Le Matinal

Blog: The Yatin Varma Accident

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:16:00 +0400

What is now known as the Varma accident saga has brought to light what we have always known in Mauritius. If Mr. Varma allowed the road rage syndrome to prevail over common sense and he inflicted blows on the car driver then he is to blame.

Chagos: Conservationists are swimming in murky waters

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:35:00 +0400

“Being in Chagos is an incredibly special experience,” says Rachel Jones, deputy team leader of the Aquarium at ZSL London Zoo, in a new YouTube posting extolling the “unique” environment of the warm, pristine waters of the archipelago. “It’s literally like going back in time… It’s what reefs, I imagine, were like 50 or 60 years ago. She adds: “It’s very special being somewhere where you know you’re the only one there. There’s no one else around.”

Blog: Outrage or no outrage - Sir Gaetan Duval and Pascale Bodet

Fri, 17 May 2013 06:54:00 +0400

It appears or it is a reality now that the MMM has two leaders. One is described as the historic leader by the traditional press regularly and he is Paul Berenger. The other one is described as the leader of the opposition coming from the MMM rank and file. The constant reference to the historic leader must be a constant reminder to Alan Ganoo that the traditional press does not want to let go of Paul Berenger. The MSM also has a leader of the remake 2000 in the person of Sir Anerood Jugnauth and a leader of the MSM in the person of the sibling of the leader of the remake. It is quite odd that a coalition that is vowing to boot out the present government out of power and perform economic miracles has four leaders.

Blog: Tired. You Too?

Fri, 17 May 2013 07:55:00 +0400

I watch TV, I read newspapers, I listen to radio, sometimes I browse the internet, I am sure most of you do the same, but lately I have started feeling tired of the contents of our radio, TV and newspapers. I do not know if you share the same feelings.

Blog: To Ved Gopee and others

Fri, 17 May 2013 07:50:00 +0400

I am not supposed to write about you because, apparently, there is a prima facie case against you and you are under a charge allegedly related to a violation of the Equal Opportunities Act. It seems that someone has, with premeditation, studied the underpinnings of the legal system in order to pin down for whatever you did to provoke this predicament.

Blog: Les îlois des Chagos contre le Royaume-Uni, suite et fin ?

Thu, 16 May 2013 11:53:00 +0400

La décision rendue en décembre 2012, par la Cour européenne des droits de l’homme, de ne pas recevoir la plainte des Chagossiens (1) contre le gouvernement du Royaume-Uni restera comme une des grandes hontes et un déni de justice de l’époque contemporaine. Cette décision est loin d’être courageuse. Elle n’est sans doute pas non plus définitive, car le peuple chagossien a pris conscience depuis de nombreuses années de la solitude dans laquelle il doit livrer combat afin que soient reconnus ses droits au retour dans sa patrie d’origine.

Blog: Rare Tribute to Unsung Heroes

Fri, 10 May 2013 09:15:00 +0400

It is very rare that unanimous tribute is paid to unsung heroes for their brave heroic actions. The eye witnesses — the bus conductor and the survivors of the tragic accident at Soreze on Friday 3rd May — are telling the story of the bus driver who saved the lives of so many passengers and those who were found in their vehicles on the highway.

Blog: Abuse of Democracy

Fri, 10 May 2013 09:21:00 +0400

Following the publication of the opinion poll that showed the Labour Party and its leader Navin Ramgoolam were still enjoying a comfortable measure of support in the country Rajesh Bhagwan was violently critical of the daily, l’Express, and boldly stated that that paper had lost all credibility.

Blog: Navin, Paul and Arvin

Fri, 03 May 2013 04:39:00 +0400

The last opinion poll carried out by Politis and published in l'express of last Sunday indicates that the leader of the Labour Party, Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam polls 58% approval, Paul Berenger, the leader of the MMM 56% and Anerood Jugnauth the leader of the so-called remake 2000 gets about 46% and comes behind Arvin Boolell with 51% and Xavier Duval 48%.

Blog: Navin Ramgoolam The Game Changer

Fri, 03 May 2013 04:35:00 +0400

Who could have imagined that Labour Party would not celebrate Labour Day on 1 May each year? Yet it did so this year. In fact, since last year, Navin Ramgoolam wanted to do away with the political rally on that day. The mourning of the country after the death of 11 persons during the flashfloods on March 30 made him decide to go ahead.

Blog: Violence against school authorities

Fri, 03 May 2013 04:34:00 +0400

These are hard times because nothing seems to stay. We seem to be standing on a floor which is revolving, escalating, sinking in a trough and leveling flat. Our ancient heritage is being dilapidated. Like boys who tease a beehive with a pebble and think they can run faster than the bees dispossessed of a house can fly. We forget that we have ourselves brought up the boys giving them all the freedom we did not enjoy and expecting the same respect that we give to authorities or the elderly. The teasing is ours because we have brought them up with the freedom they have taken.

Blog: Benefits of Hindsight

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 12:32:00 +0400

I was pleasantly surprised at the bold stand taken by Anil Bachoo, Vice-Prime Minister and minister of Public Infrastructure, on the role played by and the help given by sociocultural organizations in favor of victims of the recent flash floods at the Tamil New Year celebrations on Sunday last at IGCIC.

Blog: Meeting parents’ panic

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 12:35:00 +0400

Girls’ parents in the middle class who are responsible for the upbringing of daughters going to secondary schools seem to be living in perpetual fear of loss, of the danger of an act of filial treachery.

Blog: Double-edged sword

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 09:48:00 +0400

Following the Preliminary Report of Mr Geoffrey Robertson on Media Law and Ethics in Mauritius, all that the traditional media and the opposition parties have retained is that there is a necessity for a Freedom of Information Act. No one in the traditional press or in the opposition has spoken about responsible journalism, the Code of Conduct and the ethics of journalism, the right to have a comprehensive privacy law to protect, wherever this is justified, the media from intruding in the lives of people or to go under women’s skirts or their bedroom.

Blog: Shame!

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 08:54:00 +0400

I do understand the outburst of hatred of Sir Anerood Jugnauth and Pravind Jugnauth for socio-cultural organizations. They are fully frustrated at no longer being invited and given a place of honor by these organizations at their functions. During their long years of tenure at the helm of affairs, they had enjoyed fully that honor and privilege. They had relied on their continued support since Sir Anerood Jugnauth resigned and became leader of the MMM/MSM remake. The socio-cultural organizations in their wisdom decided to support Navin Ramgoolam and the government.

Blog: Mauritian solidarity must be respected

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 09:00:00 +0400

We have been looking for it in languages and we have seen each child going his way to his Asian language class. The Oriental language group is still looked down upon despite years of cohabitation or because of it. We have been looking for patriotism in our school curricula and we have gradually banished from them all the footprints that have marked the making of a national spirit.

Blog: Media Law and Ethics in Mauritius

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 09:15:00 +0400

The event of last week was the decision of the Director of Public Prosecutions not to prosecute Ms. Maya Hanoomanjee. It would appear that from her interview in the media that the former minister will soon take her vengeance against individuals or possibly institutions that she holds responsible for her ordeal. And that she would come back as minister. We wish her all the best of luck.

Blog: Anil Bachoo - Target of cheap politics

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 08:17:00 +0400

I am just wondering why the opposition is targeting Anil Bachoo, Minister of Public Infrastructure, by asking for his resignation in the aftermath of the flash floods in Port Louis on Saturday 30th March. The opposition is holding him responsible for the tragedy of loss of life and damages to property.

Blog: Era of hoax and deception

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 08:21:00 +0400

We are living a long drawn period of hoodwinking and deceit at the hands of sharpminded and highly educated confidence tricksters at global level. After Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, we have seen the fraud of B.Ramalinga Raju, the disgraced founder of Satyam. It is sad that even after his fraud was exposed, he continued receiving the support of many employees who believed in their boss.

Blog: Only two hours

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 14:51:00 +0400

It took only two hours for the fury of Mother Nature to bring national tragedy on Saturday last. With 152 mm of downpour disaster of unimaginable magnitude struck the country. Eleven persons lost their lives in a flash flood in Port Louis. Many regions particularly canal Dayot, Tranquebar, Sable Noir were devastated with several meters of water, mud and other debris. No loss of life in those regions except for one who died with emotional shock. The maximum number of deaths happened in an underground parking and in Caudan Water Front subways.