For the dictators seeking to have everyone bow to their whims and caprices, fear is a powerful tool. As the deadline to get the new biometric identification draws ever closer, we have fallen into the trap set by our rulers. Fines, jail sentences and a life ruined. The threats feel all too real for the hundreds of people rushing to the conversion centres.

Videos of Pravind Jugnauth dating back a few years resurfaced on social media during the weekend. In those videos, he argued vehemently against biometric identification. Yet, there is no use pointing out the inconsistencies of political discourse over this issue. There is a lot more at stake. This is not simply a debate about biometric identification. It is about trust. Do we trust our ruling despots beyond any reasonable doubt? If the answer is anything but a resounding yes, then these are going to be troubled times.

Doubters can be dismissed as conspiracy theorists and, in some instances, it would be a completely fair assumption. As in every group, there will be a small bunch of crazies. Our members of parliament can surely testify to that. Then there is the other more significant group that is more worried about the usual abuse of power from the authorities rather than the biometric identification itself. After all, Mauritius did not come up with the idea of biometric ID. It is used across the world with great success.

The fire in the belly of those few rebels yet to get their biometric ID is fuelled by their mistrust of the authorities. Ask any of them why and the answer will always be the same. “Have you seen the news?” What news are these outcasts referring to? Well, they are talking about the news cycle as a whole, plagued by the government’s corruption scandals, abuse of power, nepotism, interference with independent institutions and, in one particular case, even manslaughter. This is the news that we have been treated to for months now if not years. 

Taking that into consideration, we are now being told that if we don’t comply and get a biometric ID, we would become the outlaws. It beggars belief that 99% of the country has already bought into this madness. Imagine the feigned outcry in the country when a ti dimoune is forced to pay a hefty fine or spend time in jail as from 1 April while bigger, flashier offenders walk around freely and, on select Tuesdays, even make their way to parliament.

It would be dishonest to pretend that we don’t know how we got here. We have been brought up as sheep. We are not taught how to think for ourselves. This is not only about the biometric ID. It is about our senseless ideological leaders leading us into blind alleys and us simply nodding in agreement. If we don’t stop with our passivity, we will have no one else to blame but ourselves for the demise of our society as we know it.

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