I came to know Moti Torul, as he was commonly known, of New Grove through my uncle (phoopha), Manilall Ramdin, of Nouvelle-France, both villages of Grand Port -Savanne (South). I was then a teenager, living at Long Mountain, in the North.

Going down memory lane, I consider myself very fortunate in having personally known Mr Torul for his legacy to the Mauritian nation. A progressive, he was well known not only in the South but also across the country. He was involved in socio-religious, educational, cultural and political activities. I used to meet Phoopha Torul, as I used to call him on account of his brotherly link with my uncle, quite often at Nouvelle-France, the native village of the Ramdins. He was always actively engaged, along with Manilall Ramdin, in planning one or another sort of public activities, which were not necessarily confined to the South. Mr Torul became so close to my family, especially my father that he casually called on us at Long-Mountain, even after the death of my uncle, Manilall Ramdin, whom he at times had been accompanying on his visit to our place.

Mr Torul was the right-hand man of Manilall Ramdin, the founder-president of the Jai Hind Samaj, which the latter had set up after having met Subhas Chandra Bose during his visit to India in the early 1940s. As Mr Ramdin later confided to me, he had promised to the unique Indian martyr-patriot that he would found such an organisation in the name of the latter and in his personal admiration for him once he would return to Mauritius. The Jai Hind Samaj?s aim was to advance Indian culture in Mauritius as inspired by the patriotic zeal of the singularly outstanding freedom fighter that was Bose. Mr Torul supported Mr Ramdin in this venture as in his multiple socio-religious, cultural and political activities, national and regional, including small tea planters? welfare.

Mr Torul occupied the prestigious post of General Secretary of the Arya Sabha, Mauritius, for seven long years. Besides, he was for some time the secretary of the Grand-Port Arya Samelan Sabha grouping both the Sanatanists and the Arya Samajists who had been previously at daggers drawn. Although an Arya Samajist, Mr Torul, the Jai Hind Samaj?s secretary, was thus open to, and even wholeheartedly mingled with, the Sanatanists. He was involved in even some orthodox activities. Hurrynarain Madun, of Camp Diable, also active in co-operatives and rural local government, was the treasurer. In all the undertakings of the Jai Hind Samaj, Mr Torul played a key role next only to its president. Under the trio?s leadership, it was the first socio-cultural group in Mauritius to organise every year since the early 1940s the reception of pilgrims converging from all parts of the country to Grand-Bassin, then known as Pari Talao to local Hindus, now called Ganga Talao. This reception included religious addresses and devotional songs for the occasion. Obviously, Mr Torul was also a speaker without fail. This annual religious rendez-vous spreading over a week took place regularly until the demise of Mr Ramdin in 1962. A voluntary team used to proceed well in advance to the sacred Lake where it even stayed for several days to be able to make the preliminary arrangements.

In 1948, Mr Torul very sincerely backed Manilall Ramdin, as campaign manager, in supporting the candidature of Jaynarain Roy, MA, LLB, Allahabad University, India, in the general elections in the South. Acclaimed by the Jai Hind Samaj as the local Subhas Chandra Bose, Roy triumphed easily, ranking second to Soodeo Bissoondoyal. The Jai Hind Samaj again in 1953 supported Roy, who now stood under the banner of the Mauritius Labour Party (MLP). Unfortunately, this time Roy marginally lost in favour of Philippe Rozemont (also of the MLP), who ranked third after Bissoondoyal and his candidate, Goinsamy Venkatasamy. In the bye-elections that soon followed, Mr Torul and the Manilall Ramdin-led Jai Hind Samaj managed to have Roy elected.

Mr Torul occupied the prestigious post of General Secretary of the Arya Sabha for seven long years. Besides, he was for some time the secretary of the Grand-Port Arya Samelan Sabha grouping both the Sanatanists and the Arya Samajists who had been previously at daggers drawn.

Faithful to his friend and Jai Hind Samaj chairman Ramdin, who had not been allocated the MLP ticket in the 1959 elections in Souillac, he gave his full support to the latter as an independent candidate campaigning for him in the new constituency. Though not returned, Manilall Ramdin polled over 900 votes, considered a commendable score for an independent opposing two major candidates, Vele Govinden (MLP), a former Postmaster General, the victor, and his own immediate cousin, Dayanand Ramdin, of Bissondoyal?s Independent Forward Bloc. However, in 1961, when Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam (SSR) flew back home from London as Chief Minister, Mr Torul actively helped the leader of the Jai Hind Samaj, Manilall Ramdin, who chaired the National Reception Committee, in the countrywide welcome reception given by a crowd of about 50,000 to the triumphant returning SSR who was to become Prime Minister within six years.

It was Mr Torul who, at a special private meeting held in Port-Louis before SSR?s arrival and at which I was present, proposed, with justifiable introductory remarks, Manilall Ramdin?s name to head the then National Reception Committee. The Jai Hind Samaj was always in the forefront to arrange welcome reception for the arrivals of the Indian dignitaries, especially the first Indian ambassadors. Mr Ramdin?s lieutenant, Mr Torul always assisted him up to the hilt. The first such reception dates back to 1947 when Sri Dharam Yash Dev landed at the then Plaisance Airport. He was India?s first envoy to Mauritius. In 1952, when Manilal Doctor came on his second visit, Mr Torul was anew beside Mr Ramdin, the main organiser, to greet warmly the distinguished visitor for whatever he had done for the Indo-Mauritian community during his stay in the country in 1907-1911. Thousands of Indo-Mauritians enthusiastically flocked to the premises of the national airport to receive gratefully the Indian lawyer-journalist who, delegated to Mauritius by Mahatma Gandhi, had been involved for their benefit in a political, socio-economic and legal struggle that has remained unprecedented in the country.

A Hindi lover, being a freelance journalist, especially contributing to the Aryodaye for long and a short story-writer, Mr Torul represented until his death in 1985 the famous Long Mountain-based Hindi Pracharini Sabha in the South, supporting it, as he did for the Arya Sabha, Mauritius, in its mission for propagating the language.

Moti Torul will be as well remembered for his strenuous efforts in making a reality the announcement of deaths over the radio. Whenever we hear such news, now also aired by the private radio stations, we cannot but be grateful to Mr Torul for helping the bereaved families as well as their relatives and friends to spread and get the news in time.

<B> Chit DUKHIRA</B>