According to documents and historians’ views, the foundation stone of the Hindi Pracharini Sabha, Mauritius was laid on 8 November 1923.

Taking into consideration the contemporary unstable and threatening situation of the Hindu Culture under the British rule, our Indian forefathers decided to address that situation. They did not want to be away from their culture. As a result, a meeting was held at the Mungur Bhagat family’s residence in a Village of Mauritius, called Long Mountain.

It was an evening of Divali festival. Many people from the neighboring villages of Long Mountain were invited in that meeting. After having celebrated the Laxmi Pooja which is normally performed on that evening, they discussed about the prevailing bad state of the Hindu Culture.

That night’s meeting was presided by Pandit Boloram Mooktaram Chatterjee, who became the President of the first Management Committee of the Hindi Pracharini Sabha.

After making points of the critical situation of the Hindu Culture, all members came to the conclusion that there was a great need for address. The decision was taken to reform the plight; they decided to stay united and to work for that reform.

Putting aside all communal and cast issues, all members present there, took as oath to form a union namely the ‘Hindu Sangathan Sabha’, which would work to save the Hindu Culture.

It was decided that the ‘Hindu Sangathan Sabha’ be located in the village of Long Mountain itself and along with the march of time, its branches be spread throughout the whole island by scholars/learned persons. Board members of the ‘Hindu Sangathan Sabha’ were as follows:

1) President – Pandit Boloram Mooktaram Chatterjee (From the Village of Long Mountain)

2) Vice President – Shri Baboo Kaali Prasad Singh (From the Village of Creve Coeur)

3) Secretary – Shri Baboolall Sharma (From the Village of Long Mountain)

4) Assistant Secretary – Shri Shivnarayan Singh (From the Village of Long Mountain)

5) Treasurer – Shri Ramlall Mungur Bhagat (From the Village of Long Mountain)

6) Auditor – Pandit Beny Madhav Mishra (From the Village of Creve Coeur)

7) Counselor – Pandit Shivshankar Pathak (From the Village of Long Mountain)

Members –

8) Pandit Ramkaran Tiwari (From the Village of Long Mountain)

9) Shri Haricharan Mahton (From the Village of Creve Coeur)

10) Shri Boodhun Mahton (From the Village of Creve Coeur)

11) Shri Baboo Bhoolah Singh (Ramsahaye Munrakhun) – (From the Village of Notre Dame)

12) Shri Leckman Mungur Bhagat (From the Village of Long Mountain)

All the 12 members contributed financially as per their capacity to run the Sabha.

One point to be mentioned here is that the Village of Long Mountain was later given the name of ‘Dhara Nagri’, meaning the ‘flow Village’. That is, Hindi language and Hindu culture source from the Village of Long Mountain and flow throughout the whole island.

On the 12th June 1926, the ‘Hindu Sangathan Sabha’ established the first Hindi school which was named “Tilak Vidyalaya” in the Village of Long Mountain itself, after the great Indian Nationalist Teacher and independence activist, Lokmanya Balgangadhar Tilak Ji. Innumerable students learnt Hindi at “Tilak Vidyalaya”. It seems that “Tilak Vidyalaya’ was of a very good omen because the teaching of Hindi prospered from “Tilak Vidyalaya” to now at University level.

On 26 December 1935, “Tilak Vidyalaya” was registered by the Government under the name of “Hindi Pracharini Sabha”. It is established by Act of Parliament No. 36 of December 2004.

The first Management Committee of the “Hindi Pracharini Sabha” comprised of the following members:

1) President - Pandit Boloram Mooktaram Chatterjee

2) Shri Raghunanan Ramratan

3) Shri Ramlall Mungur Bhagat

4) Shri Suruj Prasad Mungur Bhagat

5) Shri Mahaveer Fagoo

6) Shri Ramgoon Jibaseeah

7) Shri Anirudh Dwarka

8) Shri Shiv Prasad Jeewoolall

9) Shri Shiv Shankar Singh Ghoorun

10) Shri Gareebnawaz Seetohul

11) Shri Geereeraj Bakhoree

12) Shri Jankee Prasad Lallman

13) Shri Brijlall Dhunputh

14) Shri Ganesh Ramphul

15) Shri Nankeshwar Munbahaal

16) Shri Ram Soondar Chummun

Many Hindi schools are run by the “Hindi Pracharini Sabha” but the “Tilak Vidyalaya” still exists in its original place.

The Vision of the “Hindi Pracharini Sabha” is to safeguard Indian Culture and language left as legacy by our forefathers. Its Mission is to conduct activities to attain that Vision by the propagation of Hindi language. We all know that only language is the carrier of culture. The Hindi Pracharini Sabha's ideal quote is “Bhasha gayi to sanskriti gayi” – meaning if language dies, culture is gone.

Since the start, the Hindi Pracharini Sabha is governed by a board of 12 members. Elected members form a board, and then they choose a President, Vice President, secretary, assistant secretary, treasurer assistant treasurer and the office bearers. Sometimes co-opted members are also taken to help in the activities of the Sabha.

To attain its mission, the Hindi Pracharini Sabha conducts many activities. The Hindi Pracharini Sabha has been built on a plot of land donated by Shri Ramdass Ramlakhan Ji (Girdharee Bhagat). There were so many donors in terms of land, money and labor for the construction of Hindi Pracharini Sabha.

Their names are as follows:

Shri Ramdass Ramlakhan

Shri Ramlall Mungur Bhagat

Shri Rameshwar Oree

Shri Nando Seeram

Shri Lakshman Dabeedeen

Shri Ramnarain Roy

Shri Nem Sembhoo

Shri Jagdev Rudraman

Its Head Office is in the village of “Dhara Nagri” and the “Tilak Vidyalaya” is still being run at this head office.

Along with the march of time, 4 branches of Hindi Pracharini Sabha were established throughout the island:

1. At Riviere des Anguilles – a village in the south

2. At Vacoas – a city in the central plateau

3. At La lucie Roye – a village in the east

4. At Plaine des Papayes – a village in the north

All these branches are very active in trying to meet the goal of the Hindi Pracharini Sabha. The Sabha has 250 evening and weekend schools where Hindi is taught to young students and adults. We hold classes from Pre-primary to Uttama 3rd Part. The latter is has been given the equivalence of a “Diploma in Hindi” by the Ministry of Education of Mauritius. The Sabha publishes its own textbooks for Grade 1 to Parichay.

Together with the teaching of Hindi, we are running cultural classes with a view to preserve our legacy left by our Indian forefathers.

We have nearly 300 teachers and 25 inspectors working in our schools. Apart from the teaching of Hindi, the Sabha organizes many workshops for stakeholders of Hindi Pracharini Sabha to promote the learning of Hindi.

In addition, with a view to motivating Hindi learners, the Sabha organizes different kinds of competition.

The Sabha rewards the winners and all participants receive a participation certificate. Awards are below:

Writing competition

1. Poetry writing – Shri Somduth Bakhori Award

2. Story writing – Shrimati Mandodari Ramlall Bhagat Award

3. Drama writing – Shri Jaynarain Roy Award

4. Composition writing – Pandit Oumashankar Geerjanand Award

5. Stories for children – Pandit Anirudh Dwarka Award

6. Dictation (Primary) – Shrimati Rohinee Ramroop Award

(Secondary) – Late Shrimati Indranee and late Shri Munindranath Varma Trust

Historical Events

1. The first Hindi conference in Mauritius (year 1941)

2. First secondary exams (year 1946)

3. Birah singing competition (year 1959)

4. Sabha’s Silver Jubilee (year 1960)

5. Hindi week (year 1963)

6. Hindi day (year 1963)

7. Munshi Premchand week (year 1980)

8. Foundation of 72 libraries throughout the island by the collaboration of “Sasta Saahitya Mundal”, New Delhi

9. Golden Jubilee (year 1985)

10. Teachers’ training (year 1993)

11. Diamond Jubilee and International Hindi conference (year 1995)

12. The naming of ‘Prof. Ramprakash Government School (Primary) ( Year 1997)

13. Sabha’s century celebration (8 November 1923)

The main yearly memorial celebrations are:-

- The Sthapna Diwas of the Hindu Sangathan Sabha

- The Sthapna of Tilak Vidyalaya

- The Samavartan Samaroh

Additionally, the Sabha provides a yearly calendar of activities to all parties concerned at the start of the year. We also have a good library which is accessible to students. The management engages itself to always update the library.

It would be a striking point to note that the Hindi Pracharini Sabha is a self dependent institution. It functions with a very low income. Its only source of income is from the lease money of a few plots of land donated by our forefathers. We don't receive any regular financial grant from anywhere.

It would be primordial to note that the Hindi Pracharini Sabha should be considered as the mother of all Hindi Institutions currently existing in Mauritius. Its foundation stone was laid on 8 November 1923 when no other Hindi institution existed in Mauritius. We are thrilled to inform that we celebrated its centenary last year (8 November 2023). Also, to be mentioned is that Hindi Pracharini Sabha is the only body in Mauritius conducting secondary examinations and certification from Praveshika to Uttama part 3. These exams (Parichay to Uttama Part 3) are conducted by the “Hindi Sahitya Sammelan of Prayagraj, India” since year 1946.

Furthermore, we would like to add that the Hindi Pracharini Sabha has a long one-century journey, which was not an easy one, but surely, a successful one. Starting from a small Hindi school made of straw, ‘Tilak Vidhyalaya’, Hindi has reached the University level.

It will be unfair not to mention those fighters of Hindi language who had been struggling for the above mentioned success. Some names are mentioned here:

Pandit Umashankar Geerjanad

Shri Jaynarain Roy

Pandit Anirudh Dwarka

Shri Srinivass Jugduth Ji

Shri Bholanath Sembhoo

Shri Ravishankar Kowlessur

Shri Chandan Rughoobar

Shri Damodar Saumoree

Shri Suraj Prasad Sembhoo

Shri Laxmi Prasad Mungroo

Shri Moonindranath Varma

Shri Naress Ragen

Shri Nowrattan Pockraz

Shri Dewpal Rughoo

Shri Jayrood Dosieah

Shri Toolsy Ramsamy

There are so many more such divine souls who have contributed immensely in bringing Hindi Pracharini Sabha in its current state. A great Tribute to them!

We also thank all those who have been sustaining the Hindi Pracharini Sabha till now.

We would also like to inform that a youth wing of the Hindi Pracharini Sabha has recently been created and members of same are being trained to carry forward the works of the Sabha started one century ago. To be noted is that, young members have been appointed from all parts of Mauritius. Added to this, to enhance our activities, we have also formed the following Unions:

1) Satsang Sangathan (Cultural Association)

2) Mahila Sangathan (Women Association)

3) Sabha’s Poorva Chhaatra Sangathan (Alumni Association)

4) Dataon ke vanshaj Sangathan (Heirs of Donors Association)

Our magazines currently published are listed below:

1) Pankaj

2) Hindi Bhawan sandesh

The future plans of the Hindi Pracharini Sabha are the following:

1)To find means and ways to increase the number of Hindi learners

2) To focus more on cultural activities

3) To motivate young writers and poets

4) To keep upgrading the library

5) Most importantly, to work with Hindi institutions on international level

6) To use digital tools to enhance the teaching and learning process, including upgrading of our website

Shrimati Rohinee Ramroop

President

Hindi Pracharini Sabha

Mauritius