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President of Mauritius, Dharambeer Gokhool, unveiled busts of Indian freedom fighter Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak at the Lokmanya Tilak Vidyalaya and Maharashtra Mandal in Mauritius, marking the centenary celebrations of the educational institution established in his honour.
The main ceremony was held on Sunday at the Lokmanya Tilak Vidyalaya, run by the Hindi Prasarani Sabha, where the President unveiled a bust of Tilak in the presence of several dignitaries. A second bust was simultaneously unveiled at the Tilak Hall of the Maharashtra Mandal. Established in 1926 by the Hindi Prasarani Sabha, the Lokmanya Tilak Vidyalaya was named after the prominent nationalist leader whose ideas and leadership inspired generations of Indians, including members of the Indian diaspora in Mauritius. The event was attended by Mauritius Minister of Education Mahendra Gunness, Minister of Health and Wellness Anil Kumar Bachoo, Minister of Arts and Culture Mahendra Gondeea, Indian High Commissioner to Mauritius Anurag Srivastava, members of the Hindi Prasarani Sabha and Maharashtra Mandal, along with representatives of the Indian community. The unveiling was organised following a request by Hindi Prasarani Sabha President Rohini Ramroop. The busts were gifted by Lokmanya Tilak Vichar Manch and Lokmanya Tilak's great-grandson, Shailesh Tilak. Members of the Tilak family present on the occasion included Shailesh Tilak, Anjali Rahalkar, Pune Municipal Corporation corporator Kunal Tilak and Shrutika Kunal Tilak. The busts were sculpted by artist Vipul Khatavkar. Addressing the gathering, President Gokhool described the event as a "living bridge" between Mauritius and India and underscored the importance of preserving the Hindi language and culture among the Indian-origin community in Mauritius. He also conveyed his regards to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for their contributions to strengthening bilateral ties between India and Mauritius. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, in a video message, said Mauritius and Maharashtra share deep historical, cultural and people-to-people ties. "With a significant Mauritian population of Indian origin, many tracing their roots to Maharashtra, the partnership between Mauritius and Maharashtra has continued to grow stronger in all fields. Events like these further reinforce the fraternal bond between the two regions and highlight the vibrant Indian diaspora as a living bridge between us," Fadnavis said. He said the unveiling of Lokmanya Tilak's busts in Mauritius reflected the enduring bond between India and Mauritius and honoured the legacy of one of India's foremost freedom fighters and social reformers. Fadnavis also congratulated the Hindi Prasarani Sabha on the centenary of the Lokmanya Tilak Vidyalaya and thanked Shailesh Tilak and Kunal Tilak for organising the event. (ANI)
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