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Dookhee Gungah: The Forgotten Philanthropist
How fortunate is the man

Whose life is spent in the spread of knowledge,

And whose path is that of virtue,

Whose conduct is free from selfishness and pride,

And whose sole aim is the benevolence

For the happiness of suffering mankind.

-- Scribed upon Dookhee Gungah’s memorial

The Early Years
These few words merely encompass the extraordinary life of Dookhee Gungah. I am still undecided whether I should have begun with this eulogy or with a prayer in Dookhee Gungah’s name, as did Pandit Atmaram Vishwanath in his book ‘Mauritius ka Ithihaas’ published in 1923. The book, which was the first Hindi book in Mauritius, was in fact dedicated to Dookhee Gungah, who funded its publication. As we might be aware, Pandit Atmaram Vishwanath came to Mauritius in 1912 upon the request of Manilal Doctor and he saw in Dookhee Gungah a philanthropist and wise man whom he could rely upon.

If not a eulogy, then perhaps a prayer would be more respectful of the deeply spiritual man that was my great-grandfather but, in all humility, I cannot think of a better reverence to him than to remind us of his exceptional qualities: selflessness, humility, generosity, benevolence and wisdom.

Dookhee Gungah was born on a wintry Sunday on the 11th of August 1867 in the sugar estate of Deux Bras. His parents, immigrants Gungah Fowdar and Busmoteea, had arrived in Mauritius in 1854 and 1866 respectively, both from Bihar. Dookhee Gungah would have been hundred and forty years old today but, as fate would have it, he passed away on the 23rd of March 1944 after a life fulfilled. Yet, despite having accomplished so many things and having overcome so much hardship, the life of Dookhee Gungah has been lost in the dusty pages of history. Only the curious ones, and those who are related to him in some way, would bother venture in the olden paths of Mauritian history and delve into the extraordinary feats of this extraordinary man.

August 1867 was perhaps a harsh winter, the living conditions were glum and the prospect of raising a newborn child in those difficult times must have seemed bleak. Yet, Dookhee Gungah grew up to become a living legend in his time and bestowed to his country the essence of a philanthropist and a selfless soul. His rise from the shackles of poverty to the richness of social service was far from smooth, especially during the British rule of the country. Nevertheless, his accomplishments are grand, by today’s standards, and laudable by his days’ standards. Stories were told of his ascendance to wealth for most could not imagine how a mere labourer could turn into such a famous and benevolent entrepreuneur. Indeed, of the four hundred thousand or so indentured labourers who were struggling for a living, he was one of the very few who had risen to fame.

Over the following twenty-five years after Dookhee Gungah’s birth, seven sons would be born in the Gungah family. They were named Ramburrun (1870 – 1921), Ramnarain (1873 – 1951), Ramlagan (1875 – 1929), Ramlochun (1877 – 1943), Raghoobur (1880 – 1942), Ramjuttun (1887 – 1941) and Oodit (1892 – 1953). After the death of immigrant Gungah Fowdar, Dookhee Gungah took over as the head of the household. His sense of duty and responsibility had been inculcated into him by his father. He was determined to improve the living conditions of his family.

They would each contribute personally and selflessly to the family’s success but the final word was always that of Dookhee Gungah. He was the patriarchal leader by excellence and ruled in all fairness and exactitude. He was strict but not beyond necessity. He was respected and respectful and never swathed in the fearsome mantle of tyranny. He stood for morality and righteousness and was never swayed by the gushes of greed and grandeur. He attained such heights in virtue and kindness after years of toiling in the trenches of the fields and living a lowly life on the estates of Deux Bras.

The early years of Dookhee Gungah and his siblings were far from easy. Those were the days when all that the labourers could hold on to were the meagre comforts of a life of abject poverty. The whole family had to work together in order to contribute towards whatever income could be raked from the sugar estates. The idea of sending children to schools was alien to the labourers. The day began as early as three in the morning in the Gungah dwelling. The longer hours that could be put into working the land and cultivating the fields could be turned into a more decent weekly salary. This discipline and determination towards hard work has been imbued in the sons of Gungah Fowdar. Over the years, the fact of working together for the welfare of the whole family reinforced the clan spirit of the Gungah family. There was no dissension among the members of the family – they lived as one strong unit glued together by their common sacrifice and hardship.