NAIR DAIS IN NADI, A SYMBOLIC REMINDER OF AN HONOURABLE FIJIAN
MR NAIR WAS THE FORMER FIRST CHAIR OF THE BOARD AND/OR DISTRICT OFFICER FOR THE JET SET TOWN FROM 1962-1965. It was noteworthy for Nadi that a son of Nadi was given this high level honour of appointment as District Officer by the Colonial government. This is because these positions were taken up by the British.
The Nair Dais, in Nadi Town in Raman Nair Park, is now featured with a new and improved look.
The then Nadi Township Board built the structure in 1965 in remembrance of the late Raman Nair.
For years, it became a haven, a resting shed and a meeting place for anyone who knew of it.
Plans to give the pavilion a new look started in 2016.
The old structure is still there, while the new structure stands out against it.
About Raman Nair
Mr Nair was the first chair of the board and/or District Officer for Nadi from 1962-1965.
During the colonial era, the District Officer was also the chair of the Township Board, as well as a Magistrate apart from his official duties of a district officer as the Governor’s representative in the township.
At that time, a District Officer had to undergo law and iTaukei vernacular exams.
Mr Nair was the first Indo-Fijian to be appointed as a District Officer in Fiji. Accordingly, he was the first Indo-Fijian to chair a Township Board.
It was noteworthy for Nadi that a son of Nadi was given this high level honour of appointment as District Officer by the Colonial government.
This is because these positions were taken up by the British.
Humble Beginnings
Mr Nair was born in humble circumstances in Vuniyasi, Nadi, in a cane farming family.
Both his parents came to Fiji as indentured labourers.
He grew up on a farm in Nawaka and later in Narewa. He attended Nadi Sangam School and went on to become a primary school teacher. He was picked from the teaching service to work in the colonial administration.
The Nair Dais was named to honour the contribution of a local boy to the Nadi Township Board, and to the Nadi District.
One of his major achievements during his tenure as the District Officer, Nadi, was the development and the opening the settlement in Nawaicoba in Nadi, which turned out to be a prosperous farming area and community. He went on subsequently to assume higher appointments in the Government of Fiji, including Divisional Commissioner Western, the first IndoFijian to occupy that position and then as Fiji’s first high Commissioner to Australia when Fiji gained its Independence in 1970.
Later on, Papua New Guinea (PNG) was added to his diplomatic responsibilities in conjunction with Australia when PNG became Independent in 1974.
Mr Nair was awarded the national honours by Her Majesty the Queen, Queen Elizabeth II, as Commander of the British Empire (CBE) and a Licentiate of Royal Victoria Order (LVO). He was also awarded the Fiji Independence Medal, all for his exceptional service and accomplishments to Fiji. Mr Nair was the younger brother of another well-known Nadi citizen who was a much loved and a leading figure in the Nadi Community, including among the South Indian Community of Fiji, Shankaran Nair of Qeleloa, Nadi.
Mr Nair is also the father of another distinguished Fijian and Australian civil servant and diplomat, Robin Nair, a former diplomat and Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs.