For Ton Moothoo, a Bissoondoyalist who would have turned 100 on 10.12.23
KAVINIEN KARUPUDAYYAN
Sunil Gran Leker rode his branded old Phoenix bicycle towards the tiny wooden colonial house juxtaposing Quincaillerie Manick at half past eight. He had inherited the bicycle from his father who had himself bought it segonn-me decades ago. More than a hundred years old, the fragile but charming building in the village of Tyack bore witness to the birth of one of the most sincere politicians on the land, Sookdeo Bissoondoyal. After his death, the house was converted into a public museum and since then, Sunil Gran Leker had been its faithful guardian keeper. A jack-of-all-trades, he swept the floor and polished it with lasir rouz (1) now and then, watered flowers and showed the rare visitors around with a grape of stories and handy anecdotes about its once famous occupants. 
This Monday morning as well, he hummed a famous Gandhi Bhajan while he opened the doors, “Vaishnava Janato Tene Kehiye…”
To his great disappointment, everything was the same as he had left it the day before. Not that he had expected objects to vanish or thieves to break in. Not at all. But he had expected something to happen. Kuch bhi to (2). The roofs had been leaking for the past few months and despite the various complaints made to the Museum’s council, nothing had changed. The fact that the museum was government property meant that it depended solely on the latter to be able to function. And they had to wait endlessly for a nouvo lizour (3). Sunil had to endure the summer’s heat for months after a damaged fan would finally be replaced while its fate hanged on the pen of some fellow sitting in an air conditioned office somewhere in Port-Louis. While cleaning on that particular day, one unusual event made Sunil rack his brain for some minutes. He noticed a little flower bouquet placed next to the bust of Sookdeo Bissoondoyal.
-Bizarre for someone to remember Sookdeoji on his birthday! Enn mirak sa do! He pondered over it for a few seconds and carried on performing his daily duties.
Sunil was meticulous in his job and ensured that everywhere was tip- top (4). After having cleaned the small building and its surroundings, Sunil opened the news daily ‘Palab’ and started diving into the days’ headlines. Even though he had studied up to the second grade due to the financial burden which school fees put on his parents, Sunil could easily read and understand French. Although with English, that is another story. Unlike Quincaillerie Manick next door which was beaming with activities with people dropping in all day long, the old colonial house and now public museum was forgotten amidst the pandemonium. Even though he was not educated in the traditional sense of the term by sitting on ban lekol, he used to listen attentively to his gran dimounn (5) who had a sack of stories to share. He would start narrating the political history of Mauritius with the same zeal and vigour to passers-by who would stop to talk to him and soon look for excuses to escape Sunil Gran Leker’s discourses. Nobody really cared or gave a damn about the museum and history. So Sunil was basically on his own. Deep inside, Sunil yearned for human interaction but with the passing time, he had understood that it was better to spend time with books through which he could explore the world at his own pace than talking to deaf ears.
With the Covid-19 pandemic, he had less and less visitors. Some rare tourists stopped by because the museum was mentioned in their booklet: ‘Places to visit in Mauritius.’ Or because their guides cared to stop by because they knew Sunil’s passion for history and they wished to show these people who paid hefty sums to visit Mauritius, the historical fabric of the island. Gone are the days when tourists used to come for the sun, beach and sea. Even though he had reached retirement age, Sunil Gran Leker would not stop working. He had vowed to his Nana (6), Bolom Jeetah that he would continue to strive until he does not pass on the legacy to the next generation. The fervour that Bolom Jeetah had for the struggle of the Bissoondoyals is unmatched. If anyone in a function talked about Chacha but forgot to mention them, he would not stay a minute longer and would just storm out of the building. Bolom Jeetah would take his car and drive around the island to stick Sookdeo’s elder brother, Pandit (7) Basdeo Bissoondoyal’s picture on the wall with his own hammer!
His friends used to tease him.
– Eoula! (8)
– Take your lump sum! Go visit to the Maldives or for a pilgrimage to India with your wife! Ase travay do foutour! (9)
But Sunil carried on. With god’s kripa (10), his children were very well settled and had their own lives to take care of. Sunil often thought in a very humble manner that he had been chosen to carry the legacy of the Bissoondoyals in his own manner.
That day was the next day after Eid and Sunil Gran Leker had as usual received his fair share of Briani lor dek (11) from Bhai Aslam’s snack and the famous vermicelli prepared by the latter’s wife. After a most sumptuous lunch, he fell asleep. Mosquitoes buzzed and old Hindi songs played on the AM Radio.
– Mame! O Mame! (12).
He jumped from his seat and thought he was dreaming.
In front of him stood a little girl. She must have been around ten years old. With her two big curious eyes, she scrutinised the place. Her long ponytail swayed as she moved towards the table where Sunil was seated.
– Bonjour Mame.
– Bonjour Beti (13).
Before Sunil Gran Leker had the time to talk and query her about the reasons for her visit, the little girl started bombarding him with questions. “Baap re baap (14)”, he thought to himself.
-Is this young girl a relative of Sookdeo Bissoondoyal? Why is she so keen to explore the life and times of the great man? He thought to himself.
The girl introduced herself to a stunned Sunil.
Her name was Thirtana. She was a Grade Four pupil at Swami Sivananda Government School located some 200 metres near the old colonial house. Her teacher had given pupils in her class a write up to do on old buildings found in their locality. And she had chosen the museum since it had always fascinated her. Indeed, the old rustic building exhibited a certain charm that had always drawn her to know about the life and times of its famous occupants who had left for Port Louis early as far as she knew but who still very much lived in the psyche of people especially in the minds and hearts of those of a certain age in Tyack. Her Amaye (15) would always sing praises of the Bissoondoyal brothers and how big-hearted they were.
- Would you please telling me the story of this place Mame and the secrets its walls hide?
Sunil Gran Leker’s heart melted and he choked a bit before replying. He gave a quiet prayer thanks to the teacher who had the wisdom of making pupils explore the history of their country. It was quite an irony that pupils know the history of other nations more than their own country!
-Of course, little one! Ah if only those walls could speak!
Sunil took her around the room and started narrating.
-You know, our country Mauritius is a blessed land. Giants like Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and… the Bissoondoyal brothers have walked on her soil. You will understand later why I place the Bissoondoyal brothers next to these great souls.
He continued.
– The first Bissoondoyals arrived in Mauritius in 1864 as an immigrant and they were sent to a sugar factory in the district of Savanne. It is here that one of the most glorious epoch of Mauritian history started. The three Bissoondoyal brothers Soogrim, Basdeo and Sookdeo all saw the light of the day in the building where we are standing right now. They later shifted to Rose-Hill in 1911 before settling in Port-Louis at their famous residence situated at 14, Vallonville Street in 1913 (later renamed Sookdeo Bissoondoyal).
Thirtana started to scribble some notes and asked Sunil Gran Leker to spell check for her, which he gladly obliged.
-I will give you some books and pamphlets later on to know more about their lives. But, let me share a most important event which they spearheaded thereby changing the course of our beloved country’s future. Soogrim unfortunately died at a young age. But the two brothers Sookdeo and Basdeo carried the struggle both in their own ways and at times joining their forces to make a bigger impact. Do you know that back in the early 20th century, around only 11 000 Mauritians were allowed to vote? They were mainly oligarchs and possessed enormous amounts of land and properties.
– But that’s unjust! Thirtana exclaimed.
-Yes, indeed you are right my dear! In 1948 when a new constitution was being written, a new proposal was made for universal suffrage. This meant everyone who was above 21 years old had to be able to vote for his or her representatives in the council of government. But the conservatives refused categorically. It was then that the fathers of our independence proposed that people who could write their names in English, French or any oriental language should be admitted to vote.
-That must have been quite easy!
-No, in those days not everyone could read and write. Even nowadays many people cannot do that. It is such a tragedy. Even if we boast of being a literate country, more than half of the population cannot read or write properly!
-Yes, there is a pupil in my class who does not know how to write her name. I feel very sad for her. But I have vowed that by this semester’s end, I will teach her how to do so! I have also requested my friends to help her so that she can become literate. Then what happened Mame?
-Very good beti! It is in giving that we receive! Then the Bissoondoyal brothers made a pilgrimage across the baitkas (16) and maalai pallis (17) of the country to teach those having the required age to vote how to write their names. Bearing the costs from their own pockets, they sacrificed their time in the higher interests of the country. The number of electors rose subsequently to 72 000 due to their precious efforts along with other stalwarts like Mootoocomaren Sangeelee. 
Thirtana was absorbed in this story, which she was hearing for the first time. It took her some time for her to travel back to the present day. She was sad on hearing about the difficult journey people had to go through in those days. Her thoughts drifted to her Amaye and Tata and their fore-fathers.
She thanked Sunil Gran Leker for his help and promised to come back to visit soon.
-Her friends should absolutely know this story! So she thought to herself.
The words of her grandmother ringed in her ears: Partaze, partaze, pou sak lagrin ki ou done, enn bal douri ou pou ganie.
Sunil watched her going and the museum broke back into a silence. A peaceful kind of silence. He glanced at Sookdeo’s old wooden chair and smiled.
The end
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1.Lasir rouz: Red wax used to polish floors long ago
2.Kuch bhi tho: Anything at all
3.Nouvo lizour: A new dawn
4.Tip-top: First-class
5.Grand dimounn: Elders
6.Nana: Maternal Grandfather, term affectionately used to address an old man.
7.Pandit: Title used to address a hindu priest or to denote a scholar
8.Eoula!: Interjection used to express anger or irritation
9.Ase travay do foutour! : Stop exerting yourself! Damn it!
10.Kripa: Blessing
11.Lor dek: Large deep bowled shaped cooking contained used to prepare briani
12.Mame: Term used to address maternal uncle as well to address a man of a certain age
13.Beti: Term to address a young girl
14.Baap re baap: Exclamation used to address God in situation of panic or surprise
15.Amaye: Term used to address Maternal Grand-Mother
16.Baitkas: Hindi Term to denote an afternoon school where Hindi or Bhojpuri are taught
17.Maalai Pallis: Term to denote an afternoon school where Tamil is taught