Abdul Lateef Legacy, Building Multiculturalism
Fiji could stand on its own, but for that to happen, the two major races of the land- iTaukei’s and Indo-Fijans had to work together.
Colonial rulers had mastered a way in which they could enjoy the bounties from the fruitful Pacific paradise.
It was simple. Keep the two races separate, have policies which are separate and ensure that they both did not have a common goal to work towards.
In the years leading to independence, a group of men decided that the only way Fiji could gain independence was for all races to come together. This was in 1966.
The Group
Abdul Lateef, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, Ratu Sir Edward Cakobau and Sir John Falvey realised that the nation needed to be united.
Back then, there was no parliament. The people of Fiji were represented in the Legislative Council. The members voted through the communities.
There were no open seats. Indo-Fijians could only vote for Indo-Fijians and the iTaukei for their own.
Mr Lateef felt that as a nation on its own, people needed to take power from their colonial rulers.
This could only be done through multiculturalism.
Mr Lateef, Ratu Mara and Ratu Edward formed the Alliance Party in 1966 - the first step in getting the nation together.
The National Federation Party was also formed but Mr Lateef did not see himself aligned to them as they called themselves an Indian party.
He stood as a candidate and before the results were announced, he suffered a stroke. While he was in a coma in hospital, he was elected to the Legislative Council from the Southern Indian cross-voting constituency in the 1966 elections. He obtained 15,498 votes.
It took him a few months to recover but when he did, a standing ovation awaited him as he entered the Legislative Council for the first time.
Mr Lateef and the then Chief Minister Ratu Mara, Ratu Edward, AD Patel, Siddiq Koya and other members of the Legislative Council lobbied together to the British Empire.
In April, 1970, the leaders from Fiji including Mr Lateef were at Westminster
Abbey in London.
After a failed attempt some years ago, this was the time when the leaders stood together and told their colonial rulers that Fiji needed to break free and be recognised as a sovereign state.
This time around the argument was solid and six months down the line, Fiji was granted its independence.
After independence, the Legislative Council changed its name to the Parliament of Fiji, where Mr Lateef remained a member until elections in 1972.
He did not take part in the 1972 elections because of his stroke.
Social clubs
Most social clubs before independence were exclusive to Europeans only.
Fijians could not become members and could only go if invited.
In 1955, Mr Lateef decided to open the Nausori Club.
The street where Nausori Club is situated is called Lateef Street.
A few years down the line, Mr Lateef was among the founding members of the Union Club in Suva.
Mr Lateef and Ratu Mara become the first two local members of the Fiji Golf Club.
Removing segregation
Mr Lateef was actively involved in sports.
In 1960, he was elected president of what was then the Fiji Indian Football Association.
A year later, he took the bold step of removing the name Indian from the sporting body.
There was backlash from people as the colonial rulers had planted the idea that football was for Indo-Fijians and rugby for iTaukei.
In removing the name, Mr Lateef allowed people from all races to play the sport.
This change led to Fiji Football Association becoming a member of the world governing body FIFA.
And for the first time, a football team left Fiji to play an international match in 1961. This was a tour of New South Wales, Australia.
Mr Lateef throughout his life acted selflessly and thought of building ways in which the nation could be improved.
He was the founding member of the body that started Indian College now known as Jai Narayan College.
Political tours
Mr Lateef was also well travelled. He was invited by the US Government in 1960.
In 1961, Ratu Mara, Sir Moti Tikaram and Mr Lateed travelled to India and met India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Dr Rajendra Prasad- the first president of India.
Mr Lateef had lived a life which was larger than itself.