Yesterday, the Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, attended a wreath-laying ceremony to commemorate the 188th anniversary of the Abolition of Slavery at the International Slave Route Monument in Le Morne.
Several personalities were also present including the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Housing and Land Use Planning, Minister of Tourism, Mr. Louis Steven Obeegadoo; the Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Mr. Alan Ganoo; the Minister of Arts and Cultural Heritage, Mr. Avinash Teeluck; the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Charles Gaëtan Xavier-Luc Duval; as well as the High Commissioner for the European Union in Mauritius and Dean of Diplomatic Corps , Mr.Vincent Degert, amongst others.
After the wreath-laying ceremony, the Prime Minister Jugnauth acknowledged that slavery is a part of our history and noted that historical sites like Le Morne, the slave memorial at Pointe Canon in Mahebourg and “Bassin des Esclaves” in Pamplemousses honour the victims of slavery and remember the suffering, pain, and sacrifices of the slaves. In order to provide the populace a sense of place and a link to the past, he emphasized the importance of preserving these historical sites.
Furthermore, he reiterated that the government condemns all forms of discrimination while highlighting that several measures have been implemented to address these acts of discrimination. According to him, it is imperative to ensure reparations for these atrocious crimes against humanity and reassured that the government will continue to work for more social justice and to ensure peace and harmony in the society.
Prime Minister Jugnauth, prior to the wreath-laying ceremony, attended a commemorative mass at the Saint Coeur de Marie church in Petite Rivière. Speaking about the theme chosen by the Catholic Church to commemorate the Abolition of Slavery today, namely “Le Code Noir”, Mr. Jugnauth recalled that it is a series of codified laws which date back to more than 300 years ago and which governed the practice of slavery in the French colonies. He underscored that the slave history is being taught at the primary level in schools while recalling that an exhibition on the “Code Noir” is being held at the Intercontinental Slavery Museum and urged the population to go and visit.
PM: “I am not against people demonstrating to make their voices heard, but everything must be done according to the law”
Pravind Jugnauth was attending a wreath-laying ceremony at the foot of Le Morne Mountain this morning. He took the opportunity to comment the protest by the Southwest residents over drastic water cuts. “I am not against people demonstrating to make their voices heard, but everything must be done according to the law,” said Pravind Jugnauth…
He explained that a pipe broke in the Black River area, after the recent downpour. However, he said the situation has returned to normal.
