140th Birth Anniversary: Emmanuel Anquetil, an Extraordinary Trade Unionist

Emmanuel Anquetil, who was born 140 years ago, was a groundbreaking Mauritian trade unionist and political leader. From his early days at sea to his leadership of the Labour Party, he devoted his life to empowering workers and advocating for social justice.

Born on August 18, 1885, in Plaines-Wilhems, Anquetil passed away in December 1946. He was a prominent figure in the Mauritian Labour Party and the son of Jean Volmy and Marie Angela Anquetil. At the age of 16, he left Mauritius to work for eleven years on coastal vessels in Australia.

In 1912, he moved from Australia to England, arriving in Liverpool in 1913. After being rejected by the Royal Navy, he served in the merchant navy during World War I, traveling between the USA and England. Following the war, he mainly worked on coastal ships in Liverpool, where he became politically active during the 1926 General Strike in the UK.

At a local socialist rally, he met Sinah Lane, a Labour Party activist, and they married in 1922, having a son named David John. Both were active members of the Independent Labour Party, campaigning for the local MP's election. Anquetil became known for his passionate speeches at political gatherings.

Upon returning to Mauritius, he founded the Mauritian Labour Party alongside Maurice Curé, later becoming its president. He was also deeply involved in trade unionism and fought for workers' rights. He played a prominent role in the 1937 riots in Mauritius, which resulted in his deportation to Rodrigues.

The Mahatma Gandhi Institute recently released a translation of Rivaltz Quenette’s 1985 book, "Emmanuel Anquetil." The translation was done by Dr. John Paul Hayes, Anquetil's great-grandson, and Professor Serge Rivière, with the e-book launch held on December 7, 2015, attended by family members and distinguished guests.

Quenette meticulously researched historical documents to write about Anquetil’s early life and political activism. His experiences in Wales, where he met Anquetil's son and learned about the miners' struggles, informed his understanding of Anquetil's commitment to workers' rights.

As the Great Depression struck, Anquetil returned to Mauritius amidst high unemployment and wage cuts. He joined Dr. Curé, who had founded the Mauritius Labour Party, pushing for workers' representation in the Legislative Assembly. Anquetil sought to organize grassroots movements and empower workers through education, facing significant opposition from colonial authorities.

After the 1937 disturbances, he began mobilizing workers to form trade unions, aided by key figures like Pandit Sahadeo. During World War II, the Labour Party campaigned for constitutional reforms, while the colonial government sought to suppress unrest by creating divisions within the worker community.

After being deported to Rodrigues in 1938 during a dock strike, Anquetil returned to Mauritius two months later, continuing his mission for workers' emancipation. He focused on uniting workers across class lines, rejecting attempts to divide them by community. Despite facing poverty, he remained committed to his cause, notably during the 1946 Ferney strike, where he supported strikers tirelessly.

Anquetil passed away on December 29, 1946, due to pneumonia.