{"id":3150,"date":"2014-10-24T08:31:55","date_gmt":"2014-10-24T08:31:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/2014\/10\/24\/mt-60-years-9\/"},"modified":"2018-05-25T06:34:16","modified_gmt":"2018-05-25T02:34:16","slug":"mt-60-years-9","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/mt-60-years-9\/","title":{"rendered":"Mr Peter Ibbotson gives a lie to Mr NMU"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mauritius Times\u00a0 60 Years Ago – 1st YEAR No. 11 –\u00a0<\/span>SATURDAY —\u00a0<\/span>23rd October 1954<\/span><\/p>\n

C.I.D.I. not sent to Colonial Office<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Mr Ibbotson writes:\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>100, Canonbie Road, London S.W. 23, England<\/span><\/strong><\/h6>\n

\u00a0Dear Mr Ramlallah,<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Writing in Le Cern\u00e9en<\/em> of September 24, N.M.U says of the monthly bulletin of his C.I.D.I. \u201cIl atteint le Colonial Office\u2026 <\/em><\/strong><\/span>Cela nous fait penser que nous devrions l\u2019envoyer sans plus tarder \u00e0 la Fabian Society.\u201d <\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

I have telephoned the Colonial Office to find if the bulletin does go there. It is not in the Colonial Office Library; it is not received by that Library. I spoke to Mr Sidebotham\u2019s department \u2013 for he deals with Mauritian affairs. No, his department didn\u2019t get the bulletin; but perhaps Mr M. knew something about it. Mr M. asked, did. He gets the bulletin; he told me he gets it personally \u2013 the Colonial Office does not receive an official copy. Nor had Mr M. asked for the bulletin; it just started turning up, he said, completely out of the blue and unasked for.<\/span><\/p>\n

H\u2019m, thought I; does the bulletin go to Mauritius House (the Mauritius Bureau). On enquiry, I was told: \u201cNo, we don\u2019t have copies.\u201d So I tried the London Representative of the Mauritius Chamber of Agriculture. No, they didn\u2019t have copies either; but they took my name and address for forwarding to Le Cern\u00e9en <\/em><\/strong>with a request that I be put on the mailing list of NMU\u2019s monthly bulletin.<\/span><\/p>\n

Up to October 11th, the Fabian Society hadn\u2019t received any copies; despite NMU\u2019s \u201cenvoyer sans plus tarder\u201d to that Society. And Mr Johnson hadn\u2019t seen copies either.<\/span><\/p>\n

It certainly seems to me that the Mauritius Times\u2019 comment of \u201cKu-Klux-Klannish\u201d about the distribution of the bulletin is justified.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yours sincerely,<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Peter IBBOTSON<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Ed. Note:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Mr Peter Ibbotson, a journalist of repute and a contributor of TRIBUNE \u2013 the paper without which \u201cno Socialist is complete\u201d, is much interested in colonial affairs. Mauritius has not escaped his attention. Some of his articles dealing with the Political and Economic aspects of Britain\u2019s Colonial Policy have appeared in ADVANCE.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the first instance we must thank Mr Ibbotson for having denuded the spurious campaign of Mr NMU, director of the century-old paper and promoter of the still-in-cradle Party of Law and Order. More than ever, it is now clear that Mr NMU has been deliberately deceiving his readers \u2013 whom we have no right to call naive \u2013 and all those in whose name he has been shouting from housetops, that \u201cthe bulletin is not only sent to Officials of the Colonial Office but also to…\u201d (italics ours).<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Whom must we believe: Mr Sidebotham, the Colonial Office, the Mauritius House, the London Representative of the Mauritius Chamber of Agriculture or Mr NMU? What pretext Mr NMU will find now to convince his readers that he has a \u201cscrupuleux respect pour la v\u00e9rit\u00e9?<\/span><\/p>\n

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

A GLIMPSE OF LOCAL HISTORY<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Revolution in Ile De France<\/span><\/strong><\/h6>\n

By D. Napal B. A. (Hons)<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The French Revolution, as we all know, was the outburst of the French people against an oppressive aristocracy which had forged their chains and had kept them under subjection for centuries. In Ile de France there were no aristocrats, no privileged class against which the planers might rise with justification. If there were people whose heads were bowed under oppression, they were the slaves \u2013 these were not in condition to revolt with any hope of success. What, then, were the causes which led to the growth of the revolutionary ideas in our island?<\/span><\/p>\n

It was the stupid imitation of the French planters of whatever was done in the metropolis, without giving any thought to the raison d\u2019\u00eatre<\/em><\/strong> of their actions that led them to be enthusiastic about the French Revolution. They had put it into their head to introduce here the innovations made in France in the sphere of politics, social life and religion. It is only when true to his faith in the cult of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, Robespierre determined on the abolition of slavery, and exclaimed when told about its nefarious effects, \u201cP\u00e9risse les colonies, plut\u00f4t qu\u2019un principe\u201d that that colonists cried halt. The revolutionaries placed a \u201cpotence \u00e0 la lanterne\u201d, for the hanging of those not amenable to their views and dressed at Plaine Verte, a guillotine which however, was not fortunate in its victims as its namesake in France. No human being was decapitated. It served later for the slaughter of a sheep \u2013 which proved to be its only victims. They adopted the Republican calendar, changed the royalist names of places in the colony giving them names more propitious to the republic \u2013 for example Port Louis was called Port de la Montagne (from the name of a revolutionary party in France) and Grand Port, Port de la Fraternit\u00e9.<\/span><\/p>\n

It all began on the 31st January 1790 when a boat anchored in our harbour, bringing fateful news. The crew, wearing the \u201ccocarde tricolore\u201d, dispersed themselves in the streets of Port Louis. They fired the imagination of those who listened to their stories. They explained that the symbols of the cocardes were those of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, that France had abolished monarchy and the French people had taken the government into their own hands. The sailors met with sympathetic and even enthusiastic hearers. In the crowds which gathered around them there were idlers, among whom the majority were discharged sailors and soldiers and young hot heads eager for adventure. <\/span>They were, in the words of Albert Pitot, \u201cardents \u00e0 s\u2019enflammer par les id\u00e9es nouvelles, qui leur semblent grandes et g\u00e9n\u00e9reuses, tout ce monde les presse de questions, les \u00e9coute bouche b\u00e9ante, tr\u00e9pigne d\u2019enthousiasme, et ce, par\u00e9s de cocardes dont ils ont les poches pleines et qu\u2019ils distribuent \u00e0 la ronde. \u00bb<\/span><\/p>\n

The new ideas spread like wildfire throughout the island. Troubles began to occur. The Governor Conway at first wanted to cool down the enthusiasm of the revolutionaries by ignoring their actions. But he could not bear it any longer when inflammatory posters were stuck on the walls of the Government House. He had to bestir himself. He ordered the guards to remove the posters. When one poster was removed, ten were stuck in its place. It did not take time for local Mirabeans, Dantons and Barnaves to appear on the scene. Some of these had even the cheek to lecture the governor with a view to convert him to their ideals \u2013 it they had any.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Revolution had one victim of note. It was the naval commander, Macn\u00e9mara, who on his arrival to Ile de France, was shocked by the disorder on board the ships. In his attempt to enforce discipline, he roused the fury of the sailors who painted him in no flattering colours before the assembly. He was arrested, on board the THETIS, on the charge that he had treated the soldiers as cowards and traitors and the governor and the assembly as \u201cgredins\u201d. He was lynched by the mob, which followed him with cries of \u201c\u00e0 mort l\u2019aristocrate, \u00e0 la lanterne le tra\u00eetre\u201d. Before any judgment could be passed upon him, he was brutality murdered and his head fixed on a pole was exhibited in the Streets of Port Louis, in a truly republican style.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ile de France was in the turmoil of anarchy from 1790 till the arrival of Decaen in 1893. Political clubs, in imitation of the Jacobin clubs, were established in the island. What appears rather strange to us, is that the central club, \u201cLa Chaumi\u00e8re\u201d sat in the Cathedral of Port Louis. The members of these clubs were the local \u2018sans culottes\u2019, the incendiaries who were out to fish in troubled waters.<\/span><\/p>\n

There is one aspect of the Revolution which sounds rather humorous. At its outbreak, there were many men, in the island, who bore such names as le Duc, Ch\u00e2teau, Cur\u00e9, Baron, which undoubtfully were not in fashion. The bearers of such names were therefore anxious to change them for those which would be more in keeping with the period. There was a comedian called Gally who pretending to be an illegitimate son of Louis XV, bad changed his name into that of Le Roy. When the Revolution broke out, he thought of keeping abreast of the times by calling himself \u201cLa R\u00e9publique\u201d. When the Revolutionary fire began to die out, he thought it wise to call himself again Gally. <\/span>Somebody asked him his name. \u201cGally,\u201d he replied. \u201cEt votre pr\u00e9nom?\u201d \u2013 \u201cMatthias.\u201d \u2013 Citoyen Gally, prenez garde qu\u2019apr\u00e8s avoir charm\u00e9 l\u2019\u00eele de France par vos talents sous le nom de Le Roy, qu\u2019apr\u00e8s avoir bien servi le gouvernement sous celui de La R\u00e9publique, nous n\u2019allions faire du \u00ab Gally Matthias. \u00bb (Souvenir d\u2019un Vieux Colon).<\/span><\/p>\n

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

UNE \u00ab PARADE DE CHARITE \u00bb<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Des \u00e9toiles Tombent du Ciel\u2026<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Le 15 septembre dernier, la ville de Bombay fut le th\u00e9\u00e2tre d\u2019une manifestation unique qui fera \u00e9poque dans les annales de l\u2019industrie cin\u00e9matographique indienne. Toutes les \u00e9toiles de l\u2019\u00e9cran \u00e9taient descendues de leur firmament pour se joindre \u00e0 une imposante procession \u00e0 travers les rues de la ville, organis\u00e9e aux fins de recueillir des dons en argent et en esp\u00e8ce pour les millions de victimes que firent les terribles inondations qui d\u00e9vast\u00e8rent l\u2019Assam et le Bihar r\u00e9cemment.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cette heureuse id\u00e9e revint \u00e0 Raj Kapoor, Nargis, Dilip Kumar, Motilall et quelques autres artistes qui, en pr\u00e9sence d\u2019un pressant appel que le gouvernement avait adress\u00e9 \u00e0 la nation pour venir en aide aux sinistr\u00e9s, pens\u00e8rent qu\u2019ils pouvaient, en payant de leur personne aupr\u00e8s de leurs admirateurs, r\u00e9unir des dons substantiels. (Excerpts)<\/span><\/p>\n

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

N. de la R.<\/span><\/strong> \u2013 Nous sommes heureux de constater que l\u2019appel que nous avons adress\u00e9 dans le No 7 de notre hebdomadaire en faveur des sinistr\u00e9s d\u2019Assam et de Bihar n\u2019est pas rest\u00e9 sans \u00e9cho.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bien de lecteurs nous ont \u00e9crit pour nous promettre leur appui int\u00e9gral. Entre autres, nous avons relev\u00e9 la lettre d\u2019un groupe de jeunes de Morcellement St Andr\u00e9 nous informant que l\u2019ARYA KUMAR SANG de l\u2019endroit a d\u00e9j\u00e0 ramass\u00e9 une somme de Rs 140 \u00e0 cet effet. C\u2019est un effort tr\u00e8s louable.<\/span><\/p>\n

Il nous revient, d\u2019autre part, que l\u2019Indo Mauritian Association a d\u00e9j\u00e0 pris cette question en main, et compte lancer prochainement une souscription publique. Nous esp\u00e9rons donc que le public contribuera g\u00e9n\u00e9reusement pour une cause aussi noble.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Sugar crops of the World<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

CANE SUGAR. According to WILLET and GRAY, reproduced by the International Sugar Journal, the estimated cane sugar crops of the world for the harvest 1953-54 is 24,964,099 long tons which shows an increase of 698,573 tons on the 1952-53 crop. There are 44 cane sugar producing countries. The biggest producer is Cuba with 4,813,202 long tons. Among the smallest group Mauritius tops the list with 511,979 long tons.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

* Published in print edition on 24 Ocotober 2014<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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