{"id":37236,"date":"2023-05-05T17:26:20","date_gmt":"2023-05-05T13:26:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/?p=37236"},"modified":"2023-05-05T17:35:59","modified_gmt":"2023-05-05T13:35:59","slug":"the-naivete-of-le-reveil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/the-naivete-of-le-reveil\/","title":{"rendered":"The Naivet\u00e9 of Le R\u00e9veil"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mauritius Times – 60 Years<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

By Peter Ibbotson<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Years ago, when l was a boy at school, I lived in the country. In summer, walking early, I would often hear, in the far distance, a cockcrow. Then a second would follow suit; then a third, always the sound of the cockcrow getting nearer and nearer. One after another, the cocks would crow; as though each was waiting for its predecessor in this chain of cockcrows stretching across the peaceful countryside \u2014 peaceful that is, but for the raucous cockcrows.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since then, I have had little sympathy for cockerels. To me they have appeared stupid birds, incapable of making a decision (to crow, for example) by themselves, but always deciding, to crow just because they have heard some other cock do so first. In fact, they behaved just like so many parrots. And of course, their early-morning crowing amounted to nothing useful in the end.<\/span><\/p>\n

We all knew it was daytime without a cock having to crow to tell us so; we all knew that the hens did the useful work of laying eggs to eat: the cocks were, apart from a few needed for breeding purposes, largely supernumerary and needed only to fatten for the table.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, I was secretly amused when I saw that Le R\u00e9veil <\/em>had chosen a cock as its emblem. “How fitting!” I thought; for Le R\u00e9veil<\/em> is just like those cocks l remember from my schoolboy days. It says nothing new or original; it echoes only what has been said before. And it makes a lot of sound which in the end amounts to nothing much \u2014 certainly to nothing of importance. (Of course, we must not forget the old English proverb which says that every cock is king (of its own dunghill).<\/span><\/p>\n

I see, too, that Le R\u00e9veil<\/em> calls itself a journal de combat<\/em>. Might one ask against whom does the paper intend combattre<\/em>? Against the people, or againstthe oligarchy who have the economic destiny of Mauritius in their pockets? And of what is it intended we shall see the r\u00e9veil<\/em>? Shall we see, in fact, the r\u00e9veil<\/em> of that ugly phase of politics in the early thirties, for example, when radical candidates for the Legislative Council were threatened with bodily harm? when those same candidates were prevented by the sugar barons from entering the estates whereas the opponents of the radicals were freely admitted to the same estates? Are we to see a thorough-going reassertion of the denial of human rights which is the secret desire of the Parti Mauricien and, indeed, of all capitalist politicians?<\/span><\/p>\n

Leaving these generalized speculations, fascinating though it would undoubtedly be to pursue them into the byways of Mauritian politics, and turning to specific issues of Le R\u00e9veil<\/em>, what do we find? At the outset, we find a complete failure to understand what is meant by the freedom of expression in the press. Correspondents of a newspaper write to it on a variety of topics. The editor chooses those letters which he thinks are of interest to readers, which supplement articles which have appeared, or which may (he hopes will) stimulate a controversy in the readers’ letters columns.<\/span><\/p>\n

There is nothing like a good readers controversy for keeping up interest in a paper, especially a weekly. But, of course, a newspaper does not imply that it agrees with all the views expressed by the writers of the letters chosen for the readers’ letters column. Indeed, how could it, when it often prints letters diametrically opposed in their opinions? But in its naivet\u00e9, Le R\u00e9veil <\/em>thinks that all letters in a newspaper reflect the opinions of that newspaper …… so we find it declaring that because the Mauritius Times<\/em> printed a letter from a reader advocating tests for Council candidates, the Times<\/em> therefore thinks that such tests would be a good thing. And such is the logic that prevails in M. Gaetan Duval’s office that Le R\u00e9veil <\/em>goes on to argue that because the Mauritius Times<\/em> (as it alleges) thinks these tests would be a good thing, the Labour Party therefore thinks so! What logic – especially from a paper whose editor declares“\u2026 \u2026 nous qui devons notre formation \u00e0 des professeurs fran\u00e7ais, qui, dans une universit\u00e9 fran\u00e7aise avons profit\u00e9 de l’enseignement g\u00e9n\u00e9reuse …\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The French are reputed to be a logical nation; surely M. Duval learned better logic than his paper has at times displayed. I assume, charitably, that the lack of logic is due to naivet\u00e9; of course, if I wished to be as uncharitable towards Le R\u00e9veil <\/em>as Le R\u00e9veil <\/em>has been towards me, I could suggest that the root cause is not naivet\u00e9, but deliberate misunderstanding and misstatement. But of course, I would never be so uncharitable; l leave lack of charity to my inferiors.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let us look for a while at Le R\u00e9veil <\/em>of November 19. It carries an editorial article headed Le Triste Monsieur Ibbotson. <\/em>(In passing, let me say that I seldom feel triste<\/em>; being, in fact, gai<\/em> bynature). I am alleged to be ready \u00e0 \u00e9crire sur n’importe quel sujet… \u00e0 diffamer et \u00e0 insulter pourvu que M. Ramlallah lui en intim\u00e9 l’ordre<\/em>. In other words, I am prepared to write on any subject (do I hear jealousy tinging that criticism, M. Duval?) and to slander and insult people, so long as the editor gives me the orders to do so.<\/span><\/p>\n

H’m \u2014 it is well known that we all judge others by our own standards; so, in judging that the role of an editor includes giving orders to an outside contributor to insult this, that or the other person, M. Duval is revealing (according to the popular tradition I have just referred to) his own standards. Or is he?<\/span><\/p>\n

What else do I read in the issue of Le R\u00e9veil <\/em>of November 19? Rhetorically, it is asked of me. Ne vient-il pas de d\u00e9clarer dans le M. Times du 7 Novembre que la “Mauritius Amalgamated Labourers Union” est vendue aux employeurs ?<\/em> The answer to that question was “yes” but I can say “no”. l never said anything of the sort. To begin with, I referred to the organisation in question by its proper title: Mauritius Amalgamated Labourers Association. Note that, M. Duval: Association not Union. An important attribute of the journalist is accuracy, even in the smallest detail. But far from saying that the MALA est vendue aux employeurs –<\/em> an allegation of which I have no proof and which, if I had made it would indeed, be une bien grave diffamation –<\/em> I referred to “the belief held in many quarters that it is a company union, or at least very near one”.<\/span><\/p>\n

And there are many quarters in Mauritius where it is believed that the MALA is a company union: therefore, it is my journalistic duty to bring to readers’ notice the existence of that belief, always supposing that they did not previously know of it; or for that matter, share it. So, the next time, M. le R\u00e9dacteur en chef du R\u00e9veil<\/em>, please quote me correctly when you want to start criticising what I have written.<\/span><\/p>\n

5th Year – No 227
\n<\/strong>Friday 12th December, 1958<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Mauritius Times ePaper Friday 5 May 2023<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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