The uniqueness of Mauritius which is the object of so many articles published in reputable newspapers is that those articles are not the work of special teams sent here by the publisher on an assignment to explore and write about what makes Mauritius such a ‘ plaisir’.

Unfortunately, these articles are paid for by all of you and all of us. There is nothing critical about Mauritius in those articles and what makes all this worse is the timing. Not many months have gone by since the tragic Harte murder at the former Legends and all the news outlets in the United Kingdom presented a different view of the country. Instead of working from bottom up to redo the make up, what is being shown is a selfcongratulatory assessment that all is for the best in the most blessed country on earth. This country which is so much seeped into politics that we are forced to blink while wearing blinkers. Even the Governor of the Bank of Mauritius has to parade a red tie. Is it because failure to show his red belonging by the red tie can land him into trouble? This mentality is all- pervasive and it does not do our country any good.

This is the land of potentates who span the whole spectrum from politics to pettiness. It is the unfortunate lot of this country that those who are placed in positions of responsibility both in the public and private sectors use their position not only to favour their own but also to destroy those who are not their own.

As long as they show their ‘ redness’, then they are safe and they become part of the select group of the hallowed untouchable.

The country is run along tribal considerations in as much as those at the head of institutions funded publicly act for their own tribes. Any appointment, assignment or consultancy is decided upon whether or not there is someone in the tribe who can fit the bill and who can send their own bill afterwards.

It is no surprise that most of the parastatal bodies are not performing and it is the ordinary Mauritian mortal who foots the bill.

Cronyism is rife in this country where people in certain positions act as though they can act with impunity, override the normal expectations of people and orchestrate matters in such a way as to cast those who are deemed undesirable in an unfavourable light. The technique used is the age- tested one of giving a dog a bad name and hanging it. Gender equality is respected by this technique.

Recently, the media reported that there was an acute shortage of a few medicines in the hospitals. Maybe there was one and those in charge should be taken to task for not being endowed with procurement foresight.

I am informed, however, that all the media coverage of the shortage was just pure theatre since a replacement for the target of the official criticism had already been identified. This explains the other.