Surinam Village Mauritius Surinam is a village located in the south of Mauritius in the district of Savanne. Settled between the Savanne Mountain range on one side and the Indian Ocean on the other, with the cemetery coast, and Riambel coast all the way to Pointe Aux Roches through Bel Air and Pomponette, the village is one of the quick getaways to many tranquil and unpolluted local landmarks like Rochester Falls, Cascade Cecil, Cascade Leon, Cascade Marazine, Trou Bangasaille, Montagne Jurancon and the serene coastline.
It has borders with the village of Souillac/Terracine across the Savanne River and Estuary, and the villages of Chemin Grenier and Chamouny. Its inhabited quarters almost all being owner-occupied are Trois Bras, Four A Chaux, St Louis, Balance, Sept Croisees, Riviere Patates, Ward 4, Martiniere, Bois D’oiseau, Riambel, Moulin Casser/dans-pont, and the old EDC (Economic Development Corporation) housing estate. More recently some other settlements have sprung up such as the African Town squatter settlement, the Govt aided housing scheme similar to the old EDC, and new private land morcellements and housing developments for the more upwardly aspirated and affluent people. The coastal road after EDC, with Pamponette and part of Pointe Aux Roches consists of mainly private holiday bungalows/ campements/villas/second holiday homes. The population is multi-ethnic with the majority being of Indian/Asian descent (originally known as kalkateea malbars and lascars, hindus tamils/madras,telegus and marathis/bombaye). The Kalkateea malbars and Kalkateea musalmans/lascars came from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in India, having travelled together as dawaj bhais (brothers in the ship) to Mauritius from the port of Calcutta. Hence the name Kalkateea or Kalkita. Over the years Kalkita was mainly confined to the malbars. The tamils who were mainly from a place in India called Pondicherry/puddicherri embarked from the nearest port of Madras. Hence the term madras was applied to them as did the term bombaye to the marathis who set sail from the port of Bombay/Mumbai. The rest of the Surinam population is Creole of African and mixed descent with very few or no Chinese or Whites when at one point they were a tiny and significant part of the Surinam populace. Although, there has been acceptance, respect and integration of cultures, one can notice the ethnic segregation in terms of where people live which is also symptomatic more or less of the whole of Mauritius. There has been no ethnic tension that one can remember in Surinam. There were rivalries between sporting clubs, however, with half of Surinam supporting Surinam Sporting Club based at Balance and the other half Stella Youth Club based at Trois Bras to the extent of certain no go areas unless for religious or education reasons. Inter racial marriage is rare and although there might have been one or two negative incidents over 40 years ago relating to this, the inhabitants are far more open minded and tolerant and live in harmony with each other.
The name Surinam was possibly derived from the country of Surinam (Dutch Guyana, in South America) where many indentured Indians went to during the Indian Diaspora. Many other versions about its name differ. Some say that there were plenty of Surinam cherries (rouisallle) in the village, thus the name Surinam. Others used to hold the belief that Surinam is a mispronunciation of Sri Ram or Sri Nam as these people believed that part of the Ramayana included Mauritius too which was known as Maritch (the name of Ravana’s aide). Apparently, the Dutch, when they landed in Mauritius, saw the inscription Maritch on a sea rock, had no hesitation to name the island Maritch mispronounced later as Mauritius by Dutch natives. (Source: Sundra Cheetamun MBE).Notwithstanding these views, the more viable one is associated with the Dutch colonisation of Mauritius before the French, and Surinam Village might have had similar features and traits with the Dutch colony. The earlier inhabitants were Creole and tamils in the French period. Most of the Indians from Bihar arrived after 1834 in the British period engaged in sugarcane work activities. There is an old dilapidated sugar mill chimney in the region now called Moulin Casser believed to be linked to the then main Terracine sugar estate across the canal with Batelage as its port for transporting sugar. I do not think there was any labourers’ settlement called habitation or bitation in Surinam as there was in Terracine. Or was there? as the main processing of sugarcane for Surinam planters as we know it was St Felix and not Terracine.... with Balance or Derrick being the lieu where canes were transported by bullock carts and then on by lorries to St Felix.. Research will be welcome in this area. Could it be that there were two parts of Surinam? One being from Martiniere to Trois bras /Moulin Casser via Riviere Patates, Mosque road leading to Souillac and Terracine. And the other part being Riambel, from centre social railway road all the way to Balance, Sept Croisees and then Riambel/St Felix Sugar Estate? In the British colonial days, for public administration purpose, Surinam, although with its own Village Council, was aligned to the neighbouring village of Souillac which was the main quarter with the Magistrate Court and various sub departments like health/sanitation, works, social security, postal and other key services there. In those days, Surinam could be cited as a sleeping village, where people came back to rest after working in neighbouring Terracine, St Felix, Souillac and other nearby locations. There is very little literature or none at all that exists on Surinam other than an old colonial map.
There are facilities like Banks/ATMs, two primary schools, one secondary school, a post office, mini markets and a Sunday market, restaurants, cafes, a village hall, a social welfare centre and other utility services.
The inhabitants have kept their tradition of Creole, Indian, and Chinese foods and with a combination of all three in a plate,sometimes. Hinduism is the main religion followed by Islam and Christianity. There are three mosques, five main Hindu temples and three Christian churches/chapels.
Today, Surinam, although lacking in central government investment, is a more vibrant, literate, and prosperous village. Most of its inhabitants have proven themselves as the virtual backbone in many areas such as education, welfare, health, business, diplomatic services, police services, agriculture and fishing, sports and so on.
The area of Balance continues to be the main centre of the village.