LE MAURICIEN 14 NOVEMBER 2025 Monsieur le Président de la République française, Il y a 35 ans, le président François Mitterrand, affectueusement surnommé Tonton, posait le pied sur le sol mauricien. Depuis, les Mauriciens se demandaient si la boussole de la diplomatie française n’avait pas perdu le cap. L’annonce de votre visite est une bouffée d’air frais, qui ravive l’espoir d’un partenariat renouvelé entre la France et l’île Maurice. La France ne doit jamais laisser ses amis douter de son amitié, surtout ceux qui la connaissent depuis ses premières heures d’existence. L’adage dit que l’absence fait l’oubli, or les liens tissés [...]

ALIF organised a reception in honour of Minster K. Sukon who was made Fellow of the Commonwealth of learning on Saturday 15 November 2025 among 100 guest at Water edge Garden. The President made the welcome address requested Dr Sawkut Rojid to pay tribute to the Hon Minister. SPEECH OF DR.ROJID Distinguished guests, respected friends, ladies and gentlemen — It gives me immense pleasure to stand before you today to honour a scholar, a visionary policy maker, and a national leader whose work continues to inspire generations of learners. Dr. Kaviraj Sharma Sukon, Minister of Tertiary Education, Science and Research, on [...]

Dear Mr Daoud, Assalamoualaikoum Here everything is fine by the grace of Allah.... Hope that the month of Ramadan is running smoothly for  you.... I would like to thank you for the time, energy and money you spent with us, your students in Penang. Tasleemah Bulladin and Archad Toofany made good use of the pocket money you gave them specially as Archad had lost his purse in his friend’s car. All five of us thoroughly enjoyed the dinner you offered us during the three nights you were here at Kayu Nasi Khandar, Pelita Nasi Khandar and at Seagate. The dinners were delicious. In Kuala [...]

THE TALK OF THE TOWN, STATECRAFT V/S STAGECRAFT OR A SHOUTING MATCH. Before I go into what I am going to say below, please allow me to preface it all with the following observations. One can detect a mood of frustration in the country among people who are expecting things to happen on the part of the present government who has been elected with an absolute majority with a programme for profound changes. Which is why today the battle in the press and on social media is about the appointment to government bodies of “undeserving” individuals. Giving the matter an exaggerated [...]

HOMAGE TO ABBAS CURRIMJEE It was through a late-night call I received from my nephew in charge of the operation theatre of a top London Hospital that I learned that Abbas Currimjee was admitted there for a serious surgery. Abbas was his usual self at the end of the line. I could visualise his smiling face when he was telling me that his treating surgeon was a real pro and a friend. Besides, he was Abbas’s guest in Mauritius after his convalescence. Unfortunately, he was not totally cured and had to go to UK again for a second treatment after which [...]

  OBITUARY SIR ANEEROOD JUGNAUTH Bhai Aneerood is gone. In equal measure Indians and Mauritians are grieving. Generally, winter has rarely been kind to SAJ but this time it has won conclusively. After his sweeping victory in 1982, Bhai Aneerood cried at breakfast time when he thought about the responsibility that has been bestowed upon him. To Sarojini who was perplexed at that after serving him his dinner, he said that he was privileged to have something to eat but he was wondering whether those who had put their trust in him were having anything to eat at all. Nobody disputes [...]

HASSEN HEERAH The passing away of Hassen Heerah last Friday triggered in me a reflection on the resilience of the Muslim community and its actors in Mauritius. I have known Hassen since his working days at The Mauritius Institute where we spent long moments talking about the new titles acquired by the Library, the future of the students engrossed in reading who sat at the long tables and the status of Madad Ul Islam Girls College. Each individual and each community had to devise the best formula for survival in a society where there was little social protection. Madad Ul Islam [...]

  On the eve of her departure at the end of her tenure in Mauritius, H E the South African High Commissioner sent this letter.    

Obituary, Ken Cathan. The St. Andrews Church in Quatre Bornes was packed to capacity and in the crowd, I could distinguish quite a few faces of the late 1970s, nearly all belonging to the Social Studies department of the MIE. We had gathered for the funeral services of Ken Cathan who died in his mid-sixties following complications from his thyroid disease. Ken was a great fan of domino to which he dedicated a large part of his retired life. In fact, he felt a pain in his left hand during a domino game. His health deteriorated so fast that he died [...]

When I heard the news of the passing of Devi Venkatasamy, thoughts, visions and memories started crisscrossing my mind. I could see the lady, usually dressed in dark colourful saree, a hand bag hanging from her bent arm, trudging and leaning on the side of the foot forward. She has been teaching for most part of her active life and as such has directly or indirectly, through her students and students’ students, touched a very large chunk of the Mauritian population. I bet many of my ex-class mates must be exchanging their thoughts on this great lady. Devi’s father ran the [...]