Anand Sawant Mulloo was born on January 14, 1936, in Beau-Bassin in Mauritius, then an English colony. He was a prolific and versatile writer who contributed to the literary and intellectual development of Mauritius and the Indian diaspora. He was also a well-respected historian, journalist, and politician who championed the causes of democracy, social justice, and cultural pluralism. His father, Jayeram, a third-generation migrant from India, went to Beau-Bassin to try out his fortune as a tailor.