Anirudh Singh
Encyclopedia
Dr Anirudh Singh is a Fiji Indian academic who has undertaken research on muon
implantation in solids but is best known for the stand he has taken on national issues, in particular those relating to social inequities in Fiji
, resulting from the 1987 military take-over of the Fiji Government.
, Ba
, Fiji on 3 May 1950. He is a descendent of India
n indenture
d labourers brought to Fiji between 1879 and 1916, to develop Fiji's economy and prevent the exploitation of native Fijians
. He started school at the local Arya Samaj
primary school and then moved the to the nearby Methodist Mission
School to complete his primary education. His secondary education was at Xavier College in Ba. He then enrolled at the University of the South Pacific
, graduating with a Bachelor of Science
in 1972.
After a short stint as Physics
teacher at his old school, Xavier College, Dr Singh took up a teaching position at the Derrick Technical Institute (now known as the Fiji Institute of Technology). His desire for further education took him to the University of Auckland
, from where he graduated with Master of Science
. He returned to Fiji in 1982 and took up lectureship in Physics at the University of the South Pacific.
in 1985 and was one of its earliest and most ardent supporters. He was one of the candidates for the FLP in the November 1985 election for the Suva City Council
, in which the FLP won 8 of the 20 seats. Dr Singh was an FLP candidate for the safe Alliance ward of Muanikau but lost by only a narrow margin.
When talks began for a coalition between National Federation Party (NFP)
and the Fiji Labour Party, Dr Singh openly expressed his opposition. He released the results of a survey, which demonstrated that FLP could win 26 seats on its own. His main concern was that a coalition with NFP would destroy Labour's multiracial image and undermine its efforts to win greater Fijian support. Dr Singh's survey was designed to rally anti-coalition support at the first FLP convention in Lautoka
in July 1986, but the convention decided to give the party's Management Board a free hand to negotiate possible areas of cooperation with the NFP.
under an Association of Commonwealth Universities
scholarship to pursue a PhD
degree which he subsequently obtained from the University of Leicester
in 1990. On his return to Fiji in 1990 he found that Fiji had undergone a huge change during his three-year sabbatical. The 1970 constitution had been abrogated, there was little freedom of speech and the majority of the community lived in fear as the rule of law had broken down. Fiji was ostensibly being ruled by an interim government with Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau
as President
and Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara
as Prime Minister
but the military held a strong grip on the affairs of the nation, and called all the shots. After the failure of the interim government in having two versions of its proposed Constitution accepted by all people of Fiji, the country was in a political stalemate.
The announcement on the night of the 25 July 1990 by the President of Fiji of a new Constitution came as a complete shock to many of the people of Fiji as it had happened without any prelude. Initially, those opposed to the imposition of the new constitution, and brave enough to express their views, began expressing their opposition to the new constitution through letters to the media. But the interim government was adamant that the constitution was there to stay and did everything in its power to create an impression that the unilaterally-imposed Constitution had been accepted by all citizens of Fiji.
GARD decided that a better way to demonstrate its opposition was by burning copies of the constitution. This had been tried a couple of times earlier, however, these actions had been largely ineffective as they had failed to gain any publicity. To gain widespread publicity in Fiji, and internationally, it was decided to carry out the protest during celebrations for the Diwali
Festival, also known as the festival of lights, celebrated by Hindu
s. The protest was implemented on Thursday, 18 October 1990 in Suva
. After a short speech by Dr Singh, a copy of the constitution was burnt. The protest was duly reported in the Daily Post
the next day, with the front-page headline saying "Hindus burn constitution". The interim government called an emergency cabinet meeting. It condemned the protest, and released a statement calling the action "treasonous and despicable". It asked the police to investigate.
for medical treatment.
On 22 November 1990, five members of the Special Operations Security Unit of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces
pleaded guilty to the abduction and torture of Dr Singh and were sentenced to 12 months imprisonment suspended for 15 months. The army denied that the five had acted on its orders and even sent them on peace keeping duties overseas.
Dr Singh has written an account of his experience in the book, Silent Warriors.
ruled in favour of Dr Singh. In his judgement, Justice R.J. Coventry said "I do find that there were tortious acts as pleaded in the Statement of Claim committed by the first five defendants. I do not find that the defence under section 52 of the Royal Fiji Military Forced Act is available to the five defendants nor consequently the sixth defendant. I find that the tortious acts committed by the five defendants were so closely connected with their employment and in particular the functions and purposes of the Special Operations Security Unit that the sixth defendant, representing the State, is vicariously liable for those tortious acts."
Dr Singh, speaking to Fiji Live
said he has finally found closure as the matter has been in the judicial system for 13 years. "People have been asking me, is it about the money? Money is not important. What's important is the fact that we have proved ourselves that we were right. Today's ruling has set a precedent and is clearly a landmark case that will definitely have positive ramifications. There are many others that were tortured during the period after the 1987 coup."
On 6 Septenmber 2007, Dr Singh was awarded $793,022 as compensation by the High Court. Judge Justice Roger Coventry ruled that the State, and the soldiers involved, pay Dr Singh the money. Justice Coventry said that he regarded Singh's original claim of $25,000 for exemplary damages "too modest" given the circumstances of the case.
, he has, in a letter published in a local newspaper, defined "democracy" in the context of the situation in Fiji. He has argued that even if a Government is elected by constitutional means, it is not democracy "when the outcome of the process brings about oppression of a large section of the country" - referring to the policies of the Qarase Government
that overtly discriminated against the Indo-Fijians. On the military coup, he has stated that "history is full of examples where equal rights for all could only eventuate through illegal, and indeed criminal acts."
Muon
The muon |mu]] used to represent it) is an elementary particle similar to the electron, with a unitary negative electric charge and a spin of ½. Together with the electron, the tau, and the three neutrinos, it is classified as a lepton...
implantation in solids but is best known for the stand he has taken on national issues, in particular those relating to social inequities 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...
, resulting from the 1987 military take-over of the Fiji Government.
Early life and education
Dr Singh was born in YalalevuYalalevu
Yalalevu is a settlement in the District of Ba in Fiji, bounded by the Ba River on the east, Namosau River on the south and the settlement and village of Nailaga towards the north and west. Most of Yalalevu is within the Ba town boundary and this area is known as the Yalalevu Ward for Local...
, 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...
, Fiji on 3 May 1950. He is a descendent 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 indenture
Indenture
An indenture is a legal contract reflecting a debt or purchase obligation, specifically referring to two types of practices: in historical usage, an indentured servant status, and in modern usage, an instrument used for commercial debt or real estate transaction.-Historical usage:An indenture is a...
d labourers brought to Fiji between 1879 and 1916, to develop Fiji's economy and prevent the exploitation of native Fijians
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...
. He started school at the local Arya Samaj
Arya Samaj (Fiji)
The Arya Samaj was the first religious, cultural and educational Fiji Indian organisation established in Fiji. From its inception, in 1904, it attracted the young, educated and progressive Hindus into its fold...
primary school and then moved the to the nearby Methodist Mission
Methodist Church of Fiji and Rotuma
The Methodist Church of Fiji and Rotuma is the largest Christian denomination in Fiji, with 36.2 percent of the total population at the 1996 census...
School to complete his primary education. His secondary education was at Xavier College in Ba. He then enrolled at the University of the South Pacific
University of the South Pacific
The University of the South Pacific is a public university with a number of locations spread throughout a dozen countries in Oceania. It is an international centre for teaching and research on Pacific culture and environment. USP's academic programmes are recognised worldwide, attracting students...
, graduating with a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in 1972.
After a short stint as Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
teacher at his old school, Xavier College, Dr Singh took up a teaching position at the Derrick Technical Institute (now known as the Fiji Institute of Technology). His desire for further education took him to the University of Auckland
University of Auckland
The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...
, from where he graduated with Master of Science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
. He returned to Fiji in 1982 and took up lectureship in Physics at the University of the South Pacific.
Member of FLP
Dr Singh was disappointed with the racial politics of the two major political parties in Fiji and was one of the first people in Fiji to express a need for a completely new non-racial political organisation in Fiji. He was elated with the formation of the Fiji Labour Party(FLP)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...
in 1985 and was one of its earliest and most ardent supporters. He was one of the candidates for the FLP in the November 1985 election for the Suva City Council
Suva City Council
The Suva City Council is the municipal law-making body of the city of Suva, Fiji's capital. It consists of 20 Councillors, elected for three-year terms from four multi-member constituencies called wards...
, in which the FLP won 8 of the 20 seats. Dr Singh was an FLP candidate for the safe Alliance ward of Muanikau but lost by only a narrow margin.
When talks began for a coalition between National Federation Party (NFP)
National Federation Party (Fiji)
The National Federation Party is a Fijian political party founded by A.D. Patel in November 1968, as a merger of the Federation Party and the National Democratic Party...
and the Fiji Labour Party, Dr Singh openly expressed his opposition. He released the results of a survey, which demonstrated that FLP could win 26 seats on its own. His main concern was that a coalition with NFP would destroy Labour's multiracial image and undermine its efforts to win greater Fijian support. Dr Singh's survey was designed to rally anti-coalition support at the first FLP convention 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...
in July 1986, but the convention decided to give the party's Management Board a free hand to negotiate possible areas of cooperation with the NFP.
Post coup Fiji
In 1986 Dr Singh left for the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
under an Association of Commonwealth Universities
Association of Commonwealth Universities
The Association of Commonwealth Universities represents over 480 universities from Commonwealth countries.- History :In 1912, the University of London took the initiative to assemble 53 representatives of universities in London to hold a Congress of Universities of the Empire...
scholarship to pursue a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
degree which he subsequently obtained from the University of Leicester
University of Leicester
The University of Leicester is a research-led university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is a mile south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park and Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College....
in 1990. On his return to Fiji in 1990 he found that Fiji had undergone a huge change during his three-year sabbatical. The 1970 constitution had been abrogated, there was little freedom of speech and the majority of the community lived in fear as the rule of law had broken down. Fiji was ostensibly being ruled by an interim government with Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau
Penaia Ganilau
Ratu Sir Penaia Kanatabatu Ganilau, GCMG, KCVO, KBE, DSO was the first President of Fiji, serving from 8 December 1987 until his death in 1993...
as President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
and Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara
Kamisese Mara
Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, CF, GCMG, KBE is considered the founding father of the modern nation of Fiji. He was Chief Minister from 1967 to 1970, when Fiji gained its independence from the United Kingdom, and, apart from one brief interruption in 1987, the first Prime Minister from 1970 to 1992...
as Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
but the military held a strong grip on the affairs of the nation, and called all the shots. After the failure of the interim government in having two versions of its proposed Constitution accepted by all people of Fiji, the country was in a political stalemate.
The announcement on the night of the 25 July 1990 by the President of Fiji of a new Constitution came as a complete shock to many of the people of Fiji as it had happened without any prelude. Initially, those opposed to the imposition of the new constitution, and brave enough to express their views, began expressing their opposition to the new constitution through letters to the media. But the interim government was adamant that the constitution was there to stay and did everything in its power to create an impression that the unilaterally-imposed Constitution had been accepted by all citizens of Fiji.
Group Against Racial Discrimination
To co-ordinate efforts against the imposition which was regarded as unjust, it was decided to form a pressure group, known as Group Against Racial Discrimination (GARD). This was a loose grouping of like-thinking individuals, most of who were University of the South Pacific (USP) academics including Dr Singh, who had the common desire to see the restoration of a democratic government in the country after the 1970 constitution had been abrogated by Major-General Rabuka. Their main aim was to bring the plight of the people of Fiji to the notice of the free world through letters and other means of communication. Efforts towards the local campaign quickly became ineffectual after the media began refusing to publish the letters.GARD decided that a better way to demonstrate its opposition was by burning copies of the constitution. This had been tried a couple of times earlier, however, these actions had been largely ineffective as they had failed to gain any publicity. To gain widespread publicity in Fiji, and internationally, it was decided to carry out the protest during celebrations for the Diwali
Diwali
Diwali or DeepavaliThe name of the festival in various regional languages include:, , , , , , , , , , , , , popularly known as the "festival of lights," is a festival celebrated between mid-October and mid-December for different reasons...
Festival, also known as the festival of lights, celebrated by Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
s. The protest was implemented on Thursday, 18 October 1990 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,...
. After a short speech by Dr Singh, a copy of the constitution was burnt. The protest was duly reported in the Daily Post
Daily Post (Fiji)
The Fiji's Daily Post is a newspaper that was formed by Wame Waqanisanini JR in Oct 1987, who owned 50 percent of the shares. Taniela Bolea was the original publisher. The majority shares were later owned by the Fijian government. The government now has 44.70 percent of the shares while Australian...
the next day, with the front-page headline saying "Hindus burn constitution". The interim government called an emergency cabinet meeting. It condemned the protest, and released a statement calling the action "treasonous and despicable". It asked the police to investigate.
Abduction
Despite precautions by members of the group, on the morning of Wednesday, 24 October 1990, Dr Singh was abducted while on his way to work. He was blind-folded and taken to a forest in hills outside Suva called Colo-i-Suva. He was gagged and severely beaten and interrogated for 12 hours. His captors then left him in the dark and disappeared. Somehow, he made his way to a road and was driven to safety by a passing taxi. He had incurred sever injuries to his face and hands and needed to travel to AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
for medical treatment.
On 22 November 1990, five members of the Special Operations Security Unit of the 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...
pleaded guilty to the abduction and torture of Dr Singh and were sentenced to 12 months imprisonment suspended for 15 months. The army denied that the five had acted on its orders and even sent them on peace keeping duties overseas.
Dr Singh has written an account of his experience in the book, Silent Warriors.
High Court ruling
Dr Singh sued the five and the Attorney General and after a thirteen-year delay, on 1 November 2006, the High Court of FijiHigh 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...
ruled in favour of Dr Singh. In his judgement, Justice R.J. Coventry said "I do find that there were tortious acts as pleaded in the Statement of Claim committed by the first five defendants. I do not find that the defence under section 52 of the Royal Fiji Military Forced Act is available to the five defendants nor consequently the sixth defendant. I find that the tortious acts committed by the five defendants were so closely connected with their employment and in particular the functions and purposes of the Special Operations Security Unit that the sixth defendant, representing the State, is vicariously liable for those tortious acts."
Dr Singh, speaking to Fiji Live
Fiji 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....
said he has finally found closure as the matter has been in the judicial system for 13 years. "People have been asking me, is it about the money? Money is not important. What's important is the fact that we have proved ourselves that we were right. Today's ruling has set a precedent and is clearly a landmark case that will definitely have positive ramifications. There are many others that were tortured during the period after the 1987 coup."
On 6 Septenmber 2007, Dr Singh was awarded $793,022 as compensation by the High Court. Judge Justice Roger Coventry ruled that the State, and the soldiers involved, pay Dr Singh the money. Justice Coventry said that he regarded Singh's original claim of $25,000 for exemplary damages "too modest" given the circumstances of the case.
The meaning of democracy
Dr Singh has never shied away from speaking on issues affecting the citizens of Fiji. Following the 2006 military coup in Fiji2006 Fijian coup d'état
The Fijian coup d'état of December 2006 occurred as a continuation of the pressure which had been building since the military unrest of the 2000 Fijian coup d'état and 2005-2006 Fijian political crisis....
, he has, in a letter published in a local newspaper, defined "democracy" in the context of the situation in Fiji. He has argued that even if a Government is elected by constitutional means, it is not democracy "when the outcome of the process brings about oppression of a large section of the country" - referring to the policies of the Qarase Government
Laisenia Qarase
Laisenia Qarase is a Fijian political figure. He served as the sixth Prime Minister of Fiji from 2000 to 2006. After the military quashed the coup that led to the removal of Mahendra Chaudhry, Qarase joined the Interim Military Government as a financial adviser on 9 June 2000, until his appointment...
that overtly discriminated against the Indo-Fijians. On the military coup, he has stated that "history is full of examples where equal rights for all could only eventuate through illegal, and indeed criminal acts."