The Best Loser System

I have been told that the Best Loser System was designed to provide “balanced” ethnic and political representation. Boasting about being “one nation, one people,” what is it about this “balanced” ethnic and political representation? Across several decades since independence, haven’t we evolved and gained enough maturity to catabolize our ‘minority or ‘majority’ complex? If this does not show the erosion of that sense of togetherness in a culturally diverse society, then I wonder what it means. Would a secular state mean that there will no longer be public holidays based on religious festivals, something that exist nowhere else in the world? Would we finally live in a flourishing democracy?

Mauritius is termed to have a national identity but one must not forget that the Mauritian people are not homogenous. They belong to different religious communities which are unevenly distributed throughout the country.

"Mauritius is living another important phase of its political history since the pronouncement of the United Nations on the case presented by ‘Resistans ek Alternativ’ protesting against the need for a candidate to mention his ethnic appurtenance when he registers himself for general elections. Mauritius never showed so much interest in the ‘People’s Representation’ as it does today; whether after 45 years of Independence, one should still feel the need to mention his community on the Nomination Form during registration as a candidate for elections and whether there is still need for somebody specifically chosen to defend the rights of a minority group."

It is a fact to reckon that the Best Loser System can be negative if it is masked behind the pretext of religious fervor to fulfill its own personal hidden agendas.

There is much passion in the air. Those who belong to the majority community are not necessarily in favour of abolition as well as the minority groups may not necessarily be fearing the loss of an acquired right- it was not an acquired right from Hindus! We should not forget that! That right we all got it from the Britishers and that too without a single blood shed! 

And still around a during the turbulent political period that preceded the Independence of Mauritius, there was a great apprehension of Hindu hegemony expressed by the minority ethnic groups - Creoles, Whites, Muslims, Chinese etc.

 And, violent racial explosions could have occurred at anytime due to the existing fear, suspicion and mistrust in the country.

If BLS is here it is mainly due to the people who believe that minority would be discriminated against for Hindus win  the lion’s share. But this very mentality of  fear, suspicion and mistrust in the country doesn’t it foster ethnocentrism?  If we all believed to be one then why the need to fear our own ones. Perhaps it is because of our known and unofficialised fear that inequality is going to excel.. but what if that racial and ethnic based discrimination and stratification was tackled through education, would their still be foundation for this BLS.. surely it might take decades.. BUT like the women’s movement.. that change is worthwhile indeed.

''If we are all sincere and want to get rid of the BLS, we ask the Prime Minister, Navin Ramgoolam to call for a snap election, with the sole condition that both leaders, Ramgoolam and Bérenger agree to put each one, three Hindus as candidates in Plaine Verte, three Muslims as candidates in Cassis/Vallijee, and three Creoles as candidates in Triolet.   It's only then that we will all be able to shout: Long Live Mauritianism!’''

Moreover, if ‘Resistans ek Alternativ’ wants to eliminate communalism in Mauritius, they should campaign to remove the 7 effigies on our legal tender and replace them by only one, that of Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, the father of the Nation and the father of our Independence! Young people out there- who gibes a damn about whose face appears on those notes!? All that matters is its worth for barter! :$

 Why do we have many different ‘Associations Socio-Culturel’ based on ethnicity instead of one Association Socio-Culturel Mauricien? In which country in the world are public holidays purely declared on the basis of ethnicity? Do we still remember the MMM/PSM slogan “ene sel lepep en sel nation of 1982?”

Can they remember Mewasingh’s song “Done to lamin pran mo lamin, lamin dan lamin” that followed the communal riots of the late 60s? What about the elimination of the names associated with our soccer teams: “Hindu Cadets, Muslim Scouts, Tamil Cadets.."

These days, the debate is taking another turn, where the word secularism is being thrown around. It would seem that Mauritians are in the quest of an identity that is absolute. Is that possible? Today our parents are living the religious appartenance and national identity complex! And tomorrow we'll live the Western culture v/s Mauritian culture complex the way the trend is growing among the youth!

Each and every individual juggles countless identities everyday: son, mother, father, daughter, wife, husband, employee, employer, citizen of a certain country, follower of a particular faith. Each of these identities requires that the individual play a certain role according to each identity. Each identity does not exclude the other, they are all intertwined within the same person and are used according to circumstances. In the case of the Mauritian, where these days being Mauritian above everything else is being encouraged, we have to ask ourselves to what extent we want our national identity to overshadow any of our other identities.

BUT people need to understand - It is not communal belonging or putting political representatives in socio-cultural groups that proper work will be done. It is by putting competent people who will work towards the interests of the people at the best of their abilities- unless bribery is want people want to promulgated and not MERITOCRACY!

''The whole scam about BLS is : A- doing nothing about the electoral system, and B- making communalism a self-fulling prophecy, for the benefit of the "Profiticians".''

The BLS should be blown like shit!

Because it somehow renders official the fact that a Muslim cannot work for a Hindu, a Christian cannot see the kinds of a Sino-Mauritian or vice-versa!

Sure some cannot - inhumanly unfortunate for them for they preach something outside the religious beliefs that they are holding to!

''Yes, I want for my children and for the future generation a government which will be efficient. A government ran by characters who have the abilities "to execute moral convictions". Integrity, values, honour and selfless service make others feel safe and esteemed. It will harness trust and the reciprocation of unconditional positive regards between citizens regardless of age, sex, religion, colour or social class. It will be an existence where people find happiness in whatever they are, for we will find dignity in whatever we choose to be. There will be opportunities for us to make these choices: Opportunities which can only be realised with the unlocking of injustices (past and present), and in righting all the historical wrongs....''

Successive Governments seem to have failed to finding A MAURITIAN SOLUTION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF A MAURITIAN UNITY. Yet, although a government has the power to catalyse a shift in psych- the shift itself should come from the population's heart!

Should we not forget-

''Tribal Polity'' is divisive, its emotional basis energizes ego-centrism, and prejudice. It sets people in the "US" and "THEM" Groups. Thus self-glorification turns into detachment and intolerance, whereby not only ego-centrism manifests itself, also chauvinism and Communalism, race-centrism and racism. The children and Young Revolutionaries at the dawn of Mauritius Independence are today's Adults, Parents, Leaders of the various Political Parties, and self-centered politicians, and eager for self-aggrandizement.

Tribalism is an erroneous (immoral)concept in diversity. 

It seems that their parents failed to educate them towards solid, positive self-image during their childhood and adolescence; that TOLERANCE and HUMAN DIGNITY are intertwined, indeed they celebrate DIVERSITY, but BIGOTRY is spiteful. Every child has to learn to feel proud of one's cultural identity. A healthy development eliminates prejudices against gender, race, socio-economic classes, thus endows a child with healthy self-esteem, and Respect towards anyone who is different from oneself. The child will grow up into an adult who will celebrate DIVERSITY.

 "Nita Deerpalsing has had the courage and the merit to take head on some of the so called socio-cultural organizations which exist only to promote the interests of their office bearers. She persisted in asking through a PQ whether we should not include the term ‘secular’ in the Constitution of Mauritius."

Despite what many people are saying here, Secularism IS NOT sine qua non to Atheism. Actually secularism protects the right of every individual to practice his/her religion.

It is high time NOT politicians of all parties, but ALL OF US realize the harm being done to our social fabric by kowtowing to Presidents of socio-cultural bodies in return for their political allegiance!!!!!!

To be honest, I personally I'm against the marriage of religion and politics- which could be very much to the dismay of Mr Somduth Dultaman!

 This is encouraging the setting up of “sociocultural” groups on the basis of caste, regional origin and what not. And he even had the nerve to pontificate that Rama and Krishna were politicians and diplomats to justify his own actions!

Sorry- but Ramayan and Mahabharata two pieces of Ancient Literature that I hold at heart dude! You don't tarnish them by misinterpreting them! Gosh! 

Religion, as Tagore would have said, has lost its way in the dreary desert sand of dead habit. How many people really understand the meaning of their religion whilst being lost in the rites and rituals imposed on them? Religion, unfortunately, has, to a large extent, been hijacked by people who misuse it for their own benefit!!! :(

BLOWN LIKE SHIT! R.I.P

"The Best Loser System is a method used in Mauritius to make sure that the minorities ethnic groups are well and equitably represented in the parliament. Apart from 62 directly elected members, the constitution provides 8 additional seats which are allocated to the best losers who were candidates from the appropriate ethnic groups, namely the minorities- in order to ensure fair and equitable representation of each community. Minorities are mainly build of Christians and Muslims with a small percentage of Sino-Mauritian.  The Mauritian law requires that each candidate during an election declare the community he/she belongs to namely the Hindus, Muslims, Sino-Mauritians or the General Population community which is regarded as the fourth community if the candidate does not fall in any of the above communities.”