Turning point towards liberty.

The Constitution of Year III (August 25th 1795) elevates the old colonies, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Reunion to the status of departments. The decree dated February 4th, 1794 abolishing slavery occured before it. The limits have been reached for the Reunionese slavery society.

Departmentalization and abolition of slavery are linked. "Reunion is one and indivisible part of the Republique, nevertheless, because of its location, it is ruled by particular institutions under the dependency and the protection of France". Léon de Lépervanche.

Since then, departmentalization is associated with liberty in the Reunionese collective belief. So, in 1848, while Sarda Garrigua was proclaiming the abolition of slavery at Reunion, he declares: "When no more slaves will exist on this so utterly French land, I am sure that it will form, in the large French unity, an Overseas Department governed by the general laws of France.

Departmentalization and assimilation.

In order to be a French citizen, the French culture and the spoken language must have been assimilated. One could have expected that the populations coming from Africa, China and India, far from the French and European culture would have refused the cultural assimilation. However, it was not the case. On the contrary, in their overwhelming majority, these populations have claimed and defended it with passion and sometimes with excess.

Still today, the force of the cultural assimilation, in the collective consciousness of Reunionese, finds a part of its explanation in this kind of exchange of cultures for the citizen liberty and equality like in "metropolitan France".

The long fight of the Reunionese left-wing

Since Sarda Garriga a long battle of the Reunionese left-wing for departmentalization has been carried on through the generations.

In 1912, Paul Hermann declares: "Reunion is not a French department but has everything to become one". The locale progressive forces are traditionally deparmentalists and the conservative forces more or less regionalists. In 1936, the People's Front movement goes in the street in procession with banderoles. Unions and left-wing Parties organize the demand.

The international pressure

It is after the Second World War that Paris got involved in real terms in the departmentalization. Evolution influenced by the local groundswell of opinion, but above all, by the international context.

The "Big Two" encourage the movements for decolonization. The committee just instituted within the U.N.O will have the task to make the colonial powers organize the independence and the autonomy of the territories under their administration.

The law of departmentalization

Law n°46-451 of March 19th, 1946, composed of 3 articles, elevates the old colonies to the status of departments. What departmentalization will bring to Reunionese in terms of money, equipment, varied appliances, comfort will go beyond the most sensless dreams of its originators and defenders.

However, it has brought something else : health and education, the opening over the world and training ; means of communication with the rest of the world and the welcoming of people coming from all over the world. This daily universal dimension will have an effect on the mentalities. The new generations will build a Reunion which will ensure the responsability of its destiny.

A change of men.

In Sarda Garrigua's time, the hazy departmentalization meant liberty and the end of slavery. During the People's Front, it has represented social equality with metropolitan France and the liberation of colonial troubles.

After the law of 1946, as early as the 60's, it became an unexpected reality.

What about future ? The next historic stage, the one of the effective and exerted Reunionese responsability can be reached. Concerning the department institution, it seems to be destined to disappear in France, as institutions are mortal like nations and civilisations.

What does it matter ! Departmentalization will have fulfilled its mission. It will have helped the Reunionese man by giving him the means of his liberation and of his responsible freedom.