To recover the lost ground with the Hindu community (they had suddenly disappeared in thin air when the community that they claim they represent was expecting them to come out strongly on the issue of the maja karo - mainly of caris de cerf and cochon marron drenched with a good glass of rich single-malt whisky- taking place in a ranch not far from the “sacred lake”) - les socio-culturels have managed to make their way back to the forefront again by demanding that Grand-Bassin be declared a spiritual sanctuary and that a buffer be created around Grand Bassin to protect it from “certain” activities.
Is it a desperate move to catch up on their disappearing act or eski zot fin tombe lor zot la tête ?
This reply from a well-respected environmentalist and avid blogger could not be more appropriate :
C.G: “ Grand bassin en limem li konsidere kouma patrimwann natirel pou tou morisien, se enn krater ek li ena an limem enn lintere zeolozik, ek pou zanfan aprann, tou morisien koz grand bassin kouma enn ti zwayo nou pei. Dimoun finn touzour respekte li osi pou laspe sakre ki finn atribie li. Akoz nou koumsa dan moris nou konn respekte kilt sakenn. Ki finn itiliz li kouma enn plas pou lapriyer, rekeyman, tou dimoun inn konpoz ek sa me aster li inportan konn respekte osi tou lezot dimoun, pe inport so relizion kontan sa plas la akoz li enn plas lanatir ki dimoun bizin. Ki bizin konn respekte lanatir, pa fer ninport kwa dan bann plas koumsa akoz bizin respekte bann lavi ki la, lorla tou relizion dakor zisteman. Bann sosio kiltirel bizin aret sa bann rol fer interesan la, la nation mauricienne s'en portera mieux. Premie zafer bizin fer se pran swin lanatir la ansam, sa konsansis la ki inportan, aret sa zafer vinn rod sakenn so bout koumsa. Ou sanz lanatir, ou met beton partou, apre ou dir inn vinn pli relizie/spiritiel koumsa? Ou sanz seki parfe ?”
Well said ! What kind of spiritual sanctuary they are talking about when they can't even impose a sense of discipline during Maha Shivatree to ensure that it is a pious pilgrimage devoid of the unsavoury gimmicks .
Grand Bassin should be a place where the faithful can attend spiritual lectures, people can all sit down and meditate silently or do the round of the spiritual stands. The festival should be a congregation of devotees from all religions, not a circus, a riot of loud music- earth shattering remixes perturbing other pilgrims or the neighborhood - chaotic exuberance, unbridled crowd encroaching on the rights of others, disturbing people in the middle of the night, causing disruptions to the traffic and feeling shamelessly proud of their rowdy behaviour. “
And these are the people who are now taking advantage of the present situation and elbowing their way back to the lime light by trying to fool us in believing that from now on they will be protecting Grand Bassin from certain activities.(sic)
These very ones who have tampered and spoiled the pristine Grand Bassin we loved and were so proud of and as CG says "c'est notre patrimoine naturel", “enn ti zwayo nou pei”-they have mowed down so many trees and plants to make place for concrete -un bétonnage superfluous…how can they talk of spiritual sanctuary when they had failed in caring and preserving “nou ti zwayo”…preserving its natural beauty…Quel hypocrisie!
Yes, C.G, to be spiritual is to be in harmony with nature, our mother nature, our Parvati…How can we even believe that we could improve upon the flawless, the idyllic , the pure…if we were humble enough, we would have sacrificed everything to preserve it “ “nou ti zwayo”, our sublime Parvati.
They have yet to understand the deeper meaning of a spiritual , sacred site. What’s spiritual with Lourdes: the Catholic Pilgrimage Site, Palestine , the Mecca or Grand Bassin? it’s a combination of the harmony with the environment, the faith, the good vibrations, the coming together of devotees to meditate or pray, this is what makes it spiritual - it is as spiritual and as sacred as your special corner at home where u do your daily spiritual practices. Whether it is at Lourdes or Palestine or at home, the moment we are in meditation or in prayers to find a meaning to our existence and ultimately to find Him - the Universal Consciousness! -this infinite present moment, that's the bliss , that’s the sacredness we bring to a place ; nothing can corrupt that , some "zones tampons" or not do not make a difference!
"THERE IS A SECRET PLACE WHERE THE BEAUTY OF THE EARTH IS HIDDEN. IN THAT PLACE, THE AIR IS CLEAN AND THE WATER IS PURE, AND ALL LIVING THINGS ARE ONE “ Rumi
The day that all of us consider Grand Bassin as ours and the day we all experience and share its hidden beauty with everyone- with all living things including “the cerfs and the cochons marrons”- would have made Grand Bassin a spiritual sanctuary !
