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Another
Centenarian: Keerodhur Ramsurrun
At
Mauritius Times we always encourage the younger
generation to take an interest in how our forefathers, who
migrated from their homes in various provinces of India and
China to come and work in this country, lived, worked,
prayed and educated their children without much thought of
entertaining themselves. We shall be pleased to do the same
for our compatriots from the African and other continents if
appropriate material comes our way. Through the good offices
of Mr Pahlad Ramsurrun, the well-known researcher into our
historical archives who has published several sets of vital
historical documents with appropriate commentaries, we have
secured for this issue material regarding the life and times
of Mr Keerodhur Ramsurrun, Pahlad’s father, who is
celebrating his centenary today. Keerodhur’s narrative
begins with the story of his grandfather who migrated from
Bihar a century and a half ago.
* * *
Mr
Keerodhur Ramsurrun was born on 9 May 1908 in the village of
Amaury, formerly known as La Morue. His grandfather,
Ramsurrun, Immigration number 235835 was born in 1831 in the
Dannoroa village, Arrah District, Chainpur Pargana, Bihar,
India. He and his wife, Seetoye, left India through the port
of Calcutta on the ship called ’Appelton’ bearing number
872 and reached Mauritius on 25 June 1859. According to
available records, after staying for six days at the
Immigration Depot in Port Louis, both husband and wife were
sent to Union Park Sugar Estate in the southern district in
Grand Port.
It
was here in Union Park that the Ramsurruns had their child
Caullichurn, our centenarian’s father, who was born in
1868. The Ramsurruns later had two other children, a son
named Seenanun and a daughter named Toolia. After completing
his indenture period of a couple of years, Ramsurrun became
rich enough to move with his family from the south of
Mauritius to settle in the north-eastern village of Amaury
in Rivière du Rempart, close to the Bhurut, Aubeeluck and
Hookoom families. Migrants Ramsurrun and Hookoom were
related, their mothers being sisters. Amaury was an emerging
village, created in between Saint Antoine and Mon Loisir
Sugar Estates. Here, Caullichurn married Boodhea Bhugal.
The
Caullichurn Ramsurrun couple had eight children, five sons
and three daughters. Daughter Yasoda was followed by sons
Geerdharry, Roopchand, Deochand, Keerodhur, Domah and
daughters, Soomalee and Jasooda. The elder Ramsurrun passed
away in 1893; Caullichurn’s own death ensued in 1928 at
the age of sixty-two.
Caullichurn Ramsurrun bought
nearly two acres of land at the extremity of Amaury village
called Bois Jacot. The village then had barely a dozen
houses. His compound was quite spacious for it had a well
that provided fresh water to the family and a Calimaye, (a
pious spot for Goddess Kali) for collective prayer.
Keerodhur Ramsurrun’s birth certificate states that
he was born on 15 May 1908 at La Morue (not Amaury as the
village is name-plated today). His father is stated as being
a gardener (agriculteur). It is therefore not surprising
that, from his tender age, Keerodhur was to be apprenticed
in his father’s calling so that he would also in his turn
become a gardener-cum-worker.
Keerodhur
was the fourth son of the family; when he grew up he was
married to Soondree Parboteeah, daughter of Caleechurn
Parboteeah, in 1934. Caleechurn Parbooteeah’s calling, as
mentioned in his birth certificate, was “planter”,
residing at Brisée Verdière in Flacq District. The couple
had their first son Jaychand in 1935, two years later Pahlad,
our research scholar, was born. Lekhram, the third son, was
born in 1944; he passed away in 1982.
Keerodhur
was not employed as regular worker on any sugar estate. He
was a day worker and shifting according to his convenience
between Mon Loisir, Belle Vue Maurel and Saint Antoine Sugar
Estates. As a side occupation he grew vegetables in his
leisure time. He also cultivated sugar cane on a piece of
rented plot known as Beehary-field. Although Keerodhur was a
hard worker yet life in the thirties and forties with a
family of five members was quite difficult in the remote
village of Amaury. Soondree, his wife, tended cows and goats
and even handmade ‘Vacoas’ basket of all sorts that were
sold at the Sunday market fair of Rivière du Rempart by her
husband at first and later by the two elder children
Jaychand and Pahlad.
Keerodhur
Ramsurrun was a devout person from his adolescence and he
had a deep faith in orthodox Hindu religion. He was a member
of the local Arya Samaj baitka that was the village
community centre, where people of the village used to gather
to discuss their problems (social or familial) and to
organize socio-cultural festivals. Besides, Hindi was taught
in the evening to all the children of the village. Keerodhur
participated actively in the celebrations of Shivratri, Holi,
and Deepavali festivals. There was no shop or hairdresser at
their village; the only public amenity was a public fountain
that served the whole village. The inhabitants had to go to
Amaury for their requirements. The nearest school was at
Belle Vue Maurel and at Laventure. Keerodhur got to know a
little Creole and that helped him to manage his affairs
(business), but the language he knows perfectly and
converses in fluently is Bhojpuri.
In
January 1944 when the intense campaign against alcohol
consumption was launched by Hurryparsad Ramnarain, Keerodhur
joined in. And when Messrs Ramnarain and Jugdambi were
arrested and imprisoned, Keerodhur was among the
demonstrators, who marched towards Port Louis to liberate
their leaders. But they were stopped at the Police Station
of Terre Rouge. The African troops stationed in Mauritius
were dispatched and on the orders of the Magistrate the
demonstrators were attacked with teargas; in the baton
charges that ensued, Keerodhur received a serious wound on
his right temple, but he was able to escape the vigilance of
the police and was not arrested. He remembers this episode
vividly and when he starts narrating it in all in detail, it
becomes impossible to stop him. Later, he took an active
part in the general election campaign of 1948 which gave a
clear victory to Dr Ramgoolam, and Messrs Vaghee and
Beejadhur.
Keerodhur
was to move from Amaury to Brisée Verdière with his family
in 1949 where the couple got two more sons, Madhookar and
Bhuvesh. Here Keerodhur lived with his family in a rented
house near the Social Welfare Centre. His life as a
day-worker, vegetable grower, and the family’s occupation
of making ‘Vacoas’ baskets and cattle tending went on as
usual.
Six
years later the Keerodhur family again moved this time to
the outskirts village of Carreau Lalloo, Vallée des Prètres
in the vicinity of Cipaye Brulé in December 1956. Here
Keerodhur’s life evolved, side by side as a day-worker and
vegetable-grower, he also became a
vegetable-cum-fruit-seller at the weekly fair of Sainte
Croix.
Keerodhur
Ramsurrun has always taken a keen interest in sane pursuits
from his younger age. Although he had no formal schooling
yet he acquired a basic knowledge of Hindi Language. He has
been reading the Ramayana, the Gita, the classic stories of
Panchantantra and Hitopdesa, and the folk stories of Totah
Maina, Vijay mangal,
Sihassen Pachisi, Sihassan Battisi, Akbar and Birbal, and
the epic-stories of Mahabharatas, etc., all his life. He has
been an addict of Hindu astrology, always consulting the
yearly Panchang (calendar-cum-horoscope) prepared by the
Pundits of Benares, India, that are available in the
bookshop at the Port Louis Central Market.
Keerodhur
has deep faith in the existence of God. He prays every day
in a corner of his room in front of the pictures of Hindu
Gods and Goddesses. He wakes up early and after the morning
prayer, takes a light breakfast; he talks little, eats
little and sleeps well. Up till now, he has had no serious
illnesses such as stress, hypertension, diabetes or heart
disease, in spite of being a heavy smoker until late in
life. He believes in the beneficial effects of traditional
medicinal plants and herbs, like the senai, ayapanna,
citronelle and patte-poule among others. He takes
appropriate concoctions in order to get rid of seasonal
ailments like cough, influenza, etc. His preference for
ginger-black tea is well known to the family.
However,
it seems that the secret of Keerodhur Ramsurrun’s
longevity is inherent in his exceptional genes. Besides, the
ingredients that have helped him to survive the ravages of
time can fairly accurately be surmised as his carefree,
stress-less and simple mode of living throughout his life.
Keerodhur
Ramsurrun on his 100th birthday is a contented
person for he has seen ups and downs in life. Today he has a
big family of four sons (one deceased), 21 grandchildren,
and 23 great-grandchildren. His three sons (two in the UK
and one in Mauritius) are graduates. Among his grand
children, two grandsons and two granddaughters are equally
graduates. There is no doubt that Keerodhur’s life
achievement is exemplary and we are pleased to congratulate
him on his 100th birthday this year.
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