In the 1800s Boodhoo's ancestors migrated from the state of Bihar in India. His father and mother were both Mauritians who worked as labourers on Highlands Sugar Estate. At the time of his birth Harish's father had already passed away and his mother continued to work as a labourer to support her six children. In 1973 Harish Boodhoo married school teacher Sarita Boodhoo and they have no children.
Political career
Boodhoo became involved with socio-cultural movement Siva Shivir in 1968 and he campaigned against the consumption of alcohol and cigarettes in Mauritian villages. In 1976 he was approached by Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam to join the Labour Party . He was elected to the Legislative Assembly or National Assembly of Mauritius at the 1976 General Elections as part of the Independence Party coalition government made up of Labour and CAM which allianced with rival PMSD after the elections. He represented Constituency No. 13. From 1976 to 1979 Boodhoo served as a Labour-CAM-PMSD MP but he criticized various aspects of the ruling government. He was especially critical of the Minister of Finance Sir Veerasamy Ringadoo's budget and instigated a commission of enquiry in 1978 which led to the resignation of two sitting ministers Lutchmeeparsad Badry and Gyandeo Dabee in May 1979. Eventually Harish Boodhoo and two other Labour parliamentarians who supported him were dismissed from the Labour Party in late 1979. In December 1979 he formed a new party Parti Socialiste Mauricien and was joined by other disgruntled members of the ruling Labour Party. In 1982 he formed a coalition with Mouvement Militant Mauricien which won the 1982 General Elections. Harish Boodhoo became Deputy Prime Minister in the MMM-PSM government led by Prime MinisterAneerood Jugnauth. Whilst still in power there was disagreement within the ruling coalition of MMM-PSM which led to the departure of Aneerood Jugnauth and other elected members from MMM as he formed a new party MSM. At the same time Harish Boodhoo dissolved his party PSM so that all PSM parliamentarians could merge into the new party MSM in order to stay in power whilst distancing themselves from Paul Bérenger and his party MMM. He was Chief Whip until the 1983 General Elections. At the August 1983 elections Harish Boodhoo was elected under the MSM banner at Constituency No. 13. However he was dismissed from the MSM in 1986. He did not take part in the 1987 General Elections. In 1999 he relaunched the defunct party All Mauritius Hindu Congress which had originally been active from 1965 to 1968.
Contributions and legacy
Whilst in government Boodhoo campaigned for reform in the sugar industry, protection of public beaches from private ownership and fought against corruption. In 1979 two of his Labour Party colleagues had to resign based on findings of a commission of enquiry which was instigated by Harish Boodhoo's corruption allegations. Since 2004 he has also publicly campaigned for legislative changes against the "Sale by Levy" system which had been abused by unscrupulous businessmen and lawyers to the detriment of numerous Mauritian borrowers. From 1979 to 1983 he published a daily newspaper Le Socialiste. Until 2008 Harish Boodhoo published newspaper Sunday Vani. Since 2011 Harish Boodhoo has produced and since early 2020 these are complemented by a daily .
Controversies
Boodhoo was sentenced and jailed numerous times following lawsuits involving allegations against judges and politicians. When found guilty he opted for jail time instead of paying the fines. He was criticised for suppressing press freedom when he was part of the ruling government. Following the 1982 general elections and when Mauritius was not yet a republic Basdeo Bissoondoyal refused Harish Boodhoo's offer to become the first President of a contemplated Republic of Mauritius.
