The week started with a heavy hangover, after cheers and hip-hip-hips from labourites and France?s soccer team supporters. Merrily celebrating the first year of the promised « sanzman », none of the « Red Guards » who flocked to the Swami Vivekananda Conference Centre in Pailles could fancy that their icons had already prescribed very unpalatable treatments for the morrow.

Monday last, there were fireworks in the households and breadwinners saw lightning despite the amber sunrise. The news was that prices of basic commodities were skyrocketing. How cynical can our leaders be ? On that merry Sunday, all the Honourable ministers « strut and fret their hour upon the stage », if we may quote Old Bill. They smiled at length, distributed warm handshakes, promised paradise in the long run, but forgot to hint at the storm that was in the offing, next morning. The backbenchers, who toiled hard on the ground to make the congress a success, have no doubt, appreciated the cuckoldry!

All the explanations that followed looked like sheer gimmicks. By the way, Rajesh Jeetah?s performance as showed by the MBCTv is reminiscent of the old Labour days in the 70?s. My old uncle thought Beerghoo Ghurburrun was back. Jeetah was as clumsy in his attempts to justify the price increase as Beerghoo was in his endeavours to explain his policy as minister of Commerce and consumer protection.

Lord ! The poor chap must be short of arguments. Putting forward that we should do away with subsidy on flour because of the huge consumption of bread by tourists is simply a chef- d??uvre of stupidity.

For sure, no reasonable person can challenge the fact that the country is sailing in dire straits. The population is aware that Mauritius has, for years, been living beyond its means. Mauritians do know that preference days are over and that debt servicing is a heavy toll. We are conscious that there is urgency for remedial actions.

Two years ago, the ministers themselves, then in the opposition, were of that opinion. They did regret, in very moving terms, that poverty was on the advance and they promised a land of milk and honey. The electorate voted out the previous government and put a team of eminent doctors and economists at the helm precisely because of this undertaking. But much to our discomfiture we are now being administered an overdose of quinine.

Putting people first implies devising alternative policies that take into account the plight of the downtrodden. The situation was worse in the 80?s.

In those days, Bérenger, then minister of Finance, under the « wise guidance » of Michel Desvaux and Mrs Ayle Sumer from the Bretton Woods watchtowers, proposed an increase in prices of staple commodities. Some people like Kader Bhayat and Anerood Jugnauth put up resistance. The rest is history. Bérenger resigned, came back and later left again. Others took up the challenge and things went a different way.

The Prime minister says he means well. But, Doctor, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. The cure should not kill the patient.

JED