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Exaggerated controversy
In these uncertain days due to the overheated news that hits the headlines everyday, it may be normal to have some tension in the air. The atmosphere must be electric at Line Barracks and it may be quite ?normal? that there are tensions between the police and the lawyers of suspects of this calibre.
This is precisely what led to the unfortunate row between the police inspector in charge of the Deelchand affair, Hector Tuyau, and the lawyer of the suspect Sandeep Appadoo, Ivan Collendavelloo. The latter is said to have called the police inspector a ?zaco? (monkey).
Of course such words are not worthy of a famous lawyer. All the more so as he is a member of the government and this is a delicate affair; his attitude, as well as his refusal to apologise, is unquestionably reprehensible. It seems however that what could be a simple slip of the tongue ? for which he should apologise - seems to be taking on national proportions.
The racist connotation that could be involved in the insult has forced the prime minister, Paul Bérenger, to condemn the lawyer?s behaviour. But this could have been simply to protect his own image. However, he made himself look ridiculous by pointing out that it is not the secretary general of the party who is in question. It is as if it was not the same person.
The opposition did not miss this new sign of arrogance by a member of the government. They made a crucial issue of it: the opposition leader, Navin Ramgoolam, is asking for Ivan Collendavelloo?s dismissal from the government. Xavier Luc Duval, leader of the Parti Mauricien de Xavier Duval and member of the opposition, totally agrees with him and has expressed his solidarity with the police inspector.
So..a quarrel between two stressed-out men at work is taking on political proportions. On the one side, the opposition is using the incident to run the government down. According to Navin Ramgoolam, all the factors are in place to lead to the downfall of the government. As for the government itself, it is trying to make the best of the situation.
The fact remains: this trivial incident should not have led to such a ?national controversy.? But the electoral campaign is on, isn?t it?
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