Mauritius Times 60 Y ears Ago – NMU
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The Architect of Hindu Unity
NMU does not like the Hindus of this island to be united. He wants them to be at daggers drawn so that divided they may fall. In that respect he has told us what kind of hopes are entertained in certain quarters. In his article entitled ‘Vers un Bloc Nationaliste’ he said on the 28th of September: « Certains avaient espéré ici que des rivalités de personnes affaibliraient le bloc hindou aspirant à la domination du pays. » Divide and rule, that is what NMU and his supporters desire. But while trying to divide, NMU has unconsciously united that Hindu community.
NMU is not the only person in Mauritius to see that the Hindus of this island are sinking their personal differences. But unlike many, NMU is perturbed by the prevailing peace. And so he cannot help raising hell.
According to NMU, the Hindus of Mauritius are sticking together attracted by nationalism. He fails to see that Hindus have realized that it is puerile to cut one another’s throat when their common enemy takes delight in threatening them with death. In the face of a common danger it is but natural that they should throw their petty personal differences overboard. Let it be added, however, that they are also learning to subordinate their differences to principles.
According to NMU again, Hindus are sticking together because the Commissioner of India has a finger in the pie. “On dit que l’actuel Commissaire de l’Inde serait l’artisan habile de ce rapprochement,” says he. This “on dit” leads the habile NMU to associate the representative of India with local politics and to remark cynically: “Tout le monde applaudira cet habile et si discret Commissaire, apôtre des réconciliations orientales.”
Goodness knows who told NMU that one about the Commissioner of India!
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NMU himself is so blind in his fury as not to see the hand he has had in building up Hindu unity in this island. Had he been aware of it, we are sure that he would have given up the game long ago.
The debt of gratitude that the Hindu community owes to NMU must be publicly acknowledged. He must be told that it is his campaign against Indians and India carried on for five or six years that has brought about Hindu unity on an unprecedented scale.
Every now and then, NMU tells us what goes on in ivory towers behind closed doors: he tells us what thoughts lie deep in the minds of inaccessible men and what feelings keep stirring in the recesses of their hearts. More than that. He kicks and flogs. He spits in the face. He insults and vilifies. He mocks and despises. And he does a thousand other similar things. Is it any wonder that he has roused a dormant community?
Here is an example of the manner in which NMU takes to his noble task. Praising Mr Muwamba of Nyasaland – and of our cartoon-fame, for his defence of Western civilization, NMU warned the Indians of this colony in his article entitled ‘Quelques Réflexions’ on the 13th of last month: “Les Indiens appelés par nous pour aider à construire l’économie du pays, selon les normes de la civilisation occidentale, ont pleinement droit à la citoyenneté mauricienne mais ils sont priés de ne pas trahir trop cyniquement cette civilisation, à laquelle ils doivent leur élévation, je veux dire leur passage de la condition pitoyable qui était la leur, quand nous les avons accueillis, à la condition où ils sont parvenus aujourd’hui et que tant de peuples sur la terre jugeraient enviable. »
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NMU deserves the gratitude of the Hindu Community not only for attacking Indo-Mauritians but also for attacking the land of their ancestors for by attacking India too he contributes no less to Hindu unity.
On the 23rd of September he wrote the following about India in his article entitled ‘La Paille et la Poutre’: “Rappelons que le népotisme est de tous les pays, particulièrement de la partie ancestrale de nos nouveaux redresseurs de torts. » And he went on to recommend Tibor Mende’s book ‘L’Inde devant l’Orage’.
NMU has the licence to write anything about India. But woe to the Indo-Mauritian who may venture to say anything against anything French, even French colonialism. Remember the effect on NMU of Thumb Mark III’s article, ‘French Civilization in Morocco’, published in our number of the 9th September? Speaking of Thumb Mark III, NMU said the following on the 20th: “Son insubstance numérotée prétend vilipender la France en l’accusant de commettre des atrocités en Afrique du Nord. Le venin qu’elle éjecte est trop teinté de bêtise et de lourde duplicité pour que la France en soit amoindrie. »
Could a French Patriote have defended his partrie with more zeal? But NMU, mark you, is no nationalist just as Brutus was no murderer, the venom he spits is not “teinté de bêtise et de lourde duplicité”; and Oh! How India must be blushing because NMU has found out that she is club – footed!
If NMU wants to proclaim to the world that Tibor Mende has discovered India, then he must admit that Michael Malim has discovered Mauritius. Those who have read ‘L’Inde devant l’Orage’ and ‘Island of the Swan’ will agree that Mende and Malim look at people and things from the same angle.
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We hope that NMU will now realise that it is neither nationalism nor the Commissioner of India that is responsible for a solid Hindu bloc but he himself.
NMU’s campaign against Indians and India has made him already the architect of Hindu unity. If he goes on with it, he will but be adding finishing touches to his artistic achievement.
* Published in print edition on 13 May 2016
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