<B>Open letter to the Minister of Arts and Culture </B>

Mauritius is in a critical financial situation, if we can call it that way. So much so that the Government cannot allow for salary compensations that would be at the expectations of each and every citizen of Mauritius. It is therefore in the interest of one and all to join hands and help make a better Mauritius of tomorrow.

But let us come to our point, dear Minister. The Ministry of Arts and Culture can also try to cut down on expenses for the benefit of one and all. The National Mauritius Archives and the Mauritius National Library, for example, are two institutions running in parallel, so why not merge the two institutions for the benefit of one and all.

We are ourselves scholars who regularly go to both the Mauritius National Archives and the Mauritius National Library but we find it useless to have two institutions running in parallel. The main aims of both the Mauritius National Archives and the Mauritius National Library are to provide access to history and to preserve our national cultural heritage. This is a known fact that every layperson should know despite the fact that we are ourselves neither archivists nor librarians. If the aims are the same, why run two identical or nearly identical institutions instead of having one institution doing the work, especially when the life of Mauritius is at stake.

There would be far less wastage of public funds; and researchers, historians and scholars need only go to one place and get all the required information under one roof instead of having to run to two different places and spend useless money in transport.

At the end of the day, we would all come out better off. The Government will be saving on funds. The researchers, scholars and historians will not have to spend useless money, time and energy.

Why not kill two birds with one stone when the opportunity is there?

We sincerely think that the Ministry of Arts and Culture will spare some time to reflect upon this solution.

<B>SCHOLARS WHO CARE</B>