Mr Hemraz Luckhy, born at St Antoine Estate in Goodlands on 07 November 1921, celebrated his 100th birthday, Sunday, at his residence in Grand Bay.
An official ceremony was organised by the Ministry of Social Integration, Social Security and National Solidarity to honour the new centenarian. On this occasion, Mr Luckhy received, from the authorities, a cheque amounting to Rs 21,836; another one to the tune of Rs 10,000 from the National Solidarity Fund; a bouquet; a centenarian medal; one certificate; a telephone; and one speaker.
The Minister of Arts and Cultural Heritage, Mr Avinash Teeluck; the Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS), Mr Anjiv Ramdhany; the Chairperson of Rivière du Rempart District Council, Mr Prembhoodas Ellayah; and the close relatives of Mr Luckhy, were present at the event.
In his address, Minister Teeluck highlighted the courage displayed by Mr Luckhy throughout his lifetime so as to be able to reach 100 years old. He commended the centenarian’s children for their continuous support towards their parents, and wished Mr Luckhy a prosperous life.
For his part, PPS Ramdhany observed that Mr Luckhy had to make a lot of sacrifices to be where he is today. He commended Mr Luckhy for his healthy life, as well as the centenarian’s family for looking after him.
As for Mr Ellayah, he stated that it is heart-warming to celebrate the birthday of a centenarian and expressed the wish for Mr Luckhy to remain healthy and live longer.
Mr Hemraz Luckhy had three siblings who have passed away. His parents worked as labourers and he studied up to standard one. He got married at the age of 17 to Mrs Koontee Pattar and out of this union, four children were born. Mr Luckhy has 10 grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.
As hobbies, Mr Luckhy likes to listen to music, watch television, and read newspapers. He dedicates his longevity to his health consciousness, the practice of physical exercise, and faith in God.
Latest statistics from the Welfare and Elderly Persons’ Protection Unit of the Ministry of Social Integration, Social Security and National Solidarity reveal that the Republic of Mauritius has recorded, as at 07 November 2021, a total of 187 centenarians from Mauritius and Rodrigues. In Mauritius, the number of female and male centenarians stands at 147 and 27 respectively while in Rodrigues, the number of centenarians recorded are 10 females and three males. They all benefit from a monthly pension of Rs 21,710 from Government.
