We are not talking about a lightweight member of parliament or about the dregs collected during the last election on the basis of their great servility to say ‘Yes, Sir’ to anything they are asked to say or do. We are not talking about the witless individuals who cannot believe their luck and will swallow whatever it takes to stay in the position that was beyond their wildest dreams.

Nando Bodha, a long time party member and secretary general, was a one of the most prominent stalwarts of the Sun Trust. He stuck around through thick and thin and discreetly supported the party in every way he could. Though it was clear to everyone that he was intellectually superior to his peers, he defended all their decisions and stayed loyal to Anerood Jugnauth even when the party was at its lowest. He accepted the ministries foisted upon him and never showed any ambition other than to serve his party.

Today, Bodha slammed the door on a very senior position with a huge salary and scrumptious fringe benefits and chose to sit on the opposition benches. The reason given was clear in the communiqué he put out: “The situation in the country has become extremely serious while we are facing many challenges. The power culture and functioning of the MSM are no longer in line with the values and principles that have characterised my political journey”!

One must bear in mind that Bodha was part of the trusted group of persons of the MSM and from his vantage point, he could see a lot of things. We all know there were many unorthodox happenings even under Jugnauth senior but Bodha stayed put. What did it take for him to finally walk out and kick the door shut behind him? How many abhorrent practices has he seen and taken exception to. How many of the accusations against his former boss and his ministers he knows must be true for him to make that jump? How much of our money was indeed being squandered through contracts given to cronies the evidence for which is now being eliminated by any means necessary? These are disquieting questions for which he will hopefully provide the answers soon enough to help this country move forward.

Where we go from here will depend on the sense of ethics and patriotism, if any, of those still sitting on government benches more interested in filling their pockets and clinging to power than in the fate of the country. We naturally know that those are numerous and were chosen precisely because they are unable to understand issues or worry about their implications. So some will sit pretty and will perhaps be in a stronger position. Others will even barter their loyalty for a ministerial post. So expect a lot of threats to be deliberately leaked to the press just to strengthen their bargaining power.

One still hopes that there are at least six more patriots out there who know that whatever advantages they may get will be short-lived and that the doors of history will never be open to them in the same way as they are today. We call on those to follow Bodha’s brave example and put the country first. They can still absolve themselves of the Sun Trust sins. If they choose money over principle, they will automatically become accomplices in offences they perhaps did not commit. What they must realise is that the time of reckoning will come. It always does. Thanks to Nando Bodha, it looks as if that will be sooner than expected.