Entretient avec Jayen Cuttaree

Interview of Jayen Cuttaree at the launching of his book BEHIND THE PURPLE CURTAIN

 

Celebration de la Journee International Kreol

Intervention de Ignavce Ducasse dans le cadre de la journee Internationale Creole

La video plus haut comprend l'intervention de Ignace Ducasse sur le Kreol

Interview de Arnaud Corporan dans le Mauricien

 

Dans quel esprit est célébrée la Journée internationale de la langue et de la culture créoles cette année ?

Il y a beaucoup d’événements qui font que la Journée internationale de la langue créole est particulière cette année. En premier lieu c’est la trentième célébration de la Journée internationale créole dans le monde. Elle a été célébrée pour la première fois dans l’île de la Dominique – à ne pas confondre avec la République dominicaine – il y a trente ans. On a commencé ensuite à la célébrer dans les autres pays dans la zone américaine et Caraïbes. Par la suite, elle a été célébrée dans l’océan Indien et dans les autres pays. Aujourd’hui tous les pays créolophones célèbrent cet anniversaire ensemble. Le même logo est utilisé dans tous les pays. Les publications mauriciennes sont partagées avec les autres pays par le biais de l’internet. C’est donc une célébration transatlantique, transocéanique qui a pris une dimension internationale.

À Maurice cela fait deux ans que la langue créole a été reconnue officiellement, avec une orthographe standardisée, et est entrée dans l’école après plus de trente ans de combat de la part de différents individus, associations, intellectuels, militants. Le combat a abouti il y a deux ans après la reconnaissance officielle. De manière personnelle, il y a un organisme qui a été mis en place et qui est connu comme la Kreol Speaking Union dont j’ai l’honneur d’être le président. Notre conseil d’administration s’est rencontré il y a un mois et c’est donc la première journée organisée par cet organisme de l’État. L’Université de Maurice a commencé à célébrer la journée créole en 2000. Nous avions à cette époque invité Fanfan, Henry Favory et plusieurs personnes que nous aurons l’occasion de récompenser treize ans après avec le soutien de la Kreol Speaking Union qui a été mandatée par l’État pour promouvoir, défendre et faire de que la langue créole puisse entrer dans tous les cercles. Tout cela fait que la journée internationale de cette année est différente et particulière.

Creolism and Mauritius today

Zordi le 28 Oktob tou Kreol dan le monde entire bizin celebre zot kiltir Kreol.
Soyez fier d'etre un Creole et de votre riche culture.
be pround on this day and everyday to be a Creole.

The resurgence of Creolism in Mauritius

The debate has always been whether Mauritius is a Creole Island, a Creole Society or just a melting pot of some cultures which has produced a particular society which some would term “a la Mauricienne”.



If we were to look at history, the “peuplement” of Mauritius has been the same like for other French and British colonies i.e. societe esclavagiste, colonisation, French oligarchy, societe de plantation, liberation des esclaves, the bringing in of indentured labour from India as well as all the others who come on their own free will, like the Arabs, the Chinese, middle and low class Europeans, and so on…

The Mauritian society is only young (200 years old) whose social and cultural development emerged from the days of colonization to the present day and it is still, to my view, a dynamic society. In a paper presented by Thomas Eriksen he argued that in view of the “brassage” of cultures and the evolution of that island society “Tu dimun pu vini Creole”.

Are all Mauritians Creole or a bit Creole or somehow Creole is debatable, depending on the definition of Creole in context and time or whether the definition is narrow or wide whether it is “exclusive” or “inclusive”. The development of a Creole culture in Mauritius has its roots from “les chocs des cultures”o of colonial and post colonial days and led mainly by those of European and Africa descents who become Creoles (born in the colony), mullatoes, free people of colour, les Métis, Ti Creole, etc…The development of the Creole culture in Mauritius is marked by the music, (the sega), the architecture (case Creole) its particular cuisine(rougaille poisson sale) and the oral traditions,(contes, sirandanes) values, joie de vivre, amusement, etc…Many aspects if the Creole culture, if not all, are local creation and easily penetrate into the other cultures in Mauritius and no resistance is met. The same can be said that interaction with other cultures, internal and external, has also led the Creole culture to enrich itself. This is mainly reflected in today’s music and cuisine.

The process of bringing forwards this culture and led other to adopt it or part of it is called Creolisation. A young indo-mauritian solicitor girl told me that “ A Maurice nous vivons tous dans notre quotidien un peu de cette creolite.” The same argument was brought forward by Mr Esoof in one of its editorial. « Un peu » is well defined whereas some the Creoles of Mauritius live it fully day by day. This is probably why some like Jimmy Harmon and Danielle Florigny-Palmyre will argue that we are Creoles and “nous l’assumons, and if others have a problem in saying they are Creoles so they should not see a problem of us saying we are Creoles, because we are. It is a fact.”

This year more than ever the debate about Creolism in Mauritius has been raging…if it started with “malaise Creole” and the “Kaya murder” some years back, in October 2006 it turned to a new dimension when the Catholic Church decided to celebrate “La zourne Internasyonal Kreol”. The celebration which lasted over two weeks was more of a “prise de conscience” with the slogan “ kreol asim to lexiatans, celebrer nou valeur”.  

 JMR always outspoken pointed out, in on of his many pieces, that it was more than legitimate for the church to celebrate the Creole culture as most of its adepts are from this group. JML and his team successfully bring an awareness of many facets and richness of the Creole Culture to the wider Mauritian public. The debate on Creole leadership, the homely of Fr J Gregoire are still music to the ears of Creoles of Mauritius and food for thought for the politicians who think they can take the Creoles for granted, larzan contant in the Creole terminology. “No more” should we all answer, and may the message be loud and clear to all of them. From this day Creoles of Mauritius know that they should not expect miracles from others but to rely on their own force, courage and perseverance.

 

The other event which will surely have a great impact of giving Creolism a boost in Mauritius is the International Creole Festival put forward, very courageously, defying all odds, by the Minister for Tourism Xavier Duval. Many of us, no matter our political conviction, agree that it was a brave endeavour because for the first time in the History of Mauritius this is organized “au niveau de l’etat”. There is no hegemonic intention behind this manifestation, no political recuperation, and no other community should see a treat of “Creolisation” coming from this event. I am also particularly happy to see that no criticism has come neither from the MMM nor the MSM against this festival, I therefore understand that it has tri-partisan support. Well done, we are growing. 

 

Coming back to Creolism, it has always been resistant to any form of deculturation and threat to exterminate it. It survived the harsh rule of ‘French colonisation” and now winning the battle against cultural globilisation coming from Uncle Sam. Some intellectuals like Raphael Confiant and Mgr Gilbert Aubry would even put it that “Nous sommes precurseurs de la mondialisation”. This is echoed by all members of the IOCP who think that the more we are threatened the more we fight back and the stronger we become. The work and vulgarization and support the IOCP is receiving each day is the blatant proof. The increasing awareness of Creolism (the local culture Made in Mauritius) will help the country to regain its soul and become stronger against the looming threat of invasion from East or West, from the Orient to the Occident.

Let the spirit live on.

Louis de Lamare

IOCP

Le mois Octobre est le mois Kreol

October is the Creole Month

 

During this month of October, creoles all over the world celebrate their culture.

Australian politics: The bad start of Tony Abbott's government

Tony Abbott missed the boat by GDL

It has now been a few weeks since the conservatives took control of the country. In these first few weeks they have been on the wrong foot and soon realised that making promises via slogans from the opposition is very different from governing Australia. They very quickly realised that they do not know the ropes of governing and stubbled through mistakes over mistakes.
The first one was their discrimination towards their own women as they considered that only one women from their ranks was good enough to be cabinet minister. They were criticised from all corners as it was a lie to say that there was no other women worth the promotion. The Guardian newspaper listed five elected female candidates who were more qualified that many of the men  selected by Tony Abbott. This discrimination revealed the true Tony Abbott who has a problem with women since his days at the university.
The second stubble was on the diplomatic front, when Julie Bishop was told upfront by the Foreign Minister of Indonesia in Washington that Indonesia will not accept violation of the territorial waters of Indonesia by turning back the boats. Julie Bishop lied when questioned about the meeting. She said everything was all right that they had a nice and cordial conversation. To prove that she lied, the content of the meeting was leaked to the press by the Indonesians. When they went to Indonesia they were careful on what to say. They were like little dogs with their tails between their legs. They had but praise for  the government of Indonesia. (Operation charme par Mikey Mouse and figure Dubois.)
They suddenly liked the Indonesians after have been anti-Asians all their lives.
The next stuff up came from the arrogant Minister of Education, Christopher Payne who took upon himself to say that he would cut services to universities and impose a cap on the number of intake. He was immediately rebuked by his leader who said that this policy was not what they took to the elections. Since then Christopher Payne has disappeared. Tony Abbott also made clear that minsters should not talk to the press without his prior knowledge. ( I am the King, he wanted to say)
The other big stubble was their inability to stop the boats and prevent people from drowning. Since the new government sworn in, some 1,000 boat people have arrived and some 100 have drowned.  Furthermore the new government embraced fully the policy of the Labor government to sent boat people to Manus Island and Nauru. What is new ? How many boats have been stopped or turned back so far ? Zero.
That's not all, after having talked down the Australian economy for 6 years and criticised the deficit, the fat man and the German after having had a closer look at the books and briefed by Treasury, suddenly found out that the budget is in a better position. They will, keep all the hard economic measures taken by Labor to bring the budget back in surplus in 2016. Big Joe and the German  could not say when they will bring the budget to surplus. What a farce !!
Its not over, Tony Abbott caused a diplomatic row in locking out the Indonesian journalists from his press conference in Jakarta, He was accused of being undemocratic and breached Indonesian laws.
Next good one, the talkative Scott Morrison Minister of Immigration, suddenly went blank and dumb. He would not reveal to the press when boats arrive to our shores and when they will turn back the boats. He was ridiculed by a people smuggler when he said that people smugglers would use these information. He was laughed at and told that boat people have mobile phones and use the internet in detention centres to communicate with people smugglers. Scott Morrison  is now hiding himself behind a veil of secrecy, running away from the press gallery as he has still cannot stop the boats and prevent people drowning.
The other big scandals are how the coalition members have been abusing of their privileges to pump from taxpayers money for private trips overseas, to weddings and others...Tony Abbott is also involved in this misuse of public money. These are they same people who criticised Peter Slipper!!!. Now they are caught red handed.  What has been discovered by journalists so far could be just the tip of the iceberg. Is it not Senator Brandis who was going to impose a code of conduct to parliamentarians ?  He should hide or hang himself in shame.As for Barnaby Joyce he is shameless about using public money and seems reluctant to give the money back. He is probably the worst among them all; but if one is rotten they are all the same.  Birds of the same feather flock together Shame on them who wanted to give lessons of high moral grounds to the Labor ministers.
As for their stuff ups and their amateurism, one can say that it is teething problems but these people have been in politics for years and eleven of them have been minsters under John Howard. They have been criticising the Labor government for 6 years and prepared to take over. So they have no excuse.
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Sapp dan ppilon tomb dans dife.