James Shankar Singh
Encyclopedia
James Shankar Singh was a Fiji Indian farmer, businessman, social worker and politician who served as a Minister in the Alliance Government of Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara. Like many Fiji Indian politicians of the era, he joined the Alliance Party with a belief in mutiracialism, but was disappointed with the Alliance Party's appeal to Fijian
nationalism after 1977 and left the Alliance to join the National Federation Party.
supporting Arya Samaj
family from Ba
. After completing his primary and secondary education in Fiji, he was sent overseas for further education but returned without completing his studies. He then established a successful insurance and travel agency in Ba town
. He made valuable contribution to the Red Cross and was a driving force in the establishment of the Ba Health Centre.
of the Citizens Federation. The constituency included the districts of Ba, Tavua
and Ra
and in a tense and sometimes violent campaign Singh lost to Koya by 3,998 to 3,480 votes. This was the closest contest of the election and although Singh obtained the majority of the votes in Ba, voters from Tavua and Ra swung the election in Koya's favour. The increase in the number of Indian Communal sets in the 1966 election
, led to the creation of the Ba Indian Communal Constituency, which included all the areas of the district of Ba only. Singh was expected to do well this time but lost this time to R.D. Patel
of the Federation Party by 4704 to 4411 votes. In this election, although Singh had stood as an independent candidate, he supported the policies of the newly formed Alliance Party. After the two losses he took a brief break from politics, not contesting the 1968 by-election.
in 1976, the leadership of the Indian division of the Alliance passed on to James Shankar Singh. Following the shock defeat of the Alliance Party in the March 1977 election
, the Party adopted a more emphatically ethnic Fijian
policy, in order to regain its lost Fijian votes. With the rise of Ahmed Ali
, who was prepared condone the new pro-Fijian policies of the Alliance Party, James Shankar Singh found himself being alienated from the party's leadership, and after he failed to get the party ticket for the 1982 election, resigned from the Alliance on the grounds of "irreconcilable differences" with Ratu Kamisese Mara.
but by this time the National Federation Party was in decline with the rise of the Fiji Labour Party
. This was the first election contested by the Labour Party and its candidate was the future Prime Minister of Fiji, Mahendra Chaudhry
. The election was won by Uday Singh with 7848 votes defeating Mahendra Chaudhry who got 7644 votes and James Shankar Singh a distant third with 5003 votes. In the 1987 election he stood as a NFP-Labour coalition
candidate for the Nasinu/Vunidawa Indian Communal Constituency and won his seat easily but the coup of 1987 ended his political career.
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...
nationalism after 1977 and left the Alliance to join the National Federation Party.
Early life
James Shankar Singh, although himself a Christian convert, came from an influential Kisan SanghKisan Sangh
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...
supporting 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...
family from 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...
. After completing his primary and secondary education in Fiji, he was sent overseas for further education but returned without completing his studies. He then established a successful insurance and travel agency in Ba town
Ba (town)
Ba is a town in Fiji, 37 kilometres from Lautoka and 62 kilometres from Nadi, inland from the coast of Viti Levu, Fiji's largest island. Covering an area of 327 square kilometres, it had a population of 14,596 at the 1996 census. The town is built on the banks of the Ba River, after which it is...
. He made valuable contribution to the Red Cross and was a driving force in the establishment of the Ba Health Centre.
Early election losses
With his family's involvement in sugar politics, it was only a matter of time before James Shankar Singh himself entered politics. His opportunity arose in 1963 when he stood for the North Viti Levu Indian Constituency against S.M. KoyaSidiq Koya
Siddiq Moidin Koya was a Fijian Indian politician and Opposition leader. He succeeded to the leadership of the mostly Indo-Fijian National Federation Party on the death of the party's founder, A.D. Patel, in October 1969, remaining in this post until 1977...
of the Citizens Federation. The constituency included the districts of Ba, Tavua
Tavua District, Fiji
Tavua is a district in the Western Division on the north west coast of the island of Viti Levu in Fiji. It is part of the province of Ba. It is situated some 20 kilometers by road from Ba town. Its main economy is sugar cane, although the establishment of Tavua township was the result of a gold...
and Ra
Ra Province
Ra is one of the fourteen provinces of Fiji. Occupying the northern area of Viti Levu, the largest island, it is one of eight Viti Levu-based Provinces. With a land area of 1341 square kilometers, it had a population of 29,464 at the 2007 census, the last to date...
and in a tense and sometimes violent campaign Singh lost to Koya by 3,998 to 3,480 votes. This was the closest contest of the election and although Singh obtained the majority of the votes in Ba, voters from Tavua and Ra swung the election in Koya's favour. The increase in the number of Indian Communal sets in the 1966 election
Fiji election of 1966
The general election to the Legislative Council of Fiji in 1966 was the last to be held before independence from the United Kingdom was granted in 1970. It was not the first election to be held under colonial rule, but it marked the first time that all adult citizens were allowed to vote....
, led to the creation of the Ba Indian Communal Constituency, which included all the areas of the district of Ba only. Singh was expected to do well this time but lost this time to R.D. Patel
R.D. Patel
Raojibhai Dahyabhai Patel was an Indo-Fijian lawyer and politician, who was better known as the younger brother of A.D. Patel. To distinguish between the two, he was generally referred to as R.D. Although he lacked his brother's charisma and oratorical skills, he was much loved and admired by...
of the Federation Party by 4704 to 4411 votes. In this election, although Singh had stood as an independent candidate, he supported the policies of the newly formed Alliance Party. After the two losses he took a brief break from politics, not contesting the 1968 by-election.
Election win and Ministerial appointment.
In the 1972 election, his loyalty to the Alliance Party was rewarded with the safe seat of Vanua Levu and Lau formerly held by his relative, Vijay R. Singh. After the election he was appointed the Minister of Health. After Vijay R. Singh resigned as leader of the Indian Alliance, following his appointment as Speaker of the House of RepresentativesSpeaker of the House of Representatives (Fiji)
The Speaker is the presiding officer of the Fijian House of Representatives. At its first session following a general election, the House of Representatives elects a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker. With a view to ensuring impartiality, the Speaker is not allowed to be a member of the House, though...
in 1976, the leadership of the Indian division of the Alliance passed on to James Shankar Singh. Following the shock defeat of the Alliance Party in the March 1977 election
Fiji election of 1977 (March)
General elections were held in Fiji between 19 March and 2 April 1977. A split in the ethnic Fijian vote, which saw 25 percent defecting to Fijian Nationalist Party of Sakeasi Butadroka, an extremist organization which advocated the "repatriation" of Indo-Fijians to India, led to the narrow defeat...
, the Party adopted a more emphatically ethnic 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...
policy, in order to regain its lost Fijian votes. With the rise of Ahmed Ali
Ahmed Ali (politician)
Dr. Ahmed Ali was a Fijian academic and politician who held Cabinet office several times from the late 1970s onwards. Unlike the majority of his fellow Indo-Fijians, he was aligned with the Alliance Party of Prime Minister Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara in the 1970s and 1980s, and with the United Fiji...
, who was prepared condone the new pro-Fijian policies of the Alliance Party, James Shankar Singh found himself being alienated from the party's leadership, and after he failed to get the party ticket for the 1982 election, resigned from the Alliance on the grounds of "irreconcilable differences" with Ratu Kamisese Mara.
Joining his former rivals
Considering that the Alliance Party had little interest in gaining Indo-Fijian votes, James Shankar Singh found himself being drawn closer to the then leader of the National Federation Party and his former arch-rival, S.M. Koya. When Vijay R. Singh resigned his Ba National seat in 1985, James Shankar Singh nominated for the seat seat on behalf of the National Federation Party. Interestingly enough, his Alliance Party opponent was his brother, Uday SinghUday Singh (Fiji politician)
Uday Singh is an Indo-Fijian politician, who was a supporter of the pre-coup Alliance Party.-Family:Mr. Uday Singh is Married to Mrs. Viday Wati Singh and has 4 children Anildra, Shalendra, Sharmila Kiran and Sameer Uday Singh.- Politician :...
but by this time the National Federation Party was in decline with the rise of 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...
. This was the first election contested by the Labour Party and its candidate was the future Prime Minister of Fiji, Mahendra Chaudhry
Mahendra Chaudhry
Mahendra Pal Chaudhry is a Fijian politician and the leader of the Fiji Labour Party...
. The election was won by Uday Singh with 7848 votes defeating Mahendra Chaudhry who got 7644 votes and James Shankar Singh a distant third with 5003 votes. In the 1987 election he stood as a NFP-Labour coalition
NFP-Labour Coalition (Fiji)
NFP-Labour Coalition was the coalition of the National Federation Party and Fiji Labour Party under the leadership of Timoci Bavadra, formed in 1987 to contest that year's general election. The coalition won the election with 28 seats in the House of Representatives to the Alliance Party's 24...
candidate for the Nasinu/Vunidawa Indian Communal Constituency and won his seat easily but the coup of 1987 ended his political career.