School relocated, preserved
HISTORY is important and must be preserved because it teaches and reminds people of great lesson that humans often forget.
An article published by The Fiji Times on March 5, 1982, reported one of the oldest educational landmarks in Ba, the original Arya Kanya Patshala school building, was being relocated and was to be preserved as a historic monument.
Workmen had been busy that week using rail tracks and rail carts to shift the 44-year-old wooden building to its new site in a secluded corner of the school compound at Yalalevu.
The school, run by the Arya Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji was built in 1937 with the help of support mustered for the project by the late (Pandit) Ami Chandra.
Mr Chandra was also known for his work in establishing the Chini Masdoor Sangh, the forerunner of the Sugar and
General Workers Union.
General secretary of the Sabha, Dijendra Singh, said the AKP School was the first for Indian girls in Ba and also was among the first schools to be built for the descendants of the “Girmit” people.
“After serving the community for 44 years it has been superseded by a new concrete block and will be shifted to a new site where we intend to preserve it as a historic monument,” Mr Singh said.
“It is now to be used only for religious ceremonies and cultural discourses and will be made available to the local community as a meeting place.”
The wooden building was built of strong Oregon timber and was still the hardy building of old.
It was last used as classroom in the year 1980 for Classes 5 and 6 at the AKP School.
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