Ramrakha: The Great Workhorse who Never Slept
Being the lionhearted Crusader, he was always on the move as NFP General Secretary, a busy Lawyer, Member for Nausori-Levuka in Parliament, Parliamentary Secretary to the Opposition Bench and Member of some 11 Parliamentary Committees
(Lawyer/teacher Noor Dean, resident in Melbourne, is a former Lord Mayor of Suva and Member of Parliament. He was a stalwart of the National Federation Party)
Istand here with a heavy heart today to celebrate and honour the life of my mentor and close confidant. A political icon and warrior, the likes of whom has not surfaced within our former homeland, Fiji and in the Pacific for a very long time.
Today, we meet at a time when the “Master Batsman” has left the field after a battle royal to better surrounds for eternal rest peace and recuperation. The Honourable Karam Chand Ramrakha, sadly departed from our midst on Saturday 17th April.
Today, he is remembered as a member of an iconic Fijian family, which gave Fiji, our erstwhile home a greater place to be and a period of political, social and societal peace. Karam, was born in Labasa, Fiji, the second of six children and third after twin brothers, Ram and Shiu. He studied at the Marist Brothers High School in Suva where he was the “Dux” of the school and went on to study law at Sydney University.
THE BROTHERS
After graduation, within 3 years being the youngest member of the Bar, he returned to Fiji to set up a successful law practice in Marks Street, Suva. His elder twin brothers Ram and Shiu majored in medicine during this time.
Younger brother Bhim Ramrakha, also a lawyer, who is present today, is the last surviving Ramrakha sibling and we acknowledge and remember the oft referred youngest brother Bimal Ramrakha, now deceased, who was an accountant. Mr Ramrakha was an integral part of the Political Landscape of Fiji for over 20 long years in the capacity of Member for Nausori-Levuka Constituency. In the General Elections of 1965, he successfully won the Nausori-Levuka Indian Communal Constituency Seat in the first of trials in self-governance of Fiji.
His actions and his determination to provide information to the rank and file was to set up the Pacific Review weekly edition from Toorak, Suva, which became the alternative media for the mainly Indo-Fijians of the country, as The Fiji Times, the only daily paper for generations was always “loathe” to report anything and everything good about the Indo-Fijian diaspora in its correct and true sense.
For Honourable Karam Ramrakha, these were surely huge undertakings. But being the lion-hearted crusader, he was always on the move as NFP General Secretary, a busy lawyer, Member for NausoriLevuka in Parliament, Parliamentary Secretary to the Opposition Bench and Member of some 11 parliamentary committees.
In addition, he was the president for over six long years of the Fiji Teacher’s Union and for two terms the president of the Fiji Law Society.
In Parliament, he was instrumental in putting together a series of initiatives to establish a fair and just society and parliamentary democracy that enabled the country towards self-governance.
Visiting colonial dignitaries, from the United Kingdom found Fiji a budding nation in a state of peace and tranquillity and able to start the processes of self-governance with a bias towards the rule by Fijian chiefs.
During his term in Parliament Honourable Karam Ramrakha witnessed the very strong antiOpposition campaign against the Indo-Fijian diaspora and more particularly, the Indian representatives within the Federation Party Opposition by the established daily, The Fiji Times.
AGAINST FIJI TIMES
He then mounted a strong and powerful campaign to create a daily newspaper edition in contrast and competition with The Fiji Times, which hardly published any real items of accomplishments of IndoFijians and their representatives in Parliament.
There was that slight of hand that treated Indians as “third-class citizens” still living a life of labour “Girmitiyas” even though, our leadership within the Halls of Governance was the highest educated of the 38-Members of Parliament of Fiji that was the fore-runner and trial Government before Fiji was granted Independence.
Honourable Ramrakha set-up the renown Pacific Review newspaper and created a competitive longterm business of discharging correct and proper information services to the rank and file of Fijian society leading up to Independence. He was after all the great “Workhorse” who “Never Slept”. I must say this in his favour.
The then leadership of the NFP was in the hands of Late Honourable A.D. Patel, Leader of Opposition; a tried and tested politician and lawyer whose base was in Nadi, Fiji.
Honourable A. D. Patel, was a wellknown leader of repute who had served in the old legislature and was appointed in the “Trial Tripartite Transitional Government” of Fiji serving in the Administration as the “First Member for Social Services” with Ministerial Powers set up by the British Government to allow for an orderly transition of power to the people of Fiji.
PRECIOUS MEMORIES
My precious Memories of Honourable Karam Ramrakha are:
A phone call at 6am to say, “Get ready Noor”, we are going to Lautoka for a meeting. We will pick up Sasurjee on the way. [Sasurjee, the late T. S. Sharma of Sharma Agencies Limited.] On many occasions “Dad” Odin Ramrakha, a long serving public servant in Fiji would be his companion and more particularly was active throughout the campaign of 1965.
We travelled in his car, driven sometimes by me, whilst Karam and TS talked. Most of the journey was a one big entertainment of politics: songs all Hindi Ghazals.
On the way back we would stop on Queens Road to buy crabs. My Sundays will never be the same without Karam Ramrakha’s phone calls at 6am to discuss politics and to reminisce and to prepare the day for action. (Electioneering in his Constituency/Visits to affected parties in storms/flooding and impact of frequent cyclones that battered Fiji on occasions and for grassroots meetings.
I was well and truly the “L”-Plate Learner of direct Actions and “Politics Ramrakha Style”. My learning curve was one long journey under the very best of teachers.
These and many other traits in the life of my Gurujee will forever be embedded in my soul. He was after all the quintessential leader and politician, lawyer, sportsman and family man, a father figure whose every word, deed and actions I will forever retain and acknowledge as the building blocks of my very own public and professional persona, career and life.
Finally, I would like to convey my condolences to aunty Usha, his children and family. I greatly appreciate all your love and support for my Gurujee and your presence here today to celebrate the life and times of one of Fiji’s most illustrious sons and public figures known to our generation will forever be etched in our lives.
Bhai Saheb, I have no doubt that you will have wonderful illustrious company at your next destination, that of Prince Phillip, [Please Don’t Mention “Prince Harry to him] and Mr Andrew Peacock; to keep you entertained.
I thank you all.
He is remembered as a member of an iconic Fijian family, which gave Fiji, our erstwhile home a greater place to be and a period of political, social and societal peace
Set up the PaCifiC REviEw weekly edition from Toorak, Suva, which became the alternative Media for the mainly Indo-Fijians of the Country, as The Fiji Times, the only daily paper for generations, was always “loathe” to report anything and everything good about the IndoFijians