In a speech the other day, French presidential candidate Nicolas Sarkozy stated he wanted an economic revolution, to get people working and praised those of his countrymen who were already early – rising toilers . He wants a nation of early – rising workers.

Early to bed and early to rise

Make us healthy, wealthy and wise.

This is an all- time truth that often comes to the surface.

Our island home has not become a paradise island overnight. Although Mark Twain praised our country saying that Mauritius was made first and Heaven was copied from it, our great grandparents had to slave away until sundown. My mother used to tell that during those dark days of colonialism, labourers had to rise before the birds would start chirping and they were on their way to the fields when stars were still twinkling in the sky; the first rays of the sun would not even appear on the tallest trees when they began working. Those were the days.

Curious and enthusiastic as student Alan was, he once asked his venerable English Literature teacher Kabir how come he had in mind all the quotations he had learnt when studying the subject. Looked upon as a role model by his students for his discipline, hard work , humility, patience and perseverance, Kabir replied that the whole secret was that he had always been waking up the earliest in the area and that he is still well- known for that. He even added that while everyone else in the family was fast asleep or snoring, he was already up; when others were awake, he was walking; when other members were walking, he was running; when some had started to run, he was flying. That’s the whole idea. To be able to excel, one has to rise early, he stated smilingly.

Successful writers do write mostly in the early morning. Nobel Prize winner Ernest Hemingway and others had to admit that the mind is alert and fresh at that time of the day. It is most convenient for writing Swami Sivananda of the Divine Life Society advises students that in the morning hours, our minds are fresh and free from struggling thoughts; we can concentrate our minds wonderfully on whatever we read. Therefore , always make it a habit to get up at 4 a.m., he adds.

Now that classes have resumed in all educational institutions, it is essential that pupils and students get up early in the morning. At the start until this good habit is acquired, they can use an alarm – clock for early – rising.

And so, in any field of human activity, early – rising is of vital importance. This is indeed at the very basis of the overall development of our country. It is the only way to usher in a real economic revolution, as Nicolas Sarkozy believes.

Kaviraj SOHUR</B>