Mauritius is really a country of paradoxes and myths. Let me quote just 2 examples: Every Mauritian, and even well-meaning tourists, like to quote the famous words of the American humorist writer, Mark Twain, that « Mauritius was made first, and then Heaven, and that Heaven was copied after Mauritius. » But that should not be read so simplistically, because when he wrote those words in his travelogue, Following the Equator : A journey around the world, Mark Twain was doing so in derision of gullible islanders whom he happened to meet and who were boasting, he said, without being asked, about their remote rugged place in 1896 under French rule. But even today, we prefer to live under the illusion that the illustrious writer did mean exactly what he wrote, and we continue to sing this praise that was not meant to be. We, Mauritians, enjoy living in a fool’s paradise.
The second myth is about unreserved denunciation of Professor James Meade’s assertions in his economic mission report in the early 1960s, to the effect that the later recipient of the Nobel prize was a complete « faussaire » in condemning Mauritius to helpless perdition. The truth is that Meade was only quoting the Malthusian theory that if a country has a population growing exponentially faster than its capacity to grow food for itself, it would come to grief. That is why Meade recommended a plethora of sound measures which were quickly taken on board and implemented at the time, laying the foundation for import-substituting industrialisation, agricultural diversification and a Social Welfare System. In fact, it was Meade who was the economic architect of the Welfare State and Mixed Economy that remain the hallmark of our economic model of growth with social justice. However, what we choose to show is an apocalyptic tragedy which supposedly is predicted to happen, but is averted by sheer local ingenuity with a little help of Heaven, that keeps its blessings for us.
We are living another myth that nothing bad or sinister would ever happen to our sacred paradise, come what may. Otherwise, how can you explain that this country can continue to provide, so long and so extensively, services such as free education from pre-primary to tertiary, universal free healthcare, free public transport, free universal pension to all adults above 60 at a higher percentage of the minimum wage than anywhere else in the world, heavily subsidised water, electricity, housing, basic food to the poor, a compulsory 13th month wage, and so many more goodies like secure sinecure jobs in the public sector? Is not this paradise on earth with no end in view?
Is Mauritius the only country in the world giving the lie to the adage that there is no such thing as a free lunch, endless to the hilt? How do we explain this phenomenon except by citing the Father of the Nation, Chacha Ramgoolam, that: » Abe, ena touzour enn BonDieu pou Moris! » Do we therefore resort to prayers and invoke miracles when things get messy and go awry? This is another myth that will soon blow up in the faces of gullible Mauritians! When that bubble will burst is the question. But we have so many here who are already claiming they are the Deus ex machina. We can recognise the pretentious ones from far. But some also believe that the Deus is not among us, but is far and yet so near, by metro or by submarine in an ocean claimed as theirs. His Majesty’s magic wand can wield money, feel good factor, turbulence, division, havoc and order, as gullibility will have it. For once, I have to reckon that Mauritians are right to fear God and believe in myths.