Fig 9: Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam addressing the United Nations General Assembly, after receiving the United Nations Human Rights Prize in 1973 in New York City, USA.
(Source: GIS)
Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam’s defence of human dignity extended beyond Mauritius. On 10 December 1973, during a special session of the United Nations General Assembly, he received the UN Prize for outstanding achievements in the field of human rights, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Universal Declaration.
The award placed him in the company of global figures who had advanced liberty and justice. His belief in freedom was unwavering. In an interview with Le Mauricien in 1985, he declared: “The freedom of the individual is the most precious heritage I bequeath to my country.”
This statement distilled his political philosophy: that democracy, equality, and human rights were the true foundations of national progress.