12 Facts About Basdeo Bissoondoyal

Basdeo Bissoondoyal was a Mauritian social worker, educator and writer who played an important role in the pre-Independence politics and independence movement on the island of Mauritius.

Basdeo Bissoondoyal was born in Tyack, Riviere des Anguilles in 1906.

Basdeo Bissoondoyal relocated to Rue Valonville, Tranquebar, Port Louis with his family.

Six years later Basdeo returned to Mauritius by 1939 after graduating with a Master of Arts degree from University of Calcutta in the same year that his elder brother Soogrim had died at the age of 35.

From 1939 onwards Basdeo Bissoondoyal drew inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi's struggle for the Independence of India that he witnessed first hand during the six years that he had spent in the subcontinent.

Basdeo Bissoondoyal's goal was to build upon the work of other movements such as the Arya Samaj which had been active since 1897 in the promotion of Hindi and progressive Hinduism.

Basdeo Bissoondoyal toured the island to promote the need for education, self-expression and liberation of the mass.

Basdeo Bissoondoyal trained several volunteers and encouraged young people to voice their concern against growing corruption.

Basdeo Bissoondoyal spent a significant amount of time in the villages of Lallmatie, Bon Acceuil, Laventure and Brissee Verdiere to spread his message.

However after consulting Secretary of State and Emmanuel Anquetil the Governor was convinced that Basdeo Bissoondoyal had no evil intentions.

Basdeo Bissoondoyal eventually wrote in excess of 275 articles in addition to 20 books in Hindi, 14 in English, 5 in French, and in Sanskrit over 6 decades.

Basdeo Bissoondoyal's works have been published in Mauritius, India, Great Britain, France, and the United States.