Politique et religion, ces faux frères. Soodursun Jugessur n?est pas tendre dans sa critique des liens viscéraux liant deux types d?organisation qui ? à force de détours et d?arrangements plus ou moins petits ? visent le même objectif : le pouvoir.

Première cible de son ?il de scientifique et d?universitaire : les subventions accordées par l?Etat aux groupes religieux. De son propre aveu, le Pro Chancellor de l?université de Maurice et Chairman of the University Council est lui-même membre de plusieurs associations dites ?socio-culturelles?. De l?intérieur ? ce qui ne l?empêche pas de faire preuve d?une bonne dose de recul - Soodursun Jugessur est pour la refonte de ce système d?allocations.

Ses critiques comme les solutions qu?il avance, font l?objet de Jaagran, The Awakening, son cinquième ouvrage, lancé mercredi par le Premier ministre Navin Ramgoolam. ?The awakening of one group does not necessarily imply that it is singling itself out of the heterogeneous multitude that makes up a nation?, précise d?emblée l?auteur dans la préface.

Il balise ainsi le terrain, avant d?appeler au ?réveil de la communauté majoritaire?, une force locale, qui selon lui, est minée à la fois, par le système de castes et le fort taux de conversion religieuse.

Si ses propos pour dépassionnés qu?ils sont, n?en sont pas moins virulents, Soodursun Jugessur n?est pas partisan d?un réveil brutal. Dans le cas des subventions, il postule d?abord que, ?At present the allocation of funds is often based on criteria that can be challenged under our Constitution that speaks of ?no discrimination based on religion, race, caste or community?. We are being encouraged to belong to ethnic ghettoes for the sake of receiving some crumbs from the manipulators?.

Ecrire ce que les autres pensent tout bas

Faut?il alors les abolir ? Non, répond Soodursun Jugessur qui propose à la place : ?to enable the utilisation of similar funds for training and education (priests and purohits)? Short-sighted politicians should not be allowed to interfere with the allocation of the funds. It should be preferably managed by the office of the President or by an independent authority not attached to any ministry.?

C?est dans la même veine que l?auteur aborde un sujet qui fâche. Il consacre tout un chapitre à ?Where politics and religion clash !? Plantant le décor à son argumentaire, Soodursun Jugessur observe avec justesse : ?By giving too much importance to politicians, we have developed a tradition whereby we must invite the political representatives to address the audience, especially if they are ministers. Why can?t we ask the politicians just to sit queietly and listen to the religious discourses ? In fact they do need a good dose of religious instruction so that they mend their ways and understand the meaning of spirituality?.

Soodursun Jugessur, ne dédaigne pas l?attaque frontale. Ses écrits traduisent une désaffection réelle de la pratique religieuse. La différence, c?est qu?il a le courage d?écrire ce que beaucoup pensent tout bas. L?auteur cible clairement ?la communauté majoritaire?. Il raconte même comment il a repris des idées de son précédent ouvrage, Revitalizing the Arya Samaj, parce que ?at times repetition is purposeful sa as to drive the point home.? Mais le sursaut de sa part, qui lui fait dire que ses arguments peuvent tout aussi bien s?appliquer à d?autres composantes de la société mauricienne, sauve son ouvrage du communautarisme forcené pour lui indiqué la voie de l?universalité.

EXTRACTS

Religious subsidy and political power

■ In Mauritius, in the good old days when the spirit of reform and struggle for economic and political rights were the crying need, we had started uniting under one banner, in spite of the selfish intrigues of a few. People had started forgetting their distinctions, and cooperating and sharing whatever they could. They had even forged mutual alliance with those of other religious groups who had a common agenda on redressing the inequities of colonial exploitation.

Once political power was won, the forces of oppression based on colour and community, and centuries of feudal and colonial spirit, surged again, this time exploiting the so-called common religious bonds of particular groups. In their wisdom, some of our leaders introduced the now decried religious subsidy.

By giving religious subsidy based on the number of adherents to a particular religious group, subsidy meant to maintain the religious buildings and support the priests and preachers, they hoped to control and keep within their fold the various religious groups. Little did they then realise that the religious subsidy which looked like sharing the national cake more equitably, would be a double-edged sword which could fall on themselves later on!

The author, way back before the system was legalized, raised his voice against this in the columns of a daily, calling it ?The apple of discord, the bone of contention?, tried to awaken the minds on the possible dangers of sponsored balkanization amidst the majority community. But his voice was ignored. Now, every federation, every sabha, whether it is created on provincial grounds or on religious grounds, has witnessed the proliferation of blocks based on caste system.