Who really can deny that it feels good to live in this ‘plaisir’ country ? Last week witnessed the launching of two main events namely Confluences and the Senior Citizens hostel in the north. Serious doubts may be cast at the value of organizing such an event at the expense of the already too shorn taxpayer particularly when the quality of the foreigners invited to attend are far from what other international meetings manage to get. The programme of Confluences shows that this is more a forum for some people to peddle their bookish wares than to bring the country artists of great repute and who have made a difference to the performing arts. If a cost analysis is conducted about Confluences, we will find that we have all been conned. I am alive to the certainty that the hangers- on of Confluences will launch a vitriolic attack upon me for being uncouth, a semi-intellectual and a philistine. But what has been published about the excesses of Confluences must be a wake-up call for the Prime Minister in whose name and from whose office such largesses are being made. Too much is on public record about this gathering of non-luminaries without there being a thorough audit and a cost/benefit analysis.

Something extremely satisfying also happened. Indeed nothing is more pleasurable than the thought that the present generation is showing gratitude to the previous one for all the efforts and sacrifices they endured to make this generation’s life easier. It has been said that one judges the benevolence of a society by the manner in which it treats its elderly. A new facility for the elderly is fantastic.

There is, however, a matter of concern about who gets to enjoy these facilities. An honest audit will show that every time a Senior Citizen’s Association (SCA) from the constituency of the minister responsible for the elderly requests the grant of the facility, the application is favourably processed. This is not, however, the lot of those SCA which are located in other constituencies. This is a clear example of how there is differential treatment among the same categories of Mauritians. Oh, but I forget. There is a Commission for Equality of Opportunity. Surely all these aggrieved SCAs can seek the intervention of this pompously named Commission whose primary responsibility is to put an end to disparities in treatment. It would be interesting to see what action would be taken by the Commission should there be an approach made to it.

But, sorry, I forget again. Recent events indicate that the SCAs do not have and cannot expect to have any hope of being treated equally by the Equality Commission which has developed a fondness for Communiques. All problems which are or will be brought to its attention are very likely to be sorted out by the drafting of an elaborate Communique by the ‘targeted party’.

In such circumstances, the SCAs must all have an address in Constituency no 16. This will open the doors to the facilities intended for the seniors. If they wish to be luckier, then they must declare that they always will be dressed and decked up in red. Far from seeing red, all doors will open. The elderly deserve better. It is our duty to treat them fairly whatever they choose to wear.