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Aimée’s tirade of insults against the church

1 mars 2013, 00:00

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Whether Mr Her - vé Aimée is really being “ persécuté” by the Church or is it just a figment of his imagination is something I cannot properly assess. But, it is plain that the language and tone used by the Minister in his accusation against the Church is very cheap, if not revoltingly insulting. A psychologist may, perhaps, diagnose that the burst of verbal abuse against the Agaleans and the tirade of insults against the Church are but the normal reactions born from the subconscious self- acknowledgement of guilt.

Mr Aimée is someone who knows the outer islands, including Agalega, very well. He was the Chairman of the Outer Islands Development Cor- poration ( OIDC) in 1995, then again in 2005. After becoming a MP ( thanks to the BLS following the untimely passing away of James Burty David), he was nominated Minister for the Outer Islands. Therefore, he is very knowledgeable about the plights and difficulties of the Agaleans. He knows, for instance, how, ( at the most) three months after each of the two trips – one in February, the other in November) of the ship from Mauritius, most of the essential foods ( milk, butter, flour, canned foodstuffs, soft drinks, etc) sold to the inhabitants have their « dates de consommation » expired, or become spoiled and are un-consumable. Or, get simply exhausted. The five months in between, these « îlois » have to rely on their seas ( fortunately, generous!) to feed themselves.

What’s wrong if they, therefore, plead for improvement in the ship’s accosting facilities ( up to now port/ harbour is non- existent in Agalega) to enable more frequent sea- trips ( therefore, more frequent availability of these foods) or for a proper air- strip to allow the landings of the smallest of Air Mauritius planes to bring them the essentials? Mr Aimée also knows how the Agaleans are treated as second/ third- class citizens by the OIDC and the Government – after all, they represent only some 150 votes! How they are deprived of their Constitutional Right to Freedom – freedom to choose their work or employment ( there is only one employer – either one works for him or is jobless and, if jobless, an Agalean born in Agalega is denied residence in Agalega) freedom to choose the type of education they want for their children freedom to eat what they want freedom to dress as they want freedom of movement on the Islands of their birthplace freedom to own a piece of land they can call their own on an island they were born and where they will probably die.

In 2006, the then Chairman of OIDC Hervé Aimée declared to « Le Quotidien » of Reunion: “ Jamais le foncier agaléen ne sera à vendre. Though the request that they become owners of their houses may be considered in the future”, he continued. “ Mais pas de la terre sur laquelle elle ( la maison) est bâtie!”) freedom to aspire to anything, to nurture any ambition for themselves or for their children freedom to take any individual initiative. The will, the drive of the Agaleans is deliberately stifled. They are, instead, driven to become “ un peuple assisté”, the better to despise them and contemptuously treat them as a spoon- fed « peuple » . In short, after decades of the abolition of slavery, the Republic of Mauritius has a portion of its citizens living ( at the best) in semi- slavery! Not satisfied with his performance in Agalega, Mr Aimée has, at a later Press Conference, expressed his disapproval of the Agalean’s « penchant pour la bouteille » . But, he knows very well that, apart from some untutored « batte-boule » and occasional evenings’ singing of the sega to the accompaniment of some outdated musical instruments, the Agalean is provided no sport or leisure facilities by Mr Aimée’s government. And still, the Minister has the « toupet » to blame the poor soul for finding solace in the bottle! According to Mr Aimée, drug ( presumably « gandia » ) is being sent to Mauritius via “ conteneurs de poissons”. Unless things have evolved tremendously during this last decade and this faraway island is doted with cold- room facilities and the vessel to and from there is equipped with refrigerated containers, there is no fish exported to Mauritius in containers []...]