Despite its beauty, Mauritius honours its painful history of slavery annually on Abolition Day
As I dived into an ambitious itinerary on my fourth visit to Mauritius, checking into the breathtaking island's luxury hotels, savouring world-class gastronomy, and admiring its storied landscapes, beaches, lagoons and reefs, I also had a rare chance this time to reflect on the country's early beginnings, marked by suffering and social upheaval.
In fact, it is impossible to understand Mauritian history, dominated by the Arabs, Dutch, English and French, without delving into its past of slavery. Located on the east coast of Africa, 702 miles east of Madagascar, the island traces its provenance to its discovery by Arabs and Malays in 1507.
The Portuguese arrived in 1510, bestowing upon it the moniker 'Cirné'. By 1598, the Dutch wrested control of the island, renaming it 'Maurice' after their head of state, the Prince of Orange and Count of Nassau.
Mauritius' magnetic draw among rapacious foreign invaders was hardly surprising, given its plentiful natural resources and breathtaking beauty. No wonder Mark Twain famously said that Mauritius was "created first and then Heaven copied after it!" However, slave trading marked its ugly presence on the island in the 1640s when the Dutch ushered in the first lot of slaves.
Between the 16th and 19th centuries, some 27 million Africans were forced onto ships and transported across the Atlantic to work on lush Mauritian sugarcane fields. By the 17th century, the country was teeming with slaves from Madagascar, Africa, India and Java, who worked in Dickensian conditions, abused and exploited.
However, after centuries of slavery and international resistance, in 1834, the British Empire proclaimed the abolition of the slave trade following the passage of the Slavery Abolition Act in 1833. On 1st February 1835, Mauritius was declared free of slavery. Planters were compensated with two million pounds for their slave loss, and eventually, Mauritius gained independence in 1968.
To commemorate the abolition of slavery, celebrated as 'Abolition Day', the island nation organises a series of activities each year. This year, which marked the 190th anniversary of the practice, was both a poignant and joyous occasion, as dignitaries acknowledged the island's fraught past and the sacrifices made by its people.
At the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Le Morne Brabant, a towering mountain serving as a powerful symbol of the struggle against slavery and the enduring impact of this dark period on the island's societies, I watched a moving wreath-laying ceremony conducted by Mauritian Prime Minister Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam, attended by international delegates, celebrities and global media.
In his address, Dr Ramgoolam highlighted the significance of honouring the abolition of slavery, emphasising the need to remember history, promote social justice and strengthen national unity. "This commemoration is not just about remembering our history; it is a call to action to ensure that the values of freedom, dignity, solidarity and justice continue to guide our nation," he said. The island's legacy of slavery and its lasting impact, he added, remained one of the most painful chapters of history.
At Aapravasi Ghat, another UNESCO Heritage Site and an immigration depot in Port Louis, where thousands of Indian slaves landed in the nineteenth century, another poignant celebration took place. A symbol of Indo-Mauritian ties, the depot includes a rice store, a military hospital complex, a civil hospital and a museum. It also records Mahatma Gandhi's work on the abolition of slavery and his visit to Mauritius in 1901 on his way back to India from South Africa.
The ceremony at Aapravasi Ghat was marked by the presence of international dignitaries, top ministers, renowned human rights advocates, activists and international media. This offered me a deep dive into Mauritius' fraught past and what shapes it today.
Next, I attended a thought-provoking conference, Routes of Enslaved Peoples: Resistance, Liberty and Heritage Project, which acknowledged the commemoration of 190 years of slavery in Mauritius. Premised on the theme Resistance, Liberty, Heritage in the Western Indian Ocean, it was held at the University of Mauritius in Réduit, the island's first university. International delegates and authors listened in rapt attention to Mauritian President Dharambeer Gohul, who shared that the occasion "marks a pivotal moment in our ongoing journey to understand, reconcile and learn from shared histories of slavery and its enduring legacy".
At the Pamplemousses Slave Heritage Trail, another heritage site, descendants of indentured slaves gathered to pay tribute to their ancestors. Stephan Karghoo, Director at the Nelson Mandela Centre for African Culture in Mauritius, noted that Abolition Day celebrates the nation's ancestors in the most meaningful way.
THE HEARTFELT HONOUR
With several misty eyes among the assembled guests, the event also served as a catharsis for the descendants of slaves, whose ancestors played a pivotal role in Mauritius' nation-building. As I mingled with them, listening to their forefathers' tales of remarkable fortitude, I could not help but be moved by the fact that many of them today occupy positions of power as ministers and top bureaucrats, a development only an inclusive nation like Mauritius could have fostered. Populated by Indians, Creoles, Africans and Dutch, the country today resembles a colourful mosaic of nationalities, forming a progressive nation.
