To fight for the rights and dignity of ?nou banne?, particularly when they are defenceless, is a noble under-taking. But to use ?nou banne? for our own benefit or as a shield when we have our back to the wall is an ignoble act. We have seen throughout history how great men and women have stood up to defend their ?banne? when they needed their support and leadership.

Gandhi perfected his weapon of ?satyagraha? in South Africa when the Indians and Africans were being treated ignonimously as lesser human beings under apartheid. But he also had the vision to see that the principle itself was wrong, and that there was a parallel between apartheid and the system of castes, which treated a section of the Hindu population as ?untouchables?.

When he returned to India his fight against ?untouchability? became his life struggle, even more important than the independence of India. He was fighting an ingrained prejudice of his own ?banne? in as much as he belonged to an ?upper? caste.

Mandela fought for the dignity of his people without thinking of any reward for himself. In return he was put behind bars and in solitary confinement for twenty years.

In Mauritius itself the most popular horse racing event until 1947 was not the Maiden but ?les courses malbar?, a derogatory term used to describe the special day when labourers working in the sugar cane fields were given a day off to attend these races. After travelling, packed in goods trains and in bullock carts, they would make a spectacle of themselves and become objects of mockery on the part of the wealthy.

In 1947 Basdeo and Sookdeo Bissoondoyal decided that enough was enough. They toured the island and explained to the labourers why they should boycott the event. It was not a question of their ?banne? getting material benefit from the boycott, but a question of restoring their dignity and self-respect. The boycott was a tremendous success and ?les courses malbar? disappeared from the horse racing calendar.

The fight to abolish slavery was not waged by the slaves themselves. They had no voice then. Europeans themselves saw it as a blot on the conscience of humanity. It was not a fight for their ?banne? but a fight for the dignity of the human race. But ?nou banne? is a very emotive expression which has led to riots, wars and genocide and is still being utilized in many parts of the world even today. People become blind and forget that they are being used by others who are only interested in their own gratification.

In what way are ?nou banne? benefiting from the assault on their centuries-old culture of savings and their culture of home ownership which they would transmit to their children? In what way is inflation sparing them? The day we realize that all the immigrants and their descendants who made Mauritius their home ? whether they came as European colonizers or slaves, Indian labourers or Chinese shopkeepers ? have all contributed to make Mauritius prosper, the better it will be for our social peaceand economic development.

The day we realize that ?nou banne? consist of all Mauritians and that we need to stick together to face the challenges of the new world order, the better equipped we will be to usher in a new prosperous and peaceful Mauritius. Otherwise ?nou banne? themselves will throw out those who are using them for their own benefit.

by Surendra BISSOONDOYAL