K. C. Ramrakha
Encyclopedia
Karam Chand Ramrakha was a Fiji Indian lawyer
, union leader and politician, who served in colonial Fiji
's Legislative Council
and independent Fiji's House of Representatives
from 1966 to 1982.
, representing the Southern Constituency which included the districts of Suva
, Navua
, Nausori
and Tailevu
in the Central Division
elected in 1963 was not a member of the Federation Party). In the 1966 election, A.D. Patel
recruited Ramrakha as one of the candidates (the other was Irene Jai Narayan
) to extend NFP's support into the Central Division. Ramrakha's main opponent was K.B. Singh, a veteran politician who had first entered the Legislative Council in 1937. Ramrakha easily defeated Singh by 3,220 votes to 677 votes with a third candidate receiving 604 votes.
in the Legislative Council. He was also elected the General Secretary of the Fiji Teachers Union. In 1969, he aided A.D. Patel in the Court of Arbitration appointed for the new sugar cane contract. When A.D. Patel died in 1969, many people thought that Ramrakha was a suitable person to take up the leadership of the National Federation Party
(NFP), but the Party chose Sidiq Koya
instead. After the 1972 elections his relationship with Koya worsened and he resigned as General Secretary of the Party but withdrew his resignation later.
faction, opposed to Koya's Dove
faction . Ramrakha was seen as the natural leader of the Flower faction, but Irene Jai Narayan (another Flower faction leader), without consulting others, announced during the campaign that if Jai Ram Reddy
defeated Koya in the Lautoka Indian Constituency, he would become the leader.
Jai Ram Reddy did defeat Koya and became the new leader of the opposition and later the leader of a reunified NFP. Ramrakha showed his disappointment by sitting as an independent member for the rest of the parliamentary term. He did not contest the 1982 election and migrated to Australia
.
former Prime Minister
Mahendra Chaudhry
. Ramrakha's grievance was related to allegations made by Chaudhry in his autobiography, Children of the Indus, that Ramrakha and Narayan had advised Governor General
Ratu
Sir
George Cakobau
against appointing Koya as Prime Minister after the NFP's electoral victory, saying that Koya did not have the support of the whole NFP caucus. Ramrakha said that the allegations were false and had damaged his reputation.
, being the first non-teacher to hold this position. His election and his leading role in the National Federation Party caused the Fijian Teachers Association (a second teachers union representing ethnic Fijians) to withdraw from negotiations for amalgamation of the two unions.
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, union leader and politician, who served in colonial 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...
's Legislative Council
Legislative Council (Fiji)
The Fijian Legislative Council was the colonial precursor to the present-day Parliament, which came into existence when Fiji became independent on 10 October 1970.-The first Legislative Council:...
and independent Fiji's House of Representatives
House of Representatives (Fiji)
The House of Representatives is the lower chamber of Fiji's Parliament. It is the more powerful of the two chambers; it alone has the power to initiate legislation...
from 1966 to 1982.
Entry into politics
K.C. Ramrakha joined the Federation Party when its support was concentrated in the sugar cane growing districts of Fiji. One of the four Indian members of the Legislative Council (Andrew DeokiAndrew Deoki
Andrew Indar Narayan Deoki was a Fiji Indian statesman who served his community as a social and religious leader, a soccer administrator, a member of the Legislative Council in colonial Fiji, a member of the Senate in independent Fiji and as the Attorney General.- Contribution to Soccer in Fiji...
, representing the Southern Constituency which included the districts of 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,...
, Navua
Navua District, Fiji
Navua District is located within Serua Province in the Central Division of Fiji. During colonial times it used to be a sugar growing area, but the closure of the sugar mill in Navua in 1923 led to a decline in economic activity in the district...
, Nausori
Nausori
Nausori is a town in Fiji. It had a population of 47,604 at the 2007 census, the most recent to date. This makes it the fourth most populous municipality in the country. Situated 19 kilometers out of Suva, it forms one pole of the burgeoning Suva-Nausori corridor.Nausori grew up around Fiji's...
and Tailevu
Tailevu
Tailevu is one of the 14 provinces of Fiji. One of eight Provinces based in Viti Levu, Fiji's largest island, its 755 square kilometers occupy the south-eastern fringe of the island, along with some central areas. At the 2007 census, the most recent to date, it had a population of 55,692, the...
in the Central Division
Central Division, Fiji
The Central Division of Fiji is one of Fiji's four divisions. It consists of five provinces - Naitasiri, Namosi, Rewa, Serua and Tailevu.The capital of the division is Suva, which is also the capital of Fiji. The division includes the eastern part of the largest island in Fiji, Viti Levu, with a...
elected in 1963 was not a member of the Federation Party). In the 1966 election, A.D. Patel
A.D. Patel
Ambalal Dahyabhai Patel, better known as A.D. Patel, was a Fiji Indian politician, farmers' leader and founder and leader of the National Federation Party. Patel was uncompromisingly committed to a vision of an independent Fiji, with full racial integration...
recruited Ramrakha as one of the candidates (the other was Irene Jai Narayan
Irene Jai Narayan
Irene Jai Narayan, was an Indian born teacher and politician, who had a significant influence on politics in Fiji. She came to Fiji, in 1959, after marrying Jai Narayan, a well known school Principal in Suva, and began her career as a teacher...
) to extend NFP's support into the Central Division. Ramrakha's main opponent was K.B. Singh, a veteran politician who had first entered the Legislative Council in 1937. Ramrakha easily defeated Singh by 3,220 votes to 677 votes with a third candidate receiving 604 votes.
Leadership contender
Ramrakha soon proved himself to be an accomplished debator and was rewarded for his skills by being made the Opposition WhipWhip
A whip is a tool traditionally used by humans to exert control over animals or other people, through pain compliance or fear of pain, although in some activities whips can be used without use of pain, such as an additional pressure aid in dressage...
in the Legislative Council. He was also elected the General Secretary of the Fiji Teachers Union. In 1969, he aided A.D. Patel in the Court of Arbitration appointed for the new sugar cane contract. When A.D. Patel died in 1969, many people thought that Ramrakha was a suitable person to take up the leadership of the National Federation Party
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...
(NFP), but the Party chose Sidiq Koya
Sidiq 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...
instead. After the 1972 elections his relationship with Koya worsened and he resigned as General Secretary of the Party but withdrew his resignation later.
1977 constitutional crisis
By 1976, the NFP was beginning to split into two factions and Ramrakha was seen to be Koya's main opponent. After the NFP patched up its differences and won the election of March 1977, Ramrakha's opposition to Koya's leadership was one of the reasons for the delay in NFP attempting to form Government. By the time elections were held again in September 1977, the NFP had split into two factions and Ramrakha became a prominent member of the FlowerNational Federation Party - Flower faction (Fiji)
The Flower Faction was one of the factions of the National Federation Party to contest the September 1977 elections in Fiji.Ever since the death of A.D. Patel and the elevation to the leadership of Sidiq Koya, there had been dissent within the NFP. There were accucations of Koya stacking the party...
faction, opposed to Koya's Dove
National Federation Party - Dove faction (Fiji)
The Dove Faction was one of the factions of the National Federation Party to contest the September 1977 elections in Fiji.Ever since the death of A. D. Patel and the elevation to the leadership of Sidiq Koya, there had been dissent within the NFP. There were accucations of Koya stacking the party...
faction . Ramrakha was seen as the natural leader of the Flower faction, but Irene Jai Narayan (another Flower faction leader), without consulting others, announced during the campaign that if Jai Ram Reddy
Jai Ram Reddy
Jai Ram Reddy is an Indo-Fijian statesman, who has had a distinguished career in both the legislative and judicial branches of the Fijian government...
defeated Koya in the Lautoka Indian Constituency, he would become the leader.
Jai Ram Reddy did defeat Koya and became the new leader of the opposition and later the leader of a reunified NFP. Ramrakha showed his disappointment by sitting as an independent member for the rest of the parliamentary term. He did not contest the 1982 election and migrated to Australia
Australia
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...
.
Lawsuit against Mahendra Chaudhry
Pacific Media Watch reported on 7 September 2004 that Ramrakha had announced his intention to sueLawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
former Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Fiji
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji is the head of government of Fiji. The Prime Minister was appointed by the President under the terms of the now-suspended 1997 constitution....
Mahendra Chaudhry
Mahendra Chaudhry
Mahendra Pal Chaudhry is a Fijian politician and the leader of the Fiji Labour Party...
. Ramrakha's grievance was related to allegations made by Chaudhry in his autobiography, Children of the Indus, that Ramrakha and Narayan had advised Governor General
Governor-General of Fiji
Fiji became a British Crown Colony in 1874, and an independent dominion in the Commonwealth in 1970. Queen Elizabeth II remained the Head of State, holding the title of Queen of Fiji until 1987, when she formally abdicated following two military coups...
Ratu
Ratu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
Sir
Sir
Sir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
George Cakobau
George Cakobau
Ratu Sir George Kadavulevu Cakobau, GCMG, GCVO, OBE was Governor General of Fiji from 1973 to 1983. A great-grandson of Ratu Seru Epenisa Cakobau, the King of Bau who had unified all the tribes of Fiji under his reign in the mid-1800s and subsequently ceded the islands to the United Kingdom in...
against appointing Koya as Prime Minister after the NFP's electoral victory, saying that Koya did not have the support of the whole NFP caucus. Ramrakha said that the allegations were false and had damaged his reputation.
Fiji Teachers Union President
He was elected the President of the Fiji Teachers UnionFiji Teachers Union
Fiji Teachers Union is a union representing elementary and secondary education teachers in Fiji. It is a member of the Fiji Trades Union Congress, and Education International....
, being the first non-teacher to hold this position. His election and his leading role in the National Federation Party caused the Fijian Teachers Association (a second teachers union representing ethnic Fijians) to withdraw from negotiations for amalgamation of the two unions.