When India helped Jugnauth

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, June 4

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the death of Anerood Jugnauth by speaking to his son and the present PM of Mauritius Pravind Jugnauth, he was conveying the strong sense of India’s solidarity with the family for which India had even contemplated a massive military operation.

PM Modi remembered Anerood Jugnauth, who passed away at 91 on Thursday, as one of the tallest leaders of the Indian Ocean Region and a principal architect of India’s special friendship with Mauritius.

Jugnauth could not have remained Prime Minister for a record 18 years had it not been the keen interest taken in his political fortunes by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Indira Gandhi had approved the highly-classified ‘Operation Lal Dora’ in 1983 that involved the deployment of half a dozen warships and several helicopters.

The intervention never took place after Berenger mellowed and a highly regarded RAW officer, J F Suntook, persuaded the Indian community to sink its differences and unite behind Jugnauth. Both India and Mauritius have never acknowledged the operation, but it has been written by former Naval Intelligence officer Ranjit Rai.

India has an agreement for deputing its service personnel to Mauritius’ coast guard and helicopter squadron.