"Sugar water" ; 15 Dec 2023

Poem : 'Sugar water'

Chagos Archipelago, Indian Ocean

This is about the Chagos Archipelago, in the Indian Ocean. In the early 1970s islanders of the Archipelago were forced to leave the islands to make way for a military base. Food supplies and medicine were deliberately cut off. Remaining people survived on sugar and coconut water for some time.

This territory was unlawfully detached from Mauritius before the latter’s independence, in violation of United Nations resolutions. The Americans wanted the whole archipelago for setting up a military base and wanted the whole place to be rid of people. The English did everything to force the inhabitants out, including cutting off food and medical supplies. The deported islanders were taken to the Seychelles and to Mauritius by ship.

On this poem, please see : Pascal Neau : “Ils nous promettaient la même vie qu’aux Chagos…” “Le Quotidien de la Réunion et de l’Océan Indien,” Réunion island, (Indian Ocean), 4 December, 2000, (pages 18 and 19). From this article, we can quote the following :

“(…..) Just some forty families would remain on Peros Bahos island and were for all practical purposes cut off from the rest of the world, a world that seemed to ignore their existence. The community would little by little use up its food and would scan the horizon in the hope of seeing a ship. The women would ration the unique sugar bag available, reserving this product for their children. At the end of the first quarter of 1973, the administrator of the island would raise on the beach a distress flag. A few weeks later this little bit of cloth would attract the attention of an American air pilot, who would give the alarm. A ship bound for Mombasa would be diverted to Peros Banhos in order to take on board the last Chagossians. (…)" (My translation from French). 

Note the following :

--the Americans wanted the whole archipelago for a base

--the English ordered the islanders to leave

--the latter refused

--the English cut off all food and medicine

--finally the islanders put up a flag on the beach to attract attention

--an American pilot noticed the flag by chance

--a passing ship was diverted to take away the remaining islanders...

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                                   “SUGAR WATER” 

1^st stanza

People abandoned on the island would signal to passing ships from the beach for rescue.

Dogs and people became lean from deliberate starvation caused.

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The waves lapp'd on from yon sea hazy :
Yet, skinnier had grown yon puppy;
The folks, equally lean, wander'd about :
At the least passing ship would they shout.

2nd
Families had been forced out with bayonets as they resisted the orders to evacuate the place. The population was chased off the islands to make room for an American military base.

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Families had been dispers'd with bayonets :
Nothing had been left, not even fishing nets;
Population chasing was part of the strategy :
On the deport’d be written this unforgiving elegy…  

3^rd

If only could talk yon forlorn hut :
Every passing day, a meagre diet,
A meal of fish, greens and coconut :
The vision shalt be seiz'd by the poet.

4^th
The food stock dwindl'd further :
Yon crying Mum's heart bled,
As could only happen to a mother :
Her starving baby plead'd to be fed…

5^th

Deliberate starvation was used as a means to make the islanders leave.

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In her arms, yon mother held her crying baby :
The poor thing suck'd harder at the dummy. 
For some milk baby cried endlessly :
Starvation ‘pon it was ramm’d pitilessly.

6^th
 
For some food, some milk, cried the infant :
In tears, with sobs, did the child pant;
But, the invaders had overrun the place :
Only Mum's arms were left as solace…

7th
The conquerors : those who had overrun the place by force.

“strutting fellow” : those who forced the islanders out of the place.

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For some milk the poor baby cried again :
But, the conquerors win in any bargain.
Ah, in the woman's eyes, what a terrible look :
Yon strutting fellow no rebellion would brook…

8^th

“gaz’d at the sea” : in the hope of being able to signal to a passing ship.

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Baby cried in Mum's arms, the last shelter :
Her haggard Dad gaz'd on at the sea :
God ! How tearing was poor baby's plea :
Her crying Mum fed her with sugar water…   

(END)

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