Ganesh Chand
Encyclopedia
Dr. Ganeshwar Chand, better known as Ganesh Chand, is a Fiji
an academic and former politician of India
n descent. He is a founder of the University of Fiji
and serves as a Trustee
of the Fiji Institute of Applied Studies and as Editor
of Fijian Studies: A Journal of Contemporary Fiji (source).
From 1999 to 2006, Chand represented the Lautoka City
Indian Communal Constituency, one of 19 reserved for Indo-Fijians, having won for the seat for the Fiji Labour Party
(FLP) in the parliamentary elections
of 1999
and 2001
. He was Minister for Local Government, State Planning, and Housing in the government of Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry
, in 1999 and 2000.
On 19 May 2000, He was among the 43 members of the People's Coalition Government
, led by Mahendra Chaudhry, taken hostage by George Speight
and his band of rebel Republic of Fiji Military Forces
(RFMF) soldiers from the Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit
. He was released on 13 July 2000 after 56 days of captivity.
Chand was considered one of the more moderate members of the FLP, and spoke against the practice of using the "fear factor" to attract votes. He also made headlines on 21 November 2005, when he spoke of the positive aspects of the government's budget
, and praised the government for implementing some of the Opposition's recommendations. He added that the budget was the best of all the government's bad budgets.
Chand announced his retirement from active politics in 2006, and has since been spending time at the newly established University of Fiji whose establishment he spearheaded. He was publicly critical of FLP leader Mahendra Chaudhry's choices of Senators
for the 2006-2011 term, saying that the appointment of a close relative of Chaudhry's among the Senators could be interpreted by the public as nepotism
.
news service reported on 29 December 2005 that at a conference of the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) on 5-6 January 2006, Chand would be one of five people to receive the Pravasi Bharatiya Community Service Award
. The others were Diljit S. Rana of Ireland, B.R. Shetty of Abu Dhabi
, Sudha Acharya, executive director of the South Asian Council for Social Services (SACSS). There was also a special recognition award to Pavan Kumar Darisi of the World Arya Vysya Mahasabha. The awards, which are granted to persons of Indian ancestry for their contributions to the countries they are members of, were presented by Governor Sushil Kumar Shinde of Andhra Pradesh
.
The conference was held as a prelude to the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
, which ran from 7-9 January. The theme of the conference is "Global Indian Diaspora: Today and Tomorrow". Chand was one of the speakers at the conference, one of many organized by GOPIO since its inception in 1989.
Chand was the second citizen of Fiji to receive this award, the first being Mahendra Chaudhry in 2004. The citation for the award praised him for his role in campaigning for the restoration of democracy in Fiji in the wake of the two coups
which deposed the Bavadra
government and severed Fiji's links to the British Monarchy
in 1987, and also noted his role in the establishment of the University of Fiji to cater for underprivileged students. He was also an accomplished author, the citation said.
for what he claimed was a defamatory report on the front page of the newspaper, on 26 August 2000. The report claimed that police were investigating his alleged involvement in the theft of government property, including furniture, from his office. Chand told the High Court
in Suva
that he knew nothing of any investigation until reading the allegations in the Times. Police had questioned him and searched his home, from which some items had also been stolen, he said, but he did not consider that to constitute a police investigation.
Times counsel Ian Roche told the court on 21 September 2006 that the report had been "accurate" and in the public interest. Justice Gwen Philips adjourned the case to 3 November, the Times reported.
Chand is seeking F$150,000
in damages and a further F$75,000 in aggravated damages, and a court order to prevent further defamation. He is also demanding a front-page apology in Fiji's three daily newspapers.Judgment was delivered in early 2007 in favour of the Fiji Times.
(FIT).
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...
an academic and former politician of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n descent. He is a founder of the University of Fiji
University of Fiji
The University of Fiji is a university based in Saweni, Lautoka, Fiji. It was established in December 2004 under academic leadership of the Fiji Institute of Applied Studies and financial sponsorship of the Arya Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji, a Hindu religious organization dedicated to education...
and serves as a Trustee
Trustee
Trustee is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, can refer to any person who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the benefit of another...
of the Fiji Institute of Applied Studies and as Editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
of Fijian Studies: A Journal of Contemporary Fiji (source).
From 1999 to 2006, Chand represented the Lautoka City
Lautoka City (Indian Communal Constituency, Fiji)
Lautoka City Indian Communal is an electoral division of Fiji, one of 19 communal constituencies reserved for Indo-Fijians....
Indian Communal Constituency, one of 19 reserved for Indo-Fijians, having won for the seat for the Fiji Labour Party
Fiji Labour Party
The Fiji Labour Party is a political party in Fiji, which holds observer status with the Socialist International. Most of its support at present comes from the Indo-Fijian community, although it is officially multiracial and its first leader was an indigenous Fijian, Dr. Timoci Bavadra. It is...
(FLP) in the parliamentary elections
Elections in Fiji
Fiji has held nine general elections for the House of Representatives since becoming independent of the United Kingdom in 1970; there had been numerous elections under colonial rule, but only one with universal suffrage . In this period, Fiji has had three constitutions, and the voting system has...
of 1999
Fiji election of 1999
General elections were held in Fiji between 8 and 15 May 1999. They were the first election held under the revised Constitution of 1997, which instituted a new electoral system and resulted in Mahendra Chaudhry taking office as Fiji's first Indo-Fijian Prime Minister.-Electoral system:Previously,...
and 2001
Fiji election of 2001
The Constitution of Fiji was restored by a High Court decision on 15 November 2000, following the failure of the political upheaval in which the government had been deposed and the constitution suspended in May that year. On 1 March 2001, the Appeal Court upheld the decision. An election to...
. He was Minister for Local Government, State Planning, and Housing in the government of Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry
Mahendra Chaudhry
Mahendra Pal Chaudhry is a Fijian politician and the leader of the Fiji Labour Party...
, in 1999 and 2000.
On 19 May 2000, He was among the 43 members of the People's Coalition Government
People's Coalition (Fiji)
The People's Coalition was an alliance of three political parties in Fiji, formed in March 1999 to contest the parliamentary election to be held in May that year...
, led by Mahendra Chaudhry, taken hostage by George Speight
George Speight
George Speight , occasionally known as Ilikimi Naitini, was the principal instigator of the Fiji coup of 2000, in which he kidnapped thirty-six government officials and held them from May 19, 2000 to July 13, 2000...
and his band of rebel Republic of Fiji Military Forces
Military of Fiji
The Republic of Fiji Military Forces are the military of the Pacific island nation of Fiji. With a total manpower of 3,500 active soldiers and 6,000 reservists, it is one of the smallest militaries in the world. However, most of its surrounding island nations have no militaries at all...
(RFMF) soldiers from the Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit
Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit (Fiji)
The Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit or CRWU was the common name for the First Meridian Squadron, the unit's formal name, which had been disbanded in 2000...
. He was released on 13 July 2000 after 56 days of captivity.
Chand was considered one of the more moderate members of the FLP, and spoke against the practice of using the "fear factor" to attract votes. He also made headlines on 21 November 2005, when he spoke of the positive aspects of the government's budget
Budget
A budget is a financial plan and a list of all planned expenses and revenues. It is a plan for saving, borrowing and spending. A budget is an important concept in microeconomics, which uses a budget line to illustrate the trade-offs between two or more goods...
, and praised the government for implementing some of the Opposition's recommendations. He added that the budget was the best of all the government's bad budgets.
Chand announced his retirement from active politics in 2006, and has since been spending time at the newly established University of Fiji whose establishment he spearheaded. He was publicly critical of FLP leader Mahendra Chaudhry's choices of Senators
Senate (Fiji)
The Senate of Fiji is the upper chamber of Parliament. It is the less powerful of the two chambers; it may not initiate legislation, but may amend or veto it. The Senate's powers over financial bills are more restricted: it may veto them in their entirety, but may not amend them...
for the 2006-2011 term, saying that the appointment of a close relative of Chaudhry's among the Senators could be interpreted by the public as nepotism
Nepotism
Nepotism is favoritism granted to relatives regardless of merit. The word nepotism is from the Latin word nepos, nepotis , from which modern Romanian nepot and Italian nipote, "nephew" or "grandchild" are also descended....
.
GOPIO Award
The Fiji LiveFiji Live
Fijilive is an online newspaper and business and cultural directory in Fiji. The site is owned by the Future Group of Companies owned by Fiji entrepreneur Yashwant Gaunder....
news service reported on 29 December 2005 that at a conference of the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) on 5-6 January 2006, Chand would be one of five people to receive the Pravasi Bharatiya Community Service Award
Pravasi Bharatiya Community Service Award
The Pravasi Bharatiya Community Service Award is an Indian non-governmental diasporic award granted annually by the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin , to honour persons of Indian ancestry for their contributions to countries they are members of.One of the 2004 awards went to Mahendra...
. The others were Diljit S. Rana of Ireland, B.R. Shetty of Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
, Sudha Acharya, executive director of the South Asian Council for Social Services (SACSS). There was also a special recognition award to Pavan Kumar Darisi of the World Arya Vysya Mahasabha. The awards, which are granted to persons of Indian ancestry for their contributions to the countries they are members of, were presented by Governor Sushil Kumar Shinde of Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
.
The conference was held as a prelude to the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas , is celebrated in India on 9 January each year to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community to the development of India. The day commemorates the arrival of Mahatama Gandhi in India from South Africa...
, which ran from 7-9 January. The theme of the conference is "Global Indian Diaspora: Today and Tomorrow". Chand was one of the speakers at the conference, one of many organized by GOPIO since its inception in 1989.
Chand was the second citizen of Fiji to receive this award, the first being Mahendra Chaudhry in 2004. The citation for the award praised him for his role in campaigning for the restoration of democracy in Fiji in the wake of the two coups
Fiji coups of 1987
The Fiji coups of 1987 resulted in the overthrow of the elected government of Fijian Prime Minister Timoci Bavadra, the deposition of Elizabeth II as Queen of Fiji, and in the declaration of a republic...
which deposed the Bavadra
Timoci Bavadra
Timoci Uluivuda Bavadra was a medical doctor who served for one month as the second Prime Minister of Fiji in 1987 and who founded the Fiji Labour Party....
government and severed Fiji's links to the British Monarchy
Monarchy of the United Kingdom
The monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties...
in 1987, and also noted his role in the establishment of the University of Fiji to cater for underprivileged students. He was also an accomplished author, the citation said.
Lawsuit
It was announced on 5 September 2006 that Chand was suing the Fiji TimesFiji Times
The Fiji Times is a daily English-language newspaper published in Suva, Fiji. Established in Levuka on 4 September 1869, it is Fiji's oldest newspaper still operating....
for what he claimed was a defamatory report on the front page of the newspaper, on 26 August 2000. The report claimed that police were investigating his alleged involvement in the theft of government property, including furniture, from his office. Chand told the High Court
High Court (Fiji)
The High Court of Fiji is one of three courts established by Chapter 9 of the Constitution of Fiji—the others being the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. The Constitution empowers Parliament to create other courts; these are subordinate to the High Court, which is authorized to oversee all...
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,...
that he knew nothing of any investigation until reading the allegations in the Times. Police had questioned him and searched his home, from which some items had also been stolen, he said, but he did not consider that to constitute a police investigation.
Times counsel Ian Roche told the court on 21 September 2006 that the report had been "accurate" and in the public interest. Justice Gwen Philips adjourned the case to 3 November, the Times reported.
Chand is seeking F$150,000
Fijian dollar
The dollar has been the currency of Fiji since 1969 and was also the currency between 1867 and 1873. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively FJ$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
in damages and a further F$75,000 in aggravated damages, and a court order to prevent further defamation. He is also demanding a front-page apology in Fiji's three daily newspapers.Judgment was delivered in early 2007 in favour of the Fiji Times.
Director of FIT
On 25 September 2007, Dr Chand was appointed the Director of the Fiji Institute of TechnologyFiji Institute of Technology
The Fiji Institute of Technology is a university based in Fiji. Its has 4 campuses in Suva, Ba, Nadi and Labasa. It was established in 1963 to provide Technical and vocational education aimed at training students in technical disciplines to meet the engineering human resource needs of Fiji...
(FIT).
External links
- Interview with Ganesh Chand, on the history of Indian immigration to Fiji.