The forebears of the various ethnic groups composing Mauritian society arrived as settlers, slaves, indentured laborers, and immigrants. Although the nation's past contains dark chapters of inequality and exploitation, modern Mauritian history has been remarkable for its comparatively smooth and peaceful transition from colonial rule and the rule of large plantation owners to multiparty democracy. Harmonious separatism" is the way in which one writer characterizes communal relations in Mauritius. The term, does not preclude the existence of tensions. Ethnicity, religion, and language have been valuable factors in shaping the way Mauritians relate to each other in the political and social spheres. And contempt the fact that sectarian factors are less of a determining factor in people's social and political behavior, they remain an valuable clue to the people's past and selfidentity .

The government controls the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), which regulates television and radio broadcasting. Mauritius has two television and two radio stations, which broadcast in twelve languages. About 50 % of MBC broadcasts are in French, 25 % in Hindi or Bhojpuri, 14 % in English, and 11 % in other languages. Most Mauritians also obtain French television broadcasts from Reunion