Dismissal from Growers Council
Suspension
Sami was suspended from Growers Council on 27 December 2006 by Commodore Josaia Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama, the Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces and Acting President of Fiji. Bainimarama alleged that Sami had manipulated the council's operations to serve certain political and personal agendas. [4] Earlier he had questioned the acting Police Commissioner on his statement that rule of law was still intact in the country and had been warned by the military to not make any comments against it. [5]
After his appointment as Chief Executive he faced constant opposition from the other farmers' union, the National Farmers Union (NFU) so it came as no surprise when the NFU supported his suspension. [6]
Legal controversy
Sami responded to his suspension by announcing that he was going to sue the Military Commander and the Attorney General. [7] He filed his legal challenge on 16 January 2007, [8] in the Lautoka High Court, which ordered his reinstatement the next day. [9] When he attempted to enter his office after the verdict handed down by Justice John Connors, however, his staff informed him that Military personnel had instructed them to prevent him from entering the premises. This was directly contrary to the court ruling.
In response to the verdict, Interim Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said that Justice Connors must have been uninformed about Sami's formal dismissal, the day before by the President of the Republic of Fiji. He reported that [10] No sealed copy of the order had been served in his office, Khaiyum said. He said that the government would "honour" the court order "when served", and that the judge would be "formally informed" when the matter returned to court on 23 January. [11] President Ratu Josefa Iloilo had signed the Promulgation (Decree No. 1) terminating Sami's contract, Khaiyum said the next day. [12]
Attempted return to work
On the basis of the court verdict, Sami attempted to return to work, accompanied by a police escort, on 18 January. Military personnel surrounded the premises that morning and took Sami away for interrogation at the Police Western Division Headquarters. [13] He was later admitted to the coronary care unit of Lautoka Hospital after complaining of chest pains. [14] Sources said he showed no sign of physical injury, but appeared psychologically traumatised. [15]
On 26 January 2007, Justice John Connors ordered the Military to stop harassing Sami, warning that any interference with him could compromise any legal proceedings that he was a party to. [16]
Hiding
Director of Immigration Viliame Naupoto announced on 25 January that Sami had been banned from leaving Fiji. [17] Two days later, Sami went into hiding, following alleged threats against him and his family. His lawyer, Shalend Krishna, also alleged that harassment and intimidation from the Military had prevented him from obtaining the necessary decree from the Government Printery to file court pleas on Sami's behalf. [18]
Latest developments
The SCGC finalised Sami's termination at the first meeting of the new 11-member board on 1 February 2007, and resolved to appoint a three-member team to investigate all council business during Sami's tenure, including allegations that he had misused council funds to finance a lawsuit challenging his suspension. [19]
On the same day, Sami's lawyer Shalend Krishna filed writs in the Lautoka High Court, naming President Iloilo, interim Prime Minister Bainimarama, the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and interim Attorney-General Khaiyum as defendants in a civil case challenging the authority of the President to dismiss him. Sami was also claiming damages for the termination of his contract, as well as for the travel ban. [20]
Justice John Connors gave the five defendants fourteen days to acknowledge the amended documents. [21]
Labasa is a town in Fiji with a population of 27,949 at the most recent census held in 2007.
Sir Vijay Raghubar Singh, KBE was an Indo-Fijian lawyer and politician who held Cabinet office in the 1960s and 1970s. Vijay Singh served in Prime Minister Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara's government in a variety of positions, including Attorney-General, and was president of the Indian Alliance, a division of the ruling Alliance Party. He quit the party in 1979 following disagreement with Alliance leadership and later joined the opposition National Federation Party. Vijay Singh was involved in the restructure of the Fiji sugar industry and was a leading member of the Jaycees movement in Fiji.
Ambalal Dahyabhai Patel, better known as A.D. Patel, was an Indo-Fijian politician, farmers' leader and founder and leader of the National Federation Party. Patel was uncompromisingly committed to a vision of an independent Fiji, with full racial integration. He was one of the first to advocate a republic, an ideal not realized in his lifetime. He also advocated a common voters' roll and opposed the communal franchise that characterized Fijian politics.
Ayodhya Prasad Sharma was an Indo-Fijian farmers' leader and politician. He formed the most successful farmers' union in Fiji and forced the Colonial Sugar Refining Company to make concessions to farmers after 60 years of total control over Fiji's economy. However, other Indo-Fijian leaders formed rival unions and his initial success was not repeated. He also served as a member of the Legislative Council between 1953 and 1959.
Kisan Sangh was the first farmers' union formed in Fiji on 27 November 1937. This was the result of one man's determination to improve the plight of Fiji's Indian cane farmers. Ayodhya Prasad had arrived from India in 1929, and after a stint as a teacher took up cane farming and thus obtained firsthand experience of the problems faced by Fiji Indian cane farmers.
Akhil Fiji Krishak Maha Sangh was a sugar cane farmers' union formed on 15 June 1941 in opposition to the existing union, the Kisan Sangh. Supporters of Kisan Sangh tried to stop the formation of the Maha Sangh but were unsuccessful. The people responsible for the formation of a second sugar cane farmers' union were A. D. Patel and Swami Rudrananda. The union was supported by the South Indian sugar cane farmers in Fiji.
Tulsi Ram Sharma MBE was the first Indo-Fijian to qualify as a lawyer. He served one term as member of the Legislative Council and three terms as the President of Fiji Indian Football Association. He was one of the founding members of the Maha Sangh, but his association with farmers' union was short-lived. In 1941 he was appointed to Central Indian War Committee, formed by the Government to enlist the support of Indians to the war effort.
The Federation of Cane Growers was formed as an umbrella organisation to negotiate the new cane contract due to take effect from 1960 with the Colonial Sugar Refining Company.
The National Farmers Union' (NFU) is one of Fiji's largest trade unions. It was launched in Labasa in July 1978 under the auspices of the Fiji Trades Union Congress, with Mahendra Chaudhry as its first General Secretary. The union was initially based in Vanua Levu but gradually extended its operations to Viti Levu.
There have been numerous sugar cane farmers−growers trade unions in Fiji and in the preceding British Colonony of Fiji (1874−1970).
The Kisan Sangh had been active in the Western Division of Fiji since 1937 but had not seen the need to expand its activities to other sugar cane growing districts because of transportation problems and the fact that the other districts combined had far fewer cane farmers than the Western Division. By 1950, the Maha Sangh, a rival to the Kisan Sangh, was well established in Labasa in the Northern Division. As negotiations began for the 1950 cane contract, the Kisan Sangh decided to spread its activities to the Northern Division and the Labasa Kisan Sangh was formed with support from Viti Levu.
Jona Baravilala Senilagakali was a Fijian medical doctor and diplomat who was briefly appointed as Prime Minister of Fiji following the 2006 Fijian coup d'état. Subsequently he was Minister for Health in the military regime from 2007 to 2008.
Sugar Cane Growers Council represents the sugar cane farmers in Fiji. It is made up of 38 members elected by the farmers and eight members nominated by the government. The Sugar Cane Growers Council election is held every three years. The Council has a chief executive, the first one being Vijay R. Singh, and a chairman.
The Fiji Cane Growers Association (FCGA) is a cane farmers' union established in 1992 by supporters of the National Federation Party (NFP).
Jain Kumar is a Fijian civil servant and former politician of Indian descent. He was elected the Chairman of Sugar Cane Growers Council of Fiji on 19 January 2007. He replaced Vijendra Autar who had been sacked by the military together with Jagannath Sami and eight board members appointed by the deposed government.
Fiji Sugar Corporation (FSC) is the government-owned sugar milling company in Fiji having monopoly on production of raw sugar in Fiji. It is also the largest public enterprise in the country employing nearly 3,000 people, while another 200,000 or more depend on it for their livelihood in rural sugar cane belts of Fiji.
Jai Shree Gawander is a Fijian civil servant and former politician of Indian descent. He was appointed the chief executive officer of the Sugar Cane Growers Council on 31 March 2007. He was previously a member of the House of Representatives and research manager at the Sugarcane Research Centre in Lautoka, Fiji.
Unlike the majority of Fiji's Indian population, who are descendants of Indian indentured labourers brought to Fiji between 1879 and 1916, most of the Sikhs came to Fiji as free immigrants. Most Sikhs established themselves as farmers. Sikhs also came to Fiji as policemen, teachers and preachers. In recent years large numbers of Sikhs have emigrated from Fiji, especially to the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Sikhs in Fiji are generally referred to as Punjabis.
This is a synopsis of organisations formed by Indians in Fiji. When they became free from the bondage of indenture and were able to organise themselves, they founded numerous organizations to seek social and political justice. These organisations promoted the teaching of Indian languages and religious practices and also to help others in time of need. Some of the successful organisations are listed below in the order in which they were established. Some, such as the National Federation Party, are no longer exclusively Indian, but are still predominantly so.
