As I moved around the Hall I met many old friends who had travelled to Scotland to be part of this remarkable event. Each one had a special story to tell and talked of the progress made by Mauritius over the 40 years since independence. Others drew my attention to the comments of Dr Navin Ramgoolam, our Prime Minister when he spoke to the Financial Times on the eve of the island’s independence anniversary, recalling how, in the 1960s, Mauritius had been written off as a “doomed island” by James Meade, the British economist and Nobel prize-winner, while an American Expert had predicted a future of “famines, epidemics and martial law”.

 

 Another one commented on our Prime Minister’s hope for the future economic future of our paradise island: “We have managed to turn things around, even though we don’t have huge natural resources. Gross domestic product grew 6.3 per cent last year and in 2008 we are expecting 7 per cent.”  I share this sentiment and vision.

 

 

Everyone I spoke to was full of praise for he efforts and support by Dev Fowdar and Family in helping BSMS to mark the 40th Mauritian Independence Day with such an event and at the same time to raise substantial fund for BSMS and the Day Care Centre, Ramalingar Illam, in Mauritius.

Mauritius has managed to maintain a free and stable democracy. The Mauritian Leader explains the country’s long tradition of political freedom is “ingrained in our culture – an open society, a free people are used to going to the ballot box and deciding whom they want to govern”. The strong constitution of Mauritius with its protection of human rights has also played an important part in the democratic process, stated Dr. Ramgoolam. “However, fair distribution of wealth - preventing the rich from getting richer and the poor from getting poorer - the strict observance of human rights, protection of freedom of the individual and restraining police brutality, and equal opportunities for all, are major challenges that democratic Mauritius has to face,” observed Mauritius News editor with whom we fully agree (March).