Africa-Press – Mauritius. Our readers no doubt remember the forum ‘Vers une entité mauricienne‘, which was held at the Rose Hill Town Hall on Monday, May 5, under the chairmanship of Rev.
Father Souchon— the promoter of the forum. It has been felt that in order to ensure as a wide a diffusion as possible of the ideas expressed in the forum the speeches of the five orators be published.
Mauritius Times gladly offered its columns, and it is happy to have been able to print this week the speeches in toto. The introductory article by Father Souchon will certainly enlighten everybody on the aims and objects of the forum.
Another forum on the same subject but with different orators will be held at Curepipe Town Hall on Monday, May 26, at 5.30 pm. Father Souchon will again be in the chair and the orators will be S. Florent, J. Saminaden, G. Peerbye, G. Robert and Kwet Chan.
We believe that when the YOUTH of this country is genuinely striving to seek harmony in a world of disharmony, people of all shades of opinion, of any community or class should offer a helping hand.
Genesis of the Forum ‘Towards a Mauritian Entity’ The 2nd Tamil Scouts is well known for its multiple theatrical successes at the Drama Youth Festival. The JIC of Rose Hill shone very recently in the play “Bernadette in front of Marie”.
Of the same age, from the same city, sharing the same taste for the theatrical art, having done the same studies, speaking the same languages, these young people had many things in common. And yet they did not know each other because a great artificial gap separated them.
I had the advantage of being often invited to share the activities of the 2nd Tamil Scouts, while at the same time I got to know the JIC of Rose Hill of which I had been appointed chaplain.
And so it was that through my company they got together one evening to discuss “the Hindu peril”. The frank and passionate discussion lasted three hours.
The ending was what I had hoped for. On both sides they said with astonishment: “After all we are not so different. Other meetings followed. Other guests joined the group.
And so was decided an interracial forum which would be called “Towards a Mauritian Entity”. We were still a little nervous this late summer afternoon. The Plaza’s banquet hall was packed. There were people standing on the veranda.
The speakers around the green carpet, the microphone and the tape recorder, a map of Mauritius crossed by a torch held by five hands: this is the glance offered to the assistants.
In the air an atmosphere of youth, anguish and hope: this is the impression felt by the speakers. And the forum began. And it will start again and in Curepipe and in Port Louis and perhaps even on the radio.
You all know the situation. 600,000 people in 720 square miles of land surrounded by ocean. Five communities with watertight barriers on the vertical plane, these same communities divided horizontally into half a dozen no less watertight social classes.
Hence hatred and contempt. We live juxtaposed, giving each other bad feelings, voluntarily ignoring each other. This painful and complex situation has no ready-made solution.
But the good will of an elite, decided by a few great principles, can do a lot. In three words here are these principles: respect, know, love. Respect customs, cultures, languages, and religions that are not ours.
If it is intellectually difficult to understand certain attitudes, it is always possible on the affective level to admire the sincerity that animates these attitudes.
Learning to know because any new knowledge enriches our personality. To appreciate what we have we need points of comparison. True knowledge removes prejudice and distrust.
And then to love or perhaps first to love, each according to his more intellectual or more affective temperament. Nothing strong is built without true, free and selfless love.
Here some will still say: “Nice program, but unachievable. ” Once the forums are over, the wind will carry the words away. What do you know? Gone with the wind and maybe an open soul listening to the wind will get the message. The truth sown to all winds will triumph all the same. Tomorrow perhaps men will understand that they are all brothers.
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