There is a very interesting discussion going on on Eddy Young’s blog on the meaning of being Mauritian.
My opinion is it’s only through more mixed marriages that problems like ‘communalisme’ will one day be solved…
(Photo courtesy of Helen Morgan)
What does it mean to be Mauritian?
Maybe it can get worst!! lol
an unsuccessful miXed marriages might become an exemple for others..
For a mixed marriage to work i believe there must be acceptance of the other religion by not just the partners but the relatives as well.. also i think there must be the will for the partners to participate in each other beliefs and ceremonies..
and when some problems crop up.. we should be practical and try to find so and so reasons relatining everthing to religion…
MiXed marriages is more and more common these days since young people don’t really get into that communalist crap.. ( thats y many is not really interested in politics lol :p)
ps: maybe we could get some wise thoughts from you, being part of a successful mixed married life!! was it difficult?
Yep! Christina and I are very happy. The kids are fine. And our respective families really like each other. I don’t know if this is a common situation or it’s exceptional.
What I know is that Christina and I are both intelligent (ahem!) and strong enough to do things as we think is best for us.
Basically, you need to have a brain and some muscle to do things properly… including a mixed marriage :-)
my big bro has had a mixed marriage..
well from wht i could c..sometimes the mixed marriage work better..
its all abt the families..acceptance..and well love between the couple..
it true that nowadays mixed marriages are pretty common bt there still are some narrow minded ppl who find it wrong (like one of my ex’s father !!! :()
besides..we r all mauritians first..or so i tend to think..then mixed marriages have to b something common..
anyways..
we have some living example..in the persone of Mrs and Mrs Meetoo..and my Big bro and sis in law..
(is is a fact that kids from a mixed marriage are smewht cuter than the others???)
@vicks: The most important ingredient to any successful marriage is willingness to accept each other’s choice, including the choice not to participate in said ceremonies.
Mixed marriages work better if the families of the couple get along together, but generally in any marriage, it is best if the two families avoided each other :-)
I think Eddy is quite right, sometimes it does help when the 2 families don’t mix too much. I think Avinash has an interesting point when he says mixed marriages help solve ‘communalisme’, however it does not apply in all mixed marriage situations, and it is not the ‘only’ solution.
Education is a tool that can teach the coming generations to respect each other’s cultures and to live in harmony with each other. The media, through manipulated representations and through audience segmentation, is instigating communalism. It should rather be used to lessen & dampen it, more culturally mixed programs on TV will be a very good start and also I seriously think religion should not be mixed with media. Religion has its own channels to reach its audience (temples, shows, celebrations etc..)
I am all for mixed marriage, but in several cases, I have seen the children being a bit lost when they have to decide on the religion to follow and more importantly the values and traditions to adopt. Mixed marriages tend to dilute the significance of particular cultures and traditions and the children end up adopting a ‘bastardised’ culture, as they do not really know the real meaning behind the values they follow… One could argue this ‘bastardised’ culture is ‘contemporary’ culture but I think it is more like the effects cultural imperialism and globalisation, whereby we become what we consume.
@ Eddy :
i dnt totally agree..well as from wht i’ve seen, my sister in law participates actively in hindu ceremonies..and my brother as well participates actively in christian ceremonies..there kids follow catechism classes..and on saturdays follow hindi classes..since the school does provide it..
hmm i dunno if its exceptional..or if its usually wht happens..bt both families usually have some get togethers..we get along very well..even they do attend some religious ceremonies at home..and so do we for them..
till now it hasnt been a problem
when my brother got married, there was a hindu wedding ceremony..the priest translated the whole ceremony in french (well the wedding took a bit more time) and also there was father souchon to give the blessings..
this was the first time there was both a hindu and christian priest in the same ceremony..
so it is just a question of accepting the each other..
need to say..my family is close with my elder sis in laws family..rather than my other sis in laws family..
Eddy:
“generally in any marriage, it is best if the two families avoid each other”
Agree with you on that but for in case of mixed marriages its better and i believe a must to have interaction between the families.
ACCEPTANCE AND EDUCATION IS A ESSENTIAL to fight against the communalist problem..
and i believe religion shouldn’t be put in any official documents.. like y bother putting the religion of parents on birth certificates?
Hi
I’d like to shed another side of all these positive things about mixed marriages and apologies if I might sound blunt.
1. What happens when you marry a muslim in Mauritius? You convert to islam, no questions asked whether you’re the man or the woman. Exceptions are very very rare.
2. Children borne out of hindu/christian/muslim marriages will always follow the christian/muslim religion. To begin with it has lots of advantages like getting a place in confessional schools, the priest will subtly encourage the christian parent to have the child baptised or the child won’t get past Saint Pierre when going to heaven. And last but not the least, thanks to incompetent pandits, the dressing and participating in hindu ceremonies are considered “gopia” and outdated, very different from dressing up and going to the mass.
3. Hindus in Mauritius are embarassed of their religion so they have no qualms in converting to another religion. I have seen people who never set foot in a mandir for their whole life suddenly going to prayers every day after their conversion.
4. There’s a very big difference in leading a religious life and leading a moral life.
5. Finally, marriage is an outdated institution. Or rather its like extreme sports, you know its dangerous but you want to dive into it just for the kick of it.
Again, sorry if I have been blunt but I have the impression everybody looks at these situations with rosy glasses only.
I have to tell you that you sound blunt Raj :-)
I don’t know about (1) except that Christina’s mother who was Muslim converted to Catholicism when she married a Chinese.
As for (2), my kids will choose by themselves what to follow when they are 18. But then, Christina and I are both atheists (i.e. we value culture but not religion…) so things might understandably be easier.
I am not sure about (3). I would have thought that conversions (from any religion to any other) were rather rare in Mauritius.
If religious life is only going to church regularly then I agree with (4). But I would tend to think that for most persons, religious life = spiritual life = moral life.
Marriage may be outdated (in fact, in France, there are more unmarried couples than married ones) but as we don’t have the equivalent of PACS here in Mauritius, we don’t really have a choice, do we?
By the way, I would not like this discussion to become a pro-X / anti-Y thing. Let’s all be intelligent. Or else, I’ll use my electronic scissors!
AAAAAA some spice
@ Raj
idon’t want to be rude but i really don’t agree with ur perceptions of religion. my reactions to ur points!
1. i also Know several exceptions
2. If some1 decides to follow something only to benefit from advantages.. this gives us an idea of how narrow minded he/she is.
3. personally i can’t see how clothes and prayers come in here?? if we wear jeans and tshirt do you mean that we can’t enter a mandir or church.. am quite religious myself, and clothes no matter watever you wear to pray as long as ur heart is clean, its fine!! Do you think going to mandir or any other religious place makes a more religious than others?? You don’t become religious only by going to prayers.. etc. personally i’ve know lots of people complaining when it comes to fasting.. going to late prayers etc.. if you
don’t want to do something.. simply don’t do it!! well i won’t start a lecture about religion here.. but some people sadly have wrong perception of religion in Mauritius
4. can’t see the difference.. maybe some1 can enlight me! all religions teaches the same basic things, its just the name we give to them that is different!! Get ahold of the teachings and don’t fight a useless battle of names!!
BY the way if we put our Nationality first then religion!! Mauritius will be a nicer place
Well, I think that usually people who don’t believe in mixed marriages are in fact “afraid” of it.
Perhaps it’s because they never witnessed one or seen the isolated cases of divorce (etc) and attributed it to cultural differences.
Well, as it has been said above, the couple should be intelligent enough not to bring their culture to clash for whatever reason
Also we need lots of courage and guts to go for it considering that people are less inclined to marry at the first place!
My parents are from different cultures… so are most of my uncles and aunts. I have SOOOO many (i lost count! :)) friends and friend’s siblings in similar situations…
and believe me, NOT a single case of divorce or any sort of break up! and they are all happy!
@ Raj: I really don’t see why I can’t wear the “rosy glasses”… coz I believe in what I see!
Aller Maurice!! :p
Totally agree with Vicks..
we r all firstly Mauritians and then hindu, muslim, or christian..etc..
we should b more unified as a nation..pas nek kan ena jeux des iles..ou ene lot truc du genre ki nou pou dire nou moricien..nek dire ou penser ki nou moricien pas assez..nou bizin oci vive kouma moricien..
En passant..sa post la ti lor, wht does it mean to be mauritian?
o lieux nou gagne ene discussion lor religion ou ban truc ki passe apres..
kifer nou pas guette imper ban zaffaire ki nou ena ek ki ban lezot pena??
Hi
I don’t also want this discussion to be pro-X/anti-Y so I won’t comment any further so I’ll spare you the need for electronic scissors.
As regards to my point 5, society has evolved as follows:
1. Tribe
2. Extended family
3. Nuclear family
4. Couple
5. Individual
….
At which stage you want to be at is I believe a personal choice and shouldn’t be judged by anybody.
@ Raj:
I fink ur a bit biased mate :
2. Dressing up for religious ceremonies is definitely not mandatory as far as i kno! i’ve bin attendin several puja’s wearin jeans n a T without any obection raised! the way u dress is part of ur culture, not religion. I think that its very important to make this distinction! N if u fink that dressin up for hindu ceremonies is considered “gopia”, then imho i think ur wrong. From experience i can say that gurls find guyz really cute in kurtas or sherwanis, u shud hang out at UOM on the day of Divali Show, i’m sure u’ll b surprised ;)
3. Its wrong to say that hindus r embarassed about their religion! Or r u talking bout the Indian culture here? not the same fing mate!! I myself consider myself spiritual rather then religious, i do not blindly follow rituals, or at least try to find the scientific meaning behind them! Some of them are of course due to superstitions, but then all religions contain a fair amount of it! As far as i’m concerned there’s nufin 2 b embarassed about!
>
i have also witnessed this but maybe its simply because they willingly chose the religion they converted to and hence have a greater affinity to it. Nothing dark and sinister about it lol, ppl shud b free to follow wateva religion they want!
4. I can’t see the difference either! different cultures have different moral values! Wats rite for 1 culture could b akin to blasphemy for another one…thats a pity really, i’d luv to have 7 wives lol!
@ Avinaash:
i think that mixed marriages would definitely be a solution to racism! i mean it wud b hard to hate the religion the 1 u luv is followin…
but i dun think we shud consciously try to find sum1 of a different religion just for the sake of havin a mixed marriage! Its hard enuf findin the perfect marriage material without involvin religion in it!!
i am a hindu and over the years i’ve gone out with loads of gurls, yet only 2 of em were hindu n i’m not even talking bout caste here! so following this trend, the probability of my finding a hindu gurl of the rite caste to marry is rather small lol ( barring an arranged marriage of course which is even less likely)
i fink that for any relationship to work u shud respect ur partner, her thoughts, her beliefs, and that includes her religion…if two ppl r happi together then the relationship is bound to work, wateva their respective religion…as for kids, well, imho, it think that they shud have a taste of both religions and then make their own choice when they are adults…and the way fings are going, i think it is far more likely that the real choice wud be between following any religion at all or being an atheist!!
Everybody puts religion first, then Nationality. It applies everywhere: even in France, the US, in Arab nations too.
I do too with pride.
If I’m Mauritian like all of you, that’s good. But if I hear of one wanting to rid this world of hatred or communalism, he should be joking. Period.
One more thing: I agree with Raj(2). If one wants to know why many people convert to Islam after marriage, well…that tells you Avinash about one very important thing.
I also welcome your decision in letting your kids make a choice about which religion to follow at 18. Hope they are as ‘intelligent’ as you are when the time comes…
I think there is a major misconception in Mauritius (and other countries as well) about Culture & Religion
Religion is a system of faith/belief & worship of a controlling power, which is usually superhuman. So the religions in Mauritius are divided into Hindu, Christian, Catholic, Buddhist etc…
Culture is formed up of the knowledge we acquire as we grow up in a certain social group. Our attitude, behavior, customs, philosophy, lifestyle, & tradition all make up our culture. When we are born and raised in Mauritius, we are all the products of the Mauritian Culture. Some of us adopt a more ‘sophisticated culture’ while others prefer a ‘practical culture’ and there’s even a bunch who mix their religion and their culture to get ‘religious culture’.
However, it is indisputable that both religion and culture affect each other with different degrees of influence. How much religion affects culture, or vice versa, is actually down to the person concerned. It is subjective.
If people really want to put religion in front and say it is the way of life, then we should essentially be living within the real rules & regulations of religion, which date back to the creation of each respective religion. We should forgo modernity, science & technology to live in the same conditions that those people lived in when religions were invented.
When religion was invented, it only took into consideration the material things, the history & culture that existed then. It did not make itself adaptable to the changes that would occur with the several scientific discoveries, cultural revolutions & industrial revolutions that came later. Therefore, religion is not something that we can adapt to the way we progress. Religion is written in a book and has specific laws and regulations which we cannot change. If we could change those, then we would essentially be creating new religions.
I believe that religion is actually derived from the cultures that existed in those early days, and it came about so as to put strict rules & regulations in order to create a system for people to live ‘by’. I personally think religion was invented for some people to have control over others, and maybe it was also invented to try and keep peace, but the result is that it created more wars and divisions. I also think that the best way to make people follow something, which is not natural, is to make them fear it. So, by using deities, demons combined with supernatural & superhuman behaviors, the various religions have managed to establish a fear in people and consequently pushed them to respect their religion, as if they did not abide by the rules & regulations, they would be punished or sent to hell, etc…
Anyway, religion affects the conscience of the one who believes in it. Culture is enough for someone to assess what is good or bad, but culture is very diverse and it is adaptable with other aspects of life (technology, science, lifestyle etc..). Therefore the degrees of goodness and badness vary across different cultures and across different eras. Religion on the other hand is written in a book, it is like the legal system of a country is contained in a book, therefore, it is easier to use religion to tell someone they are being good or bad, as there is always the book to prove it.
Marriage is mainly part of culture, and religion actually only occupies a small role during the ceremony (the prayers/odes uttered by a ‘man of god’ during the wedding ceremony). After that, marriage is about & between a wife and husband. Religion has no role then, but culture, society and the legal system are the watchdogs of the marriage.
Anyway, I personally think religion has become obsolete, it has no real use anymore. The legal system & politics are doing the same job as religion did years ago. I think religion can only bring moral support for some people; it does not in any way prevent people from doing bad things and it is not influence people to do good deeds. It is just there because some people are comfortable with it and it has been there for so long now that it has become like a routine.
Shaan, I think you are spot on (and I am awarding you a Noulakaz d’Or for contributing the longest comment ever :-) )
I too think that religion is man-made and it has been mostly replaced now by politics and money. Culture is completely orthogonal (i.e. it is perfectly possible for someone to be very religious but to have zero culture i.e. batte femme, ene gros-feuille, etc.)
Nevertheless, things are moving in the right direction. The new generation has the potential to bring a lot of change to Maurtian society…
So much discussion… not one answer to the question :P
Being British used to be about the stiff upper lip, bowler hats and civil servants. Now being British is about how much curry & beer you can consume at one sitting while bitching about our useless sports teams. I am British, I am proud of my ability to abuse the English national football team and now the cricket team.
Nationality is something that is defined by the individual, but we should remember despite our religious and cultural beliefs, we have more in common that we think we do. For me being Mauritian is about talking very loudly, great food and even better beer… all while watching the English Premier League ;) You can have your religion and culture, or lack of, but we all make a contribution to this country.
Despite whatever you are fed by the media (the newspapers here do like to bang on about how we are just moments away from killing each other because of religion) and religious extremists, I think we all get along pretty well here. Maybe you guys are a little bored what with the long holiday you get here, so you are all moaning about communalism and identity. If you want to see real hate and racism, I’m sure I could introduce you to a few British National Party members.
Now go eat some dhal puri, drink lots of Phoenix and go stare at the pretty girls for a while. Maybe then you will find the true meaning of being Mauritian. Feel free to substitute dhal puri with mine apollo. No Black Eagle, you’ll all be running around with Indian flags then!
On a more important note, something all Mauritians can discuss. What do people think of the quality of Phoenix beer this holiday period? I have switched to Blue Marlin which is much nicer. Phoenix has really worsened over the years.
Remember MSG is your best friend and life’s too short…
For inter-communal marriages to work, you must have a been brought up with the culture that religion is not the most important thing in life! Education is the key but unfortunately education is a political weapon rather a fundamental right in our country!
About being mauritian, it is to have an ability to continuously gossip and complain without doing anything to change it!!! :)
Avinash, it seems you’ve reached a record in word count with this heated discussion!! ;)
Ok guys, reality check: welcome to 2007!!! We eat the same food, we breathe the same air and have the same sun over our heads…
Now, let’s talk about what we share in common rather than how different we are (or think we are…), shall we? :)
We are not Mauritians!
We are spirit souls!
The souls are covered with organic matter,which will be destroyed at death.Organic matter is the same all over the world….
You may now be “Mauritian” and in next life,born in Africa!
So why all ignorance about simple Truths?
why be proud about being white,British,Mauritian…when all is finished at death?
Better concentrate on acquiring knowledge,which can free us from this material world,and go to the spiritual world,wher matter is absent!
Black people complain about their status here,but most probably,they were white in past life???And paying for their offenses against blacks…
http://asitis.com for more
Roland, nationalism in small doses does no harm at all. I’m not advocating a Milosevic-style nationalism that was seen in the ex-Yugoslavia, but there’s nothing wrong in being proud of our shared culture and looking forward to the future of the country we live in.
As for your comments on black people… well I have to say I disagree. I happen to know many blacks who are achieving success here and abroad. To somehow justify the injustices that some are suffering by linking it to reincarnation seems a tad harsh. Of course if you can back this up with fact, I might change my opinion.
Jane, I acquired my Mauritian citizenship through my parents, so I’m not competent at gossiping yet (I wasn’t born with this god-given skill). Fortunately, there is no test for those applying for Mauritian citizenship otherwise I would have failed the gossiping and complaining section!
Maybe if people want to define the Mauritian nationality, have a think about the questions that would be in a citizenship test similar to this for the UK, http://www.lifeintheuktest.gov.uk/index.html
Nice site! Big thanx to webmaster! :)
Mixed marriages are ok
but see overseas its horrible
where there are no fault divorces mauritian form a big number in xtra marital affairs adultery and if caught divorce
all they do is inflate womens ego by saying yr partner doesnt care for u
u hv better rights
alongwith financial freedom they get rights and screw up
I don’t really understand what you are trying to say…
Bhai Avinash
some stark realities abroad are mauritians are among a leading tribe where ladies swap their hubbies or lovers for someone else
there is no law that can prevent this and in many cases they just shift from their family home to their lovers place …all under just one pretext legally My husband used to abuse me
thats it for the hubby…..
then they come home or ganga talao and wash their sins….simple aint that
Maybe :-)
mariaze outdated, mai ou promote kultire? mo pa compran paradoxicalment ou p cozer. hey ou la – astere ou pou rode legalise prostitution tou la. chaos pou ena.
mo dacor ar mariaz mix mai pa avec mariaz outdated.
laisse zote vive dan la decanadance mo vive bien dan mo passer do.
In some countries, statistics show that unmarried couples are more prevalent than married couples. And I don’t think that those countries can be classified as utterly immoral or whatever. This is the case in France where the PACS has changed a lot of things. I wrote above that this isn’t possible in Mauritius because of the absence of something like PACS.
As for marriage being outdated, I personally do not think so. Remember, I’m married :-)
Hello there!
I happened to get on this post and got pretty much interested on the topic. I always felt great when I looked at my friends’ group where we all mingled very well no matter what community or religion. I believe younger generations pay less attention to these things but it’s more older ones that kind of try to influence their beliefs on us.
And concerning mixed marriage I really believe it could remedy to the problem of racism here – provided both families are willing to accept each others’ cultures. Anyway I’ve always found your marriage as an example and look forward for such success too :P
All the best for the future :-)
Hi ;
Did not have time to read all waht you guys have ben opiniating about the subject, but it is one of the hottest topics in mauritius. I work as an English langauage teacher and many times have had to discuss these with students.secondary ones. my personal opinion is that religion and culture are very important to individuals esp to Mauritians. according to the survey i did about religion in mauritius, people claim to be hindu muslim etc, but they do not know what their religion is actually aout. it is mostly a matter of hearsay.i believe that if you know deeply about your relgion and culture it is very likely that you will tend to accept it rather than reject it. in order to discuss about marriage i think you sould understand what it really means. but sad to say many of you on this blog are not very sipirtiual…
Well now that I’ve read all what you have posted, I can better give my opinion on the topic. Btw I totally agree with Raj. I’ve seen many people who have never been to any puja but as soon as they got converted in “missionâ€, they now attend mass thrice a week! Now how do you call that? I totally disagree that mixed marriages are the solution to end communalism. I do not particularly promote mixed marriages. I would not want to marry someone who follows a different religion from mine. Why? Simply that I know, understand and value my own religion. Somebody was talking about traditional dress etc.
Most Mauritians have read about their ancestors in History books. If you read it well you will understand how these people had to fight, die for the sake of their religion, language and traditions. It has been a long battle and now when they have succeeded in safeguarding their culture etc from invasion what you are saying is that the new generation should rebel against them? Hello! only fools will do that, only those who do not understand what their religion is about will try to change their religions and get influenced. Basically all religions are same. They teach the same thing but in different ways. I ask you this question how can you explain that when you changed religion, you feel better? it only means that your surroundings or you yourself failed to understand your religion .it is not an easy thing. I started learning about my religion when I turned 18, because I did not have parents and grandparents who’d teach me. I learnt the ancestral languages also. Not that because they will advance me somewhere, maybe yes, but I leant them so that I become culturally richer than the others. I see many of you referring to France, England etc means that you are all taking the Eurocentric model and shaping your vies. European culture is different from non European and many Mauritians follow religions that are Eastern. So why don’t you quote eastern countries where your particular religion thrives? Certainly marriage is in decline in Europe, so what? Does it mean that I also reject marriage and say that it is outdated? No marriage has ever been easy, nor any relationships, just because you do not put up efforts you say it is outdated? or it means that you just want an easy life, without commitments or sacrifice.
Rather than going for a mixed marriage or consider change of religion I would advise you to go and understand your own religion first. Somebody said that sister in law follows both traditions and brother too, but according to me, they do not really understand what they are doing. Despite being born in a hindu religion and diligently practicing it, I still feel that there is much to learn to perfect myself and now you tell me you can travel in 2 boats?
Interesting comments Reena.
The point is that I see a massive difference between culture and religion. Religion is supposed to be private. And culture is supposed to be shared. Now, in Mauritius, we’ve been mixing both for years and, consequently, people of different religions tend not to know anything about the culture of others. And this is the source of all the tensions we have in our country.
I sincerely think that one solution is to have more mixed couples. The reason is simple. After one generation, you’ll have more kids who will know about (at least) two different cultures. Of course, the kids will have to decide what religion (if any) to follow when they grow up.
Hi everyone,
the topic started off as ‘ What does it mean to be Mauritian’ and I could notice that gradually, the highlights shifted on religion… well, I then realised that religion IS an essential part of being Mauritian. Not necessarily adopting one and praying regularly (now, defining religion, especially in the Mauritian context is a looooong topic so I’ll skip that), but accepting the fact that a good portion of our population believe in their religion!
I’ll also not disclose my real name or religion so whoever reads this will do so with an open mind, and not come to conclusions that I’m favouring this or condemning that because I am a believer/supporter of my religion (or another!).
I’m in fact an atheist, but was born to Mauritian parents from the same religion.
I’d be a hypocrite if I said I was agnostic. We have the right to believe in what we really want to believe in. I tried saying I was agnostic before to avoid being controversial but realised just as much as I ‘care’ about what others think, they should ‘care’ too and let me voice my opinion! But then again, it was pointless for some to prove that the world was round when everybody were cocksure it was flat!
And the irony of all this is how can I be 100% sure the world is really a globe! Maybe NASA tricked the media who in turn unwillingly tricked us with some pictures to quench our thirst for the truth….lol… a theory, I know, but we’re actually never sure of anything, are we?
I guess death is what we all know will happen someday… but what comes after that? Heaven/hell, reincarnation, the white tunnel, just blank black… maybe even blank white….
Now back to being Mauritian – I won’t agree that mixed marriages is THE solution to ‘Mauritianism’ but possibly a cushion for the hard blows like the communal riots that happened in the past. And yeah, the main purposes for any marriage should be love, compatibility and trust, and not to make Mauritius a better place! I don’t criticize arranged marriages but to me, it’s like choosing a person from a pre-selection of my parents – it is like a limited choice.
All religions in Mauritius are quite diverse and have many things in common too. We just choose to blend in where we can and it works fine.
I agree in some parts with Raj, with Shaan, Reena and with you Avi…
But what I can sense from reading all these posts is that we’re all trying to convey our message from what WE have experienced so far; nothing wrong with that, but has anyone thought if their comments would have been different if they were the other gender? or from another religion?
I guess being Mauritian to me is having as much courtesy towards the scavenger as I have for the suit-wearing director. Fusing our hearts with people from other communities/class, be it in a party while dancing, on the seat of a bus while talking or when ‘rising in love’ (I don’t like to say falling)…
Being Mauritian is knowing our country, the laws, the history, the places of interest, the good things about it, its uniqueness and most of all, looking at the half-filled glass, not the other way round. It’s easy to point fingers and laugh but hard to educate. It’s easy to blame but hard to really understand. It’s easy to be a smart-ass but hard to be Mauritian. Mauritians are not stupid, they just have more culture in them compared to other countries. And the acceptance (which is very very complex to sustain) is what makes us Mauritians unique and in a way, superior to other nationalities. This acceptance is what becomes ‘mentalité morisien’ – often blamed for being narrow minded, which is partially true.
Just like I know, during my existence, there’s no way I can single-handedly ban all the things I despise like fanaticism, war, extremism, etc… the same way, no one can change the Mauritians. They’re like Marmite – u either love em or hate em, but u cannot ignore them. I spent years abroad and I know the sparkle I feel in my heart when I come across a Mauritian – even if in Mauritius I could have tagged that person a ‘gopia’ or whatever…
That’s when my Mauritianism awakened.
And you know the beauty of all this? After eliminating religion as an influence in our way of thinking, if we do the same for patriotism, we’re gonna become real humanists!
Just imagine if aliens invaded the earth – all humans would unite. Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about…. thinking outside the box!
That’s my utopian picture of being a Mauritian!
K
Hi K,
Nice comment. I like: “I guess being Mauritian to me is having as much courtesy towards the scavenger as I have for the suit-wearing director.”
I have to agree. I would love that being courteous and helpful to others was taught a bit more at school.
i was lucky to live in a country with different cultures and it help me perceive the world the way i do..
about mixed marriages… when u fall in love wiz someone of different religions.. its really exciting (..o love..).. even if it doesnt end up in a marriage for any reason.. it is really enriching and it helps u grow..
I am a hindu mauritian female.
I think people should be broader in their thinking instead of describing those who do not share their opinion as narrow minded ect…
If you think that mixed marriage is a good thing and it is working for you or it might work for you then your opinion should be valued and respected just as mine. And I do not believe in mix marriages ; either for myself or my close ones.
I am not intolerant towards others..on the contrary I value all beings and I accept that not everyone should feel the same way nor have the same thoughts.
In my view mix marriages have a place in society be it in any country, but it should not be the norm as the majority of people specially in mauritius practice their respective religions fervently and in such families and among such people mix marriages will not be welcome.
I am a hindu and as such will expect my children to marry within my religion . Being a mother its is my duty to inculcate in my children the values of my heritage and religion and it is also my right to expect my children to follow our tradition.Being a hindu its is my utmost duty as a married woman to uphold my lineage, bear children and parent them in the hindu way of life.Would this have been possible if I had a mix marriage, no.
Tolerance in any shape or form should not be imposed but rather practised. Instead of proclaiming to be soldiers of diversity and tolerance and then shouting slogans ‘ I AM A MAURITIAN FIRST THEN A HINDU, CHRISTIAN , MUSLIM’…. and pressuring others to feel the same…I would think if you are a tolerant soul…you would start by NOT POINTING FINGERS…at people who do not share your opinions.
Agreed. The whole thing is highly subjective… and somewhat irrational too (at least for my scientific mind because, as far as I know, the DNA structure of people from different religions have the same probability of likeness than two people from the same religion.) I guess culture plays a large part in it too. Now that I am writing this, I am realising that my wife and I, even though we (technically speaking) come from two different religious backgrounds, have the same culture: the Mauritian culture.
Haribol and hare krishna to all participants indiscriminately.
..Well inthe B/Gita Sri Krishna says .to Arjun ….abandon all religions /rituals /rites and come to me, think of me and do everything for me in my name and you will be looked after..
..human race is meant to be the servitorship to the supreme personality of godhead, sri krishna, who is our eternal father . The Gita never once syas there is multiple religions in this material /mortal world. But, instead we are all known as sanatanist under the Sanatan Dharma/ eternal religion.
..We are simply trap eternal soul in the body. Since time immemorial we have been existing with the lord but, because we rebelled we were given the freewill to come to this material world.
ISKCON..international society for krishna consciousness is the examplary of a modern way of living ones life without a denomination or label of any one particular religion. It teaches how all human races with their religoius values can live as oneness as one nation under one big embrella.
There is no muslim , catholic or hindus as these are human classification as per inheritance since we were evolved, a misconception which has always divide the human race.
ISKCON embraces all kind of people from all religion and make them as one eternal religion/SANATAN DHARMA. It is not hindu.muslim or catholic.
SO,stop cathegorising yourselves as a mauritian ,and come out from this darkness that you are amar , akbar or anthony. If you really want ot know who you are ISKCON has got yourkey to reality.
haribol..visit ISKCON websites anywhere in the world and you will tatse the nectar of truth. WAKE UP AND JIV JAGO. ISKCON exist in all over the world.
haribol.
Hi all of u ,i believe that mixed marriages should be respected as all religions lead to the same truth its our culture which make us different from each other . Praying in different architectures does not change the truth ,its our upbringing and our views which make us feel different . Respect others do not believe in man -made beliefs if i can call it in this way. Thanks
Dear @Vince,
I’ve decided not to approve the three comments you submitted as I believe that they can create a lot of controversy and irrational reactions on my blog. Thanks for understanding.
Hi.. I am a girl who loves a boy from a different religion and we are both really good together. He understands me in every way and never imposes change of religion on me. He just says that we both have to participate in each other`s ceremony etc. But the problem is my family. My mother is deadly against that and says that i am defaming the family, humiliating her in society and that she will have no face to show people and will commit suicide if i take any step further towards that boy. I am stuck between my love who cares so much for me and is ready to do all for me and with whom i wana spend my life and my mother who all these years did all these sacrifices for me. People are also spying us and come to add spices to my uncles who in turn create problems between my mum n me. All these are creating lots of problems in daily life. My mother threatening me to stop all contacts with that boy or else she will do something bad and the boy tells me that we shld get married and show every1 zat we can b happy together. Both are important to me. I am in a real dilemma. Please advise
Hi Sara,
I am not sure I’m the best person to answer your question. But let me try: my wife and I are of different ethnic groups too. And, of course, our parents were a bit skeptical initially. But, as soon as they realised that we knew what we were doing, they became very supportive. In other words, parents tend to react in the way they do because they want to protect their children. What is important is to make them realise that, in fact, you are not a child but a responsible adult and behaving as such.
I did make her understand sir that the boy is a nice one but what`s more important to her is family reputation because we belong to a big family and also because she fears that other family members and the society will reject her. She and all other family are doing all to make me seperated from him and i fear that they can harm him if i persist.
I dnt wana hurt also by marrying without her consent but i dnt know how to convince her about this nw
Once I read something Dale Carnegie wrote: “Everyone sincerely believes he/she is right when doing anything”. Convincing someone to change his/her opinion takes time and a lot of diplomacy…
Hi mr avinash, actually am conducting a research on inter caste marriage in Mauritius for my project. As i read your comments I find it really intriguing of how your marriage life seems successful despite the difference. Could I include your point of view in my research if you dont mind ?
Feel free to :-)
I was seeing a boy from another religion but my grandad saw us and since he knew my boyfriends family and their religion, he told my parents and my dad beat me. He’s threatening to move outside the area too but I love my bf too much, what Solutions
I don’t know your exact situation but what I can tell you based on my own experience is that all parents ultimately want to protect their kids. So it is only a question of explaining to them what you believe in. Hope this helps.