{"id":10,"date":"2009-12-22T14:49:16","date_gmt":"2009-12-22T14:49:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/2009\/12\/22\/readers-response-opinion\/"},"modified":"2009-12-22T14:49:16","modified_gmt":"2009-12-22T14:49:16","slug":"readers-response-opinion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/readers-response-opinion\/","title":{"rendered":"Readers’ Response\/ Opinion"},"content":{"rendered":"

Readers’ Response\/Opinion<\/span><\/span><\/strong> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

To Our Readers\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n

Your views are of interest to us. They help us balance the argument in the correct perspective. We welcome you to draw our attention to anything or opinion expressed in the Mauritius Times (or any national or international event of interest) with which\u00a0you agree from your own angle or disagree due to a different appreciation of facts. <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We will gratefully receive your communications at the email address: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

mtimes@intnet.mu<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span> <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We may decide to publish your comments or the relevant parts thereof if we consider that they will help our readers better understand specific contexts and maintain MT as the foremost and most balanced analytical newspaper of the country.<\/span> <\/strong><\/span>* * * <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A Christmas letter <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The Christmas star is not Father Christmas with his big display of generosity and friendliness. Neither is it the tree which we all decorate profusely, it is not even the children bursting with happiness. Does anyone know who it is, and what he would say to us today? Jesus, God made man, speaks to the world on the eve of his coming and calls on us to consider the meaning of these feast days. \u201cIsn\u2019t it absurd that in the course of a celebration one forgets the person in honour of whom we are celebrating? Isn\u2019t it even worse that, as well, we express good wishes and give out hugs for no known reason? I, God, say to you: start walking down the path which I have shown you. Do not waste your time and money on empty celebrations, instead, consider that He who loved you in such a special and perfect way is about to be born into your world. Do not set me aside, do not push me away like an attribute which is no longer fashionable. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I am with you, I continue being with you and I invite you to join me. It is only in Me that you will find the comfort you need, only in me you will find peace of heart and everlasting joy. Come to me, kneel before the Love which saves you so that it can give you a new life and you may reach my heaven.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Clara Jim\u00e9nez
<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong>Bibao 2, Murcia
Espa\u00f1a\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

* * *<\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span>Nationalize banks!<\/span><\/span><\/strong>\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

As a consequence of the credit crunch, which has destroyed the lives\u00a0and living standard of so many in addition to the economies of numerous countries around the world,\u00a0the governments of the world should revoke the licences of commercial banks and in effect nationalise them. In their place should simply be a national bank acting in the interests of\u00a0a nation and indeed the citizens of the world. Such a bank would act not for profit given\u00a0that\u00a0money should simply be a means of exchange for the purchase of goods and services\u00a0which add real value to any economy. This would result in a more fair, just and equitable\u00a0society for all.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Ryan Kelly
<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong>County Armagh
Northern Ireland<\/span><\/em><\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n

* * *<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Plus blanc que blanc<\/span><\/span><\/strong>\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Il y a quelques ann\u00e9es de cela une marque de lessive s\u2019\u00e9tait fait une grande r\u00e9putation sur la promesse de laver \u00ab\u00a0plus blanc que blanc\u00a0\u00bb. Il semblerait que les dirigeants du MMM et un \u00e9ditorialiste, dit ind\u00e9pendant, veuillent s\u2019approprier \u00e0 tout prix de cette devise dans leur d\u00e9fense aveugle du statu quo. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Prenons d\u2019abord le MMM. Voil\u00e0 donc B\u00e9renger qui pousse Lutchmeenaraidoo \u00e0 monter au front pour avertir Ramgoolam de ne pas faire, ce qui, selon lui, serait du \u00ab\u00a0white bashing\u00a0\u00bb, car ce serait l\u00e0 une preuve de racisme \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9gard d\u2019une section de la population. Tiens donc\u00a0! Si le racisme est par d\u00e9finition une action ou un choix dict\u00e9 par la couleur de la peau, le choix de Vishnu Lutchmeenaraidoo de s\u2019en prendre \u00e0 Ramgoolam constitue une d\u00e9cision qui a des relents du racisme. Navin Ramgoolam, que l\u2019on sache, ne s\u2019est pas cach\u00e9 derri\u00e8re Xavier Duval pour d\u00e9noncer ce qu\u2019il consid\u00e8re un scandale. \u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Les adversaires politiques de l\u2019Alliance Sociale, y compris l\u2019\u00e9ditorialiste \u00ab\u00a0ind\u00e9pendant\u00a0\u00bb feignent syst\u00e9matiquement de ne pas comprendre que le gouvernement entend appliquer sa promesse, valid\u00e9e par l\u2019\u00e9lectorat, d\u2019une profonde r\u00e9forme de notre \u00e9conomie qui passe n\u00e9cessairement par une d\u00e9mocratisation. Si cela implique faisant front aux poss\u00e9dants historiques qui font de la r\u00e9sistance, \u00e7a ne changera rien \u00e0 la d\u00e9termination des dirigeants de l\u2019Alliance Sociale. Ceux qui ont us\u00e9 de leur pouvoir pour s\u2019octroyer des RENTES qui n\u2019ont rien \u00e0 voir avec un rendement sur investissement raisonnable vont se battre bec et ongle pour pr\u00e9server leurs privil\u00e8ges.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Il se trouve, il est vrai, qu\u2019une lecture rapide de l\u2019annuaire des 100 plus grosses entreprises ou celui des directeurs d\u2019entreprises indiquerait, sans aucun doute, que les chances que les personnages vis\u00e9s proviennent d\u2019une communaut\u00e9 particuli\u00e8re sont de plus de 95%. A entendre ces messieurs, cette seule \u00e9ventualit\u00e9 devrait mettre un terme \u00e0 toute revendication de justice sociale. Qu\u2019ils sachent que la marche de l\u2019Histoire est marqu\u00e9e par de telles luttes entre progressistes et r\u00e9actionnaires — chacun choisit son camp et rien n\u2019arr\u00eatera la marche du progr\u00e8s. Id\u00e9al de toute d\u00e9mocratie\u2026\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n

ARJUN<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n

* * *\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Revendication pour les le\u00e7ons particuli\u00e8res\u00a0: une honte pour les profs <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n


La Government Teachers Union (GTU) a \u00e9t\u00e9 le seul syndicat \u00e0 descendre dans la rue pour manifester contre la d\u00e9cision annonc\u00e9e par le gouvernement\u00a0d\u2019abolir les le\u00e7ons particuli\u00e8res au niveau de la quatri\u00e8me. Cette activit\u00e9 du syndicat m\u00e9rite d’\u00eatre comment\u00e9e pour plusieurs raisons. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

D’abord, on peut dire que c’est bien la premi\u00e8re fois que le principal syndicat du primaire a organis\u00e9 une manifestation pour\u00a0 r\u00e9clamer le maintien des le\u00e7ons particuli\u00e8res. Toute organisation syndicale digne de ce nom a la responsabilit\u00e9 de lutter\u00a0 pour obtenir de meilleurs salaires et conditions de travail pour ses membres. Or, les le\u00e7ons particuli\u00e8res ne font pas partie du\u00a0contrat de travail des enseignants. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Une jeune enseignante qui participait\u00a0 \u00e0 la manifestation a d’ailleurs fait ressortir que ses coll\u00e8gues\u00a0 donnaient des le\u00e7ons parce qu’ils\u00a0ont un salaire\u00a0 mensuel de Rs 8000. Si tel est le cas et\u00a0que les membres du syndicat ne sont pas satisfaits avec les \u00e9chelles salariales recommand\u00e9es par le PRB,\u00a0 la marche \u00e0 suivre pour un syndicat\u00a0digne de ce nom, c’est d\u2019en faire des revendications et non pas de faire des r\u00e9clamations\u00a0 pour des\u00a0 activit\u00e9s de nature\u00a0 priv\u00e9e.\u00a0 On devrait aussi tenir compte de l’opinion du grand\u00a0 public et\u00a0 celle de la population sur la demande du maintien de ces m\u00eames le\u00e7ons.
Les syndicats et leurs dirigeants\u00a0 ont aussi le devoir moral de de promouvoir et de d\u00e9fendre l’\u00e9thique professionnelle de leurs membres. Cela ne fait pas honneur \u00e0 un syndicat\u00a0 de faire des revendications qui ne cadrent pas avec les principes et les objectifs du mouvement syndical. Il faut savoir qu’aucun syndicat digne de ce nom ne ferait des r\u00e9clamations portant sur\u00a0 <\/span>des activit\u00e9s qui ne figurent pas dans les contrats de travail de ses membres, ce qui constituerait une menace pour le syndicalisme lui-m\u00eame. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

On doit aussi savoir que si on demande officiellement aux autorit\u00e9s de maintenir une activit\u00e9 avec un gain ou un avantage financier, cela peut avoir un impact n\u00e9gatif et direct sur les salaires. Et pour les enseignants cela peut repr\u00e9senter\u00a0 un s\u00e9rieux danger. Donc, il ne serait pas exag\u00e9r\u00e9 ou d\u00e9plac\u00e9 de dire qu’en se lan\u00e7ant dans une campagne en faveur des le\u00e7ons particuli\u00e8res au niveau de la quatri\u00e8me, la GTU est venue\u00a0 compromettre,\u00a0voire annuler les chances pour ses membres de b\u00e9n\u00e9ficier\u00a0de l’alignement salarial sur les salaires du\u00a0 secondaire, principe pour lequel\u00a0 ses membres\u00a0 ont lutt\u00e9 pendant plus de trente ans.
<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Jeewan
<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong>Un enseignant du primaire
Port Louis\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n

* * * <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Police suicides on duty<\/span><\/span><\/strong>\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Mauritius was recently shocked by the suicides of two police officers while on duty. Something is definitely not right in the police force or in the lives of the individual police officers for them to resort to suicide as a way out. From 2004 to 2009 there have allegedly been 11 cases. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

According to CP Dhun Iswar Rampersad one was an exemplary officer while the other had a drink problem, had attempted suicide at one time, and had personal problems. When he was asked by 5-Plus Dimanche<\/em> how he felt about these suicide cases he revealed he was quite calm about it as his sole mission was the maintenance of law and order in the country. However, he was wondering whether he should employ a psychologist on his staff. <\/strong><\/span>\u201cDans quel \u00e9tat d\u2019esprit \u00eates-vous apr\u00e8s ce double suicide\u00a0?<\/span><\/em> <\/span><\/strong>The CP\u00a0 <\/span>replied: <\/strong>\u201cJe suis serein malgr\u00e9 la situation. Je n\u2019ai pas le choix. J\u2019ai une mission : faire respecter l\u2019ordre et la paix.\u201d<\/em> He added: \u201cJe me demande s\u2019il ne faut pas engager un psychologue.\u201d<\/em> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The CP has realized the absence of an important ingredient in his force.\u00a0 <\/span>It is better late than never. There is a large pool of such professionals (psychologists) on the island; it will not be difficult to recruit one or two for our police force. I only hope this is done the soonest possible, in any case before we see any more police committing suicide while on duty for whatever reasons. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

At the same time another weekly noted the lack of specialists such a psychologists for the proper health maintenance of the police force: \u201cLa police mauricienne est le troisi\u00e8me plus gros employeur dans le secteur public, avec un effectif de 12967 hommes et femmes, engloutissant Rs 4,2 milliards du budget du pays. <\/span>En termes de gestion de ressources humaines, ce sont des chiffres colossaux\u2026 Mais pas de sp\u00e9cialistes en ressources humaines, de psychologues, de sociologues, d\u2019\u00e9conomistes, bref des sp\u00e9cialistes indispensables \u00e0 la bonne gestion de presque 13000 personnes.\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Other countries make full use of these professionals within the police force. Mauritius police force too could benefit from this type of professionals; a good investment in the long run for all concerned. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPolice departments have used the services of psychologists for more than two decades. In the 1980’s, police psychology began to be recognized as a distinct field, with psychologists’ activities expanding beyond screening job applicants to include a broader range of psychological support services. These included counselling to help officers cope with the unique stresses inherent in police work, training in human relations and general stress management, debriefing after traumatic incidents, and such operational interventions as forensic hypnosis and assistance in negotiations with hostage holders or barricaded persons. Psychological support services for officers who used lethal force were more prevalent than interventions for managing non lethal, excessive force\u201d. In nearly every field of work ranging from the primary to the service sector there should be a psychologist assisting staff if ever they are faced with stress or any similar problem that affects their performance at work,\u201d states JA Davis, in \u2018The art and science of psychological-criminal profiling: Selected readings in forensic profile analysis\u2019 (1994). <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Dr Christopher Gelber, police psychologist, remarked: \u201cBureau psychologists provide routine roll-call training in their divisions on subjects having to do with employee wellness, such as stress management, suicide prevention, substance abuse, blood pressure, and communicable diseases.\u201d (Gelber, C. (2009) The Police Chief, Nov 2009., USA) <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In general, by integrating the expertise and support of behavioural scientists or police psychologists into the structure and daily operation of the police department, management and supervisory personnel can ensure the maintenance of productive functioning as well as the quality of the day-by-day performances of their sworn and non-sworn personnel. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The utilization of police psychologists has proved to be an extremely valuable asset and is cost effective, according to JA Davis. The overall wellness, mental health and efficiency of the entire organization can be altered in the long run. (Reiser, M. (1972b). \u2018Practical psychology for police officers\u2019). The time has come where law enforcement departments can no longer afford not to borrow from the expertise of the behavioural and forensic sciences (JA Davis, 1993). <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Dr David B.Lingiah<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong>
Psychologist<\/span><\/span><\/em>
Glasgow<\/span><\/span><\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n

* * * <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Elegy<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Oh ye sun! Oh ye stars! Bear the witness to elegy of Mauritius Young Labour league!\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Oh my beloved country! Oh my beloved country! Weep at the untimely demise of an intellectual stalwart! <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Oh weep! Weep! Weep!\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Oh ye men and women young or old of the Tiger of the Indian Ocean! Are not thy wounded heart trickling tears of blood through the eye at the unexpected passing away of a grumbling lion of our August National Assembly \u2013 of an Orator unpaired in depth and conviction of the ideal of the Labour Party?\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Oh ye members of the Labour Party! Must ye not be aggrieved at tintinnabulation of doom of an indefatigable mouthpiece of a true Labourite?\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Oh ye wind! Oh ye rain! Oh ye rainbow Oh ye Universe! when cometh such another?\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Bawansing Sunkur<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong>
Founder – Mauritius Young Labour League<\/span><\/span><\/em> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Readers’ Response\/Opinion To Our Readers\u00a0 Your views are of interest to us. They help us balance the argument in the correct perspective. We welcome you to draw our attention to anything or opinion expressed in the Mauritius Times (or any national or international event of interest) with which\u00a0you agree from your own angle or disagree […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-latest-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8QzSF-a","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}