The National Human Rights Commission of Mauritius (CNDH) has released a position paper on the proposed introduction of Kreol Morisien in the country's parliament. The commission, in a document dated September 22, examined a complaint filed by Dr. Sarita Boodhoo regarding the mandate of the Select Committee tasked with studying the introduction of Kreol Morisien in parliamentary debates.
The complainant, Dr. Boodhoo, does not oppose the recognition of Kreol Morisien but seeks to ensure that other ancestral languages in Mauritius are not excluded from potential future recognition. The motion establishing the Select Committee, adopted on August 4, instructs it to examine the introduction of Kreol Morisien in parliamentary proceedings and related matters.
The CNDH interprets the motion's scope as being open to the committee's consideration of contributions on other Mauritian languages and the implications of introducing Kreol Morisien exclusively. The commission cites a statement by Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam during parliamentary debates, suggesting that the committee's mandate is broad enough to encompass all aspects of the proposal.
According to the 2022 census data, 89.9% of the population speaks Kreol Morisien at home, either alone or in combination with other languages. Other languages spoken at home include Bhojpuri (8.6%), Hindi (2.3%), Tamil (0.24%), Urdu (0.13%), Marathi (0.11%), Telugu (0.09%), and Chinese languages (0.16%).
The commission considers the argument for accessibility to be particularly strong for Kreol Morisien but views the other languages as a "living and substantial" issue worthy of examination. It recommends that the parliamentary language policy be approached from the perspective of national heritage and equal access to public debate, rather than as a competition between communities.
The CNDH suggests that the committee can already receive testimonies and proposals regarding other languages without needing to modify its mandate. However, the commission refrains from taking a stance on which languages should ultimately be recognized in parliament or the specifics of implementing such recognition.
The commission also recommends considering legislative reform to explicitly include language as a prohibited ground for discrimination under the Constitution and to review provisions currently limiting parliamentary proceedings to English, with an exception for French.
Key points
- The National Human Rights Commission of Mauritius advocates for an inclusive approach to ancestral languages in parliamentary debates.
- The commission recommends that the parliamentary language policy prioritize national heritage and equal access to public debate.
- The proposed introduction of Kreol Morisien in parliament should not preclude the consideration of other ancestral languages.
