These are important commemorations in the overseas departments where everyone has their public holiday to celebrate freedom and the abolition of slavery, on each anniversary of the arrival of the decree of 1948. In Reunion, it Fèt Kaf is celebrated on December 20. And yesterday Tuesday, in the electoral context, the local representative of the National Rally (RN) caused an outcry on the island by believing that these celebrations were no longer useful.
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“ I try to tell my grandchildren that slavery is over. We must look ahead. Slavery existed in all countries, but we have taken a step of 1000 years today. » These words spoken on the radio by the departmental delegate of the National Rally at The meetingJohnny Payet, literally took the breath away from the historian Philippe Bessière: “ It’s absolutely incredible. » The abolition of slavery took place on December 20, 1848 – 176 years ago – in Reunion.
LEGISLATIVE 2024: Should we stop commemorating Fèt Kaf on December 20 in Reunion? Johnny Payet, departmental secretary of the RN, does not celebrate it: “we must no longer talk about slavery” Listen to the Morning Guest: https://t.co/OKULxBoxCz pic.twitter.com/T18Qapqzwr
— Réunion la 1ère (@reunionla1ere) June 18, 2024
For this cultural activist, the future, on the contrary, can only be written in the light of history, reports Bruce Regentjournalist at Réunion La 1ère: “ To project ourselves, we need to take inventory of the past, the break with this past. We cannot make history by denying the history of slavery. »
Denial of crime against humanity
It is a denial of identity, even a denial of a crime against humanity, adds the president of the Rasine Kaf memorial association, Ghislaine Mitra: “ The lack of ownership of one’s own history serves to maintain the power of the colonialists. »
For Roger Ramchetty, president of the Cultural Council of Reunion Island, calling into question the commemorations is to deny what always arises from slavery: “ In all countries of the world, when slavery was abolished, we tried to give a sort of equal opportunity to all components of the population. In Reunion, this equality of people does not exist and that is why the celebration of December 20 must be marked in people’s memories for a very long time. »
While waiting for the possible reaction of Marine Le Pen Or Jordan Bardella, at least two of the RN candidates for the legislative elections on Reunion Island, Jean-Jacques Morel and Jean-Luc Poudroux (both ex-UMP or LR) quickly dissociated themselves from the local leader of their party. The former mayor of Saint-Leu, Jean-Luc Poudroux, even denounced comments “ absurd and aberrant “deserving” condemnation and disapproval “.
Read alsoIn Reunion, Fet’ Kaf to commemorate the abolition of slavery and celebrate the island’s culture