By Raj Paneken
Who will say the contrary except those with political blinkers or the die-hards in the opposite camps. But those who look at things without blinkers will tell you that the country is moving in the right direction. According to MCCI, the country’s economy is on the right track with a boom of more than 4 percent for the year 2018, unemployment is on the downward trend along with other economic factors like tourism, the financial services and the construction sector which are in the pink. It is crystal clear that the country is back on the rails of progress after its stagnation under the previous regime.
There is no doubt that this government means business and is steering the country towards a high income economy. With all the projects in the pipe line, to name but three like the sea-port, the Metro Express and the smart cities, the country will undergo major and unprecedented developments, thus a society with a high income economy is perfectly attainable. That is why the Prime Minister said that the overriding concern of his government is the development of the country and the enhancement of the quality of life of the population. And to achieve this, we must boost up the economic growth of the country.
For the PM all the population should enjoy the economic developments of the country. No one will be left in the station. Everyone should be on the train of the economic developments. The gap between the rich and the poor should be bridged. And to underline that he means what he says, his government has come out with a minimum salary of Rs 9000 coupled with an annual compensation of Rs 360 along with an increase for the old age pension to the tune of Rs 5,810― «tout cela pour mettre l’homme au centre du développement économique» It would be pointless and heartless if only a handful of the population enjoys the economic growth of the country, thus, widening the gap between the haves and the have-nots.
No government had done what this government is doing to alleviate the lot of the poor. Today apart from the blind followers and the boot-lickers, no one can say that his life was better under the leadership of Navin Ramgoolam. One of the priorities of this government is the elimination of extreme poverty. «Pour cela, il faut grossir le gâteau national» so that everyone should get his share. And to do it the economic developments of the country should be stepped up.
The country definitely stagnated under the previous regime. Today the country is heading in the right direction. There is a feeling of good factor prevailing in the country. No one has the right to put a spoke in the wheel of the country’s developments.
I don’t think any patriot or progressist would like to see Navin Ramgoolam again in office. All those who have at heart the interest and progress of the country cannot trust that man again and entrust him with the affairs of the country. The country had regressed under his leadership. For 14 years he had been at the helm of the state, the country had moved but lamely. He himself acknowledged his blunders and begged pardon. Who will accept his mea culpa? Only his blind followers and bootlickers who are craving for his comeback, and they know why. If ever he is back to business, there will be a political vendetta against his adversaries who prevented him from treading the British soil for five years if ever the elections are held in 2019/20. And this will be at the expense of the economic developments of the country. The country will step back again instead of going ahead. «Et aucun patriote dans le vrai sens du mot n’a le droit de stopper le train de développements.»
Apart from the law and order which leaves a lot to be desired, the country is dead on the track to achieve its second economic miracle. And with an additional mandate, all the projects will come to fruition, and the country can position itself as the Singapore of the Indian Ocean on the economic level only, since the country will never rival with Singapore in terms of cleanliness and security.
