Soman Ragavan

Gassing dogs in Diego ; 4 February, 2024

Posted on 4 February, 2024

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\"GASSING DOGS IN DIEGO.\"

This poem refers to the gassing of the islanders\' dogs from vehicles’ exhausts in the Chagos Archipelago (Indian Ocean) by the English in the early 1970s, as a means of making the remaining islanders leave the place to make way for a military base.

            (a)        Please see : Henri Marimootoo : “Un employé mauricien raconte la tuerie des chiens de Diego Garcia par le commandant Américain White.”  WEEK-END” newspaper, Mauritius, 16 July, 2000, (page 23).

            (b)       Also refer to the film “Once upon an island,” shown on Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation television on 6 November, 2006, on the account given by the person who organised the gassing of the dogs.

             (c)       “No Man Friday here must be left to stray”

             and

             “Order yon moronic Tarzan to play on yon jerrycan !!”

            On the above, please see : “Sordid tale of “bribes,” racism and deceit.” “NEWS ON SUNDAY” newspaper, Mauritius, 5-11 November, 2000, (page 9).  A metal jerrycan (for storing petrol) is used in Mauritian séga music as a percussion instrument.

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 GASSING DOGS IN DIEGO

 Now, get this savage lot out of here for good :

We have to cater for our folks, for their food,

For their shelter, for everything that be need\'d :

From here, let the exit of this bunch be speed\'d !

No Man Friday here must be left to stray :

No creature around our facilities must foray;

Mop up everything : and everybody :

Nothing must be left : not a dead body…..

Phew ! What an exasperating lot they can be…..

They are always moaning about everything :

They want to cling to yon bloody “house” :

With us they want to play cat and mouse.

But, we\'ll sort them out in no time, they\'ll see :

What\'s escaping from yon exhaust be quite free…..

Ho ho ho ! Them bloody dogs go and capture :

We’ll teach here something of our great nature.

What a useless lot, them dogs : round them up, man !

Order yon moronic Tarzan to play on yon jerrycan !

We\'ll gas them howling dogs with the jeep exhaust :

Hi hi hi ! We\'ll unleash here some secret holocaust…..

Civilisation is a good myriad miles away, we say :

Who the hell will find out about this barbecue ?

Do as we say : from us you must take the cue :

Jump into yon jeeps, stick into neutral, rev away…..

What a cheap and convenient final solution…..

We have to save up for building the base :

We are dead sure about our noble case :

\'Tis the best thing to do, in our opinion.

In empire-building and economy are we grand masters :

Dog care societies won’t know the dogs fell to fiery shivers.

Dammit, we have to save up on wood, on coal, on oil :

Even from yon screams and howls we will not recoil.

Stick more wood into the furnace :

We need hot water, we need heat;

Come on, run along, increase the pace :

Here we’re going to roast our juicy meat ....

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(END)

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