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Anniversaries & Events This set of four postage stamps in the Anniversaries and Events series are dedicated to a local event, to an eminent personality and to two prestigious local institutions.
Rs2 - 6th Indian Ocean Games
In 1974, Reunion Island proposed the holding of a regional sports competition between several islands of the Indian Ocean. In 1976, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) accepted the proposal.
Six countries namely Sri Lanka, the Seychelles, Reunion, Comoros, Maldives and Mauritius drew up the Charter of the games and a calendar for the Island Games of the Indian Ocean was established.
The first games were held in Reunion in 1979. Sri Lanka did not participate. Madagascar admitted to the games in 1984, participated in the 2nd games held in Mauritius in 1985. Three other Island Games were held in Madagascar (1990), Seychelles (1993) and Reunion (1998). The games have given a boost to the development of sports in the region and to the emergence of numerous world class athletes.
The three main objectives of the founders of the games are:
(i) to strengthen sporting links in the region so as to widen the cultural influence of France;
(ii) to enable the athletes of the Indian Ocean to compete in sporting activities every four years;
(iii) to organize regional games that would in the long term provide for sports infrastructures to the countries of the Indian Ocean.
The sixth Island Games of the Indian Ocean will be held in Mauritius and Rodrigues from 29 August to 7 September 2003. About 3500 athletes are expected to participate.
The official logo of the games shows a wave in the form of the numeral six and a starfish. The mascot of the games is Momo the dolphin.
Rs6 - The Mauritius Chamber of Agriculture - 1853
Founded on 16th November 1853, The Mauritius Chamber of Agriculture has throughout the 150 years of its existence played a significant role in the agricultural and socio-economic development of the country. The Chamber, conscious of its strategic importance in the national economy, has shaped a number of initiatives aimed at providing the agricultural sector with sound and permanent structures. This has enabled it to respond positively to numerous challenges.
Globalization and liberalization of commerce, emergence of new technologies, modern agricultural practices and greater concern for the environment are some of the challenges facing the agricultural sector. The mission of the Mauritius Chamber of Agriculture is to ensure that Mauritian agriculture adapts to this new order while maintaining active populations in rural areas and to ensure an adequate level of food security.
Rs9 -Visit of Abb? de la Caille -1753
Nicolas Louis de la Caille was born at Rumigny, France in 1713. As a student, he showed great interest in mathematics and astronomy. He became a priest and is better known as Abb? de la Caille. He was a member of the French Academie des Sciences and other prestigious societies of the sciences in Europe.
As an astronomer, he calculated the precise distance between the earth and the moon. He wrote ?Astronomiae fundamenta? the first work to describe austral stars and constellations. He was a member of a scientific expedition to the Indian Ocean from 1750 to 1754. He arrived in Isle de France in April 1753 to observe an eclipse of the sun in May 1753. He conducted a detailed survey of the island during his five months stay. His notes were later used by Bellin to draw the first previse map of Ile de France in 1763. His account on the flora and fauna of the island was published in ?Journal Historique du voyage fait au Cap de Bonne Esperance?.
He is also known to have left triangulation marks on Corps de Garde mountain at La Caille's Rock. He died relatively young in Paris in 1762.
Rs10 - Mauritius Sugar Industry Research Institute - 1953
Mauritius was among the first countries to undertake organized research on sugar cane in 1893 with the creation of the Station Agronomique. Subsequently in 1913 research on sugar cane was untrusted to the Department of Agriculture. In 1930, the Sugar Cane Research Station was created within the Department of Agriculture.
Following the recommendations of a high level Economic Commission in 1947, the sugar industry took steps to conduct research on its own. Consequently, in 1953 the Mauritius Sugar Industry Research Institute - MSIRI - was established as a statutory Body to promote the technical progress of the Industry through research and investigation. It currently employs 125 scientists and technicians and 160 supporting staff.
The MSIRI's mission is to carry out high quality research and development on sugar cane and other crops to meet the agricultural, commercial and societal needs of Mauritius. The Institute has contributed significantly to the progress of the industry and to its competitiveness over the last 50 years. The MSIRI is now of international repute and has serviced a number of overseas sugar industries, especially in Africa. It hosts the Permanent Secretariat of the International Society of Sugar Cane Technologists, the leading body for sugar cane research in the world.
Cancellation Cachet
The cancellation cachet is applied on Official First Day Covers only.
Technical details
Designer : Derek Miller
Printer : BDT International
Stamp size : 27.94x44.45mm
Perforation : 14
Gum : PVA
Paper : Crown Agents Watermarked
Sheet format : 50 Stamps Set in two panes of 25
Release date : 20 August 2003
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