Category: Lartik / Articles

©DEV VIRAHSAWMY AND ICJM

BBC News has just published an interesting article by James Gallagher, health and science correspondent, on dementia which I would like to share with readers of l’Express: https://www.bbc.com/news/health-48094398

What can we do to face this highly destructive and costly disease?

The article suggests the following:

“Is there anything I can do to dodge dementia?

There are no guarantees, but there are ways you can lower the odds of developing dementia.
Research estimates that one in three cases could be prevented by lifestyle changes including:
• treat hearing loss in mid-life
• spend longer in education
• don’t smoke
• seek early treatment for depression
• be physically active
• avoid becoming socially isolated
• avoid high blood pressure
• don’t become obese
• don’t develop type 2 diabetes
It is not completely clear why these protect the brain.
Do these lifestyle factors actually stop the process of dementia in the brain?
Or do they prepare the brain for dementia by increasing the connections and flexibility of the brain so that as neurones start to die, the brain can compensate for longer and symptoms don’t emerge?”

As a nation we must be prepared for real not cosmetic changes. Already over 20% of the population are diabetic and over 40% are somewhere between being overweight and obese. A high percentage of our population is likely to develop the pathology.

Lifelong education is part of the solution and neuro-linguists think that genuine, vibrant and dynamic bilingualism – not the smattering of semi-linguals – can also help. If we bear in mind that about 70% of Mauritians are either non-literate or semi-literate, that can put a lot of people in danger of developing the disease.

In Mauritius we have the cultural resources to produce a nation of true and genuine bilinguals in speech and writing for we have two creole languages which share many common features and mastering one can definitely help in the mastering of the other. Mauritian, our de facto national language, and English, our official language, are both creole languages.

Prejudice and ignorance are obstacles to progress and change. Do we want a healthy nation?

©DEV VIRAHSAWMY AND ICJM

There are so-called ‘great’ leaders who use the democratic process to destroy democracy. They have learnt from Hitler, the arch-fascist, who used elections to get power and then use this power to impose dictatorship. In 1932 the Nazi Party won a great number of seats and 6 months later Hitler was appointed Chancellor and Nazi dictatorship was born followed by war and ethnic cleansing. The rest is history.

Donald Trump who won the presidency with white supremacist votes, considers African-Americans, Native Americans and Hispanics as second-class citizens and dreams of a white supremacist ethnic democracy; Bibi Netanyahu’s ambition is a Jewish ethnic democracy in which Palestinians would have no rights; Modi’s Hindutva aims at creating a Hindu Rashtra which would deny Dalits and Muslims basic rights. Moreover, women are considered as male properties without any rights and are often victims of gang-rape.

According to a group of secular intellectuals called ‘India United Against Fascism’ “the BJP’s real attitude towards women is based on a fascist communally-based politics in which women are seen not as individuals with rights but as bearers of their community’s honour, to be protected or raped, depending who they are.”

Just as Hitler who was not blue-eyed and blonde-haired but believed in the “pure Aryan race”, Modi believes in high-caste supremacy even if he may be from a lower caste. A road to social promotion?
Trump supports Netanyahu’s Zionism and anti-Palestinian policy and now Modi and Bibi Netanyahu are in cahoots. In July 2017, Modi was the first Indian leader to go on a state visit to Israel and six months later Netanyahu visited India. Gone are the days when India supported the Palestinian cause. Hatred for Islam drives both Modi and Bibi. The Mauritius Labour Party has always supported the Palestinian cause. What is the plan of the Modi fans within the party?
Modi’s fans with their fascistic leanings claim that he is a great popular hero but choose to forget that in 2014 he obtained only 31% of popular votes and formed a government with another party which had only 7.5% of popular votes – 38.5% in all.
Mr Yatin Varma, the despicable, miserable role-seeking mouse that tries to roar to intimidate with threats, should know that he should thank the Lord that ‘le ridicule ne tue pas’. He can only think in terms of repressive measures. According to him, the Indian Electoral Commission should ban my insignificant article ‘full of lies and untruths’ for it may influence the millions of Indian voters. I did not realise I had such power. Chabas Dev!
My article aimed at telling my Mauritian brothers and sisters to be wary for our sovereignty was in danger if we were to allow Modi’s sycophants and cronies to trade our dignity. And I stick to my guns!
Mauritius is not Little India and will never be. It is a beautiful Creole island in which immigrants from Europe, Africa and Asia who practise Hinduism, Christianity, Islam and Buddhism or who are free-thinkers have a moral duty to build a democratic, sustainable rainbow nation and not a Vaish Hindu Rashtra. Moreover, on this beautiful Creole island we speak TWO beautiful Creole languages: Mauritian and English.
19.04.2019