ASSAD BHUGLAH
Dr Hassenjee Joomye, laureate, medical doctor, social worker and founder of the Islamic Cultural College, was the son of a trader, who traced his roots to the Mughal belt of Northern India where his ancestors were collateral victims of retaliation and persecution by the British occupiers of India following the Sepoys’ Revolt in 1857 and had to quit their homeland as distressed refugees and migrate to Mauritius. Hassenjee Joomye, born on 17th January 1903 in Mauritius, belonged to the third generation of the descendants of Indian immigrants. He grew up and evolved at a tumultuous time when the social fabric of the island was shaken by the global Spanish flu pandemic, two World Wars, the Great Depression and other political upheavals in Mauritius and abroad. His driving force was education, which he acquired with much perseverance at a difficult period when racial prejudices were prevalent and access to educational facilities was not easy to the descendants of Indian immigrants. 
In the 1940s, with the rise of the political emancipation movement, claims for education increased because people came to view education as a major avenue for social mobility and a means of avoiding oppressive working conditions. The various government measures led to a rapid increase in the number of children enrolled in the primary schools. But there was a serious bottleneck in securing admission at secondary level as there existed only a handful of colleges. Students from the Indo-Mauritian community had very slim chance of getting admitted in private colleges. Until the 1940s, the Royal College, despite being a government institution, operated in an environment of racial segregation. As the British colonisers had fragmented the society along communal lines, the Mauritians reacted communally in search for redressal of their problems. It was against this backdrop that Dr Hassenjee Joomye came up with his project for a new college for Muslim boys upholding Islamic studies and culture in an ‘Islamic environment’ alongside academic subjects. The Islamic College opened its doors in May, 1949.
Dr Hassenjee Joomye had solidly and boldly embarked on the path of his noble mission, motivating along with him a team of elite towards a shared goal. The initial target of a modern college was met and more was expected to come. But the good doctor died unexpectedly at the age of 46. Had he lived longer, he would definitely have been an important asset in paving the way towards an independent Mauritius.
In spite of the tangible legacy left by Dr. Hassenjee Joomye, very little has been written about this great man. I felt that his memories may fade with the passing of time. I was myself student of the institution founded and bequeathed by Dr. Joomye – the Islamic Cultural College (I.C.C) – but rarely heard about him. This motivated me to write a book entitled “Dr Hassenjee Joomye: His Mission, Philanthropy and Legacy”. The book is prefaced by Dr Satyendra Peerthum, Historian & Researcher at the Aapravasi Ghat Trust Fund & Member of the Indentured Labour Route Project. It has an “Introduction” written by Moomtaz Emrith, author of “The History of Muslims in Mauritius”. The cover of the book has been designed by the artist Nasreen Banu Ahseek.
Dr Hassenjee Joomye was a silent but driving force, a doer, a motivator, an organiser and ‘a leader from behind’. Deeply religious, but pragmatic, his stamina, intellect, selflessness, determination and sincerity of purpose were the exemplary traits of his character that helped him achieve his goals and initiate changes that had a lasting impact on society. Dr Hassenjee Joomye was a good friend of Dr Seewoosagur Ramgoolam and very close to G.M.D Atchia, his mentor. Dr Joomye and Dr Ramgoolam had studied medicine in London. When Dr Hassen Sakir retired from the Council of Government in 1926, G.M.D Atchia was nominated to the Council as his successor. Several aspiring politicians of the time, namely Dr Edgar Laurent and Dr S. Ramgoolam would visit G.M.D Atchia and bounce ideas to him. Dr Hassenjee Joomye was a privileged witness to all these political debates and was even encouraged by Dr S. Ramgoolam to join politics. Dr Joomye, though he was interested with politics, never stood as candidate; he ploughed on with his struggle to promote his educational goals and never deviated therefrom.
What people remember of Dr Hassenjee Joomye is not what he did for himself but what he did for others; for the less fortunate and for those who could not afford education and health care. To them Dr Hassenjee Joomye was a saviour and a ray of hope.
Dr Hassenjee Joomye remains a role model and a good motivator to the current and future generations. The purpose of my book is to bring to life the enormous contributions he made towards the welfare of his fellow human beings at the expense of his own health and wealth.
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Design – Nasreen Banu Ahseek