All Mauritius, and even history itself, salutes Bindu Boyjoo for her brief but detailed report in l?express of Sunday, February 26, titled La vieille dame abandonée (the old lady abandoned), giving an account of the fire at Government House on February 16. The article was accompanied by no fewer than seven photographs, a couple of which could be described as ?hard-hitting?.

In most countries of any notable history or antiquity, especially as they are now democratic and free, the oldest centre of government is a cherished national shrine, open to the public, either in part, like the White House, or entirely, like Versailles. Foreigners visiting Port-Louis, where the building is certainly the most conspicuous landmark, are surprised, perhaps even a little vexed, to learn that both Government House and all its many wings and extensions are off-limits to the public, except for the upper galleries of the hemicycle, where the public is admitted some Tuesdays to hear the debates of the National assembly.

It is not enough. The building must be shown due recognition and begin serve as a history exhibit and, as such, to hold regular public visiting hours. But you can easily see that they?ve not been getting ready for this at Government House. Beyond the immediate neglect of smoke alarms and other omissions that allowed the recent fire to burn many long minutes before it was discovered by a passer-by, reporter Boyjoo makes a damning case for general neglect of the site over the years. It is time to put responsibility for the building in the more respectful and reliable hands of persons trained in museum work.

Speaking of the ancient building as an ?old lady?, Boyjoo reports that ?it is becoming each day a little bit more dilapidated. The two floors are in a state of neglect. It?s the least that can be said. A large green canvas cover clashes with the wood shingles of the second floor, built in wood. It hides a gaping whole in the roof damaged by the fire... The old library, which occupies the part facing the sea, is also falling in ruins... You can guess in the dark the presence of old pieces of furniture stacked one on top of the other... Besides, the shingle roof has been leaking for quite some time... And what about the deplorable state of the furniture that includes two console tables and a suite of armchairs in sculpted wood of the East India Company? The stuffing of the armchairs is faded and the sculpted wood bears the scars of time... In the cabinet room... the paintings of famous kings and queens of England are in decay... Those paintings of historical value look really decrepit.?

This old building, the crown jewel of early Mauritian architecture and history, is clearly in incompetent hands and is suffering the depredations of severe neglect. The fire on February 16 was a wake-up call. The public must respond, must demand to see that these matters set in good order while there is still time.

The first requirement of good order, which is also the best guarantee of safekeeping, is to make the old building public, a museum, and thus under the daily inspection of crowds of tourists, school children and the interested public. For their edification and instruction, a thorough-going work of restoration must be undertaken, such as was recently carried out at Chateau Le Réduit.

The restoration of the State House in Réduit, despite great expense, has brought the public and the history buffs comparatively scant benefits because the house is so little open to the public. Other than the single large room entered by the main door, the house is never shown to the public. On the rare ?open? days, the public is ushered from one side of this room to the other, then discharged into the garden. All the twenty-odd other rooms, so richly restored, are never shown to the public.

The White House might provide a useful model in that all the essential functions of the American Presidency still find their place there, yet there are many, many rooms devoted to history exhibits and open to the public. But Government House is so comparatively small that the actual government should probably vacate it altogether so as to allow all of its rooms for history exhibits.

The historical patrimony of this country is ?l?or en barre?, as l?express has recently headlined, and the foremost treasure of all is ?La Vieille Dame? of la Place d?Armes, the elegant Hotel du Gouvernement, begun by Mahé de Labourdonnais in 1735. Those much-neglected carved chairs and other furniture of the Compagnie des Indes mentioned by Boyjoo are rare and precious historic survivals-in-place, not replaceable at any price.

Rooms that, restored and open to the public, would give joy to the history buff are: the Throne Room, where Labourdonnais gave fancy balls; the Library?; the two galleries; the Cabinet Room, with its royal portraits; the Loge, and the Legislative Council. All this for the public to see in a place where previously there was nothing offered at all. It would change the picture drastically.

It will cost a large bundle of money to restore a place so far advanced in neglect and decay. But the money was found for Le Réduit, and this is not only a more important place, because so conspicuous. but in a much more desperate condition. In fact it is in an emergency, as Boyjoo shows. Possibly international help could be sought from foundations interested in French or British colonial and imperial history, or from the European Union, which has so often been helpful in the past. The restoration of Government House will bring a rich return on this investment by bringing fleets of tour buses to Port Louis, will elevate the tone of tourism throughout the land, and will raise the prestige of the Mauritian ?brand? in tourism most creditably.

The call has been given to wake up to the possibilities. If it is not heeded, there is sure to be another fire. No insurance company would or does insure such resources at their real value, because they are too neglected and too unprotected. You can be sure that, if circumstances have not changed, a consuming fire at Government House would bring the country a total loss.

It is time to act, without delay. What says the Council of ministers? Is there money for this? What says the National assembly? Will they vacate the space?

As for Ms Boyjoo, why not send her, with her camera, to Pamplemousses for a look at Mon Plaisir?