Fiji Indian National Congress
Encyclopedia
On the fiftieth anniversary of the arrival of the first Indians
in Fiji
, two different organisations called the Fiji Indian National Congress were formed in Fiji. The acting Governor of Fiji, Alfred W. Seymour, despite Europe
an opposition, declared 15 May as a public holiday and as a day of rejoicing. Vishnu Deo
and his supporters wanted the day to be marked as a day of mourning and on 12 May, at a meeting in Lautoka
, it was decided to from the Fiji Indian National Congress. On 14 May, at another meeting in Suva
, Dr Hamilton Beattie, who had taken upon himself the responsibility of improving the status of the Indian community, formed another organisation with the same name.
Vishnu Deo wrote to Jawaharlal Nehru
, asking for a copy of the constitution on the Indian National Congress
, saying that Indians in Fiji wanted to form a similar Congress and Nehru gave his blessing. On 7 October 1929, at a meeting in Lautoka organised by S. B. Patel
, the two Congresses agreed to amalgamate and 7 November 1929 the amalgamation was formalised at a meeting in Suva. S. B. Patel wrote:
The Congress did not manage to achieve the stated goal, as Patel had hoped, of uniting the Indians in Fiji and disagreement over the distribution of relief funds following floods in 1930 caused the non-Hindu members to leave the Congress.
Demographics of India
The demographics of India are inclusive of the second most populous country in the world, with over 1.21 billion people , more than a sixth of the world's population. Already containing 17.5% of the world's population, India is projected to be the world's most populous country by 2025, surpassing...
in Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
, two different organisations called the Fiji Indian National Congress were formed in Fiji. The acting Governor of Fiji, Alfred W. Seymour, despite Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an opposition, declared 15 May as a public holiday and as a day of rejoicing. Vishnu Deo
Vishnu Deo
Pandit Vishnu Deo OBE was the first Fiji born and bred leader of the Fiji Indians. From 1929, when he was first elected to the Legislative Council, until his retirement in 1959, he remained the most powerful Fiji Indian political leader in Fiji...
and his supporters wanted the day to be marked as a day of mourning and on 12 May, at a meeting in Lautoka
Lautoka
Lautoka is the second largest city of Fiji and the second largest in the South Pacific. It is in the west of the island of Viti Levu, 24 kilometres north of Nadi, and is the second port of entry in Fiji, after Suva. Lying in the heart of Fiji's sugar cane growing region, it is known as the Sugar...
, it was decided to from the Fiji Indian National Congress. On 14 May, at another meeting in Suva
Suva
Suva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year. Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact,...
, Dr Hamilton Beattie, who had taken upon himself the responsibility of improving the status of the Indian community, formed another organisation with the same name.
Vishnu Deo wrote to Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
, asking for a copy of the constitution on the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
, saying that Indians in Fiji wanted to form a similar Congress and Nehru gave his blessing. On 7 October 1929, at a meeting in Lautoka organised by S. B. Patel
S. B. Patel
Shivabhai Bhailalbhai Patel, commonly known as S.B. Patel, was a London trained barrister, who arrived in Fiji, from India, on 24 December 1927. He was a man of calm and philosophical nature and had considerable influence on Fiji politics, always working behind the scenes...
, the two Congresses agreed to amalgamate and 7 November 1929 the amalgamation was formalised at a meeting in Suva. S. B. Patel wrote:
We have a National Congress of Fiji. The unity and solidarity among the Indian settlers here today are as they never were before. All sections stand united in one demand for the common franchise. We are all coming closer together day by day. We intend organising provincial and district congresses in all important quarters, and passing resolutions demanding the common franchise, in every Congress committee. We intend to take up the work of educating the masses for political consciousness,
The Congress did not manage to achieve the stated goal, as Patel had hoped, of uniting the Indians in Fiji and disagreement over the distribution of relief funds following floods in 1930 caused the non-Hindu members to leave the Congress.