The other attraction for Indian tourists may well be the presence of the Indian diaspora on the island. Over 68 per cent of the population is of Indian origin. But this is more of a sociological interest than a social one, because Indians have either remained glued to their castes and customs to the exclusion of other adornments or have become inaccessible Francophiles. Considering that Mauritius was freed from Britain in 1968, you would expect an island crawling with Macaulay's children. But that, precisely, is not the case. Surprisingly, there is a premium on French culture. A British colony with French as the dominant culture?
