Muniswamy Mudaliar
Encyclopedia
Muniswamy Mudaliar was a Fiji Indian politician who was a member of the Legislative Council of Fiji
from 1932 to 1937. He lost the support of his electorate when he refused to resign from the Legislative Council when the common roll motion was defeated, as had been agreed to before the election. In 1932 he became the first Fiji Indian Justice of Peace.
From 1929 to 1932 the three seats reserved for people of India
n origin in the Legislative Council were vacant due to a boycott of the Council, led by Vishnu Deo
, in protest of not granting equal status to Indians in Fiji
. When elections were called in 1932, Vishnu Deo's party called for the boycott to continue, but a rebel Indian nominated for the Southern Constituency. To ensure that the rebel candidate did not succeed, Vishnu Deo nominated K.B. Singh for the seat. Vishnu Deo wanted K.B. Singh to move a motion for common roll when he was elected and aware that he would need a seconder for the motion nominated Muniswamy Mudaliar, for the North Western Indian Division. Both Singh and Mudaliar were elected easily.
On 14 October 1932, under the guidance of Vishnu Deo, K.B. Singh put forward a motion for common roll, seconded by Muniswamy Mudaliar. The Governor convinced the two Indian members to withdraw the motion so that he could discuss it with the Secretary of State. Contrary to Vishnu Deo’s advice, the motion was withdrawn. In February 1933, the Secretary of State informed the Legislative Council that it was impracticable to have common roll. K.B. Singh resigned and was re-elected over the same rival but Mudaliar refused to resign. K.B. Singh took his seat in the Legislative Council, contrary to Vishnu Deo’s instructions and the two evaded the common roll issue. They were denounced in public meetings organised by Vishnu Deo and his associates but were rewarded by the Government by being made Justice of Peace. On 23 March 1934, they introduced another motion for common roll which was defeated but its consequence was that new motion could not be introduced immediately after next election.
Fully aware that they would not be able to retain their seats in the next election, K.B. Singh and Mudaliar accepted the Governor’s advice and moved a motion calling for members of the Legislative Council to be nominated and not elected. The motion was passed but the Colonial Office implemented a compromise, combining election and nomination. The Legislative Council was increased to 31, made up of 15 unofficial members, made up of 5 members from each ethnic group, and 16 official members (usually heads of departments). All the Fijian
seats were to be nominated by the Great Council of Chiefs, but three each of the Indian and Europe
an seats were to be elected on communal franchise
and the remaining two filled through nomination.
Following the 1937 election, while K.B. Singh was nominated into the Legislative Council by the Governor but Muniswamy Mudaliar faded into political oblivion.
Mudaliar was a shopkeeper from Wailailai in Ba
.
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...
from 1932 to 1937. He lost the support of his electorate when he refused to resign from the Legislative Council when the common roll motion was defeated, as had been agreed to before the election. In 1932 he became the first Fiji Indian Justice of Peace.
From 1929 to 1932 the three seats reserved for people 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 origin in the Legislative Council were vacant due to a boycott of the Council, led by 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...
, in protest of not granting equal status to Indians in Fiji
Indians in Fiji
Indo-Fijians are Fijians whose ancestors came from India and various parts of South Asia, South-East Asia and Asia itself. They number 313,798 out of a total of 827,900 people living in Fiji...
. When elections were called in 1932, Vishnu Deo's party called for the boycott to continue, but a rebel Indian nominated for the Southern Constituency. To ensure that the rebel candidate did not succeed, Vishnu Deo nominated K.B. Singh for the seat. Vishnu Deo wanted K.B. Singh to move a motion for common roll when he was elected and aware that he would need a seconder for the motion nominated Muniswamy Mudaliar, for the North Western Indian Division. Both Singh and Mudaliar were elected easily.
On 14 October 1932, under the guidance of Vishnu Deo, K.B. Singh put forward a motion for common roll, seconded by Muniswamy Mudaliar. The Governor convinced the two Indian members to withdraw the motion so that he could discuss it with the Secretary of State. Contrary to Vishnu Deo’s advice, the motion was withdrawn. In February 1933, the Secretary of State informed the Legislative Council that it was impracticable to have common roll. K.B. Singh resigned and was re-elected over the same rival but Mudaliar refused to resign. K.B. Singh took his seat in the Legislative Council, contrary to Vishnu Deo’s instructions and the two evaded the common roll issue. They were denounced in public meetings organised by Vishnu Deo and his associates but were rewarded by the Government by being made Justice of Peace. On 23 March 1934, they introduced another motion for common roll which was defeated but its consequence was that new motion could not be introduced immediately after next election.
Fully aware that they would not be able to retain their seats in the next election, K.B. Singh and Mudaliar accepted the Governor’s advice and moved a motion calling for members of the Legislative Council to be nominated and not elected. The motion was passed but the Colonial Office implemented a compromise, combining election and nomination. The Legislative Council was increased to 31, made up of 15 unofficial members, made up of 5 members from each ethnic group, and 16 official members (usually heads of departments). All the Fijian
Fijian people
Fijian people are the major indigenous people of the Fiji Islands, and live in an area informally called Melanesia. The Fijian people are believed to have arrived in Fiji from western Melanesia approximately 3,500 years ago, though the exact origins of the Fijian people are unknown...
seats were to be nominated by the Great Council of Chiefs, but three each of the Indian and 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 seats were to be elected on communal franchise
Communal constituencies (Fiji)
Communal constituencies have been the most durable feature of the Fijian electoral system. In communal constituencies, electors enrolled as ethnic Fijians, Indo-Fijians, Rotuman Islanders, or General Electors vote for a candidate of their own respective ethnic groups, in constituencies that have...
and the remaining two filled through nomination.
Following the 1937 election, while K.B. Singh was nominated into the Legislative Council by the Governor but Muniswamy Mudaliar faded into political oblivion.
Mudaliar was a shopkeeper from Wailailai in Ba
Ba District, Fiji
Ba is a district situation on the North Western part of the island of Viti Levu in Fiji. The name Ba is also used for a province, a tikina , a town and a river. Ba district comprises the areas surrounding Ba Town and includes the Fijian administrative tikinas of Ba and Magodro. Ba district is in...
.