Congratulations

I am writing to congratulate l?express on your excellent initiative to include a weekly review in English. It is an interesting, lively, well-produced and well written supplement.

Many Mauritians, with whom I am in contact, have expressed their delight at reading Outlook. They have commented how this is filling the long felt need in Mauritius for news and comment in English language. This will help to bolster and promote English, which is so important to the success and long-term future of this country.

D. R. Snoxell British High Commissioner

Thirty years later

After the l?express-région innovation, I wish to congratulate your team for its latest initiative, Outlook, a weekly review in English.

The strengthening of English in Mauritius is an obvious objective as is the provision of a forum for those who prefer to write in English ? for example Cassam Uteem?s article on the funding of political parties.

However, no one referred to the legacy left by Dr Philippe Forget whose ?Sunday Express? of the sixties was an entirely English-medium publication. That opening to Eng-lish remained over the years.

As a young teacher at QEC, my first three press articles were in fact in English (?Carson the Road? Nov 72, ?Expert Export? May 73 and ?Paradox?, Jan 73). All three made it to the front page of l?express. However, two of them landed me into trouble! In ?Export Export?, I had criticised the excessive number of foreign experts currently working in Mauritius and in ?Paradox?, I had blasted the American massacre of Vietnamese people and country. I was promptly hauled into the office of Permanent Secretary S. Murday, who stated on behalf of his Minister, that ?civil servants should not express their political opinions in the press?, nor ?criticize Government policy?.

Do these principles still apply, today, 30 years later? And, if so, to what extent?

Dr Michael Atchia

Good, big and bold

On behalf of my students and family, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to you and your editorial team for the good, big and bold initiative of l?express Outlook. We hope it will eventually allocate more space for articles in English and provide wider opportunities to local writers.

It is encouraging to note that most local newspapers are becoming strongly aware of the importance of English in the international context. English is the key to success for our island. It would be a very good exercise to highlight the importance of English as the universal communication tool.

Sookraj Bissessur