Category: Lartik / Articles

FRIYAPEN
Li ron, li ranpli
Ar manzé, ar fortifian.
Fatra pa konpran.

BREADFRUIT
It’s plump and it’s full
Of goodies for life and land.
Fools don’t understand.

The economic pundits of the past thought that in line with the spirit of free trade, we should export sugar, tea and T-shirts and with our earnings import all we need, including our precious chow (chaw-chaw). Present day neoliberals adhere to this belief and practice. Food security and renewables are elements of left-wing idealism and fantasy. Land is just a commodity to be used to build sumptuous villas for foreign billionaires.

Those whose eyes are not blinded by rupee specs know that global burning and climate crisis mean that food production will be much affected and food security (FS) is an issue of utmost importance. FS is a two-dimentional problem. It concerns availability and nutrition. In Mauritius we depend on two staples: rice and wheat flower. Both are imported. The FAO has warned that global burning and climate crisis will greatly affect rice production. Mauritius will be hard hit. Wheat production will also be dramatically affected. Scientists believe most parts of the world where the crop is grown will be simultaneously hit by water shortages by the end of the century. Looking for locally grown staples is a top priority. Forget Mauritian wheat or rice! There are very good home-grown alternatives: breadfruit, cassava, potato, sweet potato, maize, arrowroot and taro. These not only give us the calories we need but also have medicinal values.

SEA FOOD

The maritime Republic will have to depend on sea food more than on livestock produce. In that context we will have to replant mangrove forests which have been cleared to make beautiful beaches for the tourist industry which will bear the brunt of the rise in sea level. Mangrove forests are home to a large variety of fish, crab, shrimp, and mollusk species. And they also serve as nurseries for many fish species, including coral reef fish.
Good nutrition is an equally important element of FS. Healthy eating together with regular exercise will help us solve problems of diabetes, blood pressure, overweight and obesity.

GOOD LAND USE

Land is not just a commodity to be disposed of to make money. It is to be considered as a sacred gift to ensure survival. Beside food and shelter, land which is properly used can free us from the chains of fossil fuels. Today we grow cane to make sugar and a by-product, bagasse, is burnt to make electricity. This must be changed through the cultivation of a highly fibrous cane whose main aim is the production of bio-energy and then sugar will become a by-product for local consumption and export if possible.
The use of fossil fuels must be banned and transport must be powered by electricity and muscle power. “Wi, bizen aprann ek kontan pedalé!” Electric public transport for long distances and bicycle ride for short distances will have to become, nilly-willy, our essential transportation and mobility culture. Our roads must be redesigned for these changes and new culture.

THE NEOLIBERAL STAND

The neoliberal tycoons and their political doormats and propagandists will mock and reject the views expressed here. Quite understandable. This new way of life means the end of their power on society and people. BUT it also means the birth of a new civilisation based on solidarity and sharing and not on selfishness and greed. For us, common people, it’s a question of “do or die”. It’s no longer a question of whether we like it or not.

IT’S NOW A QUESTION OF SURVIVAL.

15/11/19

Konsomé nonnstop!
Lor problem pas enn kout mop;
Amizé ar dop.

Consume without thought!
Let all your problems be naught;
Don’t be overwrought.

One thing is clear. Neoliberalism, an ideology caracterised by total reliance on market forces, deregulation and privatisation, now controls both sides of the house. The main political parties, the MSM, the PTr, the MMM and the PMSD, in that order of importance, share the same political ideology and this explains why these parties can easily join forces (MSM/MMM alliance; PTr/MMM alliance; MSM/PTr alliance; PTr/PMSD alliance; MSM/PMSD alliance). It also explains why prominent MMM members can easily fit into the MSM environment, outlook and policy.

Neoliberalism is the dominant worldwide ideology at present be it in the USA, China, India, Russia or Europe. In our region there are two important powerhouses: China and India. They may have different systems but both are driven by the same mantra: BE RICH. They are rivals in our region and both want to colonise us through the DEBT-TRAP diplomacy. India has an edge over its rival for the “CHOTA BHARAT” slogan seems to charm quite a few minds.

Neoliberals have no concern for the environment or the health of the planet. They believe that such concepts as global warming/burning, climate change/crisis are left wing fabulations to stop the march of history. In the Mauritius archipelago, they are the proponents of high-income economy, tax-free country, unending economic growth, wealth and luxury for all. These slogans titillate the imagination of the masses who start to think that manna will fall from heaven. But that is not the truth. Neoliberalism means that 1% of the population controls 90% of the national wealth and consequently, 99% have to share the remaining 10%; it means increasing wealth for the very rich and extreme poverty for the masses; it means a two-tier system (free and fee-paying) in schools and hospital where moneyed people will get the best service; it means that prisons will be privatised and consequently, rehabilitation cum re-education will be abandoned and recidivism will thrive; it means private police, gated cities on the one hand and rising unemployment and crimes on the other.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

As long as the masses trust their leaders nothing can be done. But the situation will not remain rosy for too long. The destruction of rain forests, the burning of fossil fuels, the wiping out of bio-diversity are life-threatening activities and soon we will have to bear the brunt of our mistakes. Then the political promise will sound hollow and angry reaction will start.

With the rise in sea level, our tourist industry will be in deep trouble. We will have to move from beach tourism and explore possibilities of culture and green tourism. Rice producing countries are already facing difficulties and rice supply will eventually dwindle. We will have to rethink our food culture in terms of production and consumption. AREU’S motto, GROW WHAT YOU EAT AND EAT WHAT YOU GROW, must become national wisdom. The “open sesame” of high-income economy will soon lose its lustre and the population at large will understand that they have been taken for a ride.

The oligarchs and their political allies, having a powerful grip over most media outlets, have some success in getting us to think the way they want. However, this will not last forever if artists in all branches of creation – poetry, plays, short stories, novels, paintings, music and dance, films and photography etc. – continue to entertain and educate us and help us to see the rot being hidden away.

At the level of the Mauritius archipelago, artists must not throw in the towel in the face of attacks on our true identity. Our birthplace is made up of creole islands which have given refuge, food and shelter to thousands of immigrants from Africa, Asia and Europe.

We do not live in Little France or Little India.

13/11/19