The Real and Deep meaning of the word Independence according to google is: ‘’THE ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF NATIONHOOD.’’
For the Republic of Mauritius, the 12th of March commemorates the freedom of the Mauritian people, from colonial rule. The actual freedom from slavery, or working under contracts as indentured labourers and many more. 
The people living in Mauritius have then been able to choose a lifestyle accordingly and through hard work and sacrifice, they have successfully been able to build a nation with a developing economy and a Mauritian society with its exuberant cultural diversity. Nevertheless, one must note that during this process, ups and downs were experienced but these obstacles were handled successfully for as now we have been able to live in peace, justice, and liberty without having the fear of war or other destructive situations.
However, during these past few years, there has been a constant decline of the true meaning of Mauritius being an independent country and its people being independent. This has been noticed in various sectors. Be it in the educational field, the government itself and in different workplaces under the regulations of the government. In the education system, we have seen a major decline as incompetent people promoted for obscure reasons to higher positions as rectors without past experience.
As from the government, many new laws without clear and intended meaning have been incorporated within policies which are beneficial to only some categories of people in society and the minorities always suffer. This gives rise to other problems; the workers mental health declines as they suffer from oppression and depression in their workplaces.
Moreover, Mauritius is a small island and has much less resources to supply to its own people such as food. True, many infrastructural works are being done which contribute to the economic development of the country but on the other hand, in case of shortage of food supply from other countries due to various disastrous events, the population of Mauritius will suffer a lot and may endure famine as most of our food is imported.
Indeed, those events create great nuisance for the Mauritian population. But who must bear the blame? The whole population is most likely to be blamed because even though being in an independent country, only some of us are able to stand as one people and as one nation to speak and fight for the injustice being done to the paradise island. Its however mostly part of the Mauritian population fault for being vulnerable and willing to be suppressed, ruled over and endure inacceptable and disastrous acts from various institutions. ‘’Every citizen should participate in shaping the future of this nation. May you know what it means to create something beautiful.’’-Sadhguru.
In addition to this, the 55th Independence Day of Mauritius was celebrated in defiance to some of the annual traditions. The flag raising ceremony was obviously held but only among some people at the State House whereas during the previous years the Independence Day was celebrated grandly by the state at the Champ de Mars due to the great historical overtone where for the very first time the quadricolour of Mauritius rose in sign of Independency at exactly 12p.m.
After the protocol ceremony, cultural shows were presented by various Mauritian artists such as the Sega, Indian classical dances, songs in different languages and many more activities to commemorate, enhance and embrace the Mauritian cultural diversity.
However, this year, 2023, the flag rose but in a different place and without any cultural programme. It is understandable that due to weather conditions and infrastructural issues at Champ de Mars, it would have been difficult and dangerous to assemble people there, but it is obvious that those issues should have been taken into consideration and maintenance should have been done regularly to ensure the proper flag raising ceremony.
Secondly, even though it was problematic this year to celebrate it at Champ de Mars, the cultural programme should have been maintained involving the various different communities. It is inadmissible that the government and the opposition celebrated independence separately, respectively at Réduit and at Caudan.
So now, where is the real patriotism? Where is the togetherness of as one nation and one people when we are celebrating separately? Is this a way we want our future generations to understand the meaning of independence and cultural diversity? Or will the meaning of independence be rewritten over the years?
Covid19 cannot be evoked as from a long-time now people in Mauritius have been back to their normal daily routine. Is it that there has been not enough finance to maintain a ceremony with dignity and honour?
“I must confess, my friends, the road ahead will not always be smooth. There will be still rocky places of frustration and meandering points of bewilderment. There will be inevitable setbacks here and there. There will be those moments when the buoyancy of hope will be transformed into the fatigue of despair. Our dreams will sometimes be shattered, and our ethereal hopes blasted. We may again with tear-drenched eyes have to stand before the bier of some courageous civil rights worker whose life will be snuffed out by the dastardly acts of bloodthirsty mobs. Difficult and painful as it is, we must walk on in the days ahead with an audacious faith in the future.” From Martin Luther King’s speech at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Aug. 16, 1967, in Atlanta, Georgia