By ANAND MOHEEPUTH The 1948
general election opened the Mauritius Legislative Council to a new breed of politicians who became known on account of their fire and brimstone repartee. Of that lot, Sookdeo Bissoondoyal was hardly an easy colleague. His sharp-edged tongue and headstrong ways made him someone difficult to go along with. Yet he earned the respect of many because of his abiding principle and sense of purpose.
Sir Anerood Jugnauth made his foray into national politics with a stunning electoral victory under the leadership of Bissoondoyal in 1963. Already three months into the Council, in November 1948, the independent first member for Pamplemousses–Rivière du Rempart, Dr Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, described Bissoondoyal as a “nuisance” who must be got rid of from the Legislative Council. Renganaden Seeneevassen, third member for Port Louis, held him in utter contempt, going to the extent of saying “I brush aside with my foot” whatever expressions that might be used against him. According to him, Bissoondoyal “roars taking himself to be a lion and treats other members of the Council as dogs”. Anyway, on 23 November 1948, the Legislative Council witnessed something unprecedented in parliamentary history in Mauritius.
A row erupted between the Governor, Sir Donald Mackenzie-Kennedy, in the Chair, and the first member for Grand Port-Savanne, Sookdeo Bissoondoyal. That was when Bissoondoyal tried desperately to seek permission from the Chair to move for the postponement of a motion set on the Order Paper in the name of Samuel Benjamin Emile, fourth member for Port Louis. For reasons best known to him, the Governor avoided Bissoondoyal though the latter stood up more than once for the Governor’s eyes to catch him. But as Guy Forget would state later, the Governor’s eyes failed to pick up Bissoondoyal in a standing position all the time while a few lucky got the chance to speak. It was at that stage in a sudden fit of anger that Bissoondoyal made himself heard. Bissoondoyal: “I have been standing many a time since this morning and each time, I see someone standing before me. This is being used to bridle public opinion….” Governor: “Will the hon. member be good enough to sit down…?” Bissoondoyal: “I have not spoken. I strongly object to…” Governor: “I invite the attention of the Council to the hon. member’s behaviour towards the Chair…” Bissoondoyal: “Since this morning, I said I had a motion to move about the postponement of this motion. Each time I stand up, I see someone standing before me. I object to it very strongly….” Governor: “Does the hon. member understand to whom he is addressing himself….” Bissoondoyal: “You also should understand that we are representatives of the people…..” (Applause from the Visitors’ gallery) Governor: “One more demonstration from that end, and the gallery will be cleared. I invite the attention of the Council again to the hon. member’s behavior…..” For having “shouted at the Chair”, the member for Grand Port-Savanne was named and suspended following a motion moved by the nominee, Dr Edgar Laurent. Ordered out by the Governor, Bissoondoyal was leaving the Chamber uttering “I shall answer this by a public meeting….” when from the Visitors’ gallery again applause and shouts of “Vive Bissoondoyal” were heard. The Governor ordered the gallery to be cleared at once.
In fact, Emile’s motion for which Bissoondoyal vainly tried to demand a postponement was simply to enable Guy Rozemont, first member for Port Louis and leader of the Labour party to participate in the debate in the course of which would be exposed the shady dealings, if not cases of alleged bribery, in connection with Mr T. Williams, Controller of the Supplies Control department. Bissoondoyal stated later that Rozemont had collected “unchallenged evidence” incriminating the Controller of Supplies but that Sir Donald Mackenzie-Kennedy was acting as a shield to protect him. It was said that Mr Williams, a former electrician in the Railways catapulted to the Supplies Control department launched in the aftermath of the War, was not cut for the job, but worse, news got around that Williams was “a party to dealings’’ and had “lost the confidence of the public”. But on 7 December, Jules Koenig who evoked “the principle of natural, if not British justice” and found it “unfair” on the part of Seeneevassen to have “insulted” Bissoondoyal, proposed that the first member for Grand Port-Savanne be reinstated. That initiative was fiercely opposed by Seeneevassen and Ramgoolam. While a heated discussion followed between Koenig and Seeneevassen over the interpretation of the Standing Order regarding reinstatement of a suspended member, Seeneevassen said the Legislative Council “is no place for lions to roar” and if allowed the “House will be in a pandemonium” with “dignity and respect” gone. In support of Seeneevassen’s arguments, Ramgoolam had no hesitation in saying “the time has come to put a stop to such a nuisance….” Ramgoolam saw in the “disorderly conduct” of Bissoondoyal signs of “fascism making its way to Mauritius”. He prayed God to “guard us against fascism” and concluded that “those people who elected Bissoondoyal should now be suffering”. Koenig’s motion was seconded by Guy Forget, member for Plaines-Wilhems.
Forget’s accounts reflected the actual mood that brought about the suspension of Bissoondoyal. “J’ai vu l’hon. Premier député de Grand Port-Savanne”, stated Forget in the Council, “ se lever quatre fois dans une vaine tentative de prendre la parole après qu’il eût manifesté son intention dès le début de la séance de demander un renvoi de débat. Bien qu’il l’eût fait dans la matinée après s’être levé quatre fois. Il n’avait pas eu la chance, que sa silhouette fut caught by the eyes of the president… Forget was guided, as it appears, by the principle of fairness when he supported the reinstatement of the first member for Grand Port-Savanne. But an amendment to the motion brought by Rozemont proposed Bissoondoyal’s reinstatement “forthwith”. The proposal was seconded by Raymond Rault, third member for Plaines Wilhems, who “found the whole business of suspension extremely disquieting” as it “was carried out in a matter of a few seconds…”