With or Without Roots

This chapter deals with the Mauritian contemporary context of competing communal memories. ¹ Mauritius is the perfect illustration of a Creole society: the island has no native population, its origins are largely linked with slave trade and the sugar industry, and it comprises an important mixture of cultures coming from various parts of the world. However, the majority of the Mauritian population comes from India and practices Hinduism. At least since its independence in 1968, the Indo-Mauritian communities have developed a huge concern for Indian cultural roots in an attempt to differentiate themselves from descendants of enslaved Africans.