After observing a minute of silence, the members of the National Assembly paid a heartfelt tribute to late Sir Anerood Jugnauth, former Prime Minister and President of the Republic, who passed away on 3rd June 2021.
Addressing the House, the Head of Government traced SAJ’s life from his birth in Palma to his academic, political and legal career. The Prime Minister recounted how SAJ was known for his outspokenness and how he always defended his ideas and convictions with determination. “His courage”, said the PM, “will be remembered.”
“Sir Anerood will be remembered as the architect of the Republic of Mauritius. As a builder, he had the vision to build Ebene’s Cybercity in 2001,” said the head of government.
The leader of the opposition, Xavier-Luc Duval recalled that when the Mauritian Socialist Democratic Party (PMSD) was in alliance with the Socialist Movement Militant (MSM) under the leadership of the late SGD, the country had experienced significant development in the tourism and manufacturing sectors. Despite the tussle between the former PMSD leader and Sir Anerood Jugnauth over the Azor Adelaide affair, SAJ came to terms with the PMSD’s demand for the abolition of the death penalty and the introduction of dual citizenship.
For the leader of the Mouvement Militant Mauricien (MMM), Paul Bérenger, it is a page of the country’s history that has turned. “He left us to join a whole generation of great politicians, from SSR to SGD, to Sir Abdool Razack Mohamed. Sir Veerasamy Ringadoo, Sookdeo Bissoondoyal and Sir Satcam Boolell,” he said. “We lived together the great moment of 1982. We were together to make Mauritius a Republic, to give Rodrigues its autonomy and to start our fight for our sovereignty over the islands of Chagos and Tromelin,” he said.
For MP Arvind Boolell, SAJ’s performance at the International Court of Justice on Chagos was “unprecedented“.
For the leader of the Liberater Movement (ML), Ivan Colladevlloo, SAJ has left his mark on Mauritian history. The former head of government was an “admirable man” who had a modest start in life and went on to occupy the highest post of the government hierarchy.
