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Tamils - a
Nation without a State
Mauritius - மொரிஷியஸ்
- an estimated 100,000 Tamils live in
Mauritius -
Contributed
by a Tamil from Mauritius, February 2000
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Mauritian Tamils are around
10 % of the total population of 1.2
million.
Tamils in Mauritius believe
that Tamil is a religion, Muruga is the Tamil god
and Cavadee is a Tamil festival. For us Hindus
are a people from the North of India and Tamils
are from the South of India.Tamils
in
Mauritius mainly
come from Tamil
Nadu.
Tamil festivals in
Mauritius are the Cavadee,
Tamizh
Poottaandou (New
Year) in
April, Teemeedhi, and
Thai Pongal.
Constitutionally, Tamils
are categorised
as Hindus.
But
most Tamils are
for Tamil as a separate indentity. They have been
struggling for this for almost 30 years. This
movement is being lead by the Mauritius Tamil
Council under the leadership of Devarajen
Kanakasabee.
Last year we
succeeded in preventing the falsification of
history by protesting against
the changing of Tamil rank on bank notes.
It should be noted
that although the Islamic,Chinese,
African people have their cultural
centres, the
Tamil request for a "Tamil Cultural
Centre" was not
accepted.
The
view was
expressed that to
do so would divide the Hindu community. It is
reported that India is against the propagation of
Tamil as a separate culture - they say that it is
Indian culture.
Regarding languages, it
should be noted that only 20% percent of Tamils
speak the language. We have a very bad exposure
to Tamil. Some teachers do hold evening classes
without charge. But recruitment of Tamil
teachers is very low. Of a total of 200 primary
schools, only 100 teach Tamil and the situation
is worse in secondary schools. Since 1983 there
has always been a Tamil as the Minister of
Education. Unfortunately Tamil literacy has
fallen from 60% to 20%. The Ministers have been
helping more in the propagation of koils in order
to consolidate the Hindu religion. Regarding
television, of a total of 3 channels of 24 hours
per day, we only have a total of 10 hours per
week. Television is government owned.
Since 1727, Tamils have
constructed almost 125 koils. In earlier times,
prayers were being done in Tamil. After the
arrival of Brahmin priests from India, most
prayers were done in Sanskrit. However, more
recently, after the arrival of a Brahmin priest
from Tamil Eelam, thiruppugazh and thevarams were
taught in Tamil and archagar courses in both
Tamil and Sanskrit were conducted by
him.
On 21st January 2000, on the
auspicious day of Thaipoosum Cavadee which is a
public holiday in Mauritius, the Mauritian police
conducted an operation against a fugitive of the
name of Dharmarajen Sabapathee also known as
Rajen. He was killed in suspicious circumstances.
Tamils in Mauritius were upset that such an
operation was carried out on Cavadee day, which
is very significant religious day for Mauritian
Tamils. A Truth Committee was set up under the
Chairmanship of Rama Valayden, an eminent lawyer
and D. Kanaksabee as the secretary, in order to
find the true cause of the killing. Rajen's
funeral attracted almost 50,000 people mostly
Tamilians.
Following refusal from the
police for organising a public meeting, the Truth
Commitee conducted a huge prayer "caroomadee"
attended by almost 8,000. Rajen's death has
awakened the consciousness of the Tamils and they
are creating a Tamil Eelam Support Commitee under
the coordination of Thaygaren
Ramaswamy.
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