Rajan, especially this para. on how much debt a government can issue.

“It is not enough for a government to ensure that it can afford to make its interest payments; it also must show that it and its successors can repay the principal. ……investors will buy new debt only if they are confident that the government can repay all its debt from its prospective revenues.

How come that most district councils are under the MSM despite the fact that they lost in most areas ?" A friend was asking.

I wished i had a valid answer. I had been jubillating that it was "le commencement de la fin pour the orange party-orange fin commence pourri !". I even posted a rotting orange and i thought that it will be inevitable now, they will have to "lev paké allé"

The perils and pitfalls of building multicultural democracy

The article below is from FT which may perhaps help us to understand and analyse some of the recent events in our multiracial democracy and goad us to propose the necessary reforms/institutions/legislations for a more inclusive and functioning democratic system.