Some political parties organised transport for their fan club and some didn’t. Some promised and delivered food and drinks and some let their supporters go back home after the meeting. Some paid Bangladeshi workers to attend and some didn’t. Some have the means and some don’t. And thousands of people swarmed to different meeting places for different reasons.

Some wanted to have a good meal and a picnic on the beach free of charge. For once that it was not the politicians robbing them. Others truly wanted to support their parties in the traditional battle of the crowds. Others wanted to listen to the revelations of one party leader or another. May Day is also the day of surprises.

This year, apart from the battle of the crowds, which revealed some truths that may result in the cancellation of the promised by-election after all, the biggest revelation came neither from Port Louis nor from Vacoas. It came from Beau Bassin.

There, on a platform where Roshi Bhadain was the uncontested master, the surprise he announced was a real one. Laina Rawat, daughter of the chairman of the defunct BAI, of all people, was present to support him and exonerate him of the blame in the case of the BAI. Laina Rawat on the same platform as Roshi Bhadain! The guy who, a few years ago, withdrew his money just before a perfectly solvent and profitable bank saw its licence being withdrawn and its doors shut to its clients, an event which was followed by the destruction, closure and annihilation of every other BAI company.

At that time, Bhadain had gone on all the platforms open to him to declare and explain with graphs and PowerPoint presentations how the BAI was a Ponzi scheme that had to be stopped. We recall how Bhadain thumped his chest about how he had saved us from the biggest Ponzi scheme ever seen in this country, and how he was going to sell all the assets of Dawood Rawat anywhere in the world. When Rawat tried to fight back, Bhadain came up with the Insurance Act, which he defended in parliament, to allow the government to do what it wanted.

Then we saw him jetting around the world looking for the supposed assets with the blessing of his colleagues at the MSM. We watched as they took turns feeding on the carcass, helping themselves to cars and other assets at throw-away prices.

Today, a different story is being pedalled: Bhadain is totally innocent of the crime against the BAI. So, please forget all the press conferences where he was taking front stage. Forget all the TV programmes. Forget all the interviews – yes including the one he gave us – and repeat after me: we all got it wrong.

“Please forget all the press conferences where Bhadain was taking front stage. Forget all the TV programmes. Forget all the interviews – yes including the one he gave us – and repeat after me: we all got it wrong.”

But in this strange world where strange things no longer surprise anyone, and in the trench wars between politicians, the second revelation came: the Rs19 million the MSM received in 2010 from the same company that they qualified as a Ponzi scheme! Rs19 million!

Worse, according to the documents exposed by Bhadain at the May Day rally, while the 2010 election took place on 5 May, half of the money went into the MSM account between 21 and 28 April. The rest, Rs9 million, was paid between 19 May and 23 November 2010! After the election! If donations are given before the elections, there is a name for the large sums of money going from the bank account of a company to the bank account of a minister and his party. One of the people receiving funds between elections holds the national purse today and decides how our money should be spent!

The revelation is disturbing indeed. But it will remain as a May Day revelation. Our institutions are in a deep state of unconsciousness. Don’t expect much from the ICAC that was defending the prime minister at the Privy Council. Or from the police commissioner who talks about himself in the third person and is the object of serious allegations. The country is besieged indeed.

For more views and in-depth analysis of current issues, Weekly magazine (Price: Rs 25) or subscribe to Weekly for Rs110 a month. (Free delivery to your doorstep). Email us on: weekly@lexpress.mu