Mauritius Day is a public holiday that falls on March 12 every year. It is both Independence and Republic Day for the country and celebrates two very important events which took place on March 12 in the country.
The country gained Independence from Britain in 1968 and became a Republic in 1992. Mauritius has been considered to be a prized possession for all European countries who wanted to establish trade routes and control in the Indian Ocean.
Mauritius passed from Dutch, French and finally came under British control in March 1810. The British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan had given a speech in 1959 whereby the British Government intended to free many of its overseas colonies.
This speech made Mauritius raise a voice for self-rule. The 1966 elections led to the victory after which an alliance was formed between Mauritius Labour Party and other self-ruling parties. Mauritius adopted a new constitution in 1968 and gained Independence as a constitutional monarchy.
Queen Elizabeth II remained the state head and Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolan was declared as the first Prime Minister of Mauritius. After twenty-four years on March 12, 1992, Mauritius was declared a republic within British Commonwealth.
To mark this day, Mauritians show pride towards their nation by displaying their colourful flag across the island. An official flag-raising ceremony is held along with live music and military parades. Mauritius has been named by Dutch to honour Prince Maurits van Nassau in the 17th century.
Comments
Post a Comment