HARILAL VAGHJEE: The Special Pride Of Mauritius

Back home after qualifying as barrister in the UK, Harilal Vaghjee (1912-79) served as magistrate, in which capacity he also administered Rodrigues for 15 months, and then as assistant labour commissioner before sharing the socio-political platform with Dr Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, later Sir (SSR) and the first Mauritian Prime Minister. Knighted in 1970, Sir Harilal was made Officier de la Légion d'Honneur in 1978.
Early Public Life – 1936-1938
On 23 March 1936, the Indian Cultural Association (ICA), that had organised the centenary of Indians' arrival in Mauritius, was registered with R.K. Boodhun (chairman) and K. Hazareesingh (secretary). Vaghjee became a formal founder-member of ICA, along with John de Lingen and SSR, amongst others.
In December 1937 GMD Atchia became Mayor of Port-Louis. The first non-Christian of Indian origin to hold this elective post, he was honoured by a reception committee, whose secretary was SSR, in January 1938. Another reception, given to him afterwards and attended by 300 well-wishers, was chaired by Vaghjee.
Members of the Docks, Wharves and Harbour Workers' Union, led by Emmanuel Anquetil, secretary-general of the Mauritius Labour Party (MLP), started striking on 1 September 1938. The entire harbour was paralysed. Six dockers were arrested. Although work resumed in the docks, labour unrest spread to several villages. The 17 such jailed workers were inflicted various condemnations. On appeal, Jules Koenig and Vaghjee successfully and voluntarily defended them.
Contribution to Constitutional Reform 1940s
On 13 February 1945, Governor Mackenzie-Kennedy (1942-47) laid before the Mauritian legislature his first draft for a revised Constitution. He set up two Constitutional Consultative Committees - one in 1945 itself and the other in 1946.
At the 1945 Committee, the progressives championing the proletariat's cause, besides SSR and Renganaden Seeneevassen, comprised Abdool Latiff Osman, GMD Atchia, A.R. Mohamed (later Sir) and Anquetil. Other supporters, having joined them to oppose the Governor's proposals and the conservatives' memorandum, included Sookdeo Balgobin, Drs Dupré and Millien, Guy Forget, Mohunparsad Jugdambi, Hurryparsad Ramnarain, Raymond Rault and Ramawad Sewgobind, as well as Beejadhur and Vaghjee.
Most of the reformers, including Vaghjee, also deponed before the 1946-47 Committee. The memorandum of 14 February 1947 presented to the Governor by SSR was also signed by Seeneevassen, Osman, Vaghjee and Balgobin. In the new Constitution (1947), property qualification was removed. Men, and women for the first time, aged 21 and above, able to sign in the various languages spoken in Mauritius, became electors.
Elected in 1948 and 1953 General Elections
For the 1948 contest, SSR was offered, of right, MLP's ticket in Pamplemousses-Rivière du Rempart (North) along with Donald Francis and Partap Allgoo. But he preferred as fellow-candidates Vaghjee and Beejadhur, with whom he had been campaigning there.
SSR, Vaghjee and Beejadhur, as well as Ramsoomer Balgobin and Jaynarain Roy presented a 20-point manifesto as published in Advance of 5 August 1948. It pleaded for self-government, democratic local government, equal opportunities for all, a balanced economy through diversified agriculture, encouragement for trade unionism and replacement of the poll, by income, tax. Not only the three SSR-led contenders of the North, but also Balgobin and Roy, vying in Moka-Flacq and Grant Port-Savanne respectively, triumphed. SSR soon reintegrated MLP, chaired by Guy Rozemont, which his four successful comrades also joined.
In 1953, SSR, Vaghjee and Beejadhur stood in the North, now under MLP's banner. The three won anew. With universal suffrage as MLP's battle-cry, this now SSR-led party obtained 13 of the 19 legislative seats. Vaghjee was an elected municipal councillor in Port-Louis (1950-53).
Defeated in Third Legislative Contest (1959)
For the general elections of 1959, when the country was divided into 40 constituencies, each one returning a single legislator, Vaghjee was MLP's candidate in Grand Bay (North). He was defeated by Rameshwar Jaypal, well-known social worker residing at Morcellement St André, who had founded at Plaine des Papayes the Northern College in 1953. A pro-SSR and -MLP activist since 1948, he was a candidate of the newly created, now defunct, Independent Forward Block. The Parti Mauricien (later Parti Mauricien Social Démocrate) fielded no candidate in Grand Bay. After his victory, Jaypal (later Minister) called at Vaghjee's place. As he later told the author, he then apologetically consoled Vaghjee, assuring him that he remained for him and others a respected patriot.
Role for 1965 London Constitutional Conference
In its memorandum for this Conference, drafted by Vaghjee, the MLP pressed for the early grant of Independence. It also insisted on franchise for all those aged 18 and above, ministerial collective responsibility, the appointment of a Leader of Opposition, two independent service commissions (civil service and police), vote by two-thirds of all legislators to amend Constitution and an exclusive chapter on human fundamental rights.
From Vice-President, Legislative Council (1951-59), to Speaker 1960-79
In 1957, Mauritius had its first Speaker, Sir Robert Stanley, with Vaghjee (ex-Council's Vice-President) elected as his deputy who was also Minister of Education (1958-59). The first Mauritian Speaker, he authoritatively held the post for 19 years (1960-798). On 22 August 1967, Speaker Vaghjee voted SSR's motion to make Mauritius independent. Among the most versed in legislative procedures in the British Empire, he is looked upon as the model Speaker in Mauritius.
Sharply Intelligent and Intra-Disciplinary
In 1968, in an interview reproduced in Dr Jean-Georges Prosper's book, Julius Alex Bhujoharry, Alex called Vaghjee a genius. His most outstanding pupil, he had secured the Cambridge School Certificate with merit but one year after following form II.
Besides authoring two plays, The Born Great Men (1919) and Cornelius Goldham Triumphs (1941), Vaghjee was a lover of Music. Before dying in 1979, he gave his myriad writings on the subject to Rivaltz Quenette, then a junior of his office staff before becoming Clerk, National Assembly. Moreover, he had his composed-march executed by the Mauritius Police Band for the opening of the Legislative Assembly. Rivaltz later presented all Vaghjee's manuscripts, including the two plays, to the National Library.
Vaghjee liked amusing his interlocutors. In 1965, sojourning in Tananarive, the author now and then met Mithalall Mourjee at whose place Vaghjee stayed whenever transiting there on his sea voyage to and from Europe. The now late Mourjee told the author how his family members and friends enjoyed his witty Gujarati chat with them.
After being the first to chair its Provisional Council, Vaghjee served as the first Pro-Chancellor, University of Mauritius (1972-74).