India-Mauritius energy pact deepens fossil fuel dependence amid global crisis: systemic shift or short-term fix?

Indigenous and Afro-Caribbean communities in Mauritius and the wider Indian Ocean region have long practiced energy sovereignty through communal land management and traditional fishing economies, which prioritize ecological balance over extractive profit. These perspectives view fossil fuel deals as a continuation of colonial-era resource extraction, where external powers dictate energy futures without consent. The omission of these voices in mainstream narratives reflects a broader erasure of Indigenous knowledge systems that offer alternatives to hydrocarbon dependency.

The Strait of Hormuz has been a geopolitical flashpoint since the 1950s, when Western powers and oil companies carved up the region’s resources, laying the groundwork for today’s crises. Mauritius’ energy history is marked by colonial-era infrastructure (e.g., coal-powered ports) and post-independence reliance on imported oil, a pattern mirrored in other SIDS. India’s own energy trajectory—from the 1970s oil shocks to its current renewable push—shows how fossil fuel dependence is a learned systemic failure, not an inevitability.

In the Pacific Islands, energy sovereignty movements reject fossil fuel imports in favor of community-owned renewables, offering a model for Mauritius to bypass geopolitical volatility. Across the Global South, from Cuba’s post-Soviet solar transition to Bangladesh’s solar home systems, decentralized energy solutions have proven more resilient than centralized fossil fuel grids. The Indian Ocean’s monsoon-dependent economies (e.g., Sri Lanka, Maldives) highlight the absurdity of doubling down on oil amid climate-induced supply chain disruptions.

Climate science confirms that Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like Mauritius face disproportionate risks from oil price volatility and sea-level rise, yet fossil fuel dependence increases their exposure to both. Studies show that renewable energy microgrids in SIDS can reduce energy costs by 30-50% while improving resilience to global shocks. The International Energy Agency’s Net Zero 2050 pathway requires phasing out fossil fuel exports by 2040, a timeline incompatible with India’s current deal.

In Mauritian *Sega* traditions, the sea is a living entity whose rhythms dictate communal life, a worldview that clashes with the commodification of oil and gas. Indian spiritual texts like the *Bhagavad Gita* frame energy as a sacred duty (*dharma*) to sustain life, not as a tool for geopolitical leverage. Artistic movements in the Indian Ocean, from Malagasy *Hira Gasy* to Tamil *Therukoothu*, often depict energy as a communal resource, contrasting with state-led extractivism.

Scenario modeling by the IPCC and IRENA suggests that SIDS transitioning to 100% renewables by 2035 could reduce energy costs by 40% and create local jobs, while fossil-dependent islands face stranded asset risks. India’s deal locks Mauritius into a 20-year fossil fuel dependency, undermining its 2030 net-zero pledges and increasing climate finance liabilities. Long-term, the pact risks replicating the 'resource curse' in Mauritius, where fossil fuel imports could crowd out investment in climate adaptation and renewable infrastructure.

Mauritian small-scale fishers and farmers, who bear the brunt of climate disasters, are excluded from energy policy decisions despite their disproportionate vulnerability to oil price shocks. In India, Adivasi communities displaced by coal mining and oil projects (e.g., in Odisha, Assam) are rarely consulted on energy diplomacy, despite their historical role as stewards of fossil fuel-rich lands. Women in both nations, who manage 60-80% of household energy needs, are sidelined in discussions dominated by male-led state and corporate actors.