In a city square in Saint-Denis, Reunion Island, a 3-meter-high bronze statue of Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais, the former Governor General of the Isles of France (Mauritius) and Bourbon (La Réunion) between 1733 and 1746, has become the focal point of heated debate. The statue, erected in 1856, has recently drawn attention as activists question its place in commemorating slavery and colonisation on the island.
On April 26, the mayor of Saint-Denis, Ericka Bareigts, along with the prefect of Reunion, Jérôme Filippini, announced plans to relocate the statue by the end of the year.
Citing Mahé de La Bourdonnais’ past as a naval officer, the statue will be moved to the Lambert barracks, housing the armed forces of the southern Indian Ocean zone.
Bareigts reportedly claimed that the decision to relocate the statue is a political and activist choice, rejecting the term “debunking” by activists.
The controversy surrounding the statue dates back to 2011 when, on the tenth anniversary of the Taubira law recognising the slave trade and slavery as crimes against humanity, activists covered the statue with a sign reading “I am racist.”
According ti Global Echo News, Bareigts, positioning herself as an “Activist for the non-erasure of knowledge,” argues that the statue of this “slave” is misplaced.
According to Bareigts, under Mahé de La Bourdonnais’ rule, the number of slaves in Reunion increased from 648 in 1735 to 2,612 in 1740. She accuses him of organising and intensifying the pursuit of escaped slaves and imposing inhumane punishments.
The collective Laproptaz Nout Péi (“Let’s sweep in front of our door” in Creole), comprising 43 associations, reportedly sent a letter to all elected officials of the island in August 2020, denouncing the glorification of colonial past through statues.
The collective is said to have welcomed the decision to remove the statue of someone who caused significant harm to the local population.
Two online petitions, one calling for the removal of the statue and another opposing its removal, have garnered 515 and 490 signatures, respectively.
The Association of Friends of Mahé de La Bourdonnais is seeking donations to finance legal action. Historian Prosper Eve, an expert on the island’s slavery period, described the statue’s relocation as nonsensical, influenced by “cancel culture” trends from the United States.
Eve reportedly also criticised the judgment of historical figures without considering the historical context.
Another historian, Olivier Fontaine, acknowledged the need to scrutinise La Bourdonnais’ actions but cautioned against applying contemporary standards to historical figures who operated within the expectations of their time.
As the discussions surrounding the statue of Mahé de La Bourdonnais continue, it reflects the broader global conversation on the representation of colonial history and the need to confront the dark legacies of slavery.
Mahé de Labourdonnais was a prominent figure in the history of Mauritius during the colonial era. He played a significant role in shaping the island’s development within the context of a society that was built on the exploitation of enslaved people.
The legacy of slavery remains an integral part of Mauritius’s history and has shaped its social, cultural, and economic landscape to this day.
Source: Globe Echo
