The sociocultural space unashamedly used by the Prime Minister, in the context of the Divali celebrations, to turn a moment of Truth and Light into one of selling his wares, attacking his political adversaries and congratulating himself for policies, not necessarily in the best interests of all, has triggered this article. For those of us striving to turn politics into one which is clean, ethical, just, spiritual; infused with values such as : Humility, Integrity, Solidarity, Sharing, Compassion, Selflessness and above all Truth, i.e the real values of Divali, we are not only utterly disappointed by the PM’s move but unreservedly condemn it.
The second factor motivating this article is the behaviour of those who argue that they want to do ‘politics autrement’. They often end up condoning the opacity, mismanagement, institutional decay, and even partake in the many ‘untruths’ of the system, so much so that they have become indifferent to the suffering around them and equate development with accumulation of wealth and getting rich. All because of narrow self-interests, far remote from the ‘Lokasangraha’ – the ‘universal common good’ that the Bhagavad Gita calls upon us to engage in. The questions that I pose further below, and the likely responses to them by those holding the reins of power, can easily show how far remote we have become to the Universal good as a nation.
Allow me, however, to slightly digress and bring up a common mantra from the Upanishads – not only is this mantra – one of my favourites because of the universality of its tone, but also because it is chanted for the well being of humanity:
Om Asato Ma Sad Gamaya
(let me be led from untruth to truth)
Tamaso maa Jyotir Gamayaa
(from darkness to light)
Amrityor ma amritam gamayaa
(and from the transient to that which has ultimate value)
Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti
(Peace, Peace and Peace)
Many of us chant this mantra on a daily basis and more so on the occasion of Divali, but chanting it would be meaningless, if we do not allow the flicker of the little ‘Diya’s’ flame, to illuminate our minds, hearts and souls in search of the TRUTH and the common good.
Commenting on the significance of Divali prior to the US presidential elections, Anatandan Rambachan, Professor of comparative religion, writing in the Huffington Post notes:
’…sadly what we see today is a reckless indifference to truth and an appeal to narrow self interest. Untruths that demean others, and that stir hate and fears are peddled daily. The attainment of power, and not truth and wisdom, has become the object of ultimate value. Truth is equated with expediency and convenience and redefined as that which ensures electoral victory; the means justifies the ends…’.
His article has largely inspired my reflection. If electoral victory and what comes with it, makes us find that everything is OK even when a system is rotting, then we realize how distant political elites can become to the ‘Lokasangraha’- the essence of which is ‘inclusion’ and well being of ALL as beautifully explained by Professor Rambachan.
Now, coming back to the questions I mentioned earlier:
(1) is it OK that the murder of Kistnen, first declared as a suicide by the police and later accepted as a homicide, is still not elucidated, and the murderers still at large?
(2) Is it Ok that Money politics dominate the Mauritian landscape and that the « Kistnen Papers » are seen as insignificant by some?
(3) Is it OK that our parliament sits only once a week and so many parliamentary questions relevant to our daily lives left unanswered?
(4) Is it OK to find all meritocratic principles being systematically flouted?
(5) Is it OK to open the floodgates to corruption, during emergency procurements in a pandemic while large segments of the community struggle to feed their families?
(6) Is it OK that hundreds of our fellow citizens are failing to get adequate treatment in our hospitals, and that cases of medical negligence are on the rise, and that increasing numbers of citizens are dying of COVID-19, without us having a sense of what the real figures are?
(7) Is it OK for one category of workers to benefit from all sorts of perks and privileges and pay rise enabled by the PRB while others are left on the lurch?
(8) Is it OK for the government to start oil exploration and think that it can make the country richer, while ignoring the science of climate change and jeopardizing the future of younger generations?
Needless to say that the silence and/or “OK” of many regarding the concerns captured by these questions, resonates with the ‘indifference’ and the remoteness to Lokasangraha that Professor Rambachan alludes to. It also resonates with those wanting to turn ‘Untruths’ into ‘truths’. The PM systematically tells us that ‘mo dir la verite mwa’ but whose Truth is the question? We leave it to all those who wish to be enlightened by the lights of Divali and appreciate the depth of the mantra referred to earlier, to answer this question.
Divali 2021 is certainly like other Divalis a time for joy, for lighting up our streets and homes, for distributing sweets and for praying for peace and prosperity but with the backdrop of all the pains and woes of the multiple crises that humanity is facing. I hope that our prayers will be guided by the lights of Divali and as we chant the mantra referred to above, the choice we exercise in the voting booth at the forthcoming municipal elections, be one of discernment, one which can assist in filling our municipalities with a new breed of politicians who are keen on ethical governance. More than ever before, we need to urgently turn our towns into sustainable living spaces. For this to happen we need to vote with “prajna’- the Sanskrit word for wisdom. May the lights of Divali make us all wiser, take us on the path of righteousness, permit us to stand UNITED to combat the dark, evil forces destroying our country and in doing serve our local communities to promote the common good.
Happy Divali!