To be a patriot one must first be a human being, but are we?
It is not by hazard or coincidence that an individual is born in a country – such is my realisation. The country of our birth is that part of the earthly university where our education for life is supposed to take place. Man has a very strong emotional bond with his motherland.
A country in itself is nothing. What is really important is the society or the nation that is born and evolves. A patriot is an individual who brings his contribution to the development of a sane, harmonious and prosperous society. And that can be done when everyone works hand in hand without being fanatical, selfish and corrupt; one should be responsible, intelligent, loving and enthusiastic and live in unity with one’s fellow countrymen. Only then a nation is born and marches towards its ultimate destination, that of being a base for the flourishing of human consciousness.
But I am afraid our beloved country, our paradise-like island is far from being like that. Even after forty two years of independence, we are not yet a nation! I don’t find it strange because the patriot is yet to be born. There are mostly fanatics, fundamentalists, carbon copies, robots, blind believers and people who are more attached to the country from where their culture, religion and prophet came, than their own motherland.
To be a patriot one must first be a human being, but are we? We consider ourselves as Hindus, Muslims, Christians amongst others and these are but prisms through which we see life. Looking through a prism, our perception is bound to be wrong – how then can we be human beings? Human, yes, but not ‘being’, which is a flowering of the heart and an expansion of consciousness.
We say Mauritius is a pays arc-en-ciel. It is indeed, but behind the arc-en-ciel, is hidden the spectre of racism, fanaticism, wastage, corruption, vandalism, a big gap between rich and poor people, and other ills. A nation is born when there is unity because unity is power and intelligence. Alone, power corrupts, but coupled with intelligence (not mere knowledge), it is a blessing. Mauritius can indeed become a paradise, a model for the whole world and an example of unity in diversity. But for that, we should start by becoming human beings, instead of being identified to our religion and culture because that will make us biased, fanatical and give us a false perception of life.
Patriotism is not only about going to Champ de Mars or Gymkhana on the 12th of March, waving the national flag or even singing the national anthem. All these no doubt touch our hearts. What we need foremost are responsible, intelligent, loving and creative individuals. Nothing else will help build a Mauritian nation. Therefore stop shouting and exhibiting mere slogans.
We are a small country with nearly no natural resources. Our force should be our people. However, if there is a tug of war for power, cultural centres, personal gains, wealth and fanaticism, then we will fall. Division is the main weakness of the human mind. In fact, all forms of misery and evil are born from it. United, we shall always stand; divided, we will always fall. But one wonders whether there will ever be unity in this country so long as petty-minded politicians and their ambitious collaborators are around.
Let our youngsters stand up and proclaim their humanness, not their religion. Let them say no to division, fanaticism, corruption and drugs, and yes to unity, hard work, respect, education and harmony. That is the way to progress, both material and spiritual.
Blessed be our Motherland!
Blessed be Her people.
