Independence: Personal Recollections

Politics

With independence in 1968, optimists proved that independence could be embraced by all

By Sada Reddi

History today is written using knowledge from various fields, ranging from the arts to social and other sciences, and employing all kinds of methodologies. Oral sources have also been used to uncover the past in cases where documents are unavailable. It is in this spirit that the present article is being written — based on personal recollections of the political trajectory of certain aspects of Mauritian history, the concept of independence in the 1960s (or the lack thereof), and how it was gradually embraced by all to build modern Mauritius.

I grew up in a family that, on my maternal side, was deeply immersed in politics. In Port Louis, I remember my uncle, a taxi driver who used to transport Rozemont and Seeneevassen to their political meetings, coming to fetch my mother to vote in the municipal elections. He had painted his Vanguard red for that special occasion. When my mother returned, she told me that she had cast her vote after reading a few lines from a newspaper — which I now assume was a literacy test. Later, I learned that those elections were decisive, leading to the election of Dr Dupré and marking the end of proportional representation.

After settling in Mahébourg, my interest in politics remained strong; attending political meetings and playing football became my two favourite pastimes.

Independenceand Augustin Moignac

The first time I heard the word independence was in a speech by Augustin Moignac at an open-air trade union meeting at Pointe des Régates. There, he joyfully explained to his audience that the Gold Coast had become Ghana after gaining independence. It is possible that he had attended Ghana’s independence celebrations either as a trade unionist or as a member of the Mauritius Labour Party.

Later, at school, I enjoyed looking at posters titled Commonwealth Today, which were regularly displayed on the school wall. I remember seeing countries like Sierra Leone and Gambia gaining independence. However, I was most impressed by a poster on Nigeria, where I recall seeing a picture of Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa — a name I enjoyed muttering every now and then — inviting Queen Elizabeth onto the dance floor during Nigeria’s independence celebrations.

Other events that remain etched in my memory include the by-election in Grand Port-Savanne, where Jay Narain Roy, the Labour candidate, defeated Dr. Curé, the Bisoondoyalist candidate. Later that afternoon, I happened to be in my uncle’s car with Seeneevassen’s voice blasting through a loudspeaker, shouting Tamil words: Kireyilley. When I asked my mother what he was saying, she explained that in Tamil, kirey means brède (greens) and illey means had lost — a play on the words Curé and kirey.

The 1960s in Mauritius were dominated by the politics of independence, though I became conscious of it as a major issue on the political agenda only later. When the Mauritius Labour Party (MLP) lost Port Louis in the municipal elections, the defeat was attributed to the issue of independence, whereas their victory in Quatre Bornes was assumed to be due to the electorate’s favorable stance on independence. However, across Mauritius, it was the contest between the two political parties — the pro-independence MLP and the anti-independence Parti Mauricien Social Démocrate (PMSD) — that caught people’s attention.

At school in Curepipe, friends would arrive early in the morning, and before classes started, politics was the main topic of discussion, as our parents were supporters of one party or the other, and our daily morning paper was Action. As the 1963 elections drew near, meetings were held all over Mauritius. I attended them both in Port Louis during my vacation at my grandmother’s place and in Mahébourg, where I attended most of the meetings of both Labour and PMSD.

Independence’s divisive nature

I do not recall independence being a major issue in political speeches, partly because the MLP may have played it down, recognizing its divisive nature. The PMSD emphasized social issues, especially housing problems in the wake of cyclones Alix and Carol. However, from 1963 to 1967, as independence gained prominence, the political climate became tense, particularly in Curepipe, Vacoas, and Mahébourg, with tensions often triggered by PMSD agents.

In Mahébourg, a family friend who was a chief agent of the PMSD stirred tension when, in an unprovoked act, he assaulted the chief agent of the Labour Party in Trois Boutiques, resulting in rioting and deaths. This was followed by PMSD supporters going on a rampage at the Odeon cinema, harassing people. This strife was artificial, as most people on both sides knew each other and had friendly relations. For example, when one nicknamed Georges Colique saw the cake seller among the cinema-goers, he simply pushed his friend away with the blunt side of his sabre, and only a few people from neighbouring villages outside Mahébourg were targeted and wounded.

Political meetings became frequent, with John Stonehouse, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, lending support to the Labour Party by participating in open-air gatherings. At Willoughby School in Mahébourg, his speech was translated by Harold Walter. I recall one particular sentence: “Nothing has been given to you on a platter; it needs hard toil and sweat,” emphasizing the necessity of hard work to achieve independence.

At St. Andrew’s School, students were attentive to the independence issue. It was debated in general paper classes, with participants like Kelly and Kailash Ruhee focusing on the economics of independence rather than abstract concepts of freedom or liberty. While primarily an academic exercise, these debates were not entirely devoid of partisan sentiments. At St. Andrew’s, it appeared that both teachers and students were predominantly pro-independence. Among the staff were Yvette Walter, wife of Harold Walter, the Minister of Works, and Raouf Bundhun, a future Labour Party candidate in Constituency Number 4. The most noticeable change that independence brought was the departure of English teachers. In December 1967, John Russan served as the last English warden, succeeded by Reverend Rex Donat, the first Mauritian warden of St. Andrew’s School.Read More… Become a Subscriber

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