66th Year -- No. 3625 Monday, November 2, 2020 www.mauritiustimes.com facebook.com/mauritius.times 18 Pages - ePaper MAURITIUS TIMES l I grew up in an immigrant neighbourhood. We just knew the rule was you're going to have to work twice as hard. -- Lin-Manuel Miranda Interview: Sada Reddi, Are we fighting Historian the right battles? We are being misguided by a lowly, free for all kind of politics which focuses on “It's identity and economic interest matters of personal behaviours and sordid details whereas we ought to be concerned that have been the dominating influence more with what kinds of policies are being on voter behaviour” forced on the population By Dr R Neerunjun Gopee * See Page 3 ‘Citizens should continue to air their grievances through protests, and the Two Centuries of Indenture culture of street protest must become well established in our society’ A legacy of * See Pages 7-8-9 resolve, resilience Proposals for meaningful structural and rectitude! reforms of the economy By Vijay Ram * See Page 10 By Sameer Sharma * See Page 4 Mauritius Times Monday, November 2, 2020 www.mauritiustimes.com Edit Page facebook.com/mauritius.times 2 The Conversation An Ongoing Struggle Burn out: the emotional toll nce again, we will be commemora- would not lose sight of the bigger picture nor ting today a major milestone in the lose their way during the long struggle for of being a politician revealed Ohistory of this country - the 186th the emancipation of the people. These anniversary of the arrival of Indian inden- include the Arya Sabha, non-Indians like New research shows politicians experience high levels of tured labourers, who were to change the Adolphe de Plevitz towards the end of the emotional labour, which not only falls more heavily on face of Mauritius as a prosperous sugar pro- 1860s to Maurice Cure, Emmanuel Anquetil ducer in the British colonies. But that was and others in later decades, Mahatma women but also impacts their mental wellbeing not without the hardships, oppression and Gandhi (thanks to whose exhortation the nyone who’s injustice that they had to face and fight Indians invested themselves in education ever worked in against – all within a democratic political and in the political process), the Bissoon- public service framework, and which they have helped pre- doyal brothers, and Dr Seewoosagur Ram- A will understand the serve to this day. Even though there are still goolam and his comrades of the Mauritius emotional toll it can a few reminders of the dreary conditions in Labour Party. take. In 1983, sociolo- which they lived and worked, it may be said In the truest and purest sense of the gist Arlie Hochshild that a long distance has been travelled since word, it was the enlightened leadership of coined the term “emo- then by those we pay homage to on this those stalwarts that was the foundation of tional labour” to cap- occasion and their descendants. our strength and the inspiration of our strug- ture this effect. She Photo - telegraph.co.uk As we are to commemorate this solemn gle for our political and civil rights, and to was talking about “the occasion of the arrival of Indian immigrants gain our legitimate place in society and management of feeling to create a others – and often complete strangers today, let us cast back our mind on those share in the economy. It was the thrust on publicly observable facial and bodily – in order to get their jobs done. who have endured the greatest tribulations education that underpinned both the political display”. Emotional labour has been Playing nice of life to bequeath a better world for future and the social emancipation. Education was researched in a range of industries as generations. Through great perseverance the great leveller that cut across social diverse as restaurants, complaints Emotional labour can involve what and by overcoming serious barriers to entry, classes, enabling them to participate fully agencies, and frontline emergency is known as “false-face acting”. This is the descendants of the Indian indentured and knowingly in the evolving democratic services. A new study of more than when employees believe they must labourers gained access to education and process, inspired by Fabian socialism, 500 elected councillors and MPs in pretend to feel one emotion while went on to show their mettle in numerous which our pioneer political leaders were the UK adds politicians to that list. It actually feeling a different one (sur- fields. After an enduring struggle, they spearheading. Giving added momentum to shows that emotional labour is a face acting) or when they alter their gained access to the right to vote. They this dynamic were the mass movements of prominent feature of political work that affective state to internalise and feel a joined their forces together in the struggle the other leaders, which were grounded in can negatively impact politicians’ desired emotion (deep acting). for independence. In spite of the walls of cultural awareness and an awakened sense occupational wellbeing. It is also gen- UK politicians score highly for prejudices erected against them, they of their dignity by the people. Without doubt dered. Women face more emotional false-face acting. For example, 68% of proved to be capable of taking decisions, it is such enabling factors that gave to demands in politics than men. These participants felt they regularly had to working together with other components of Mauritius the kind of balanced political direc- findings not only humanise an other- be nice to people regardless of how the population, that have carried the country tion the country needed for its development. wise distant occupational group, but they were treated by them. Faced with forward and shaped the life of the nation as they also provide a snapshot of what it In the context of this commemoration, we constant demands on their time and a whole. takes to be a politician. need to reflect seriously on the events and energy, and in a profession where All vibrant diasporas across the world incidents surrounding this long march To understand emotional labour as people don’t shy away from saying have their own stories of how they carved a patiently carried out, based on sound demo- a psychological and behavioural phe- what they think, it seems that politi- place in the sun in the host societies in cratic principles that both formal and infor- nomenon is, firstly, to understand the cians often feel like they have to ma- which they have settled. In the case of the mal education helped us to leverage. Such “emotion work” required of any nage other people’s emotions without Indian indentured labourers in this country, reflection may hopefully rekindle that sense employee to fulfil his or her job. expressing or showing their own. besides the intrinsic traits of fair play, tole- of unity and solidarity which was once, and UK politicians surveyed in 2019 Given that MPs and councillors are rance and accommodation, without in the must perforce continue to be the source of perceived emotional work as central to employed by an increasingly cynical least animated by a spirit of resentment or our strength and the basis of our ongoing their occupational lives. For example, public, it is possible – and arguably the desire for vindictive triumph once they struggle for betterment. 60% believed that a critical dimension ironic given popular critiques of disin- won democratically control of the levers of genuous politicians – that our elected The times are such that we are in dire of their work relates to dealing with power, the determining factor has undoub- representatives see false-face acting need of the kind of leadership and commit- emotionally charged issues. And 71% tedly been the leadership provided by men as a necessary feature of their public ment that was hardwired in the DNA of our believed that political work requires of the greatest calibre as well as by different service. Put simply, emotional labour founding fathers. The scenes playing out at them to show many different emotions socio-cultural and religious institutions. goes hand-in-hand with a political national level betray that original spirit. If we when interacting with people. To put need to be all things to all people. As They were men of courage and vision are not careful, the legacy of that hard strug- this in context, only 55% of 911 emer- an occupational strategy, politicians who pursued a just cause with sincerity and gle will be forever lost. gency call dispatchers, child protec- may also be even more inclined than a sense of purpose, ensuring that they tion officers and prison correction offi- cials in a similar study in the United most frontline workers to engage in States gave the same responses. false-face acting because the per- Mauritius Times sonal costs of not doing (ie. electoral These findings reflect the fact that defeat) are uniquely ever-present. Founder/Editor: Beekrumsing Ramlallah - Aug 1954-Sept 2000 politics as a vocation focuses upon Editor-in-chief: M. Ramlallah / Senior Editor: Dr RN Gopee assisting, enabling or negotiating ac- This epaper has been produced with the assistance of tivities that revolve around the needs James Weinberg of other people. Whether it be in their Doojesh Ramlallah, Sultana Kurmally and Kersley Ramsamy Lecturer in Political Behaviour, constituency, political party or in a Pearl House 4th Floor Room 406 - Sir Virgil Naz Street, Port Louis -- Tel: 5-29 29301 Tel/Fax: 212 1313 University of Sheffield legislative setting, politicians must care, or at least appear to care, about [email protected] www.mauritiustimes.com facebook.com/mauritius.times * Cont.