*SOCIAL-POLITICAL-ECONOMICAL-CULTURAL ANALYSIS*

Issue 4, September 2012 www.lepoliticien.info FREE

Le Politicien ©2012

EDITORIAL – ‘The Begging Fraternity’

he begging business is so rampant in lots of key places in Mauritius that if foreigners were to come over here for the

first time, they would, though with a deprecating air, feel shocked. It is thus tantamount to an abominable disgrace to each and every citizen of this pretty island, for those outsiders won’t sphinx-like keep their thoughts and intentions to themselves. A day will indubitably dawn when they will feel like opening their mouths, or simply open them, perhaps against their grain. It is hence in be-hoof of each and every Mauritian, be he/she impecunious, of the middle class, or a Hollywood Mogul, to mull over this problem we are faced with today and fast-track possible solutions to it. I for one have an uncompromising faith that we are all unaffectedly willing to join hands together and, forgetting our instinctive animosities if any, forge ahead in removing the fly in the ointment. Beggars here in Mauritius could be justifiably classified into different categories. If we but delve deep into them, 80-90% of which lot would obviously fall under SHAM BEGGARS that is pretending or deceiving mendicants. Their best resorts are the urban bus stations, railway

stations, car stands; the frontal parts of public markets and supermarkets, open fairs in the cities or towns of Port Louis, Rose Hill, Beau Bassin and Curepipe; the temple, church and mosque compounds or their surroundings, above all on week-ends and public holidays. Lots of members of the begging fraternity in poorly dressed clothes, and some waifs and strays even in colourful rags flock together at the above-mentioned spots to get their mendicant dues in coins or kind from the passengers, travellers, passers-by and the devotees’ hands and feel gratified by the end of the day. Some of these creatures pretend to be blind, groping, as it were, in some dark corridor with the help of a beggar-stick, thereby arousing pity in many a man’s heart, thus overriding all other claims than that of loosening his close-fisted hand. Others thus move without constraint, equipped with some sort of document bearing the stamp of a certain authority (like the medical, police, from a court of justice or a high-profile personality) from one person to another, quite often presuming upon the latter’s good or passive nature to coax some money or something in kind out of him or her. Sometimes they prove themselves rough and a bit repulsive, for they have a quite jaundiced look and are utterly lacking in matters of etiquette.

To illustrate the above fact, I would like to give two small examples: I chanced once to be by the sea-side at Flic-en-Flac. My family members were just busy enjoying the rich bounties of nature and I was just sitting in the car lost in

T

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some thought when a young boy of Chinese stock, barged in with a piece of paper in hand. He actually wished at all costs to thrust himself in despite all my resistance! It was only when I took a cane out of my boot to hit him with, he took to his heels. A second time I had to do with a grown-up and hefty man whom I wanted to avoid by all possible means as I knew he was a first-class crook and imposter, but he would pursue me close at heels for quite a long distance, right from Mutual Aid Building to Immigration Square in Port Louis, and suddenly disappeared when his hawk-eyes fell on a few police constables on duty in the surroundings. That is how this sordid business of begging gets you caught in a vicious atmosphere where you may run the risk of losing your life. To this lot, beggars moving from residence to residence could be reckoned as sham and dangerous as well. They have the guts to even take you to task, should their alms fall below their expectation. They are not at all ready to be fully satisfied with one-rupee coin; they expect a five or ten-rupee coin. They just feel as though you are bound to give them that much at least. How aggravating! These sham beggars wish to live in genteel poverty or in shabby gentility. Now, besides some invalid, handicapped mendicants or a few women carrying one baby in the left arm and holding another 3-year old kid with the other hand, are found actively begging at the bus-cum-taxi car station, by the side of Mutual Aid Building, there are some young boys and girls who are used by some

bosses to beg for them in the thickly populated areas of Port Louis. This begging business goes on daily from the early morning till the evening. These poor souls are supposed to collect all the money and remit it to their respective bosses. The latter just pocket the whole amount, after giving the poor children but a mere pittance out of it.

Finally, I opine it is meet that all of us join forces together with the government to conquer this abominable begging infection in public root and branch that has hitherto spoiled our native land and stripped it out of its dignity. Lots of people plead poverty in attenuation of the disgraceful crime. May be! But we just cannot resign to our state!

Comalparsad Ramlugon MA, DPA

Senior Editor

Le Politicien ©2012

CONTENTS

Are our children alright out there?

By Nuzrana Mooraby

5

GLOBAL RAINBOW FOUNDATION

By Harry Prakash Chandan & Amla Sewsurn

7 Ces dangereux criminels

Par Prakash H Sagar

Le Cambridge revient sur sa décision Par Deepak Chandan

8

Lutte contre la drogue : La solution est-ce la méthadone?

Par Parveen T. Bheenick 9

Hommage à nos tribuns : Sookdeo Bissondoyal

Par Deepak Chandan

10

PCI DSS in a nutshell

By Jeevesh Goolab 11

Exclusive interview with Emma Fry By Nuzrana Mooraby

5

AN ANCIENT PLAGUE

By Zoubeida Timol

6

Mauritius Open Air Festival 2012

By Jeevesh Goolab

OUR SPECIAL TEAM

MANAGING EDITOR

Jeevesh Goolab jkgoolab@lepoliticien.info

SENIOR EDITOR

Comalparsad Ramlugon

MAURITIUS COORDINATOR

Prakash H. Sagar

prakash.lepoliticien@gmail.com

INTERNATIONAL COORDINATORS

AUSTRALIA

Zoubeida Timol zoubeida.lepoliticien@gmail.com

BELGIUM

Nuzrana Mooraby nuzrana.lepoliticien@gmail.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Chris Bhaganooa

Parveen T. Bheenick Amla Sewsurn

Deepak Chandan Ridhima Boojihawon

Ved Boojihawon

13

17

18

ARE OUR CHILDREN

ALRIGHT OUT THERE?

Did you know that your child could be in serious trouble at school? Did you know that some children suffer a lifetime because of what happens unknowingly in the boxed classrooms and fenced schoolyards during their early years? Have you noticed anything remotely strange in the new behaviour adopted by your child? Yes? Then start asking yourself the right question – Is my child alright? Our children are increasingly becoming the subject of pelleting at school in the Mauritian context of life. Some of them are targeted for their colour and some for their size; some for their disabilities and some for their social class. The list is never-ending. However there is no specific reason for this bullying. No specific conditions and no specific social milieu for it.

Discrimination begins at an early age when children start differentiating themselves from

their peers by distinction of race, colour, looks, size and feelings of superiority or inferiority with regard to others. This is termed as normal behaviour but when this behaviour becomes tinted with an aggressive attitude, it is time to draw the line between what is normal and what is conclusively the beginning of bullying. Let us have a look at the profile of the bullies. Their bullying may result from a number of influential factors such as environment (being exposed to violence through the media or surroundings), social (dysfunctional families or children who have problems with parental authority) or simply as an encouragement from bystander factors (indifferent behaviour from those who would watch a bullying scene and not doing anything to stop it) and finally by individual factors.

In the Mauritian schools, we have seen the most searing cause for bullying at work and it is with regard to individual factors. The bully operates on sole whim. He has no real compassion and is obvious to the distress he may cause to others who cannot stand up to him and charges the blow due to a number of reasons and these do not really affect his conscience or moral stand. The bullying may arise due to personal issues with the child that the bully has chosen to

persecute. This may be because of him being annoyed with the child or seeking revenge for something, or simply for fun or to impress by a display of superior mental or physical leaning. Sometimes it is also to extract money from the scared little victim. From worldwide statistics, the power play between the bully and the bullied is striking. Bullies have an advantage over the bullied in terms of size (they are usually bigger than their peers), more aggressive in nature, they can also manipulate and connive without empathy (feeling of compassion) and the bullied are usually the opposite in nature. They are less imposing in stature and timid and usually have problems in their minds with regard to their self-appreciation. On a general observation note, boys are more likely to bully than girls but care should be taken to note that girls also bully each other. Whereas physical bullying such as leaning and torture is more common with boys, the bullying with girls is of a more psychological nature and may be far more deep-reaching and damaging; gossiping being one of the factors which hurt the most. However bullying may also occur in groups, where the whole group is the bully and the group lies in wait of the next victim on a regular basis, usually strengthened by the group size and its influential behaviour with regard to outsiders. This is a slight deviance from what we would normally call peer pressure and borders more on leaning than trending. The effects of bullying on a child can magnify his original clumsiness and discomfort of growing up into a developmental if not mental

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issue. There have been many cases of suicide in youngsters registered in several countries and there is fear that this could have been the effect of bullying itself. Mauritius should not think that it is sheltered from such situations. Furthermore, children who have been bullied in their tender innocent years may be the cocooning nest for producing violent and vulnerable individuals who would shy away from the society and eventually become dangerous and evil in their turn. We have seen enough movies about serial killers to know where the extreme situations can lie but the movies are not all that far from a type of reality. Parents should pay attention to every little change in behaviour of their children with regard to attending school - Why is my child reluctant to go to school every day? Why does he seem scared? Why is he less vocal than usual? Why does he refuse to meet my eyes when I talk to him? Why has he stopped smiling? Why does my child look sad and confused? The child may also experience a drop in good grades, poor health and may be seen to be sinking into depression and having thoughts of suicide. Insomnia is also very common with bullied children. The child may also say he has lost money and may also pretend to be ill very often and hide bruises. He may also be seen to bully younger siblings in turn. So many questions one can ask to know whether a child is alright and acting his usual self… This is very important as parents do not usually consider bullying as something big or that should be of major concern; them having been served the idea

that ‘’all this will pass with time – give it time’’. No. Do not give it time - time can uproot the life of your child if he is being bullied and his sufferings may grow with it. Parents should report bullying or suspicions of their child being bullied and schools should take the required action.

On a pedagogic point of view as this is also part of education and growth, our schools should be able to provide support staff that will be on the lookout for such behavioural disturbances on the premises and the staff should also be able to get to the bottom of every brawl or physical entanglement between students. Counselling and discipline can give rise to understanding in the bully and reconcile him with his environment and victims. Support more than punitive stands will certainly be more efficient in dealing with such matters. Prejudice with regard to race and social background must not be seen and a cooperative approach with the bullies and bullied should be encouraged. Bullying may be a developmental process which is resultant from our natural instinct for domination and ‘survival of the fittest’ notions which may ebb away with the years but the power play should be perceived and the bully and bullied both identified in order

to reconcile them. There is no point in feeding further disruptions amidst our society in the wake of the by-products of the educational system. We must not be satisfied with just putting a stop to the bullying but we should also aim to restore a positive feeling between the bully and his victims.

Nuzrana Mooraby

Global Rainbow Foundation

La Global Rainbow Foundation [GRF], est une nouvelle institution charitable dont l’initiateur est l’ex-ministre de l’éducation de 1983 à 1995 et ex-directeur de L’UNESCO de 1997 à 2011, Armoogum Parsooramen. Cette institution charitable, financée pour le moment par le GRF en attendant une reconnaissance de la Corporate Social Responsability et subséquemment de dons d’entreprise, a vu le jour officiellement, le 30 juin dernier au centre culturelle Shrimati Indira Gandhi à Phoenix, et ce, en présence de Navin Ramgoolam. Avant de parler sur la vision d’Armoogum Parsooramen sur le pourquoi d’une telle institution, faisons un bref retour sur la carrière de cet homme, qui n’a pas connu que du succès dans la vie. Il vit le jour en 1951, dans le petit village de Cap Malheureux dans le nord du pays et est l’ainé d’une fratrie de 13 enfants. Son père est laboureur et sa mère, analphabète comme la plupart des femmes de cette époque. Il grandit dans une hutte dépourvue d’électricité et d’eau courante. Après avoir fait ses études primaire à l’école du gouvernement de sa localité, il poursuit ses études secondaire au collège Frienship et fit sa forme 1V au collège bhujoharry, a Port Louis. Apres ses études secondaires, il prend de l’emploi comme professeur au collège Frienship avant de poursuivre ses études supérieures en entamant un « Bachelor of Arts » à l’université de Maurice. Le jeune Parsooramen qui était toujours intéressé par la politique, débute sa carrière de politicien comme conseiller au sein de sa localité. En 1976, il accède à la présidence du conseil du district du nord pour ensuite rejoindre le parti de Harish Boodhoo, le Mouvement Socialiste Militant [PSM] et fait son entrée au Parlement en 1982 sous le fameux gouvernement de 60/0. Apres la cassure de 1983, toute la bande du PSM apportent leur soutien à Sir Aneerood Jugnauth

et ainsi sous leur nouvelle bannière, le MSM en alliance avec le PTR et le PMSD, remporte les élections générales de 1983 et il est nommé de ministre de l’éducation et y resta jusqu’à 1995 lorsqu’il il décida de se retirer de la politique. Après avoir pris la décision de s’arrêter avec la politique active, il s’en va en 1995 pour assumer de nouvelles responsabilités à la Banque Mondial, à Washington ou il travail avec 53 pays avant d’accepter une nouvelle proposition de L’UNESCO pour agir comme directeur de la division d’enseignement secondaire et technique et être basé a Paris. Il est alors en contact avec 193 pays. Apres cinq ans a Dakar, comme directeur du bureau, il regagne Paris ou il accepte le poste de secrétaire du conseil exécutif. Après cinq ans et sentant la retraite s’approcher, il demande à être affecté au bureau de Delhi, en Inde, et il resta jusqu'à juin 2011 avant de regagner son pays natal. Après avoir connu une si riche carrière tant sur le plan locale qu’internationale, on pourrait penser qu’il allait se retirer tranquillement pour profiter d’une retraite bien méritée mais c’était mal connaitre ce brave travailleur qu’est-ce Armoogum Parsooramen. L’idée de lancer dans le social, surtout de se mettre au service des plus démunis de la société lui trottait déjà dans la tète d’où la décision de lancer la Global Rainbow Foundation. L’idée de se mettre au service des autres, lui est venu en fait de sa femme. Alors qu’il travaillait en Inde, il est tombé gravement malade et même ses médecins n’avaient pas gardé de gros espoirs concernant son rétablissement, mais une fois l’intervention chirurgical accomplie, sa femme lui a dit que c’est de par la volonté de dieu qu’il était toujours vivant et qu’il avait d’autres missions à accomplir. La Global Rainbow Foundation, est une institution charitable dont le but est de se mettre au service des personnes physiquement handicapés et de les aider à trouver une place dans la société tout en mettant leurs talents en exercice. La GRF va travailler en étroite collaboration avec des institutions spécialisée et cela à travers le monde, pout le bien-être des handicapées physiques.

Harry Prakash Chandan & Amla Sewsurn

Ces dangereux criminels

Est-ce qu’il y a des dangereux criminels qui circulent en toute liberté? Après avoir commis leurs forfaits, par faute que les autorités

n’ont pu retraçé des preuves à leur encontre?

C’est la question que se pose un bon nombre de mauriciens, suite au verdict de l’affaire Michaela Harte, trouvée morte dans sa

chambre à l’hôtel Regent, le 10 janvier 2011. Les deux présumés assassins ont été innocentés par les neuf membres du juris. Pour un

simple rappel, soulignons que cette jeune irlandaise, était venue passer sa lune de miel chez nous. Cette affaire avait et continue de

faire couler beaucoup d’encre. La façon dont les enquêteurs avaient mené cette enquête, il était prévisible que les deux ex-employées

de l’hôtel ex-Regent, allaient se blanchir, vu que les accusations portées contre eux n’avaient convaincu personne.

Durant ces dernières années, il y a plusieurs crimes, dont les auteurs sont toujours en liberté. Parmi ces crimes, il y a le cas de ce

jeune styliste, Lagesse, qui avait été retrouvée mort dans sa baignoire. La famille, surtout sa maman, attend toujours pour connaitre

l’assassin de sa fille. Il y a le viol et l’assassinat de Nadine Dantier, à quelques pas de sa maison; la disparition mystérieuse du petit

Akmez. Où est passé ce jeune qui n’était âgé que de 10 ans et qui aujourd’hui devait être un jeune homme. Il y a une série de cas

qu’on peut citer pour montrer que les autorités n’ont pas été à la hauteur.

Si on n’a pas la compétence nécessaire pour élucider ces cas, il faut chercher de l’aide des experts étrangers pour que la lumière soit

faite autour de ces crimes ou disparition, afin que leurs parents puissent, au moins, connaitre les responsables de ces crimes.

Prakash H Sagar

Le Cambridge revient sur sa décision

C’est comme-ci ceux qui se préparent actuellement à prendre part aux examens de fin d’année du cycle secondaire n’ont pas assez de stress que le Cambridge leur donne un autre casse-tête, surtout concernant ceux qui ont pris l’histoire comme matière car ils apprenaient récemment que ce sujet ne ferait plus partie de syllabus, proposer par le Cambridge, pour les examens. Ce n’est un secret pour personnes que d’année en d’année, les étudiants délaissent ce sujet pour d’autres et cela pour diverses raisons. Si pour certains, ils préfèrent prendre un sujet ou il y a plus de possibilité pour trouver un emploi, après avoir terminé leurs études, pour d’autres c’est un sujet qui demande beaucoup plus d’attention. Pour cette année-ci, seulement 43 étudiants ont choisi l’histoire pour les examens. Devant ce nombre qui ne cesse de diminuer, Cambridge avait fait savoir et cela sans prendre en considération que cela allait pénaliser ces 43 étudiants, qu’il n’allait plus inclure l’histoire comme matière et cela dès cette année. Les autorités mauriciennes surtout le ministre de l’Education, n’ont pas tardé à réagir devant cette décision et à entamer des discussions avec Cambridge pour qu’il revienne sur sa décision. Il y a toute une campagne d’éducation à faire auprès de nos étudiants pour qu’ils accordent plus d’importance à l’histoire de leurs pays et ce n’est pas en inscrivant l’histoire comme un sujet obligatoire, jusqu'à la forme 3, comme préconisé par le ministère de l’éducation, qu’un étudiant va développer un amour pour ce sujet. L’histoire de son pays doit être enseignée dès le cycle primaire pour que l’enfant développe tout d’abord le sens de patriotisme pour ensuite aimer l’histoire de son pays.

Deepak Chandan

Lutte contre la drogue : La méthadone est-elle la solution?

Les gouvernements à travers le monde militent contre le fléau de la drogue. La situation à Maurice n’est pas aussi catastrophique car il y a des pays ou la situation est pire. L’addiction est un phénomène physiologique qui oblige une personne à consommer des produits nocifs pour la santé. La personne obtient un retour un état euphorie.

Il y a eu en 2006 une recrudescence dans le nombre de personnes atteintes du Sida. C’est là

que le Ministère de la Sante a noté une augmentation dans le nombre de toxicomanes à Maurice et c’est là qu’il est venu de l’avant avec la distribution de la méthadone. La prolifération du Sida est désormais < stagnante > et c’est dû a la distribution de la méthadone. Il y a environ 20,000 toxicomanes à Maurice, selon le ‘Government Pharmacist’. L a méthadone est un substitut de la drogue. C’est une drogue synthétique qui remplace la drogue dure. Cette substance a fait ses preuves dans beaucoup de pays développés. Peu de personnes qui consommaient de la drogue ont arrêté de se droguer après avoir pris de la méthadone. La méthadone n’est pas un traitement pour les toxicomanes. La « brain chemistry » d’un toxicomane est totalement perturbé quand il consomme de la drogue. C’est la que la méthadone agit comme une substitution pour que la personne se sente mieux. Le ministère de la santé songerait à remplacer la méthadone, produit de substitut à l’héroïne. Plusieurs alternatives a la méthadone ont déjà été proposées, parmi l’on retient la Suboxone et la Naltrxon. La méthadone, qui

a été introduite à Maurice en 2006, pourrait probablement être remplacée. C’est que le Ministère de la Santé a penché depuis le début de cette année. Un comité composé de médecins, de travailleurs sociaux et d’autres fonctionnaires du Ministère de la santé a été appelé à étudier la question. Le suboxone se différencie toutefois du subutex par l’ajout du naloxone, qui supprime tout effet euphorisant en cas de consommation par injection. Par, conséquent ce médicament permet de décourager sa consommation par injection.

Toutefois, il ne faut pas pointer du doigt les toxicomanes mais plutôt essayer de les comprendre. Il faut avoir une réparation physique, légale et psychologique de la personne. Il faut donner l’occasion à ces personnes l’occasion de refaire une vie dans la société.

PARVEEN T. BHEENICK

Tribute to Sookdeo Bissondoyal

By Deepak Chandan & Jeevesh Goolab

Sookdeo Bissondoyal was born on the 25th of December in 1908, in the small village of Tyack in Rivière des Anguilles, in the south of the island. After completing his primary education in a school in his village, he continued his secondary studies in the south itself. After completing his secondary education, he worked as a primary school teacher from 1923 to 1945. Being very passionate about politics, he often accompanied his elder brother, Basdeo who had already been engaged in social work as well as militating in favour of the Indian immigrants who were living in miserable conditions. The young Sookdeo began his career as a politician in 1946 and on the 10th of August 1948, he was elected as the representative of Grand Port/Savanne. In 1958, on April 13, he launched a new political party, the Independence Forward block [IFB], with the support of some friends.

Although, in the beginning, the IFB was known to be a staunch opponent of the PTR, both parties had the same vision for the country, namely to gain independence. In that perspective, they decided to work together and thus, in 1965, the IFB joined the PTR, as a united government and Sookeo was appointed as “Ministre des Administrations Régionales et des Cooperatives”. As a member of the government, he participated actively in various meetings with the British government for the country's accession to independence and thus ended up in the IFB joining the PTR and CAM for the general elections of August 7, 1967, which led the country to independence. Following some differences with the then Prime Minister, Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, he resigned as Minister in March 21, 1969 and joined the Opposition and consequently became Leader of that group. In the general elections of 1976, he lost his seat. On the 18th of August in 1977, history changed when Sookdeo Bissondoyal left for the heavenly abode at the age of 68 years.

PCI DSS in a nutshell

This article brings an insight into the Payment

Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI

DSS). Since its inception in 2004, the PCI has

helped to protect the industry to a great extent

though some statistics have shown that

breaches have increased...

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) was introduced in December 2004 by the PCI

Security Standards Council, following a consortium of the major card schemes’ security programs comprising of

VISA, MasterCard, American Express, JCB and Discover. Prior to PCI DSS, each card company had their own

policies and/or rules in place and this was not practical for businesses accepting card payments as their choices

would be dominated by redundant compliance, while at the same time lacking effective risk and security

management measures. Basically, PCI DSS targets all merchants that process card payments; however, the

businesses are categorised into 4 levels which are determined by the volume of transactions that are processed.

Having said that, the standard came in force to harmonise all of these, while at the same time promoting sensitive

and personal information of the different stakeholders.

Wade Baker, Directory of Risk Intelligence at Verizon has said:

“We had hoped to see more organizations complying with the PCI standard, since we believe that compliance will

ultimately improve the security posture of organizations and in all likelihood lead to fewer breaches.

"...Our end goal is a safer credit-card environment for consumers and businesses.” Baker said.

Since its introduction, PCI has been upgraded regularly [Versions 1.1, 1.2, 2.0] to incorporate revisions and

enhancements in its technical/operational requirements. Being an evolving standard, it consists of 6 principles and

12 technical and operational requirements as shown below.

A business is deemed to be compliant after going through a security assessment by either a Qualified Security

Assessor (QSA) or by completing a Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ). Indeed, it is somehow challenging for

companies to align themselves with such security standards; unfortunately one of the prime reasons for not

investing in security programs, is the fact that some of the players in the corporate world still think that ‘Security is

just a cost rather than an added value’ – this amplifies their reluctance to participate in security programs in place.

At the same time, this gives a message that there should be more ‘IT Security Awareness and Training’

programmes in both SMEs and large enterprises. Luckily enough, PCI compliance has become a must for any

organisation dealing with payment card information, namely PAN (Primary Account Number) and/or SAD (Sensitive

Authentication Data) as any breach related with non-compliance would simply result in hefty fines from banks.

Alas, as good as this standard may sound, there have been many instances where compliant organisations have

been victims of logical attacks – for instance, Hacking. One such example is the ‘Heartland Payment Systems’ in

2009 when 130 million debit and credit card details were stolen. On top of that, the rate of data breaches keep

increasing with the latest statistics from Verizon’s ‘Data breach investigations report 2012’ revealing “855 incidents

with 174 million compromised records.” Therefore, does compliance guarantee security? [To be followed in the

next article]

Jeevesh K. Goolab BSc MSc

Apart from being the Managing Editor of ‘Le Politicien’, Jeevesh is an independent Information

Assurance Consultant and has been offering his specialist services to UK companies since 2007. He is

currently a full time ‘Academic Lecturer’ at the London Branch campus of the University of Ulster and is

involved in many voluntary projects, with the aim of bringing a positive change in the society. Jeevesh

can be e-mailed at jeevesh.goolab@gmail.com

Courtesy:

PCI Security Standards Council - www.pcisecuritystandards.org

Heartland Payment Systems [Data breach case in 2009] - www.heartlandpaymentsystems.com

Verizon [Data Breach Investigations Report 2012] - www.verizonbusiness.com

Sunshine in my Window Nuzrana Mooraby with EMMA E. FRY on her book “SUGAR CANE”- A rainbow across MAURITIUS. Emma E. Fry is author of the recently published but already so popular novel “Sugar Cane”. Emma grew up in Hampshire, the daughter of an English policeman and a Mauritian nurse, later turned secondary school teacher…

Sugar Cane or Mauritius?!!! Emma; believe me I am all smiles writing this! I just read your note on Facebook about the world being small and you meeting my Aunt Katie at the Mauritius Open Air Festival in London – Indeed, the world is small but not so small in that it contains a fantastic author in the wake of you Emma and our beloved gem of a Mauritius! Thank you for indulging us with some of your precious time for a little inside story in your life with regard to the superbly written gift you gave many of us in the form of your recent book “SUGAR CANE”. Nuzrana: “Which came first? The story idea or the Title? “ Emma: “The story idea came first. I’ve been writing for years and am an avid reader, a number of short stories that I had been working on simply merged into one another to provide the bones of an idea. It was my husband who said I should write about Mauritius and I found it to be therapeutic way of keeping that part of my life alive and real. The story itself kept drawing me back into the sugar cane, it is quite impossible to write about Mauritius without mentioning it. So the name came naturally, in fact, I think it’s safe to say that Sugar Cane chose its own name.”

Nuzrana: “What is the storyline of SUGAR CANE in a few words?” Emma: “When Beth Stephens’ father passes away, he leaves a minefield of secrets and lies in his wake, turning Beth’s life upside down. To uncover the truth about her father and lay his ghosts to rest, she must travel to Mauritius and discover who she really is. Unwittingly she embarks on a journey fraught with more danger than she could ever imagine, discovering a land where nothing is as it appears.” Nuzrana: “When did you decide to take the plunge and pen those pages? What inspired you?” Emma: “I started writing Sugar Cane ten years after my mother passed away. When you lose a parent or a close loved one, I think you’re always a little wary of losing them completely. Growing up in a mixed race family in the UK also had its impact, so when my mother was taken from me, I realised that I had to make a considered effort to keep Mauritius alive in my heart. So, I suppose you could say that it was the memory of my mother that inspired me...and gave me the courage to pen the novel with a true voice.” Nuzrana: “We do want to keep our loved ones alive and I reckon a book about their origins is a priceless tribute and mark of remembrance… How do you personally view Mauritius, being an English lady with a Mauritian mother?” Emma: “I love Mauritius. It’s half of who I am. Being born and growing up in the UK within a wrapper of caramel brown skin during the seventies and eighties with one white parent and the other black was challenging to say the least. Being mixed race is a complex issue, which I believe Beth’s character considers in some depth in the novel. You never quite fit in, here or there, but you love both places equally. It makes you interesting, even when you don’t want to be. When I am in Mauritius or surrounded with my Mauritian family my soul is calm yet I am aware that I’ll never be completely Mauritian. Nothing and nobody is perfect, Mauritius is a beautiful island full of beautiful people, but it is still a country filled with human beings, good ones and bad ones, just like every other country in the world. It’s also tiny, in the middle of the Indian Ocean, pretty isolated from everywhere else, yet packed to the rafters with every colour, race and creed of people living together, dealing with the cards life and the Western world has dealt them in the best way that they can . I think that’s what I like about it. It’s a human island, doing its best to survive, grow and get things right with limited resources. Like all of us.” Nuzrana: “How did you like the Mauritian Open Air Festival in London, UK? The People and the atmosphere?” Emma: “What a fantastic day! The sun shone down on us and we ate, drank, sang, danced and laughed. It was pretty cool seeing all those Mauritian faces and t-shirts and flags all over the park, everyone smiling and having a good time. Soul food. If you’ve never been, make sure you go next year!” Nuzrana: “I certainly will do Emma. It was a pity being in London and not being there with you all. What do you like most about Mauritius? Which is your favourite place? And why?” Emma: ”I have three favourite places, which I cannot divide. In no particular order, my favourite places are the casino at Flic en Flac beach, Quatre Bornes market and Champ de Mars racecourse. You can decide why!!” Nuzrana: “What is your favourite Mauritian Dish?” Emma: “Dish is singular. Can Mauritian food be contemplated in the singular? I think not. Dholl Puri. Faratha. Vindaye poisson. Gato pima....stop, stop, you’re making me hungry.” Nuzrana: “Mauritian food has a way of wafting flavours over mere talk and writings. So true… We had better change subject! So, who is your favourite Mauritian public figure and why? Emma: “My favourite Mauritian public figure would be Kaya. Special people are sent to us to challenge our world and the way that we think, ensuring that we continually evolve and endeavour to grow and become wiser. Kaya was one of these people, who spread the message of love and hope with the words that he sang. He was a very special gift to the human race, a Mauritian who should never be forgotten.” Nuzrana: “Kaya is indeed someone we all love to remember. In the best possible ways… Where can people write to you?” Emma: “People can contact me via my blog, http://sandybredpublishing.blogspot.co.uk/ Or follow me on twitter @sugarcanebook or make friends on facebook.”

Nuzrana: “What other projects do you have in the Pipeline?” Emma: “I’m currently working on my second novel, The Earring Tree, which will hopefully be ready for next summer. It’s also based in Mauritius but during the early 19th Century, so there’s been a lot of research to do.” Nuzrana: “On a final note, what do you think of the recent calls of some to boycott Mauritius? Is there any justification to this?” Emma: “This has turned into quite a politically sensitive issue between Mauritians and some sectors of the Irish community. My husband’s family is Irish and my best friend is Irish. I was pretty angry about the boycott calls to begin with, but as time moves on, I think it needs to be put into perspective. No one is talking about it outside of the Mauritian and Irish community affected. There’s obviously a lot of pain being caused on both sides for something which has been caused in essence by one violent individual and those who abuse the freedom of expression that social networking now provides; where it is now so easy for sensitive issues to be hijacked and twisted by individuals with ulterior motives. We do run the risk of blowing the full impact of the boycott out of proportion. I haven’t yet met one non Irish or Mauritian person who even knows about the murder case or the boycott; population wise and perspective wise, Ireland and Mauritius just aren’t that big. Having been a victim of racism all my life as well as a victim to an anonymous internet troll in relation to this issue, I believe the best way to combat hatred, racism and ignorance in any form is to ignore and rise above it, concentrating on the positive and thereby naturally squashing the negative. The more you try to fight hate, ignorance and negativity directly, the more you feed it, the more it grows. Time, patience, love and positivity heal all wounds.” Nuzrana: “I cannot but agree with you on these terms. It is time to move on. Thank you once more Emma. Do you have any messages for your prospective readers, readers or the special people in your life? Anything you wish to add…?” Emma: “Sugar Cane is available on Kindle Amazon worldwide and also in paperback on Amazon.co.uk. If you would like a signed copy or cannot access Amazon.co.uk, you can buy the book through paypal via my blog http://sandybredpublishing.blogspot.co.uk/ as I send these out personally, worldwide. Also, just a simple request, but if you do buy the book, please let me know your thoughts by writing a review on the Sugar Cane Amazon page; I think it’s really important to get feedback from my readers and it also helps me to become a better writer.” °°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

The Book The exchange with Emma E Fry was a pleasurable escapade into the life of a new vision author. I hope you have been delighted to learn more about Emma E. Fry and her much talked-about book. The reviews on the Kindle edition provided by Amazon.com also speak for themselves. This is where I picked up my own copy and relished on it:

<< Emma E Fry amazes by all the choices she made for this book. The title relates instantly to sugar sweet Mauritius, the darling of tourists and the haven of love and harmony. The strength of Emma's words, the beauty of her descriptions is just too real. The tantalising scents and tastes of enchanting Mauritius hearken to life at the touch of her pen. This book is 'unputdownable' in one invented word! Before reading I have also shared with my Auntie Katie who read through it till the very last pages on the same day and she also thought it was really very well written. I will be offering a copy to my most treasured people because the book speaks of a Treasure Island in every

sense of the word 'Treasure', and it relates to the Mauritian heritage in the highest doses of justified prettiness and hope. Mauritius is beautiful and Emma captured its essence most observingly in one captivating story which is touched by the magic of FAITH. I loved every sentence. >> Has this interview with Emma piqued your curiosity? Then don’t wait any longer and go get your “Sugar Cane”! I promise a rewarding read. C. Plunkett’s review was also especially remarkable… Shall we rekindle inspired reminiscences? Yes? Yes! Enjoy this last paragraph and do not hesitate to write to us if you need to get your hands on this precious book that should invariably be seen in any Mauritian’s book collection… For those who are in Mauritius, Emma hopes to make the book become available at a local bookstore soon – we will keep you posted. Have a brilliant day! C. Plunkett’s words: << As a prolific reader with a diverse taste in reading material -from autobiographies and travel stories to thrillers and chick-lit, I was intrigued by the synopsis and excellent reviews for this book and eagerly downloaded a copy. Wow I was certainly not disappointed! From the first paragraph I found myself unable to put it down. The story itself is full of mystery, suspense and family ties, told in such a way that as a reader you are literally transported to Mauritius where much of the action takes place. I loved how the author used colloquial dialect, vivid description of delicious food and the mysterious sugar cane fields that harbour a secret the heroine of the tale, Beth, has to unravel in order to lay ghosts of the past to rest. The main characters in this book are depicted in such a way that even with their insecurities and misguided loyalty, you care about them and want to keep reading to find out what happens to them. One of my favourite parts in the book is where Beth is recalling her childhood when she would ask her father to `read her.' I had thought this was a childlike way of asking for a story but was enchanted to discover it was in fact a precious moment when her father lovingly read her face. When she enquires `And do you like reading me daddy?' He answers `Of course, because I helped to write you, Elizabeth. Just like you helped to write me.' It is hard to believe this is a debut novel as the author writes in such a compelling way and clearly has a natural gift for storytelling. I have read some amazing books this year, one of my favourites being The Help, I would put Sugar Cane right up there in the same league and would highly recommend you discover it for yourself. >>

Emma and her beloved Sandy – Courtesy of the Author

AN ANCIENT PLAGUE

“In appearance the locusts were like horses prepared for battle: on their heads were what looked like crowns of gold, their faces were like human faces, their hair like women’s hair, and their teeth like lion’s teeth, they had breast plates of iron and the noise of the chariots with horses rushing for battle. They had tails and stings like scorpions, and their power to hurt people for five months in the trail.” Revelation from bible 9:7-10 It is indeed frightening, incomprehensible, terrifying to think of those unwanted little pests, coming like a dark cloud on the horizon, in millions, flapping their wings against the air, making a horrible sound, flying on your face, in your ears, in your cloth, crawling up on your windows and doors of your house. As mentioned in the Bible and the Qur’an, locusts have plagued humanities for centuries bringing death and devastation on their way. Those tiny insects that weight around half an ounce and measured 3 inches long can cause catastrophic destruction to humans and vegetations. When food and climatic condition are favourable, huge swarms of locusts may develop. An isolated rain fall can ignite the fire for a plague. The dry soil may already have a deposit of locust eggs in a dormant state, ready to be hatched. Locusts can breed very quickly under suitable condition. The rocky mountain locust plague, in North America, in 1875, had been recorded throughout the world with catastrophic consequences. The black wave of millions of locusts invaded the place, they marched in the same direction across valleys and fields, devouring everything on their way. They ate field of crops, the trees of leaves, the blade of grass, even the wool off the sheep, they feast for days like vultures without stopping.They consumed the most succulent bits of wheat crop, letting the rest rot on the ground. "Wheat and grasshoppers could not grow on the same land," one forlorn homesteader put it, "and the grasshoppers already had the first claim." The locusts picked clean whole watermelon patches and stripped fruit trees, leaving peach pits dangling from empty branches. In 1967 in Algeria, 250,000 people died of famine and starvation due to a locust outburst. No one can predict

when and where a swarm would strike. "They looked like a great, white glistening cloud, for their wings caught the sunshine on them and made them look like a cloud of white vapour," one unsettled pioneer wrote. "It seemed as if we were in a big snowstorm," recalled another, "where the air was filled with enormous-size flakes. Terrified children fled before the swarms, and one Kansas pioneer wrote of a "young wife, awaiting her first baby, in the absence of her husband [who] had gone insane from fright." Kansan Adelheit Viets claimed to have had the clothes literally eaten off her back. "I was wearing a dress of white with a green stripe," she recalled. "The grasshoppers settled on me and ate up every bit of the green stripe in that dress before anything could be done about it."

In Australia, most locust plagues originated in the country of New South Wales, South West Queensland and Northern territory. The state had major plague in 8144, 1871, 1934 and 2000. The Australian plague locust is easily identified by their black spot on the tip of their hind leg. The locust need to be controlled, the only way to stop them spreading is to kill their eggs before they can hatch. Some experts believe that if conditions are right, we could be on the verge of another catastrophic plague of locusts affecting the whole world. One in ten of the world population might face famine or death. There is another concern. Scientists believe global warming will increase locust population worldwide, if it is so, every continent on earth will be in danger. This could bring famine and death. Until we found a solution to deal with the plague, we can only hope for the best.

Zoubeida Timol

Mauritius Open Air Festival 2012

The biggest celebration of Mauritian culture in Europe for its fourth biggest yet year event. The event was held at Down Lane Park located in the heart of North London’s Mauritian community. The festival offered visitors a glimpse of the party atmosphere that Mauritians are so famous for, with a heavy mix of freshly prepared traditional cuisine, popular Mauritian drinks and a host of performances from some of the biggest names in Mauritian music and entertainment. There was also a fun fair running all day long.

Everyone getting ready for the big event – Meeting with friends and family. Chit- chat time.

‘Tam-tam’ starts. The lovely ladies with the ‘quadricolore’ – Proud to be Mauritian.

‘Sofe Ravane li dir’ . Here we go, the Sega kicks in.

‘Bouzer mama – lafaya larguer’ .

Enjoying the music – ‘Patriotes à bord’.

‘Nissa la continie’.

A range of Mauritian dishes were sold on that day – Dhollpuri, Boulettes, Mine frite, Briani, etc.

Le support imbatable de nou ban grand dimoune – sa ‘dadi’ la ine vini pu supporte nu kiltir.

C’est ene l’exemple extraordinaire ek fierete pu nu pays.

Nitin Ganatra (Right hand side) – the Kenyan born British actor supporting the

Mauritian event.

‘Big B’ from the Trioco group animating the crowd with his funny talents. Cheers!

The Managing Editor of ‘Le Politicien’, Jeevesh Goolab with ‘Big B’.

The gorgeous Miss England Charlotte Holmes proudly supporting Mauritius

[MTPA is one of the sponsors of Miss England 2012].

Charlotte with the Anglo Mauritian Disability Link Charity trustee Mr. Cader Hossenally (left) and Mauritian Paralympic athlete Patricia Mustapha (right). The charity is a registered charity within the United Kingdom and Mauritius whose aim is to help disabled children in Mauritius

and Rodrigues to have a better quality of life.

So sweet..

The festival ended around 7pm but people were still there till late, not wanting to leave the celebrations. Alas, now we’re all waiting for the next one which will come after a year. Out of all these, we take with us wonderful memories which we shall cherish always. It is also an example to people in Mauritius as in UK or anywhere else in the world, when we’re away from our island, we all live as one people – irrespective of religious, race or colour but when we’re in Mauritius, there is division and people tag themselves as Hindus, Muslims, Christians rather than Mauritians. The sense of patriotism needs to be revived if we want to progress further. And it is rather unfortunate that for such a big event, there was no one on behalf of the Mauritian Government to support it...

JEEVESH GOOLAB