The India factor in Mauritius
“W hen you see a BMW or a Mercedes Benz on the roads of Mauritius you can be sure the owner will be either an Indian or a Chinese… people of Indian and Chinese origin are among the richest here,” says Ms Nicole Bundhooa, Public Relations Manager at One&Only Le Saint Geran Resort in Mauritius.
The Indian link to Mauritius is present everywhere… the currency is called Mauritian rupee or MUR, and the notes have the denomination in both words and numbers in English, Tamil and Hindi, in that order. With the religious majority in the tiny island in the Indian Ocean with a population of barely 1.3 million being Hindus, you find beautiful temples all over the place and “Tamil temples”, as they are called here, against other temples, are considered the most beautiful in architectural terms.
From ‘coolies’ to political elite
The Chinese, who are a minority in the population, continue to dominate the textile business; in the earlier years, the Chinese had come here for trade but in the 18th century they were brought in as migrant workers to work as blacksmiths, carpenters, tailors etc. Indians, on the other hand, were brought in mainly by the British in the 19th century, after slavery was abolished here under British rule in 1934. But their evolution, from “coolies”, as they were called then, working mainly in the sugar plantations of the island, to the political elite, has been impressive. Indians occupy top slots in many professions in Mauritius; at the MTPA (Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority), for example, all the top posts are being held by Indo-Mauritians.
“Oh yes,” confirms Mr Vijaye Haulder, Deputy Director of MTPA, “today people of Indian origin are doing very well in Mauritius. Almost all of them own a house, and many of them have some land and cars.” His great, great grandparents had come here from Bengal, though, he says, most labourers were brought in by the British from Bihar and UP. “But there are also people from Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu.”
On the way to his office, having seen a shop proclaiming to be an “agent for Hindustan Motors, Ambassador cars”, I tell him I’ve not seen a single Ambassador car. “Oh, there are only a few here,” he says.
A change in perception
Of the total tourist arrivals — 900,000 – a mere 40,000 come from India; it is obvious that the tourism industry, which has been targeting the upper end European tourists to this little haven of lush green fields and emerald green waters, has, over the years, felt little need to look at India for tourism revenues. But the global economic crisis of 2008, followed by the more recent crisis in Europe, has changed all that.
Both the MTPA, as well as the luxury hotels and resorts that have seen a drop in European tourists from the UK, France, Sweden, etc are looking hopefully at the huge Indian and Chinese markets, to boost revenue.
So do Mauritians still look at India as a ‘poor country’, I quiz him.
“Oh no. The perception has changed completely; Mauritians know that India is a big giant that is waking up; it is economically very strong and self-sufficient in everything. People now have a very positive feeling about India,” says Mr Haulder. Needless to say, Indian movies, particularly Bollywood ones, are very popular, “and at least thee to four Indian movies are shot here every month… Tamil, Hindi and regional films too. And there are some famous song spots…many film songs are picturised in Mauritius.”
While Bollywood films are closely followed here and it is a vital link to India, Indian culture has been kept alive here for nearly two centuries. “We are more traditional than people in India, and celebrate all festivals in a traditional manner that surprises our friends who visit from India,” says Mr Haulder, reeling off the festivals celebrated here in a grand manner — Diwali, Maha Shivratri, Holi, Durga Pooja, Ganesh Chaturthi.
Adds his colleague Jennyfer, (who, when asked is she is of Indian origin says: “I am a marathi!” Well, Raj Thackeray would be happy.) “Last month my cousin got married in strict accordance with traditional Indian ceremonies. Business ties with India are good too and Indian majors such as LIC, SBI and IOC are present here.
Cent per cent literacy
The literacy rate in Mauritius is 100 per cent; education is compulsory till 16 and free till high school. The country has one of the best per capita incomes (PPP) in Africa at over $12,000. Forget unemployment, Mauritius is often short of labour and “we continue to get workers from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and China on contract to work in either textiles or sugar,” he adds.
Textiles is the largest industry getting an annual revenue of 60 billion MUR (about $3 billion), followed by the sugar sector and tourism. The last brings in 43 billion MUR every year, but the MTPA is hopeful that with a huge push on this sector, it should become the top revenue grosser in a few years.
So do Mauritians consider themselves African? Mr Haulder’s candid response: “Well, geographically we are located in the African continent but we are closer to Asia than Africa in terms of tradition, culture, food habits, dress, etc.”
And in Asia, it is to India that the MTPA has directed its energy; it hopes the number of Indian tourists will double in five years. “We could do better but the flights are limited,” says Mr Haulder, adding that an average Indian tourist spends $4000 on his/her visit. They participate in all activities and spend even more than the Europeans outside the hotels on sightseeing, water sports, and, of course, shopping. “They buy anything and everything to give gifts at home.”
To woo the Indian market, Maritius is co-sponsoring, along with Mercedez Benz, and Indian golf clubs, a golf tournament in 16 Indian cities along with Mercedez Benz. “The final will be played in Mauritius in March 2011. We are also looking at sponsoring polo in Delhi and Jaipur,” says Mr Haulder, before boarding a flight for Delhi on Sunday!
Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2010/08/24/stories/2010082450610800.htm
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