Open letter to Prime Minister.....the stunning silence

My Open Letter to the Prime Minister The Honourable oh no I mean Right Honourable Dr Navin Chandra Ramgoolam was to no avail.  His silence was stunning but foreseeable when we consider how much he changed our lives so far, how much he has taken us for a ride with the unfulfilled promise of a continuously delayed Equal Opportunities Act that has so far not yet been reviewed and with no presidential assent given yet.  Above all the disability rights issues have remained a big joke for years.  Our PM is undertaking his third mandate as head of government but unfortunately all the ministers of social security he has nominated was unable to be effective and proactive in regard to the disability rights dossiers.  While disability rights has been constantly evolving with tremendous development at the level of the United Nations during the last twenty years with early negotiations, Standard Rules and finally a binding UN Convention for the rights of Persons with Disabilities, Mauritius failed to follow these developments effectively.  Unfortunately in spite of the fact that Mauritius has more that 20 years of lateness to recover in term of disability rights compared to nations such as the UK, USA, France, Australia etc, the Minister and Ministry of Social Security of Mauritius look to be deep asleep as they have so far failed to do the needful for the ratification of the Optional Protocole of the UN CONVENTION when 61 Countries including amongst others Bangladesh, Bukina Faso, Reunion Island (Through France), Chile, Mali, Rwanda, Morocco, Namibia and Nepal have already ratify the said protocole.  It should be note that the ratification of the abovementioned protocole make Conventional disability rights binding on the state.  It would appear that Mauritius is running away from this responsibility by delaying the said ratification.  This is what happened when we entrust key decision making responsibilities to individuals who are not worthy to be where they stand.  Mauritius is supposedly implementing measures to ensure that the rights of disabled persons are abided to, but I strongly disagree that the enforcement of disability rights are entrusted to officers of the ministry and others without the complete implementation of Conventional disability rights.  In a true democracy Conventional Disability Rights must be implemented irrespective of whether policies that will facilitate the respect of these rights have been set up. I AM HEREBY REQUESTING INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL PARTIES WHO CAN HELP TO BOOST THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR CONVENTIONAL RIGHTS TO HELP IRRESPECTIVE OF WHETHER IT IS CAMPAIGN FINANCING, ATTRACTING INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMACY SUPPORT OR ON SITE STRATEGIC SUPPORT FOR CAMPAIGN SET UP.
You may find below my letter to the Prime Minister IN REGARD TO THE BREACH OF MY DISABILITY RIGHTS:  If he can't undertake his responsibilities in regard to respecting disability rights then THE GUY MUST GO

This Letter was first posted on my blog on: Sunday, August 22, 2010
 

An open letter to the Prime Minister Honourable Dr Navin Rmgoolam, the leader of the opposition Honourable Mr PauL Raymond Berenger, the deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party Honourable Dr Rashid Bebeejaun, the Vice-Prime Minister and Leader of the PMSD Honourable Mr Xavier Luc Duval, the Minister of Finance and leader of the MSM Honourable Mr Pravind Jugnauth, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Honourable Dr Arvin Boolell, the Minister of Labour Honourable Mr Shakeel Mohamed, the Minister of Agro Industry Honourable Mr Satish Faugoo, the Minister of Tourism and Secretary-General of the MSM Mr Nando Bodha, Honourable Mr Cehl Fakeemeah Leader of the FSM, all members of the Mauritius National Assembly and ahead of all the Minister of Social Security Honourable Mrs Leela Devi Dookhun-Luchoomun.

Dear Sir/Madam,
“Implementation of a complete UN Convention for the rights of persons with disabilities and equal opportunity bashing through discrimination and protectionism measures at the Mauritius Sugar Authority”
With due respect and in utmost urgency, I am writing you to request your prompt intervention for the above-mentioned issue.

2. First and foremost, I congratulate the Council of Ministers of December 2009 for the approval of the ratification of the abovementioned Convention. I further extend my congratulation to the opposition party for the inclusion of a Disability Discrimination Act within their recent electoral program. However, the matter is really very urgent; during the last twenty years disability rights have been left to a stand still. The absence of a Disability Rights Commission for effective mediation purposes to foster respects towards disability rights and supported by an up to date Disability Discrimination Act that will bring home the complete UN Convention for the rights of persons with disabilities have resulted tremendous amount of protest in the press by disabled persons for the breach of their rights.
3. It is indeed a deep deception that so far the state failed to prove concrete commitment towards disability empowerment through constant evolution in disability rights and measures to support as well as promote these rights. As a consequence, we ended up without a disabled member in parliament when we should logically have at least three. The absence of disabled parliamentarians is deeply felt at the heart of the state’s commitment towards disability rights. What has been done so far is indeed not enough. Excepting the parliamentary question of Honourable Satish Boolell recently, as much as I am aware, there have been no other parliamentary questions regarding disability issues and this since many years. It is indeed high time for a new beginning with better parliamentary commitments towards disability rights. As the first disabled MBA Graduate of Mauritius, a disability activist, the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Outstanding Young Person of Mauritius Award 2010 winner, I am not asking for charities but for my rights as well as those of the large amount of disabled Mauritians who have been subject to discriminations, exclusions and ignorance due to the lack of parliamentary commitment to protect our rights. At this stage, I am to request you to convince your colleagues to take actions for the implementation of Conventional disability rights or take questions to parliament in order to boost the implementation of these rights. Please kindly note that empowerment measures without the implementation of these rights are to no avail. The Equal Opportunities Act could be helpful but it is not fully compatible with the abovementioned Convention. The matter is indeed very urgent because private employers and even public organizations (as shown in my case below) are making a joke of the Training and Employment of Disabled Persons Board (TEPD) Act 1996. This is supported by the Director General of the TEDPB who has in a recent statement given to Impact Magazine on Friday 25th June 2010 highlighted the ignorance of this Act by employers (Annex 1). It is therefore clear that something should be done urgently to make disability rights more compelling and promote the respect of these rights until the implementation of the complete conventional disability rights.
4. The protection of disability rights and the promotion of equal opportunities concept are supposed to be major policies of the state but the practices of parastatal organizations are contrary to these; my case at the Mauritius Sugar Authority (MSA) is a proof.
5. In spite of my commitment, competencies, achievement and qualifications as well as my recognition as being inspiring and outstanding at local and international level with various honours, I am subject to intensive discrimination by the MSA Management and MSA Board. The proof of my achievements is as follows:
(i) I won one of the four Principal awards at MBA Graduation in South Africa.
(ii) In 2009, I became the first Mauritian Disabled to be graduated with a Master of Business Administration in spite of all the financial hurdles, in-depth discriminations and anti-disability rights measures I was subject at the MSA.
(iii) My competence and achievement are recognized at national level and I became the second disabled to emerge as the winner of the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Outstanding Young Person of Mauritius Award, 2010 Edition.
(iv) The recognition of my competences and achievement as inspiring and outstanding was spread at International level with my nomination within the closed circle of the 30 finalist of the 10 Outstanding Young Person of the World 2010 where there were more than 100 countries participating with the entitlement of sending any amount of their best candidates.

I got standing ovation from Mauritius and Ministers for my achievement but the MSA awarded me an outstanding, continuous and malevolent discriminative exclusion supported by what appears to be an unveiled political protection with their roots in many of the major political parties. The MSA Management and Board have so far been going ULTRA-VIRES in my case but they have not been compelled to assume their accountabilities due to the probable political protection enjoyed by some blue-eyed officers behind my exclusion. It is stunning to see how the Equal Opportunities Act 2008 and the Training and Employment of Disabled Persons Board Act 1996 (TEDPB) are being treated with disdain through my discrimination and the empowerment of other officers (WITHOUT DISABILITIES) through positive discrimination measures by means of appointment and restyling to higher positions without having the required qualifications but thanks to political protection or probable corruption of information.

6. My case is currently before the enforcement committee of the Ministry of Labour and closely monitored by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) but even before the Ministry of Labour (MoL), the MSA Management ignored my rights and showed a lack of commitment. During the second mediation meeting before the enforcement committee of the Ministry of Labour, the MSA was represented by the Senior Executive Officer (SEO) who has taken notice of the decision taken by the MoL as highlighted in the letter forward to the ICAC and dated 11th July 2010 (Annex 2). Nearly one month later, the Deputy Executive Director/Human Resources Manager of the MSA who is unfairly holding two managerial positions at one go, due to maladministration, came to the third mediation meeting relating to my case at the MoL, where he not just tell lies in relation to the position of the Union regarding promotions but also claims that he is unaware of the orders given to the SEO of the MSA following the second mediation meeting at the MoL. Is not this an abuse of power? Is this effective management? Human Resources Management(DED/HRM) and Information System Management were both left to a stand still with a malevolent apartheid-like bureaucratic practice within the MSA, is it fair when we have internal qualified and competent professionals like me who are waiting for the opportunity to prove our worth?
7. In relation to the decision taken at the MoL on 11th August 2010 following the third mediation meeting where the DED/HRM was called upon to do the needful for the matter to be taken to the MSA Board within one week, I have no choice but to take action because the majority of the current MSA Board members have ignored the manipulation of information by MSA Management which have led to my exclusion for years. Since there is breach of my rights of protection from discrimination highlighted in the TEDPB Act 1996, I am therefore requesting the prompt intervention of the Minister of Agro Industry (Honourable Mr Satish Faugoo), the Minister of Social Security (Honourable Mrs Dookhun-Luchoomun) and the Minister of of Labour (Honourable Mr Shakeel Mohamed) so as to ensure that my conventional rights as a disabled are not without effect. As for other parliamentary members (both government and opposition included), I will be most grateful if parliamentary questions relating to my case could be asked to the Honourable Minister of Agro Industry.
8. Through my actions, I will be looking forward for the will of god, the truth, the logic and fairness to prevail. Anyway, I have utmost belief that in the fight between right and wrong, there is a battle being weight against only one winner THE TRUTH. This open letter is available on my blog at http://ma-disabilityrightalliance.blogspot.com. Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me on the address below.

Yours Faithfully,


Mervyn Anthony CM, MBA
Vice-President Mauritius Sugar Authority Employees Union (MSAEU)
Disability Activist
Email: mervynanthony@hotmail.com
Blog: http://ma-disabilityrightalliance.blogspot.com
Facebook Account: Mervyn Anthony


Copy to:
(1) The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Agro Industry (Chairperson MSA Board)
(2) The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Social Security
(3) Me Jayarama Valayden, Barrister at Law
(4) The Director General, Training and Employment of Disabled Persons Board
(5) The Executive Director, Mauritius Sugar Authority
(6) The Chief Investigator, Independent Commission Against Corruption.
(7) To all Editors in chief of newspapers constituting the Mauritian press.

Please note that a friend taught me that according to his learning from the Bhagvad Gita: ACTION ALONE IS THY RIGHT. Moreover my action is in line with my belief regarding active non violence leadership of former American anti-segregation leader: DR MARTIN LUTHER KING who avers that “ Our lives and dreams begin to end the day we become silent about things that matters”. Finally I am adding a quote from the Bible to support my belief in my quest to succeed: “By the grace of god I am what I am and his grade towards me has not been without effect”

Please also note that Annex 1 is found in Impact Magazine while Annex 2 is available below. (Thank you for your support)

Posted by Mervyn Anthony Disability Alliance: Headed by the disability activist of hope at 12:18 PM

Sunday, August 15, 2010

An open letter to the Prime Minister Honourable Dr Navin Rmgoolam, the leader of the opposition Honourable Mr PauL Raymond Berenger, the deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party Honourable Dr Rashid Bebeejaun, the Vice-Prime Minister and Leader of the PMSD Honourable Mr Xavier Luc Duval, the Minister of Finance and leader of the MSM Honourable Mr Pravind Jugnauth, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Honourable Dr Arvin Boolell, the Minister of Labour Honourable Mr Shakeel Mohamed, the Minister of Agro Industry Honourable Mr Satish Faugoo, the Minister of Tourism and Secretary-General of the MSM Mr Nando Bodha, Honourable Mr Cehl Fakeemeah Leader of the FSM, all members of the Mauritius National Assembly and ahead of all the Minister of Social Security Honourable Mrs Leela Devi Dookhun-Luchoomun.

Dear Sir/Madam,
“Implementation of a complete UN Convention for the rights of persons with disabilities and equal opportunity bashing through discrimination and protectionism measures at the Mauritius Sugar Authority”
With due respect and in utmost urgency, I am writing you to request your prompt intervention for the above-mentioned issue.

2. First and foremost, I congratulate the Council of Ministers of December 2009 for the approval of the ratification of the abovementioned Convention. I further extend my congratulation to the opposition party for the inclusion of a Disability Discrimination Act within their recent electoral program. However, the matter is really very urgent; during the last twenty years disability rights have been left to a stand still. The absence of a Disability Rights Commission for effective mediation purposes to foster respects towards disability rights and supported by an up to date Disability Discrimination Act that will bring home the complete UN Convention for the rights of persons with disabilities have resulted tremendous amount of protest in the press by disabled persons for the breach of their rights.
3. It is indeed a deep deception that so far the state failed to prove concrete commitment towards disability empowerment through constant evolution in disability rights and measures to support as well as promote these rights. As a consequence, we ended up without a disabled member in parliament when we should logically have at least three. The absence of disabled parliamentarians is deeply felt at the heart of the state’s commitment towards disability rights. What has been done so far is indeed not enough. Excepting the parliamentary question of Honourable Satish Boolell recently, as much as I am aware, there have been no other parliamentary questions regarding disability issues and this since many years. It is indeed high time for a new beginning with better parliamentary commitments towards disability rights. As the first disabled MBA Graduate of Mauritius, a disability activist, the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Outstanding Young Person of Mauritius Award 2010 winner, I am not asking for charities but for my rights as well as those of the large amount of disabled Mauritians who have been subject to discriminations, exclusions and ignorance due to the lack of parliamentary commitment to protect our rights. At this stage, I am to request you to convince your colleagues to take actions for the implementation of Conventional disability rights or take questions to parliament in order to boost the implementation of these rights. Please kindly note that empowerment measures without the implementation of these rights are to no avail. The Equal Opportunities Act could be helpful but it is not fully compatible with the abovementioned Convention. The matter is indeed very urgent because private employers and even public organizations (as shown in my case below) are making a joke of the Training and Employment of Disabled Persons Board (TEPD) Act 1996. This is supported by the Director General of the TEDPB who has in a recent statement given to Impact Magazine on Friday 25th June 2010 highlighted the ignorance of this Act by employers (Annex 1). It is therefore clear that something should be done urgently to make disability rights more compelling and promote the respect of these rights until the implementation of the complete conventional disability rights.
4. The protection of disability rights and the promotion of equal opportunities concept are supposed to be major policies of the state but the practices of parastatal organizations are contrary to these; my case at the Mauritius Sugar Authority (MSA) is a proof.
5. In spite of my commitment, competencies, achievement and qualifications as well as my recognition as being inspiring and outstanding at local and international level with various honours, I am subject to intensive discrimination by the MSA Management and MSA Board. The proof of my achievements is as follows:
(i) I won one of the four Principal awards at MBA Graduation in South Africa.
(ii) In 2009, I became the first Mauritian Disabled to be graduated with a Master of Business Administration in spite of all the financial hurdles, in-depth discriminations and anti-disability rights measures I was subject at the MSA.
(iii) My competence and achievement are recognized at national level and I became the second disabled to emerge as the winner of the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Outstanding Young Person of Mauritius Award, 2010 Edition.
(iv) The recognition of my competences and achievement as inspiring and outstanding was spread at International level with my nomination within the closed circle of the 30 finalist of the 10 Outstanding Young Person of the World 2010 where there were more than 100 countries participating with the entitlement of sending any amount of their best candidates.

I got standing ovation from Mauritius and Ministers for my achievement but the MSA awarded me an outstanding, continuous and malevolent discriminative exclusion supported by what appears to be an unveiled political protection with their roots in many of the major political parties. The MSA Management and Board have so far been going ULTRA-VIRES in my case but they have not been compelled to assume their accountabilities due to the probable political protection enjoyed by some blue-eyed officers behind my exclusion. It is stunning to see how the Equal Opportunities Act 2008 and the Training and Employment of Disabled Persons Board Act 1996 (TEDPB) are being treated with disdain through my discrimination and the empowerment of other officers (WITHOUT DISABILITIES) through positive discrimination measures by means of appointment and restyling to higher positions without having the required qualifications but thanks to political protection or probable corruption of information.

6. My case is currently before the enforcement committee of the Ministry of Labour and closely monitored by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) but even before the Ministry of Labour (MoL), the MSA Management ignored my rights and showed a lack of commitment. During the second mediation meeting before the enforcement committee of the Ministry of Labour, the MSA was represented by the Senior Executive Officer (SEO) who has taken notice of the decision taken by the MoL as highlighted in the letter forward to the ICAC and dated 11th July 2010 (Annex 2). Nearly one month later, the Deputy Executive Director/Human Resources Manager of the MSA who is unfairly holding two managerial positions at one go, due to maladministration, came to the third mediation meeting relating to my case at the MoL, where he not just tell lies in relation to the position of the Union regarding promotions but also claims that he is unaware of the orders given to the SEO of the MSA following the second mediation meeting at the MoL. Is not this an abuse of power? Is this effective management? Human Resources Management(DED/HRM) and Information System Management were both left to a stand still with a malevolent apartheid-like bureaucratic practice within the MSA, is it fair when we have internal qualified and competent professionals like me who are waiting for the opportunity to prove our worth?
7. In relation to the decision taken at the MoL on 11th August 2010 following the third mediation meeting where the DED/HRM was called upon to do the needful for the matter to be taken to the MSA Board within one week, I have no choice but to take action because the majority of the current MSA Board members have ignored the manipulation of information by MSA Management which have led to my exclusion for years. Since there is breach of my rights of protection from discrimination highlighted in the TEDPB Act 1996, I am therefore requesting the prompt intervention of the Minister of Agro Industry (Honourable Mr Satish Faugoo), the Minister of Social Security (Honourable Mrs Dookhun-Luchoomun) and the Minister of of Labour (Honourable Mr Shakeel Mohamed) so as to ensure that my conventional rights as a disabled are not without effect. As for other parliamentary members (both government and opposition included), I will be most grateful if parliamentary questions relating to my case could be asked to the Honourable Minister of Agro Industry.
8. Through my actions, I will be looking forward for the will of god, the truth, the logic and fairness to prevail. Anyway, I have utmost belief that in the fight between right and wrong, there is a battle being weight against only one winner THE TRUTH. This open letter is available on my blog at
Yours Faithfully,


Mervyn Anthony CM, MBA
Vice-President Mauritius Sugar Authority Employees Union (MSAEU)
Disability Activist
Email