Lor dimoun ek zaco/Le Mauricien 29.02.12

The pain of the Militan

I love the MMM. Its values. Its struggle. The people who make it special. And I am not talking about the leaders who tarnish its name but the thousands of militan that have faith in change.

However, the MMM is dying. Hanged by the hands of its own generals, drowned in the abysmal desire to gain power, left bleeding by the greedy intentions of some, the purple legion sighs and watches as its puppeteers lead it astray once again.

The Best Loser System which was pertinent decades ago has become a fresh battlefield of archaic ideas. Hence, the Hindu peril is talked about in a tone so absurdly serious as if there was an imminent risk of oppression on minorities in 2012. But then, this was to be expected from the sowers of division and hate which incidentally are present in all segments of our population.

Nevertheless, an absence of stance on an issue so vital was not expected of the MMM. Not by the movement that once celebrated oneness and which placed Mauritianism at the foundation of a new society. This latest volte-face of the MMM is but one in a long list of renouncements designed to create some form of political momentum in its favour. An impetus that it has yet to gain despite the formidable press conferences, brilliant ideas and highly-productive koz kozer sessions.

While religious voices are definitely needed to craft a Mauritian identity, their presence in the political sphere has done more harm than good to our country. Politicians exist to uplift the debate from an emotional level to a rational one. This is what separates reactionaries and progressives. This is what stands between the MMM and its salvation.

I used to love the MMM.

Yeshwant Ramchurn