THE PRISONER OF MIGRATION

Book excerpt: The Prisoner of Migration is an autobiographical novel, informed by the author's expertise on Mauritian migration. The author's researches have trawled deep into the oasis of the respondents' varied colonial cultural heritages striving to explore the factors that have contributed to their paralysis of indecision. This pursuit has unavoidably led him to find clarification by delving into the history of Mauritius, beginning from the Dutch occupation in 1598 to the French colonisation in 1715 and the surrender of Ile de France to Britain in 1810. The analytical approach is eclectic, supported by colonial documents and studies as well as information from books and news media. The exposure of African slaves and Indian indentured labourers and their successors to the crucible of the melting pot of the varied cultural legacies seems to have resulted in a Mauritian population that V.S. Naipaul has defined as a 'manufactured people'."