Dear Sir,

Our country was fortunate to have you as its Prime Minister for 13 crucial years. When you first assumed the post, Mauritius was in a most difficult, if not catastrophic, economic and social situation. Heavily indebted to IMF and the World Bank; scarcely any foreign currency in our coffers; total absence of any mentionable investment; unemployment at its record-peak; it also had to face an unparalleled institutionalised drug problem. In fact our Mauritius was like a rudderless boat making water from all sides, and rapidly sinking. We had very badly needed a captain of tough character; and who had enough dare-devil temerity to take up the challenge to navigate us to safety. The country had needed you.

It is true that, with your no-nonsense, outspoken, authoritative ? even, often dictatorial baiseur tempérament, your colleagues had not found it easy to work with you. Your actions and way of doings had invited bitter criticisms from friends ? usually behind your back ? and foes ? out of sheer jealousy. But one thing had soon become very obvious; you were pulling back the whole country from the abyssal gouffre of poverty, misery and despair. And 99% of the population ? poor and rich, proletariat and capitalist ? inspired, browbeaten or charmed by you, avait retroussé ses manches and had set to work with you. You had been the motivator, the inspiration. That was Mauritius of the 80?s.

This is Mauritius of today ? again at the brink of disaster. And it needs you, again ! Our boat is again heavily making water through gaping holes from everywhere. We need the Jugnauth of the 80?s. Not PM Ramgoolam, not the caricature PM Jugnauth, the desister, who emerged from the last election. But the real Jugnauth, the true Leader of the Nation. The iron-fisted Captain; the harsh-tongued speaker of blunt truth.

1. The textile industry is a thing of the past. The end of the Multifibre Convention, the coming of China and other Pakistan & Bangladesh in the liberated World Trade & Commerce, and our status as a Developing Country (as compared to Underdeveloped Country) within the AGOA framework have already signified the death of our textile industry. We will soon be having some 200 000 unskilled or semi-skilled unemployed from this industry in our lap. And we have absolutely no hope of recycling these mostly semi-literate 50 year-old Chachis & Tantines, who only know ?looping? & ?knitting?, onto other sectors; still less onto the cyber business.

2. Sugar Industry is in a turmoil. While the future of the Sugar Protocol and the benefits we were still now getting through it is uncertain, our cost of production is steadily rising. And this, despite intensive mechanisation, despite VRS and other cut-down in labour costs.

3. Our Tourist Industry has become very much dependent on the whims of world terrorism. You only have to have a cracked fool explode a stick of dynamite under the bridge at Rogers House to create a general panic in the tourists? world, and a 50% cancellation of our hotels? reservations. Although we have to do everything to develop it, and maximize whatever profits accruing therefrom, it would certainly seem very unwise to build too much high hopes on this fragile sector.

4. We do have great expectations on our cyber-city. But, let us be realistic: will there be any immediate returns (when our economic & unemployment problems are very much here and immediate) from such a project? Do we have the necessary know-how? Despite the IT-learning frenzy among our youth, despite the uncontrolled mushrooming of multitudes of Computer Training Centres, can we, in a relatively short time, form a bank of sufficiently trained competent IT specialists to work in there? Apart from services to our local people and firms, what international services shall we offer? Where will be our markets? Shall we be able to compete with the much more experienced Singapore and India, with the fast-coming and richer Australia, S. Africa, and Malaysia? Will we be able to build a lucrative IT-industry relying mainly on poverty-striken African markets? More importantly (socially speaking), how many of our semi-literate, unskilled unemployed, thrown out of the textile sector, will find a job in the City?

5. Drug has again re-asserted its former 1980?s position, if not greatly surpassed it. Corruption is rampant everywhere. Theft, rape and murder are being dangerously accepted as mere faits divers by our society. Prostitution and paedophilia no longer shock us. Delinquency and child-murderers are considered the affairs of psychiatrists, society and the State, not at all the concerns of parents.

6. We are no longer a Nation. We are just a pack of disjointing, separate groups vying and trying to get the better of each other. Instead of thinking of the country as a whole, we are busy fighting for our carrée and lusting after to steal some centimetres more from that of our neighbours. If we are not noir ou blanc, we are either créole, hindu ou musulman, or still ti-nation ou grand-nation. Unité dans la diversité ? No ! It is more diversité dans la diversité !

There is only one person who has guts to publicly, openly and frankly speak of these problems to the whole country, without being deterred by any electoral or demagogic consideration. The only one, whom the people will listen to, and obey, albeit, grudgingly! Only one person who can make the population understand and realize that we qre heading directly towards an irrevocable chaos, economically, socially and morally, if drastic measures are not taken. Only one person who can rescue us from our selfish unpatriotic self. And this is you, Sir Anerood ! Only you.

My appeal to you is ? please awake ! And take over the reins. You have got to save this country. Your task will not be easy I understand, there cannot be a miraculous solution. Stay as Prime Minister as long as required. You can inspire all of us to submit to the necessary sacrifices; to take up the necessary hard-work. You can call for a trève politique. I am sure, you can arouse enough patriotic feeling in the Opposition to join you. As for your partner in the Alliance, I am confident Bérenger places the Nation?s interests before his own. You can demand more severe legislations and more severe penalties regarding corruption, drug trafficking, rape and murder, irrespective of the skin-colour, the community or caste, or the social status of the culprit.

No doubt, there will always be some people who will criticize you for going back on the MedPoint agreement. Some will vociferate that it is the installation of dictatorship, and a direct attempt on democracy. But, when a country is on red-alert and is facing imminent disaster, it is the duty of its leader to resort to exceptional measures. Calling it war-measures will not be wrong. Because ? make no mistake ? our country will be at war: war against the deadly enemies enumerated above, hovering at our doorsteps. And I know, when National interest is at stake, a decided Sir Anerood will never be stopped by petty criticisms. Besides, you have always royally waded unhurt through mass of criticisms from foes and friends ? including some, recently, from myself !

Jagdish SEEBARUTH