Why did you write the book?

Answer: I have written this book because the real people, members of the Mauritian working class, whose ancestors and themselves were the true founders of the economic successes of Mauritius, appear invisible to the governing class. This is also a fact in colonial and post-colonial settings. I have written the story of my family and myself, whose struggles, sweat and tears to survive in the situation of survival of the fittest are hardly acknowledged. In doing so, it is hoped that I have also reflected the lives and sacrifices of others with similar background much beyond the shores of my country. I have written this book to pay tributes to all of them, who have managed to survive despite the difficult circumstances inflicted on them.

I have also written this book for a more personal reason. It is an experiment to see what potential does one have in terms of trying to liberate oneself from the dehumanising effect of poverty and ignorance. In many respects, this project is a mission pursued to explore one’s willpower, the strength of mind over matter.

The aim of this book is also to inform, if not to educate, those who decry the presence of migrant worker and the controversial issue of immigration. We, it must be borne in mind, that we emigrated to the UK and other countries not willy-nilly. The sacrifices of leaving our country and tearing away our relationship from our loved ones to emigrate are not taken lightly. The decision to leave for the uncertainty of a future existence in an unknown country is very painful. Many immigrants have been driven from home due to a plethora of reasons. Poverty, social injustice, discriminations of different types, internal conflicts, wars and many other socially adverse factors, many of which have grown uncontrollable due to our colonial heritage. These problems have today pushed many of us to risk life and limb to leave our homeland. Today’s refugees and boat people illustrate this fact most vividly. This book also recounts the events that have also driven me to emigrate.

What is the book about?

Answer: This book is about the circumstances and events that had driven me to emigrate. I have written this book to show that the existing immigrants did not willy-nilly undertake this uncertain journey. We were pushed by numerous unfortunate circumstances. Once arrived in the country of migration, I have shown how difficult had settlement been. This has been particularly so for the committed ones who emigrated in order to try to translate dreams and goals into reality. In the process, this book explains, we have to put up to a mountain of barriers and difficulties. We have to bear institutional racism, poor accommodation, take up jobs which our white counterparts would not touch with a barge pole and we have suffer racial insult in silence and accept the derogatory reference as ‘Paki’. However admirably we have internalised the term Britishness or British citizenship and however long we have been in this country, we are still made to feel as ‘unwelcome outsiders’.

Having spent a relatively long career in social work, it is inevitable that a substantial part of my autobiography will raise issues regarding the welfare sector. I have discussed the good social work practices as well as the poor ones. There is an in-depth discussion and analysis of the workings of an Area Social Work Office with particularly reference to Hackney, where I worked continuously for 14 years. I have explained how extreme ideologies and politics under the influence of small groups of social workers operating for their own interest interfere and undermine the distribution of social services fairly and equitably to all the groups of service-users. There is also a discussion on the disruption of frequent reorganisations and conflict among the white, black and Asian social work practitioners, which, as a consequence, adversely affected good social work practice.

Despite all the hostile barriers, this book provides a plethora of ideas and techniques how to contain the difficulties confronted and explore the vast opportunities at our disposal and achieve the goals for which we emigrated.

Who will read it?

Answer: I have written this book with the object that it will appeal to all categories of the reading public. Students interested in the history of colonialism and development of sugar cane islands will find a wealth of information in this work. Apart from a discussion on the scrambles by the European imperial powers for a toehold in the sun, it brings to the attention of the readers the use and abuse of slaves and indentured labourers in Mauritius as a sugar cane colony. The colonial culture, which contributed to the dilution of cultural heritage of both the freed slaves and Indian settlers, has resulted in weakening family solidarity. This book also brings a new dimension to the debate of the insidiously corrupting legacy of corruption and conflict left in former colonies by the imperial powers.

However, in addition, I strongly believe that this book will help those who object to migration to re-think their objection. As for the immigrants themselves, they will find useful ideas and techniques in this work as how to use their time and energy not only to survive but also to take full advantage of the plentiful opportunities at their disposal for realising the dreams and goals for which many of us had embarked on the migration enterprise.

As a substantial part of my autobiography deals with social services, the readers will have a good insight into the functions of social services. They will have an understanding of both good and bad practices in the distribution of welfare provision. I believe that care workers, social work students and social workers will find something thought-provoking in it.

In a nutshell, in view of the presentation of this book in a simple and straightforward manner, without any academic pretensions, will interest a large proportion of readers. It recounts events as encountered and experienced with all the genuine feeling either of frustration, anger or pain. Readers will find this book as a source of not only pleasure for its approach but also inspiration in its content.

How long did the writing/researching take you?

Answer: I have been researching and writing this book for over four years. This has involved several trips to Mauritius and long periods of stays on the island to talk to older generation of relatives and neighbours and hours of research in the National Reference Library at Port Louis. It goes without saying that it has been hard work, but fascinatingly exhilarating. Asking questing about one’s ancestors and integrating the data of circumstances, many of which were so painful to hear, can be profoundly cathartic. I recommend these processes to anyone eager to delve into the exercise of enriching his or her life-experiences. The writing, the editing and evaluation of the material collated have taken another substantial period of time. To bring the book to the high standards in methodology and style pertinent to the conventionally recognised criteria of autobiography, the quality of the manuscript has also undergone through the rigorously critical red pen of helpful academic friends and colleagues who are published authors themselves. Therefore, this work has been time-consuming.

What are you planning to do next?

Answer: No committed writers are without many irons in the fire. So I have. Having already carried out comparatively considerable amount of work on my overseas compatriots, I have a few ideas for my next projects about them in the process of concluding this area of research and writing. But as I am still in the process of organising ideas for my projects, I feel that it is too early to talk about the next assignment.

What advice do you have for other people who would like to write a book?

Answer: I must first point out the obvious that writing is a sedentary and very isolated occupation, requiring strong discipline, resistance to distraction and a high degree of selfishness combined with focused commitment. All these are achievable through practice. Secondly, the writer needs to choose a topic for his book about which he feels strongly. The feeling should be comparable to someone affected by depressing thought, relief from which is only achievable by psychotherapeutic intervention. Additionally he should have faith in the ability of his therapist and also able to visualise his recovery, the regaining of normal health. Once the writer is so passionately prepared, I encourage anyone who is itching to write about a topic to go ahead. The arduous demands made on writers are, I believe, perhaps why there are so few good writers.