Two major decisions concerning Malagasy identity were made this week, focusing on the use of the Malagasy language in official letters and administrative correspondence. Deputies had the courage to adopt this law, even as the memory of the stinging failure of the extreme ‘malgachisation’ of education remains fresh in everyone’s minds—a generation sacrificed on the altar of misplaced patriotism. However, officials were quick to clarify that these are two entirely different matters.
The use of a mother tongue in children’s education is recommended globally and is already the norm in several African countries. Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, and the DR Congo use Swahili as an official language, reaching at least 262 million people. In terms of trade, this represents a vast consumer base, which explains the logic.
Mandarin is spoken by 1.4 billion people, mirroring its reach in the international market. This explains the global expansion of Mandarin, given China’s importance in trade and technological development. The same applies to India, the world’s most populous nation with 1.6 billion people, where half speak Hindi and the other half English.
This is not our case. We are 32 million Malagasy speakers, and even our neighbors in the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) do not speak it. Identity diplomacy has had its day, now needing to supplement ‘wallet diplomacy’. Other obstacles remain in this endeavor to grant the Malagasy language its proper place, the contours of which have yet to be defined.
The other decision that marked the week is the government’s push to encourage the population to dress in ‘Malagasy style’. Here too, cultural identity varies from region to region. However, many Malagasy already wear traditional attire, much like Africans wearing boubou, kaftan, kita, or gomesi at international meetings.
Recently, traditional silk outfits have been ubiquitous at various ceremonies, though they are not affordable for everyone. Many resign themselves to the ‘patron n’omby’ look, wearing a felt hat and wrapped in three or four ‘malabary’ with countless pockets.
Neither decision is reprehensible, except that for the moment, the population has other fish to fry: insecurity, rising prices due to the finance law, and persistent power outages. Between mere appearances, this is truly a ‘laborious’ task—a matter of breath.
Sylvain Ranjalahy
Captured & Published at: 2026-07-06 07:13:21 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/07/langue-haleine.html