{"id":39450,"date":"2024-01-26T18:08:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-26T14:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/?p=39450"},"modified":"2024-02-08T18:57:28","modified_gmt":"2024-02-08T14:57:28","slug":"celebrating-ram-mandir-bharat-style","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/celebrating-ram-mandir-bharat-style\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating Ram Mandir Bharat Style"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Nita Chicooree-Mercier<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The Pran Prathista, the consecration of the idol of the heroic king Ram from the Ramayana epic, took place in the presence of Indian Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi on January 22nd at Ayodhya. This religious ceremony holds profound symbolic value for over a billion people in Bharat and around the world, for three compelling reasons.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

Firstly, the Ram Mandir’s location is deemed the birthplace of the epic king, holding immense importance as a revival of a millennia-old civilizational legacy. The original temple, existing over 500 years ago, was destroyed by foreign invaders who replaced it with a monument from an opposing belief system. Today’s devotees consider the reconstruction a fortunate witnessing of their forefathers’ cherished legacy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Secondly, the event aimed to connect people of Indian origin globally, inviting them to celebrate a special Deepavali with lights to welcome back the rightful king. The live broadcast showcased the majestic monument adorned in splendour, vibrant flowers, elaborate rituals in Sanskrit followed by bhajans and devotional songs, resonating across Bharat and the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

The third reason for the widespread acclaim is the ubiquitous presence of the Prime Minister. Seen as a long-awaited ruler, he is perceived as an exceptional figure dedicating his energy to uplift the country, applying its civilizational ethics, aesthetics, and morals.<\/span><\/p>\n

The event’s critics, mainly the Opposition, leftist parties abroad, and western media, haveraised a polemic over the concept of secularism.Opposition parties fear the event’s coverage might sway votes towards the BJP in India and the ruling parties abroad. However, applying western secularism to India’s un-organized Sanatan Dharma requires nuanced understanding.<\/span><\/p>\n

India, among the two oldest surviving civilizations, has preserved its Dharmic culture till modern times. The Ram Mandir, after more than 500 years, pays tribute to vanished indigenous cultures and faiths across the world, lost to predatory belief systems.<\/span><\/p>\n

Criticism of Indian leadership reflects what Europe and the western world may have deprived themselves of in the pursuit of western-style secularism\u2014an emotion, a soul that Bharat embodies today.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

l<\/u><\/strong>e douloureux pass\u00e9 de l’esclavage<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

La transmission de l\u2019Histoire de Maurice \u00e0 la jeune g\u00e9n\u00e9ration ne peut ignorer le douloureux pass\u00e9 de l’esclavage. Il ne s’agit pas de susciter un sentiment de culpabilit\u00e9 chez les descendants des esclavagistes, qui ne sont en aucun cas responsables des actes de leurs anc\u00eatres, ni de consoler la g\u00e9n\u00e9ration actuelle, dont les anc\u00eatres ont endur\u00e9 un traitement indigne et cruel, perp\u00e9tuant ainsi une posture de victime.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cela dit, d’une part, il est pertinent de souligner le sentiment de toute-puissance et de sup\u00e9riorit\u00e9 qui animait ceux qui se consid\u00e9raient comme les pionniers du d\u00e9veloppement \u00e9conomique de l’\u00eele. D’autre part, les cons\u00e9quences psychologiques de l’esclavage sur ceux qui ont \u00e9t\u00e9 laiss\u00e9s sans rep\u00e8res lors d’une longue p\u00e9riode d’errance apr\u00e8s l’abolition de l’esclavage en 1835, et qui ont persist\u00e9 dans l’\u00e8re post-coloniale, n’ont jamais fait l’objet d’une \u00e9tude s\u00e9rieuse.<\/span><\/p>\n

L’esclavage figure parmi les anciennes pratiques de domination et de conqu\u00eate que les hommes ont inflig\u00e9es \u00e0 d’autres pendant des mill\u00e9naires. L’exemple de la Gr\u00e8ce antique et de Rome assujettissant les peuples conquis est bien connu tandis que l’esclavage des Juifs par les pays voisins tels que Babylone (Irak), la Perse et l’\u00c9gypte, datant de plus de quatre mille ans, est document\u00e9 dans l’Ancien Testament, bien que moins popularis\u00e9 par l’histoire moderne. La traite des Africains, vendus d’abord dans le monde arabo-turc pour construire les pays acqu\u00e9reurs, a perdur\u00e9 pendant plus de mille ans jusqu’en 1968 en Arabie saoudite, et l’intra-africain jusqu’en 1981 en Mauritanie.<\/span><\/p>\n

La traite des Africains aux quatre coins du monde, colonis\u00e9s par les Europ\u00e9ens et les Anglais, rev\u00eat un caract\u00e8re particulier en ce sens que ce commerce \u00e9tait soutenu par une construction intellectuelle autour d’une th\u00e9orie sur l’inf\u00e9riorit\u00e9 raciale des Noirs, allant jusqu’\u00e0 remettre en question l’existence d’une \u00e2me chez eux. Lorsqu’il a fallu reconna\u00eetre qu’ils avaient une \u00e2me, les autorit\u00e9s ont veill\u00e9 \u00e0 ce que le clerg\u00e9 les guide pour sauver leur \u00e2me.<\/span><\/p>\n

Une autre particularit\u00e9 de l’esclavage africain \u00e9tait la forte demande \u00e0 une \u00e9poque marqu\u00e9e par la concurrence entre les puissances europ\u00e9ennes et le mercantilisme propag\u00e9 par la r\u00e9volution industrielle. Une main-d’\u0153uvre abondante et efficace sans co\u00fbt, une v\u00e9ritable aubaine pour les aventuriers partis en mer \u00e0 la recherche de fortune.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ainsi a d\u00e9but\u00e9 la construction de Maurice par le d\u00e9frichage des for\u00eats et du bois pour construire les maisons des colons et les huttes des esclaves, il y a plus de 400 ans, avant que le calvaire de ces \u00eatres ne prenne fin en 1835, apr\u00e8s 215 ans de souffrance. Plus de huit g\u00e9n\u00e9rations prises au pi\u00e8ge insulaire, loin des contr\u00e9es africaines qui ont fini par s’effacer de leur m\u00e9moire, tout comme leurs langues, leurs croyances et leurs cultures.<\/p>\n

Ces anc\u00eatres m\u00e9ritent que nous leur rendions hommage en pr\u00e9servant leur m\u00e9moire.<\/p>\n

\n

Mauritius Times ePaper Friday 26 January 2024<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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