{"id":2644,"date":"2013-12-20T07:14:50","date_gmt":"2013-12-20T07:14:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/2013\/12\/20\/dev-virahsawmy-10\/"},"modified":"2018-08-06T15:22:28","modified_gmt":"2018-08-06T11:22:28","slug":"dev-virahsawmy-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/dev-virahsawmy-10\/","title":{"rendered":"On Multiple Identities"},"content":{"rendered":"

Let\u2019s Honestly Face It (1)<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

There are some self-proclaimed <\/span>true-blue Morisien<\/em> who would want us believe that any person who adheres to some ancestral values cannot claim to be a \u2018good Morisien\u2019. I will never forget the important journalist of an important afternoon daily who told me off because Loga, my wife, wore a saree the day I swore in as Member of the Legislative Assembly in 1970. According to that intellectual giant for some, Loga and I cannot be good Mauritians because a saree is still for us a beautiful symbol of our complex identity.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Through death, Nelson Mandela has taught us a good lesson on this subject. This role model citizen of Planet Earth, this modern post-apartheid South Africa most illustrious citizen reminded us that he was also a Xhosa citizen. He was not ashamed of his tribal origin and his last wish was to be buried according to his own tribal rituals.<\/span><\/p>\n

I am sure that those self-proclaimed true-blue \u2018Mauritians<\/em>\u2019 who were against independence of Mauritius, who still think Australia is the land of milk and honey and who still secretly adhere to the \u2018anvlope nou pa\u2019le\u2019 <\/em>ideology will chastise this \u2018negro\u2019 in private for daring to pretend leadership in moral values. These navel-contemplating self-deluding \u2018moral leaders\u2019 <\/em>still think they are the shining lights of the republic. Self-knowledge and humility have gone to the dogs.<\/span><\/p>\n

A few years ago I wrote this in my mother tongue:<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Larkansiel li pa zis enn lalians<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

ant later set kouler ek lesiel.<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Parski so kouler pa melanze,<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

li linite dan diversite<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

ki donn nou drwa de idantite.<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Akoz sa mo pa zis Morisien;<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

mo osi ate, kwar dan TREO<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

ar\/san relizion, Kreol-Endien,<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Kreol-Afriken, Kreol-Ero…<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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

\n

* Published in print edition on 20 December 2013<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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