On the Le Morne issue, I refer to a certain number of positions voiced and published here and there of which some, I believe, may rightly be construed as offensive to the intangible heritage (and nonetheless significant) that the Creole community has bestowed to this country. An heritage recently recognised internationally with the inscription of the cultural landscape on UNESCO?s World Heritage List. As a matter of fact, there seem to be around some self proclaimed pundits echoing exclusively materialistic if not contemptuous approaches vis-à-vis the legitimate aspiration and historical requisition of slave descendants and the nation at large and this in my humble opinion is, least to say inappropriate if not condescending as an attitude. The announced flowering of the mountain during next Sunday?s (Editor?s note: yesterday) event with ?red flowers? as read, heard and seen here and there in the media moreover demonstrates an attempt of colourable device which defeats the whole purpose of the legitimate celebrating the re-integration of Le Morne?s powerful symbolism for the Creole Community, for the nation in the making at large and thereafter to humanity ? I maintain that due to the local colour schemes and their powerful ethno political semantics, a more diversified and thereafter open-minded chromatic approach would be less controversial and therefore carry forward the necessary nationwide consensual feeling rather that the manichean divide along the ?us and them? line of divide as programmed.

Please do not get me wrong: I am certainly not one of those who naively consider there being no other significance to the sole use of red flowers and a radical incompatibility between agreed upon colour schemes and the local short mindedness characterising the self proclaimed pundits of national reconciliation disguised into doves but in deed and in deeds wishing to ruthlessly settle historical scores for the sole ambition of nurturing an electoral vote bank?.

Once again let the celebration of the long overdue recognition be, and there after let us together channel all the energies revealing to the world and boosting up the awareness of our ancestors ordeal?The same one which stirred their spirit of resistance to tyranny and spurred their struggle for freedom. We nevertheless have to move on! If we do not wish our children?s future to be forsaken: Well conceived and planned constructive actions can, and should also pay tribute to the first freedom fighters of our young country. They who are at long last, rightly considered as the initial ground workers of our emancipation process of which we are today the main beneficiaries irrespective of ethnic background, colour and creed (even if one may gather the impression that some tend to consider themselves as ?more equal than others??). This is the legacy of the maroons and thereby an essential founding myth of our nation enshrined in Le Morne. Thus my statement I hereby propose to your esteemed readers as a contribution to the debate which I wish courteous, civilised and above all inclusive?

Over and above historical debates and facts: established or not, the Mauritian Creole community in its diversity and contradictions relates to the mountain as a pillar in its quest for a recognised identity. Through myths and legends, based on historical evidence, set in Le Morne and surroundings, the Mauritian Creoles and more specifically the Creoles of slave descent have reconstituted the ?missing link? in the psyche of popular belief. What has been or not, what has thought to have happened or not has been the playing ground of historians and is of relative importance at the grass roots and even in the higher social strata. History & historical facts have throughout the centuries set the scene for entrenched guerrilla between historians their own background serving sometimes the agenda of economic and political interests. But the important thing remains: what we believe in! and how the Creole community?s ethos crystallises its popular values in the process of relating with the mountain and therein its founding myths and legends, encompassing the quest for freedom and resistance to tyranny of the maroons?This has been vehicled from one generation to the other mostly through oral tradition, corner stone of the Creole culture: The latter throughout the centuries has been looking back for its origins. Its members coming from all walks of life, different ethno cultural academic and economic backgrounds have experienced this feeling of being stuck somewhere somehow in their time machine trip going back to their roots?

«Rainbow nation»

This situation has generated some difficulty if not inability to situate in the present and even more project into the future?In this uncomfortable position compared with other ethnic groups of the island who have brought forward language, religion, culture and values, Le Morne symbolises that one common denominator to which the Creole Community and in spite of its inherent socio economic nuances, relates to and considers as a non negotiable pillar of its multifaceted identity: ethno-cultural, mythical, genetic, physical, intellectual political and even virtual?

It was thus imperative that formal recognition be given to the mountain as a landmark establishing the unreserved and unquestionable sense of inclusion and belonging of the Mauritian Creole into the national community, at this stage it is imperative to point out that any attempt in the form of highjacking manoeuvres , any perception of illegitimate recuperation would lead the required reintegration to capsize and their initiators will have to bear the scar of felony and face the Tribunal of History?Essential it is, that ownership be recognised so that the sharing of the mountain and its emblem be organised and planned accordingly with other components of the Mauritian nation and with the world.

The recognition of the Creole community?s legitimate quest for respect of its values and inputs via le Morne must be the sole focus as it will favour its long overdue aggregation into the nation building process yielding the catharsis of prejudice against stigma of slavery nurtured by the plantation economy syndrom still quite alive we must say to an extent that when we boast of our island as being the berth place of a ?rainbow nation? we tend to omit stating that black does not feature amidst the colours of a rainbow?

The missing link thus re- incorporated in the chain of Mauritian society will reinforce the latter and provide it with the necessary stamina for its never ending construction process. Far from being nonsense?.this quest is nonetheless dramatically incompatible with the far too obvious monochromatic impulse wished to be plugged next Sunday in for too obvious. More than ever we are in need of all-encompassing mantras and have to eject far back into oblivion petty narrow minded actions which may backfire because only motivated by expected short term petty political objectives. There are certainly better ways to trigger a new dispensation in terms of attitude vis-à-vis the descendants of the slaves and maroons in a long overdue venture to welcoming them back in the mainstream of the nation.

Jean Marie F. RICHARD