Republic of Mauritius- The 113th birth anniversary of Professor Basdeo Bissoondoyal marked by a plaque unveiling ceremony

In his address, Minister Roopun emphasised the predominant role of Professor Basdeo Bissoondoyal in shaping the socio cultural and political history of Mauritius. Professor Bissoondoyal, he pointed out, has empowered Mauritians to uphold their dignity.  He also spoke about the role of the Professor Basdeo Bissoondoyal Trust Fund in perpetuating the memory and work of Professor Bissoondoyal which will, as a result, inspire all Mauritians to devote themselves to the service of their country.

Some of the other functions of the Trust Fund include: collecting and preserving the voluminous writings of Mr Bissoondoyal in the fields of religion, philosophy, culture, and history; and, organising talks, seminars, conferences, exhibitions, and other activities on the life, work, and writings of Professor Bissoondoyal to promote a greater understanding and dissemination of his literary creations nationally and internationally.

Professor Basdeo Bissoondoyal

Born on April 15in 1906, Professor Basdeo Bissoondoyal was an exceptional missionary and one of the leading figures in the Independence movement. One of his greatest achievements is that he carried out an intensive campaign, at the grassroots level, to show Indo-Mauritians how to sign their names in Hindi in order to pass the literacy test as required by the new Constitution of 1947. By teaching Mauritians, at grassroots level, he also paved the way and contributed to Mauritius’ accession to Independence in 1968.

Some of the key events during the career of Pandit Bissoondoyal were also milestones in the history of modern Mauritius.  These are, namely: the founding of the Jan Andolan Movement in 1939, the Mahayajin 1943, and the celebrations of the IndependenceDayof India and Pakistan in 1947.

Professor Bissoondoyal was also one of the most prolific writers and great intellectuals in Mauritian history. He wrote more than 275 articles as well as 20 books in Hindi, 14 in English, five in French, and in Sanskrit over a period of more than 60 years. He wrote mainly on Mauritian literature, Indian and world history, philosophy, religion, and comparative civilisations, and his works have been published in India, Great Britain, France, and the United States. His works have shaped the thoughts and heavily influenced the writings of three generations of Indo-Mauritian intellectuals and writers and they have become an integral part of the Mauritian literary heritage.