Articles about people,places,things,and concepts related to or originating from Fiji,include:
Labasa is a town in Fiji with a population of 28,500 at the most recent census held in 2010.
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.
General elections were held in Fiji between 26 September and 8 October 1966,the last before independence in 1970 and the first held under universal suffrage. The result was a victory for the Alliance Party,which won 23 of the 34 elected seats. Its leader Kamisese Mara became the country's first Chief Minister the following year.
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.
Brahma Dass Lakshman was an Indo-Fijian politician,trade unionist and businessman,who had a considerable influence on Fiji’s sugar industry. He served in the Legislative Council in two spells between 1940 and 1963.
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.
General elections were held in Fiji between 17 April and 4 May 1963. For the first time,women and indigenous Fijians were given the right to vote alongside the male European and Indo-Fijian population.
Andrew Indar Narayan Deoki was an Indo-Fijian statesman who served his community as a social and religious leader,soccer administrator,member of the Legislative Council and Senate in independent Fiji and as Attorney General.
The Citizens Federation was the political expression of a predominantly Indo-Fijian trade union movement,and was a forerunner of the present day National Federation Party.
The number of Fiji Indians that could be elected to the Legislative Council was fixed over the years as follows:
Shiromaniam Madhavan,son of a founding member of the National Federation Party (NFP),was a Fiji Indian politician who served in the Labasa Town Council and the House of Representatives. He contested numerous elections for different political parties.
Chirag Ali Shah was an Indo-Fijian farmer and politician. He was a member of the Legislative Council and House of Representatives from 1963 to 1977.
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.
Sarvan Singh was an Indo-Fijian lawyer and politician. He served as a member of the Senate and House of Representatives from 1970 until his death.
