Nandini Bhautoo-Dewnarain traces the cultural and social evolution of the Indian Diaspora in Mauritius.
It has often been said that when the first group of Indian immigrants came to Mauritius, they came with the Tulsidas Ramayana which sustained the social values and sentiments even in the extreme conditions of existence they were thrown into. With the qualities of eloquence developed through the Ramayana like recitation, singing, group reading and commentary, these skills were deeply entrenched into the first wave of immigrants. This punctuated social activities of the village community like days’ long weddings, birth celebrations, etc.
However, at the turn of the twentieth century, visiting troops from India provided immense entertainment to audiences. People used to call this ‘Natak’ musical melodramas where the women’s roles were played by young boys.
These troops mostly belonged to Parsi theatre. They became as popular as wrestling championships, commonly called ‘Kalipa’.
Patterns of celebrations
Meanwhile, social life for Indians in Mauritius revolved around the celebration of rites of passage and religious festivals. They were quite persistent about preserving their Indian way of life against all the oddities that they were facing.
Before India’s partition, Hindu and Muslim community were living together in harmony. Bhojpuri was widely spoken among Hindus and Muslims, and food patterns were also similar. Celebrations like Hosay or Goon were the popular festivals which attracted everyone. However, after India’s partition, Indian community split along Hindu-Muslim lines.
The advent of cinema
Social life had been revolutionised by the advent of Technicolor and talking cinema. The towering presence of larger than life actors illuminated the social scene and formed a major, novel mode of entertainment. People thrilled, cried, rejoiced with their screen heroes. The onscreen personas, here as elsewhere, fired the imagination of young and old alike.
Moving towards Mauritianness
Radio also existed as a constant companion to people in their daily lives. TV came much later. It is through the radio that a sense of Mauritian community was gradually taking shape.
You would get a Chinese shopkeeper in Chemin Grenier speaking perfect Bhojpuri, or a Creole family in Plaine Des Papayeswatching a Dilip Kumar film together; or a young Indian girl in Port Louis fighting with her school friends over the Elvis Presley – Cliff Richard popularity match.
Improving conditions of existence
After independence, the national agenda was left to politicians – although the urge to improve the standard of living was very much a preoccupation. This period of time also witnessed a revival of religious awakening spurred by the visit of religious figures from India. In the ensuing decades, religious celebrations became more important, even as societies like Sai Baba, Ramakrishna, and ISKCON were established.
As the wave of religion was swaying in the country, economic condition of the Indian Diaspora was also changing. Indians gradually acquired land, moved from being plantation workers, gardeners and peons to becoming school teachers and clerical staffs. Education was the prime driver of the social and economic change. Many self-help groups were also established, commonly called ‘site’, where the x group of families used to pool financial resources among them to assist each other in times of trouble.
Festivals of past and present
Amidst all these social development, festivals never lost their sheen. Diwali, Mahashivaratri , Holi, Narvratri, etc. helped to retain emotional and social balance in society. The religious dimension is now, more than ever, a component of the Indo-Mauritian identity. Today, these festivals have become an integral part of every single community inhabiting on the island. But the sense of Indianness has been transformed over the decades from a defensive posture in the 1950’s-1960’s to a full embracement to richness and modernity.
The author is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Mauritius.
