1943 Belle Vue Harel Massacre

1943 Belle Vue Harel Massacre 27 September 1943Ramchurn Rashila Vigneshwari Life on Sugar Estates in Colonial Mauritius Journal of Anthropology and Archaeology December 2018 6 2 1–10 10.15640/jaa.v6n2a1 11 July 2025 free https://jaa.thebrpi.org/journals/jaa/Vol_6_No_2_December_2018/1.pdf Belle Vue Harel Sugar Estate, Belle Vue Harel, Mauritius poor labour conditions strikes, riot, clashes with police, rallies 4 dead 16 injured Expanded political and economic rights for labourers thumb The 1943 Belle Vue Harel Strike refers to a significant strike which escalated into riots amongst labourers working in the fields of the Belle Vue Harel Sugar Estate, near the village of Belle Vue Harel on the island of Mauritius in September 1943. The riots led to the death of 4 people with an additional 16 people being injured.http://vintagemauritius.org/articles/chronology-key-events-mauritius/ A Chronology of Key Events in Mauritius - Vintage Mauritius 2014-07-18 Vintage Mauritius en-US 2018-08-18 Events prior to the massacre Letter of demand In December 1942 labourers of Belle Vue Harel Sugar Estate were dissatisfied with the low wages being paid by the estate owners, the Harel and Rousset clans.Macmillan Allister Mauritius Illustrated 1915 Asian Educational Services 233–234 9788120615083 https://books.google.com/books?id=_EusZwEdxpAC&dq=who+owns+belle+vue+harel&pg=PA233 Four of these workers (Andrée Moonsamy, Hurrynanan Boykount, Sirkisson Seenath and Kistnasamy Mooneesamy) wrote and signed a letter on behalf of all the estate's workers and sent it to the Director of Labour Department to ask for fairer compensation.Peerthum Satteeanund Tribute to the Martyrs of Belle Vue Harel https://www.lexpress.mu/article/tribute-martyrs-belle-vue-harel 2003-09-03 L'Express lexpress.mu Strike of 14 days As there was no response to their letter labourers at Belle Vue Harel Sugar Estate started to strike on 13 September 1943 in protest. They nominated Hurryparsad Ramnarain and Sharma Jugdambee to represent their interests on the Conciliation Board. In those days the interests of owners and growers of sugar cane were represented by the Labour Department and it was common practice for such conflicts to be resolved via the Conciliation Board meetings. On 17 September 1943 at a meeting of the Conciliation Board the Labour Department proposed an agreement to the 2 representatives Ramnarain and Jugdambee. Unfortunately these representatives failed to consult with the striking workers. A conflict of interest was also at play given that Ramnarain worked as a propagandist within the Department of Information which was headed by the Acting Director of Labour who also happened to be Chairman of the Conciliation Board. As a result the labourers of Belle Vue Harel rejected the new agreement and refused to resume work. They demanded the appointment of a new Conciliation Board and a fairer agreement.Peerthum Satyendra Labour Day : Remembering the Martyrdom of Anjalay https://www.lexpress.mu/article/labour-day-remembering-martyrdom-anjalay 2005-04-28 L'Express Seven days later on 24 September 1943 the owners of the sugar estate threatened workers who did not abide by his agreement to leave his sugar estate within 5 days. As the deadline of 29 September approached the owners and Labour Department had made arrangements with the local police to put an end to the strike. Police intervention On 27 September 1943 the workers organised a sit-in within the premises of the sugar estate. Police Constable (PC) Thancanamootoo, of the Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB), disguised as a labourer and was sent to the meeting to check on the striking labourers. However his cover was blown and the workers assaulted him. He fled to the estate manager's office and waited for his boss to arrive. News of P.C. Thancanamootoo's assault reached police quarters located at Line Barracks.Moris E Anjalay Coopen femme et militante hautement symbolique https://www.zinfos-moris.com/Histoire-Anjalay-Coopen-femme-et-militante-hautement-symbolique_a1586.html 2018-09-28 Zinfos Moris After receiving a telephone call from Line Barracks to go to Belle-Vue, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Allan M. Bell, who was at Saint-Antoine, headed to Belle-Vue whilst accompanied by 10 policemen under Superintendent Godwin's supervision. At the same time, Assistant Superintendent of Police Albert Jupin de Fondaumière, who was in his thirties, left Port Louis with 25 armed policemen and soon arrived at Belle-Vue. They prepared to arrest PC Thancanamootoo's aggressor, but encountered a crowd of between 200 and 300 men, women, and children armed with sticks and stone. Godwin opined that the crowd was praying where as De Fondaumière thought that they were bluffing and only pretending to be praying. Constable Emraz reported that the crowd was indeed praying. The police officers could not comprehend why they were carrying sticks and stones, and DCP Bell asked Assistant Superintendent (ASP) Ithier to order the workers to surrender these objects. ASP Ithier tried do so, but in vain. He then informed DCP Bell that PC Thancanamootoo's aggressor was in the same crowd, which prompted DCP Bell to order his arrest. Instead the aggressor ran away and was pursued by SP Godwin. At that point the crowd started to assault the policemen. Warning shots were fired to no effect. Confusion ensued, and multiple gun shots were fired. SP Godwin deployed a tear gas grenade, thus enabling the policemen to seek shelter within the sugar mill nearby.La Commission Moody rend compte des incidents du 27 septembre 1943 (20-Sep-2003) https://lexpress.mu/s/article/la-commission-moody-rend-compte-des-incidents-du-27-septembre-1943 L'Express 8 August 2026 Deaths and injuries The Moody Commission of Inquiry later heard that 16 shots were fired, resulting in 3 deaths, 5 labourers with bullet wounds and 12 others with slight injuries. Nine days later on 6 October 1943 a fourth labourer (Marday Panapen) died at the Civil Hospital in Port Louis, as a result of his bullet wounds. 2 police officers, including Albert Jupin de Fondaumière, were seriously injured and 14 other policemen suffered light injuries.La Commission Moody rend compte des incidents du 27 septembre 1943 (20-Sep-2003) https://lexpress.mu/s/article/la-commission-moody-rend-compte-des-incidents-du-27-septembre-1943 L'Express 8 August 2026 The three dead labourers were Soondrum Pavatdan (better known as Anjalay Coopen, a 32 year old pregnant woman),Ramtohul Ramola Women and Politics in a plural society: the case of Mauritius PhD dissertation University of Cape Town 2009 https://open.uct.ac.za/bitstream/handle/11427/3590/thesis_hsf_2009_ramtohul_r.pdf?sequence=1 11427/3590 Kistnasamy Mooneesamy (37 year old labourer), and Moonsamy Moonien (14 year old boy).Karghoo Christophe Mémoire vivante https://www.5plus.mu/node/14263 2003-09-27 5Plus Dimanche 5plus.mu 2023-06-06 https://web.archive.org/web/20230606205902/https://www.5plus.mu/node/14263 dead Munien Munusami, who witnessed and survived the 1943 shooting, died in 2006 at the age of 84.Karghoo Christophe Le rescapé de la fusillade de 1943 s'en est allé https://www.5plus.mu/node/12518 5 Plus 2006-12-20 Munusami recalled that the shooting outside a baitka had coincided with a religious ceremony and the strike.Karghoo Christophe Mémoire Vivante https://www.5plus.mu/node/14263 5 Plus 2006-06-15 2023-06-06 https://web.archive.org/web/20230606205902/https://www.5plus.mu/node/14263 dead Legacy Basdeo Bissoondoyal, the social worker and founder of the Jan Andolan movement, organised the funeral ceremony of the 4 victims of the police shootings and it was attended by more than 1500 individuals. Hurryparsad Ramnarain fasted for 8 days in a temple in Goodlands. When the fasting was over he convinced the labourers to resume work from 12 October 1943 onwards.La Commission Moody rend compte des incidents du 27 septembre 1943 (20-Sep-2003) https://lexpress.mu/s/article/la-commission-moody-rend-compte-des-incidents-du-27-septembre-1943 L'Express 8 August 2026 The 1943 Belle Vue Harel Massacre took place 6 years after the Uba riots of 1937 in the same part of the world. Although the root causes are not the same they highlight the struggles and vulnerability of the Indo-Mauritian labourers and planters whose ancestors migrated to Mauritius under the British colonial rule. On 1 October 1943 a Commission of Enquiry was instigated and the Commissioners consisted of S. Moody, Dr. Eugène Laurent, Hon A. M. Osman, Mr the Justice B. Ghanty and His Honour Mr Rampersad Neerunjun. The Moody Commission of Enquiry report (published in 1944) reiterated several findings of the Hooper Commission which had followed the earlier 1937 UBA riots.Report of the Truth and Justice Commission https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/ROL/TJC_Vol1.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20160615081832/http://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/ROL/TJC_Vol1.pdf dead June 15, 2016 United States Institute of Peace TJC 2011-11-15 Volume 1 Moreover they were very critical of the Police and of the Labour Department's failure to resolve this matter peacefully.Napal D Another Day of Martyrdom http://www.mauritiustimes.com/mt/mt-60-yrs-15-ap-16/ 2016-04-19 Mauritius Times mauritiustimes.com 1955 The victims of the 1943 massacre at Belle Vue Harel were commemorated by Mauritian singer Siven Chinien in his song L'année 1943Chinien Siven Lane 43 siven chinien YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEaiy6_bi7c 2020-09-04 which was released in his 1970s album Ratsitatane, Conscience Noire.Chansons engagées : des combats encore d'actualité https://koze.mu/decouvrir/bouillon-kiltir/chansons-engagees-combats-dactualite/ Kozé Zigzag Kiltirel 2017-11-26Hookoomsing Vinesh Révolte populaire et démocratisation du savoir https://www.lexpress.mu/article/r%C3%A9volte-populaire-et-d%C3%A9mocratisation-du-savoir 2007-08-15 The Government of Mauritius has acknowledged the historical importance of the massacre. Between 1995 and 2007 monuments and statues of Anjalay Coopen have been erected in the capital city Port Louis as well as in the village of Cottage. The Anjalay Stadium was also named after one of the four who died, Anjalay.Anjalay stadium, Belle Vue http://www.mauritiussportscouncil.com/English/Facilities/Stadium/Pages/Anjalay-stadium,-Belle-Vue.aspx Mauritius Sports Council 2020-05-29 July 2026 InternetArchiveBot References Category:1943 in Mauritius Category:1943 labor disputes and strikes Category:1943 riots Category:September 1943 in Africa Category:Murder in Mauritius Category:Riots and civil disorder in Mauritius Category:Ethnic riots Category:People shot dead by law enforcement officers in Mauritius Category:Anti-Indian racism in Africa Category:Massacres in 1943 Category:1940s murders in Africa Category:1943 in Africa Category:1943 murders Category:Labour history of World War II Category:Massacres in World War II Category:Massacres of protesters in Africa Category:Indian diaspora in Mauritius Category:20th-century mass murders in Africa