The Times of India
June 12, 2004
BONDING WITHOUT BIGOTRY
Dileep Padgaonkar
Port Louis : Nowhere do developments in India affect people of Indian origin as dramatically as they do here in Mauritius . Part of the reason is demographic. Close to 70 per cent of the 1.2 million strong population of this divinely endowed island-nation traces its roots to Bihar , Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat , Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra . The languages, cultures and religious practices prevalent in these states are kept alive in homes and through a network of caste and community-based associations.
Another reason for the strong presence of India relates to the official and non-official ties that link Mauritius with the mother country. Governments may come and go in Port Louis and New Delhi but the ties, especially in defence matters, are left untouched. This is increasingly true of economic relations too. Add to this the many cultural and scientific undertakings of the Indian government.
Outside the government sphere Mauritians are exposed to India through films and television, itinerant spiritual gurus and now more and more thanks to Indian enterprises operating in the country. The latest Bollywood films are screened in cinema halls often before they are released in India . Their DVDs are also on sale at every other street corner. Many Indian TV channels can be accessed on cable. The second channel of the state-owned television network almost entirely broadcasts Indian programmes.
This explains in large measure the very high interest in Indian politics and indeed in any issue of national significance in India . That level of interest is also to be found in India 's economic advances in recent years. The growing stature of India in the world instils a sense of pride and perhaps also enhances the community's self-esteem in this multi-ethnic, religious and cultural environment.
There is however another, less rosy side to this picture. The elite in the Indo-Mauritian community look to Britain , France and the United States rather than to India to advance their professional interests. French remains the dominant language of education, culture and even commerce. The tiny Franco-Mauritian community controls a major chunk of the economy. Sino-Mauritians and Muslim Mauritians of Indian descent more or less monopolise retail trade.
Until not too long ago, the Hindus held the keys to political and administrative power. But their innate divisiveness, which non-Hindi Mauritians are said to have exploited to the hilt, got the better of them. Caste, religious and regional identities were brought into full play.
The accumulating frustrations found expression in the radicalisation of the Hindu community. The ascendancy of Hindutva in the mother country throughout the 1990s and in the early part of the new century contributed to this trend. A static, exclusivist idea of Indian culture with strong authoritarian undertones began to strike roots. This, in turn, accounts in part for the emergence of fundamentalist tendencies in the Muslim community too.
The fact remains however that an overwhelming majority of Hindus and Muslims treat religious extremism with the disdain it deserves. The younger generation in particular is attached to religion and culture. But it is in no mood to allow that attachment to be harnessed to political or ideological goals.
Here is an opportunity for India . For too long New Delhi thought it fit to focus its attention on Hindi-speaking, Hindu Mauritians. It must now reach out to other sections of the population as well. For, the appeal of a modernizing India which celebrates diversity and tolerance cuts across all these communities. Such an appeal alone can help to tame the demons of divisiveness which threaten to overwhelm this fascinating land whose inhabitants are proud to call as chota Bharat.
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