{"id":3469,"date":"2015-04-11T11:16:04","date_gmt":"2015-04-11T11:16:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/2015\/04\/11\/mt-60-years-24\/"},"modified":"2017-11-27T12:22:25","modified_gmt":"2017-11-27T08:22:25","slug":"mt-60-years-24","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/mt-60-years-24\/","title":{"rendered":"Hindu Cadets Association"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mauritius Times 60 Years –\u00a02nd YEAR NO. 32 –\u00a0Friday 11th March 1955<\/strong><\/p>\n

Executive Committee for 1955<\/span><\/p>\n

Hon. President \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mr D. Burrenchobay<\/span><\/p>\n

President\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Mr R. Ruhee<\/span><\/p>\n

Vice President\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Mr S. Dhanjee<\/span><\/p>\n

Secretary\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Mr G. Ramloll<\/span><\/p>\n

Treasurer\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Mr P. Meetarbhan<\/span><\/p>\n

Team Manager\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dr V. P. Poonoosamy <\/span><\/p>\n

Members: Messrs L. C. Obeegadoo, S. Suntah, P. Padayachy, E. Chundun, D. Bacha, G. Vadivelloo<\/span><\/p>\n

Auditors:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Messrs K. Seebaluck and K. Pyndiah<\/span><\/p>\n

(M.Times \u2013 11 March 1955)<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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

Editorially Speaking<\/span><\/p>\n

Live and Let Live<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

Human nature is such that people fear to face truth simply because it does not fit in the existing order or because it conflicts with their emotional prejudice or liking. For example, to the orthodox Hindu who still believes in caste system or to the European who is puffed up with the master race complex or to the devotee Christian who believes that Christianity is the only true religion, any contrary opinion will outrage their sense of personal feeling. These good natured souls will roll themselves up into their shell and refuse to listen to or read anything which is in conflict with their established belief very often for fear that it might be true and that they might get convinced.<\/span><\/p>\n

There is the risk that these emotional persons may become fanatics in their conviction. Now if it happens that somebody who has the moral strength to face reality and to say or write something which does not fit in with the popular belief he is immediately branded a heretic worthy of public scorn.<\/span><\/p>\n

The comment of our contributor Mr Peter Ibbotson on the pastoral letter upset many good persons. Polemics raged around the article for several weeks; and now when passions have cooled down, we are tempted to draw a parallel.<\/span><\/p>\n

A somewhat similar incident happened in London last January. Mrs Margaret Knight, a rationalist and teacher of psychology, in a series of broadcast on \u201cMorals without religion\u201d outraged some religious minded people by advising parents not to tell their children that they must be good \u201cbecause God is watching\u201d, \u201cbecause you will go to hell\u201d. She also advised not to tell children fairy tales about religion and God. She pointed out that some day the children will find it out as being untrue and there is a risk of destroying their moral basis. About Jesus, Mrs Knight thought parents should not tell children that he was the son of God born of a Virgin and that he rose from the dead but tell them that he was a real person and was crucified by the Jews. Several papers \u2013 the Sunday Graphic, Daily Sketch, and the Daily Express among others bitterly criticized her.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Bishop of Coventry\u2019s rudeness for calling her \u201cthat bossy female\u201d was resented by many sensible persons and papers. On the other hand some great papers defended her right of free speech. Raymond Postgate of the Reynold\u2019s News remarked: \u201cMrs Knight was clear, sensible and inoffensive \u2013 at least to anybody who was not hysterical or bully\u2026\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

The most thought provoking comment on the incident came from the respected independent paper The Observer.<\/span><\/p>\n

In its leader of January 16th it wrote: \u201cMrs Margaret Knight\u2019s broadcast talks on \u2018Morals without Religion\u2019 have been attacked in some newspapers with brutal vehemence. She has been headlined as \u201cThe unholy Mrs Knight\u201d compared in a cartoon with a horned devil at the microphone, and told by her politer critics that her pernicious and effronting opinions should not be allowed on the air.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe deplore these displays of intolerance, more specially since they claim to be inspired by Christianity. Aggressive Christianity always seems somewhat anomalous and these attacks give play to aggressiveness by dressing it up by righteous indignation. There is a great gulf between attacking opponents with insults and resisting them with strength and gentleness combined.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBoth the rationalist and the true Christian ought to be on the same side of this gulf, if rationalism means the use of reason and if Christianity means following the example of Christ\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe need not devote space to the abusive attacks on Mrs Knight, but the politer criticisms deserve more attention. They derive largely from an attitude fashionable in Right Wing circles today, which insist that the outward forms of religion should be respected while it sets little store on the essential Christian virtue of kindly understanding behaviour, even towards persons held to be in the wrong\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

(M.Times \u2013 11 March 1955)<\/span> <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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

Maj Gen B. Chatterjee vilified<\/span> <\/strong><\/p>\n

The aims and the standard of l\u2019Ep\u00e9e and by whom and how it is run are no secret to anybody. Its readership is almost composed of a section of the population which thrives on sensationalism, on slander and vilifications. So far we or our contributors have ignored the repeated vituperations of l\u2019Ep\u00e9e.<\/span><\/p>\n

But when we find that this paper is attacking a diplomatic body which is defenceless or which is not expected to sully its reputation with such a paper as l\u2019Ep\u00e9e, we think it is our duty to draw the attention of Government and of the public as well. Normally one would have expected any unbiased paper to condemn the action of l\u2019Ep\u00e9e. For example we have seen with what vigour the Gazetiny Malgasy of Tananarive has defended the Indian Consulate of Madagascar against the vile attack of Tana Journal. The attack of l\u2019Ep\u00e9e is no new phenomenon. Since the arrival of the first Commissioner for India a certain section of the press and some public men have carried a campaign against the Indian Commissariat. India being the senior partner of the British Commonwealth, its security should, we think, be the concern of the local government.<\/span><\/p>\n

Probably in the absence of any complaint on the part of the aggrieved party the local government has been powerless to take any action. But without imputing any motive to the Government of Mauritius, a recent incident makes us wonder whether it has not been too lenient towards those who are bent on degrading the Indian Commissioner. Last year a goonda slapped Mr Sahay. Though the incident happened in the presence of the police, it appears no serious attempt was made to arrest or to prosecute the man. A man who, we are told, obstructed the police officer who wanted to arrest the culprit was not prosecuted for obstruction.<\/span><\/p>\n

After the incident, fantastic stories were invented. It was published in some local papers that Mr Sahay wanted to obstruct a procession. But for the equanimity with which Mr Sahay treated the incident a riot could have flared up. As no official communiqu\u00e9 ever appeared to give a lie to the stories, there are many credulous persons who still doubt Mr Sahay\u2019s behaviour.<\/span><\/p>\n

In December last the wife of Herr Oskar Schlitter deputy chief of the German Embassy in London at a Christmas Party said something which offended British sentiment. There was an uproar in the British press which forced the ambassador to be called back to Germany. Had any Consular representative of another country in Mauritius met with the same treatment as the Commissioner for the Government of India we would have probably witnessed a grave incident. We reproduce below the three \u201ceditorials\u201d of l\u2019Ep\u00e9e for the information of our readers. All sensible persons will agree that any diplomatic body, whether it is Indian, French or Chinese should be treated with due regard and that the writings of l\u2019Ep\u00e9e are condemnable.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

L\u2019Ep\u00e9e of 5 f\u00e9vrier 1955<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Le Docteur Ramgoolam a raison<\/span> <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Le Docteur Ramgoolam est furieux d\u2019apprendre qu\u2019un certain Chatterjee est nomm\u00e9 Commissaire de l\u2019Inde \u00e0 Maurice. Le Docteur ne veut pas que Sahay aille, sinon les occidentaux croiraient qu\u2019une gifle Bissoondoyaliste pouvait changer le cours de la politique de l\u2019Empire Indien !<\/span><\/p>\n

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

L\u2019Ep\u00e9e 10 f\u00e9vrier 1955<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

La seconde prise de l\u2019\u00eele<\/span> <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Une strat\u00e9gie d\u2019attaque indienne mal camoufl\u00e9e.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. D. Yash Dev vient et s\u00e8me la haine anti-imp\u00e9rialiste dans le c\u0153ur de bien de ses coreligionnaires.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. John Thivy lui, vient d\u00e9truire le peu de chr\u00e9tient\u00e9 qui subsistait encore dans bien des \u00e2mes sinc\u00e8res.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Anand Mohun Sahay, grand disciple de Bose, vient tenter ici ce qu\u2019il n\u2019a pas r\u00e9ussi en Guyane britannique : Propagande nocturne, gr\u00e8ve de parler fran\u00e7ais, cr\u00e9ole ou anglais ; librairie roulante pour distribuer les \u00ab armes et munitions \u00bb et la pr\u00e9paration pour recevoir le grand g\u00e9n\u00e9ral apr\u00e8s son d\u00e9part.<\/span><\/p>\n

Et enfin le Major G\u00e9n\u00e9ral Chatterjee, ex-secr\u00e9taire priv\u00e9 et conseiller militaire du Pr\u00e9sident de la R\u00e9publique indienne, nous arrive bient\u00f4t pour contr\u00f4ler militairement l\u2019oc\u00e9an Indien. \u00ab Ils \u00bb doivent croire que les temps sont venus\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

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

l\u2019Ep\u00e9e 2 mars 1955<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Le G\u00e9n\u00e9ral indien \u00e0 son poste<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Vendredi dernier le Major G\u00e9n\u00e9ral D. Chatterjee de \u2018l\u2019Arm\u00e9e coulou\u2019 (G\u00e9n\u00e9ral sans biographie, car le Who\u2019s Who\u00a0 de l\u2019Inde et du Pakistan, de 1948 \u00e0 1955, ne souffle pas mot sur le pass\u00e9 politique et militaire de ce singulier personnage\u00a0 inconnu) de l\u2019Inde, est venu personnellement prendre la charge des op\u00e9rations de la bataille de l\u2019oc\u00e9an Indien dont J. N. Roy fit mention dans la d\u00e9claration qu\u2019il a fait \u00e0 l\u2019Hindustan Standard le 10 janvier 1955 pendant sa visite aux Indes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Comme aux temps des Fran\u00e7ais\u2026 <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Abercombie d\u00e9signa le Major G\u00e9n\u00e9ral Ward pour discuter les termes de la capitulation\u2026 Nehru d\u00e9signe le Major G\u00e9n\u00e9ral Chatterjee, son envoy\u00e9 militaire, pour occuper le poste de Commandant-en-chef de l\u2019oc\u00e9an Indien\u2026 <\/span><\/p>\n

(M.Times \u2013 11 March 1955)<\/span> <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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

Was Hon Chadien\u2019s motion sponsored by L. Party?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

(Just before going to press a friend has sent us the following note. As it carries some weight we recommend it to our readers\u2019 consideration. Ed)<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHon Chadien presented a motion to the Council last Tuesday and after the debate when division time came he withdrew it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hon Chadien is the Secretary of the Labour Party and Hon Dr Ramgoolam, an influential member of the Labour Party, is the Liaison Officer of the Education Dept. When a member of the party presents a motion, especially when that member happens to be the Secretary of the party, does it not mean that he has got the support of the Party?<\/span><\/p>\n

It would have been interesting to see the members of the LP voting on such an important question. Dr Ramgoolam as the Liaisor Officer seems to owe a duty to government and a duty to his party. What stand would he have taken torn as he is between two affections? Would the other members of the Labour Party had let their Secretary down or back him up?<\/span><\/p>\n

And the irony of it all is that Hon Bissoondoyal and Hon Boolell were for the motion. They stood for some principle, regardless from where the motion originated and that is to their credit.<\/span><\/p>\n

Does not this debate indicate the urgency of establishing party discipline in the LP?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

(M.Times \u2013 11 March 1955)<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

* Published in print edition on 11 April \u00a02015<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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