What I Read -- Silence of the Chagos

The second in my trio of books about Mauritius - that fantastic but little-known Indian Ocean Island off the east coast of Africa - was Silence of the Chagos, by Shenaz Patel.  Silence fictionalizes the real-life forcible relocation of the Chagossian people after the political gamesmanship which earned Mauritius its independence.

Part of the deal was that the fifty-six tiny islands that make up the Chagos archipelago would remain part of the British empire, officially becoming one of the British Indian Ocean Territories (BIOT). The British insisted on keeping it because the Americans wanted to put a military base there (which we did; it's called Diego Garcia), and in return we would give the Brits a steep discount on some missiles they were buying from us.  But the land needed to be uninhibited for our base to be installed.  Thus began the removals, first by tricks and promises, later by threat and force.

Silence is told through two characters. Charlesia came to Mauritius in the first wave, because she was told her husband needed medical care that couldn't be provided in Chagos.  Then they simply refused to return her and her family to their home.  Désiré came later.  His mother had been pregnant when she was given one hour to pack her and her family's belongings and get on a ship if she wanted to survive.  Désiré was born on the boat on the way to Mauritius.  They each, in their own way, lament the loss of their homeland and try to find ways to return, or at least make some peace with their memories.

It's a pretty sad story.