Mauritius celebrates its independence day on March 12 every year. On the anniversary of the day Mauritius became an independent state within the Commonwealth, this day honours the island nation of Mauritius and its people, culture, and traditions.
East of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, Mauritius is a nation made up of four separate islands, the largest of which is the island with the same name. Before becoming an independent country in the Commonwealth, Mauritius was a colony of Great Britain. The nation, which is situated along Africa’s southeast coast and is east of Madagascar, is thought to be a part of the continent of Africa.
History Of Mauritius Independence Day
Mauritius observes Independence Day on March 12 every year. The island nation of Mauritius has a public holiday on this day to commemorate the day the country gained independence from the Commonwealth.
The Republic of Mauritius, also known as Mauritius, is made up of the four islands of Mauritius, Rodrigues, Agalega, and St. Brandon. Mauritius is the main island, and Port Louis, the nation’s capital, is situated there. The island nation’s capital is also its most populated metropolis.
The Portuguese initially settled in Mauritius, but they quickly left the islands because they were unhappy there. The Dutch then took control of the islands and built towns there. Yet because the settlements were unsuccessful, the Dutch quickly left the islands.
Following the Dutch, the French took control of the Mauritius islands and set up plantations there, employing slaves from India and Africa. As the British acquired the islands during the Napoleonic Wars, Mauritius became a plantation colony within the British Empire.
Slavery was finally outlawed, but the British government brought indentured slaves from around the world to the islands to work as labour on the plantations. After the World Wars, the people of Mauritius were awarded universal suffrage.
As the island became more tense, Britain realised how crucial it was to give up its former possessions. While the English monarch continued to serve as the country’s head of state, Mauritius approved a new constitution with a newly elected Prime Minister.
Timeline Of Mauritius Independence Day
1500s– Portuguese sailors came to Mauritius in the 1500s and settled there, occupying the islands and establishing a base for tourists.
1715– France seizes control of Mauritius, renames the archipelago Isle de France, and establishes a sugar economy there.
1800s– The French relinquished control of Mauritius to the British in the 1800s, and the island reclaims its original name.
1968– As part of the British Empire’s decolonization efforts, Mauritius adopts a new constitution and chooses a new Prime Minister to lead its newly established government.
5 Mauritius Facts That You Won’t Believe
The extinct dodo bird was only ever known to have called Mauritius home, a place renowned for its natural richness.
As of 2019, Mauritius is the most peaceful nation in Africa, according to the World Peace Index.
Mauritius is immensely diversified in faith and religious customs and is the only African country where Hinduism is the most practised religion.
The Mauritius government offers free public transit, universal healthcare, and free education to all of its citizens.
The Dodos are the name of Mauritius’ national football team.
India-Mauritius Bilateral and Commercial Relations
Mauritius was one of the handful of key countries with which independent India established diplomatic relations in 1948, even before the independence of Mauritius. In Mauritius, which was governed by the British until 1968, India was represented by an Indian Commissioner, and then, when Mauritius gained independence, by a High Commissioner. The continuing high-level political engagement is evidence of the two countries’ leaders’ strong sense of mutual respect and trust. These unique connections have also led to very tight collaboration in capacity-building, marine security, and international fora.
The myriad development initiatives supported by India that dot the Mauritius landscape also reflect the strong ties between the two countries. The International Hindi Secretariat, a bilateral organisation for the promotion of Hindi, and the Indian Cultural Centre in Mauritius, India’s largest cultural centre in the world, cultivate the long-lasting cultural and people-to-people links between Mauritius and India. India has frequently provided emergency assistance to Mauritius, most notably during the Covid-19 and Wakashio oil disaster crises.
India sent 13 tonnes of medications (including 0.5 million HCQ tablets), 10 tonnes of Ayurveda medications, and an Indian Quick Response Medical Team at Mauritius’ request to assist fight Covid in April-May 2020. With the gift of 1 lakh doses of Covishield vaccine to Mauritius on January 22, 2021, India was also the first country to provide Mauritius with Covid-19 vaccinations.
On February 22, 2021, Mauritius commercially acquired 1 lakh doses of Covishield. On March 18, 2021, it commercially acquired 2 lakh doses of COVAXIN. On April 28, 2021, during the second phase of COVID-19 in India, 200 oxygen concentrators were donated by Mauritius to India. Between March 5-12, 2022, a ten-person medical delegation from India visited Mauritius to exchange best practices for handling COVID-19.
India has been one of Mauritius’s top trading partners since 2005. In 2020-21, bilateral trade increased by 125%, from USD 206.76 million in 2005-06 to USD 465.51 million, with an India trade surplus of USD 380.3 million. Bilateral trade expanded by an additional 69% in 2021-2022 to reach USD 786.72 mn. For India, petroleum products have been its main export.
Pharmaceuticals, cereals, cotton, prawns, and beef are among the other goods that India exports to Mauritius. Vanilla, medical equipment, needles, aluminium alloys, scrap paper, refined copper, men’s cotton shirts, and other items are among the main exports from Mauritius to India. The Double Taxation Avoidance Treaty had a significant role in the cumulative USD 161 billion in FDI from Mauritius to India between the years 2000 and 2022, accounting for 26% of all FDI inflows into India (DTAC).
When the DTAC amendment was signed in 2016, Mauritius became India’s third-largest source of FDI, with inflows ranging from USD 15.72 billion in 2016-17 to USD 9.39 billion in 2021-22. Over the past five years, Indian businesses have spent more than $200 million in Mauritius.