“The black has to deepen for the first star to appear. (Christian Bobin)

PRAVINA NALLATAMBY

Marked by a certain decline in vitality, as the consequence of an overflow of violence, intolerance and bad luck, the year is ending, somewhat sad. Grief, outrage, fear, revolt and cynicism emerge in the face of injustices, dirty tricks, murderous wars and abuses of power that eventually take all of our attention, literally draining us of our energy. Why does this bitterness dwell in our hearts and how does this feeling of helplessness grip our souls?

The madness of some is the wisdom of others…

Should we support this slide into slippery slopes where everything spirals out of control, where everything tips into a hellish imbalance, shattering harmony within oneself and with others? How does one come to drift like this, to plunge blindly into madness, sinking into quicksand and getting bogged down in these bottomless pits? Regression or progression? Do we have to yearn for another time, this seemingly more heartfelt once, and set ourselves up as victims of the current system? These questions could give rise to heated debates, nourished by the very diverse judgments and opinions of interlocutors seeking to remake the world with the snap of a finger or the click of a mouse. In the lot, there would always be one who would put forward the right argument to challenge the general opinion; it would justify the merits of an action deemed a priori reprehensible by a demonstration of cause and effect based on irrefutable facts related to a given "context". Another equally intransigent, dark-eyed, would judge and condemn without any pity. Show no mercy. Everyone has their own passion... The year is coming to an end, the debate is running out of steam. It's spinning, there's like a bug, that's clear. Stunned, people here and there in their respective countries remain skeptical about any political, socio-economic or even ecological outcome. Let's change the prism to see the harmony of the universe between nature and culture and vibrate in tune with the shimmering rays of the stars! Reset, as we would say in computer jargon! Reset! Reboot! Let there be light ! Suddenly, a thousand little stars twinkle on the black screen, revealing everyone's role in the universe. At their humblest level, earthworms save the earth and fireflies conserve forests. Ladybugs and grasshoppers, dragonflies and frogs, spiders and beetles, butterflies and bumblebees, birds and other animals each contribute their part to the protection of the environment, the preservation of the planet. We would like to discover the life of these little beasts that we know little about, these insects that make up more than half of biodiversity. Do we know how useful they are to us? Do we know the role of the ambrosia beetle with the name of a princess straight out of a fairy tale? And if we went to meet other heroes of this imaginary story: the night elves would be the twilight antlions, the mischievous little elves would take the form of the scavenger rove beetle or the phyllia, the queen of camouflage. This world would also have its bombardier projecting a burning and toxic liquid on its predators as well as its policeman, the guardian of the gardens...

Tribute to the stars

The cursor moves. In this immense universe, we also glimpse the man at work as well as the woman. This one, with her energy, her gentleness, her legendary intuition and her determination, ensures family harmony, puts balm in the heart and transforms the vision of things both through scientific discoveries and by exposing certain realities, by raising awareness, by getting involved in the field and by bringing hope thanks to a sublime pen...

It will be difficult to pay tribute to all of them. But, we cannot ignore the loss of Christian Bobin who left us a month ago, leaving a huge void in the literary landscape. The writer-philosopher knew how to enlighten us with his poetic and realistic writings. While restrained, he defended the permanent wonder of everyday life. He will continue to bring us hope with his texts with disturbing titles such as The missing part, The sovereignty of the void, Praise of nothing, The man-joy... He will always open a window to noble perspectives to reconcile us with simple things! The year is coming to an end, this silence which is so dear to him and "which speaks" comes back to us. By being silent, we see clearly. And now, today, brilliant by his absence, Christian Bobin once again rekindles in us this feeling of wonder and gratitude for the little things in life.

At the end of the year, let's also salute some female stars and be grateful for their contribution to the planet. We can mention Mardy Murie, very committed to the preservation of Alaska, and Wangari Maathai, who fought to save trees thanks to the Green Belt movement. Let’s not forget Vandana Shiva and her Chipko movement, which needs no introduction, nor Greta Thunberg, nor Harriet Spark, an activist for marine wildlife. Faced with nuclear drift, we should also remember these two Nobel Prize winners in chemistry, Marie Curie and her daughter Irène Joliot-Curie who devoted their lives to science, putting their research at the service of humanity and peace . Where are we going today? Let's stay united to save our common heritage.

Annie Ernaux, who comes out of the shadows thanks to the awarding of the Nobel Prize for Literature for her body of work, tells us that "destruction and death now seem a necessary evil". First French woman to receive this illustrious award, Annie Ernaux writes without filter, without frills. A militant feminist, she anchors her characters in the dramas of life with striking realism. Whether or not we appreciate this raw and disconcerting style, his work is worth a detour, if only to be warned of certain filthy realities that few people have the courage to reveal. It reminds us of the description of the unspeakable, of these buried wounds, of these muted violence in certain novels by Ananda Devi and Nathacha Appanah, these women of letters from our native country, honored in France today. today.

Of course, we don't live in a world of care bears. Nevertheless, after this stroll in the country of the stars, the year could not end on a sad note. Especially when we learn that Nathacha Appanah obtains the best prize in the French language for the quality of her work. The heart swells with pride. Let us send him our warmest and most sincere congratulations and say a big thank you to literature, language and poetry for putting us back in the presence of ourselves and reconciling us with others, in short, for having the wisdom to appreciate the little joys of everyday life.

The heart is purified, the soul is elevated.

***

Letter to Nathacha Appanah

Dear Nathacha,

I am writing this letter to express my deepest gratitude. I could have sent this letter to your editor, at the risk of seeing it get lost on the way.

We live in the same city, we come from the same island. But we never met either in Mahébourg, or in Port-Louis, or on the main boulevards, or on a metro platform. And yet, when I read your novels, there is a deep resonance in me. I see scrolling under your pen these realities that we do not imagine, these shattered dreams, these deaf bruises of life. And at the same time, we feel the wisdom, the tenderness in each note of hope that is woven into the fabric. In The Last Brother, I detected a hymn to this spark that restores hope. Subjugated, carried away, I remain admiring of your work. I love when you talk about the origin of the names "Tara" and "Vijaya" in Nothing Belongs To You. Despite the tragic fate of the "wasted girl", she carries within her the seeds of victory and the radiance of a star. She remains endearing in her fight and in her way of preserving Tara's memory. A Light Year, this collection of chronicles, was given to me by a friend during my convalescence after a rather heavy surgery. She told me that “this little book by a compatriot should nourish you spiritually”. She was right. Because, everything you write is deeply human, intimate and poignant. The description of everyday life brings us back to earth. By revealing your feelings, you invite us to follow your journey and to vibrate with you, with your fears and your joys. The soul, thus touched, pulls itself together, rediscovers the lost harmony...

Thank you very much, Nathacha, and we look forward to seeing our paths cross!

Pravina

Paris, December 20, 2022,

Source: www.lemauricien.com/