In a speech where he essentially retraced the words of Sir Anerood Jugnauth (SAJ) during the unveiling ceremony of his bronze statue, Pravind Jugnauth endeavored to draw the parallel between the actions of his government and the philosophy of his father.
Pravind Jugnauth paid a vibrant tribute to his father, Sir Anerood Jugnauth (SAJ), during a ceremony organized for the unveiling of the statue erected in his memory. It was Saturday June 15, 2024 at the Caudan Waterfront. “For all we need to do, we have a minimum of recognition for SAJ,” declared the Prime Minister.
He added that his father was an exceptional personality who dedicated 60 years of his life serving the country and leaves an extraordinary legacy with values like discipline and honesty.
Speaking about SAJ's outspokenness, Pravind Jugnauth highlighted that he was someone who was direct. “Li ti toultan dir sa panse, sa bann l’idee et l’opinion. Zame li ti anbal seki li ti ena pou dir ek papie kado. Li ti toultan sinser. It was important in this regard,” he said.
He dwelt on his father's hard work, noting that he witnessed his father's hard work, especially when faced with challenges. “Sak fwa ki linn bizin bouz dan nn nn direction akoz li ena konviksion, monn found ennn determinasion ekstraordiner dan l. »
Pravind Jugnauth highlighted that it is as heir to SAJ and its values that the country is moving forward, according to him, in the direction traced by his father. He recalled that since his accession to the post of Prime Minister, he has strived to ensure that his government follows the same philosophy as that of SAJ.
The Prime Minister is of the opinion that SAJ must be a source of inspiration for every Mauritian: “Se sertin ki li li inspire mwa dan mo travay kouma sef gouvernnman. Dayer, last Friday kan nou finn prezant bidze, mo sir ki SAJ bizin proud parski sa bidze-la al dan so filozofi. »
Believe in what we do
He also explained that SAJ taught Mauritians that nothing is impossible as long as you believe in what you do. Retracing the period of his father's accession to the post of Prime Minister in 1982, he highlighted the state of the economy at that time: “Li finn pran enn pei kot ti ena mizer nwar. Se enn fe. You can get the information that is lost by the governor who is able to do it, it shows that he is in a situation where he is in control…”
He recalled that in 1983, the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was Rs 11.7 billion and that in 1995, it rose to Rs 70.2 billion. As far as per capita GDP is concerned, it was Rs 12,741 in 1983 reaching Rs 62,573 in 1995. The Prime Minister added that the number of unemployed, which stood at 80,000 in 1982, came down to 12 000 in 1995.
Pravind Jugnauth recalled that in SAJ's vision, the islands of the Republic were never left behind. “It is good that Rodrigues is the brother and son of Rodrigues who knows how Rodrigues can progress,” he said.
Pravind Jugnauth recounted how his father, after achieving the economic miracle, accomplished a political miracle against the country's two largest parties in 2014. “In 2017, against two superpowers, Great Britain and the United States, he achieved a miracle at the United Nations by rallying 94 countries in favor of the resolution concerning Chagos. In 2018, in the world's greatest court, the International Court of Justice, he donned his lawyer's robe and argued the issue of Chagos sovereignty with such conviction that the Court issued a historic judgment ordering the United Kingdom to end its administration of Chagos and promptly return it to the Republic of Mauritius,” he continued.
For the Prime Minister, every Mauritian recognizes the achievements of SAJ. “We can wonder what our Republic would have been without him. During the 1965 independence discussions at Lancaster House, his engagement with Sookdeo Bissoondoyal showed that the country could have taken a different direction. We are proud that the IFB has taken a clear position in favor of independence,” he said. He added that without SAJ, Mauritius would not have experienced such economic development.
The Prime Minister also recalled how SAJ contradicted a Nobel Prize winner in economics who predicted that Mauritius was condemned to poverty without natural resources. “If there is such a thing as economic development, what could have happened to the Welfare State? You can do this for free and for free. If you can modify obzektivman, if you end up ironing your skin, you will have at least a minimum of recognition for SAJ. »
The courage to resist
Pravind Jugnauth stressed that his father had the courage to resist the recommendations of international institutions which said that Mauritius needed to reduce its spending, which would have involved the removal of subsidies on rice and flour. Subsequently, SAJ decided to implement its program.
“The International Monetary Fund (IMF) then declared that the development of Mauritius was unprecedented. I can say that we are proud that although we have gone through difficult times, such as Covid-19, the effects of war and instability in the world. We also received recommendations from the IMF to restructure the welfare state and reduce spending. But we have persevered on the path we have charted and we are proud that the latest IMF report indicates that our Republic is moving in the right direction,” he continued.
Insisting that his government pursues the same philosophy as that of SAJ, Pravind Jugnauth said he was proud to continue to lead the country by building on the solid legacy that his father left, placing the human being at the forefront. center of all development. He expressed his pride in having been able to increase the guaranteed minimum income to Rs 20,000, as well as pensions to Rs 14,000 initially, then to Rs 15,000 by 2025.
He also spoke of SAJ's fight against drugs, recalling that the latter remains to this day the only Prime Minister to have established a commission of inquiry into drugs to unmask traffickers.
On a more personal level, Pravind Jugnauth emphasized how his father liked to have a simple style and be close to the people. He also mentioned the contribution of Lady Sarojinee Jugnauth, not only as a wife, but also for her involvement in other fights alongside SAJ, aspects of history that are often overlooked, according to him.
