A Star In The Indian Ocean Completes 50 Years

As Mauritius celebrated the 50th anniversary of its Independence, President of India, Ram Nath Kovind joined the celebrations, reaffirming the strong bilateral ties between the two countries which share not only the Indian Ocean, but common cultures and a huge migrant community who came to the island many years ago as indentured workers

- Steena Joy

It is not just the Indian Ocean that Mauritius and India share - the two countries are linked by a long historical and cultural legacy. After the French, the British colonised the island in 1810 and following the abolition of slavery in 1835, Indian indentured labourers were brought to the island to work in the sugarcane plantations in place of the former slaves. The indentured labourers originated mostly, from central India, from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, and speaking Bhojpuri as their mother tongue, changed the ethnic composition of the island nation. In those early days of migration, the labourers referred to Mauritius as 'Marich'.

Today, nearly 70 per cent of the population have ancestral ties with India, who has been Mauritius' ally in its economic and social development. It was only apt then that Indian President Ram Nath Kovind was chief guest at the 50th anniversary celebrations of the island country's independence.

An Indian touch

The celebrations started with a sailing regatta on the Mahebourg waterfront and cultural events that even included the famous koli (fishermen's) dance of Mumbai and a