"The country is suffering from a full-blown crisis

And unfortunately, one cannot say that the writings were not on the wall”

Interview: Kugan Parapen

* ‘That the mafia has infiltrated our institutions is not a surprise by any means
We are adamant that the same mafia has infiltrated many of our political mainstream parties

* ‘Rallying behind a so-called leader in the hope that things will change will be a repeat  of the same merry-go-round that has exasperated so many of us over the years’

In this week’s interview Kugan Parapen, economist and a member of Resistans ek Alternativ, throws light on some aspects of the lucrative drug trafficking business and the stakes involved, namely huge outlays that pitch competing dealers against each other, with help from and the collusion of the high and mighty. He also discusses in some detail the flaws in the usual pattern of forming alliances and makes proposals for its reform so as to have a more representative democratic outcome.

Mauritius Times: I guess you also would have serious concerns about the things that have been happening in the country during these last months, especially those related to law and order: drug trafficking on a scale unknown to the public along the west coast; house cleaning at the level of ADSU and mass transfer of its investigators; allegations of drug planting and arrests of individuals perceived to be opponents of the government, etc.  What’s your reading of this rather peculiar situation?

There is an increasing feeling of dysfunctionality about the State of Mauritius. In many ways, it feels as if we are watching the penultimate chapter of a tragedy. And there is a sense of inevitability about it too. Just as you watch certain movies in spite of already knowing how the ending will be.

Unfortunately, for many citizens of this country, seeing is believing. Drug trafficking has been the lynchpin of our society for generations. So, it is rather ironic to see Mauritians being shocked at what is unraveling on the West coast. Mauritius has one of the highest prevalence of opiate consumption worldwide. Surely someone must be supplying these drugs. The Prime Minister has made it a point to place the fight against drug trafficking at the top of his electoral manifesto. At a time when the world is advocating a radically different approach to the issue! Is our Prime Minister stuck in a different era or does his zero-tolerance stance serve other much darker purposes? We would do well to look at the reality behind the perception.

The narcotic business is known to be one of the most lucrative in the world. Invariably, it attracts all kinds of people from all spheres of society, including the highest. We are talking of billions and billions of rupees here. A United Nations report from 2011 puts at 4% of the population who are regular cannabis users – that’s a population of around 50,000 people. Assuming that they consume one gram of cannabis per week, we reach a market of some 2.6 tons of cannabis per year.

According to media reports, a gram of cannabis is worth some Mur 1,500 at current market prices. Thus, a conservative estimate of the cannabis market in Mauritius comes out to about Mur 4 billion annually. And here we are talking about cannabis only. When you factor in the hard drugs, you come to the conclusion that the market value of drugs consumed in Mauritius is easily above Mur 10 billion.

* That is one hell of a market…

Absolutely, and surely, such a market isn’t the property of one drug lord. Drug cartels compete among themselves to increase their market share and they will go to great lengths to ensure that they reach a domineering position. Imagine having an ally who is powerful enough to take many of your rivals out of business. Wouldn’t that be an exciting opportunity?

Across the world, drug lords have long been known to interfere in the political arena to ensure their perennial survival. In Mauritius, it is an accepted fact that drug monies fund political campaigns, especially in the absence of any law surrounding the finance of political parties.

With this in mind, allow me to be doubtful of politicians waging war on drugs. If that was the right approach, it would have been common knowledge by now. The Global Commission on Drug Policy as far back as 2011 has declared that the war on drugs has failed, with devastating consequences for individuals and societies around the world. And here we have a ‘modern’ Prime Minister going on a supposed crusade against drug traffickers. Seriously.

* We do not know whether what we have seen so far is but the tip of the iceberg, but when the Prime Minister, who is responsible for law and order, has himself alluded to the infiltration of the mafia in our institutions, then there must be something awfully bad that has crept into the system. Is this a case of a disaster that was waiting to happen?

Rezistans ek Alternativ has repeatedly warned against the erosion of our democratic pillars. That the mafia has infiltrated our institutions is not a surprise by any means. We are adamant that the same mafia has infiltrated many of our political mainstream parties over the years and given that each one of these mainstream parties have been in power at some point since independence, it is only logical that the mafia has infiltrated the State.

Many civil employees have also sold their soul to the devil. One common reason being that those in power do not lead by example. Why should a civil servant upstand righteous values when the smell of rot is omnipresent? I strongly believe that people working for our institutions should be rewarded for promoting good governance and efficiency. Aligning their interests with public goals is a necessity.Read More… Become a Subscriber

Mauritius Times ePaper Friday 24 March 2023