Mauritians? hearts beat for India

FORMER MUNICIPAL Commissioner of Deau Basin-Rose-Hill in Mauritius, C. Dukhirai, said that people of Indian origin in Mauritius had maintained their culture and tradition for centuries.

He was delivering a lecture on the relationship between India and Mauritius at the Botany Department of the Banaras Hindu University here on Tuesday afternoon. The International Society for Conservation of Natural Resources (ISCON) organised the lecture.

Dukhirai, also a journalist, writer and historian, said that people of Indian origin in Mauritius celebrated festivals like Holi, Diwali, Dussehra and Shiv Ratri with 100 times greater enthusiasm than Indian people. He said that they had been conserving Indian culture, tradition and religion in Mauritius because they were far from India.

He said their forefathers hailed from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry. He added that by their labour, skill and enthusiasm, the people of Indian origin had become rich citizens of Mauritius.

“Although we are citizens of Mauritius, our heart all the time beats for Mother India because our forefathers were Indian,” he said.

He said that as an example of the strong Indo-Mauritius relationship, the Indian Government, soon after getting Independence in 1947, established its first High Commission in Mauritius.

Dukhirai said though there were very little natural resources, Mauritians had earned prestige and international status, particularly due the efforts of Sir Sri Shiv Sagar Ram Gulam.

He said that Mahatma Gandhi visited Mauritius in 1901, while on transit from South Africa to India.

Earlier, Dr Ranjit Singh welcomed the guests and introduced C Dukhirai to the audience. Founder President of International Society for Conservation of Natural Resources Prof. Bharat Rai presided over the function. Convenor Vijai Shanker Singh conducted the programme.