384:. He later became known amongst his colleagues and South Indians in particular, as Sadhu Swami. He conceived the idea of a South Indian Organisation and worked, towards this goal with the help of other South Indians who could understand his feelings and were prepared to provide assistance towards the cause. According to the data published by TISI in 2002, Tamil was learnt by 1,738 students in 17 schools between grades 1-8 and Telugu by 255 students in 3 schools.
564:, (A handful of rice) which every South Indian householder was required to set aside each day for charity before commencing their household cooking. This noble concept was introduced by Swami Avinashananda as one of the projects to assist in running a hostel for children of poor parents and others living far away from Nadi to gain an education at Nadi Sangam School, which was the first and the largest Sangam School for that time.
504:
Swami
Avivashananda was replaced by Swami Rudrananda in 1939. He was soon followed by Ganeshwar Rao, a Telugu teacher, and Rama Krishnan, a Tamil teacher, to teach South Indian mother tongues in the Sangam Schools and to uplift the general standard of Sangam. Rama Krishnan was the first ever graduate
657:
It was realised that a new and bigger
National Temple was needed, and a move to acquire a new site began in earnest. The foundation for a new temple was laid at the old site in 1976 during the Golden Jubilee Celebrations by His Excellency the High Commissioner for the Government of India in Fiji. In
638:
attention was once again drawn towards the revival of the South Indian
Languages, religion and culture. The revival of Sangam activities together with the arrival of Shivacharya Mahalinga Gurukkal, whose services were made available to Nadi Siva Subramaniya Swamy Temple in 1984 by the Government of
512:
Swami
Rudrananda consolidated and expanded the activities of T.I.S.I. Sangam based at Sangam Ashram in Nadi. He acquired properties for Sangam. These included freehold land at Savusavu (130 acres (53 ha)) and Madhuvani, Rakiraki (1037 acres). The Sangam Sarada Printing Press was started on 15
484:
of India, on the invitation of Sadhu Swami, saw the beginning of the golden years of Sangam. Although he spent just a brief period of eleven months in Fiji, Swami
Avinashananda was able to consolidate the structure of Sangam and lay down the principles on which it was to function in later years.
637:
from 8th to 10 October 1976 at Nadi. Once again, the organisation was streamlined, and the management commenced functioning smoothly under the new administration. The next decade, from 1976 to 1986, saw gradual improvement in the management and organisation of Sangam assets and properties, and
608:
With the advent of changes in the education system and the introduction of new examinations in
Primary Schools, the emphasis gradually shifted from vernacular and creative subjects to mere academic pursuits. Preparing students for the examinations became the hallmark for the teachers, and keen
489:
became its general manager. Thus legalised, Sangam and its community set forth in earnest to develop schools and temples to foster South Indian languages, culture and religion in all parts of Fiji. At present, the Sangam controls 21 Primary and 5 Secondary
Colleges with innumerable Temples and
604:
Sangam, Schools and
Temples sprang up in different villages and settlements. The Colonial Sugar Refining Company assisted the Sangam by providing land to build schools and temples and having its Field Officers act as school managers. Mother tongue was given priority over other subjects in the
596:
The Sangam, continued its pursuit to provide higher education to its pupils by becoming the first non-Government
Organisation to start a private Secondary School, the Shri Vivekananda High School, on 9 March 1949. Shri Vivekananda High School began in a very humble way in the T.I.V. Sangam's
459:
between 1903 and 1916. The organisation originally operated under the name of Then India
Maunatul Islam Association of Fiji since it was officially formed in 1942. The original officials were; President: Late Shahbud Dean, Vice President: Late Hajji Moidin Koya, Secretary: Mohammed Shafique,
403:
Sri Siva Subramaniya Swami Temple on Swami Vivekananda's Birthday on 12 January in 1926, where they gave birth to the organisation which is today known as "Sangam". Sadhu Swami was elected the first President of Sangam and he remained its president for his lifetime.
609:
competition developed as to which school got the largest number of passes became the theme for parents, management and teachers alike. This shift in trend became the cause of the gradual decline of the South Indian languages as they were not examination subjects.
601:, came to attend the school. As this school grew in strength, it had to shift to the premises of Lora Murugan. It was here that Shri Vivekananda High School developed and later moved to its present site in Malolo and is now managed by the Ramakrishna Mission.
597:
Gymnasium Hall, in the Nadi Sangam Primary School compound, with 25 students, headed by Mr K.S.Reddy as Principal and Messers Gopal Swami Naidu and Krishna Narsingha Rao as the two assistants. Students from all parts of Fiji, even as far away as
662:
in January 1984, followed by the inauguration of building work by the late Deputy Prime Minister in April 1984. The construction work moved another step forward in 1986 when the work of pile driving was completed under the chairmanship of Hon.
642:
as the Chief Priest boosted the activities at the Temple, and devotees flocked to the Temple in very large numbers to witness and participate in the many new and unique religious ceremonies conducted at the Temple for the first time.
71:
The language spoken by the South Indian labourers was only included in the emigration passes issued in 1903. Of the 589 labourers from South India in 1903, the number of people speaking each language is shown below.
572:
The TISI Sangam was dominated by the more numerous Tamils, and concern by the minority Telugus about the promotion of their language led to the formation of their own Sangam. Under the leadership of Veeranna, the
667:. The actual Construction work began in earnest after a lull of some five years under a new Reconstruction Committee led by Narayan Reddy as the chairman. The temple was built in the best traditions of ancient
351:
society already established in Fiji. Language was a major problem as they had to learn Hindustani, the language of the plantation. During indenture, there was a high suicide rate amongst South Indians.
505:
teacher to be posted to Nadi Sangam School as its Head Teacher, and Ganeshwar Rao worked with him as his assistant. As a dedicated teacher, the late Rama Krishnan formed the Youth Wing known as the
319:
was the third most common South Indian language. From 1929 to 1963, the ability to read and write in Telugu or Tamil was accepted as a literacy qualification to be a voter for elections to the
633:
With the revival of the Annual Convention, Sangam members from all parts flocked to Lovu during the Easter Holidays of 1976 to rejuvenate the Sangam and later in the same year celebrated its
23:
between 1903 and 1916. This represents about 25% out of a total of 60,965 contract labourers who were brought to Fiji between 1879 and 1916. They were forced in to ships from
175:
speakers came from South India, as can be seen from subsequent census figures. According to the 1956 census, the number of households speaking each language was as follows:
59:. More than half of the labourers from South India were recruited from North Arcot and Madras, but most of those recruited in Madras were originally from North Arcot and
472:
and Leader of Opposition in Fiji for a number of years. The name of the Association was changed in 1982 to Maunatul Islam Association when a new constitution was drawn.
323:. In 2005, it was revealed that in the 20 primary schools managed by TISI, out of the 4,940 students, 1,765 took Tamil classes and there were only 489 learning Telugu.
509:(TIV Sangam) and introduced the Inter-District Competition in Soccer, athletics, and Music and Art to encourage the development of South Indian language and culture.
605:
schools, and the South Indian languages and culture flourished throughout the country for several decades till the Sangam celebrated its Silver Jubilee in 1951.
364:, Naidu, an ex-policeman and indentured labourer, took up the cause of the South Indians in Fiji. He gave up worldly pleasures, taking up the life of a
621:, a branch of Ramalinagar Sangam in Suva on 14 April 1966, under the leadership of Appa Pillai. He conducted a monthly South Indian program on
698:
311:) was being used in most Fiji households, the numbers still using South Indian languages indicate that there were twice as many Telugus than
693:(NFP) in 1969 and was instrumental in attaining independence for Fiji. He was succeeded as leader of the NFP by another South Indian,
689:, who was the first Muslim to be elected to the Legislative Council, in 1963, was a South Indian. He became leader of the opposition
862:
548:
Swami Rudrananda was fondly called as "SarkkariSami" by people as he was majorly working for the betterment of sugar cane workers.
399:(TISI Sangam) after travelling to all parts of Fiji where South Indians were settled, and inspiring them to congregate at the
480:
The early years of the Sangam had their share of problems, but the arrival, on 21 May 1937, of Swami Avinashananda from the
625:
and travelled around the country teaching Tamil language and culture and distributing Tamil Readers sourced from India.
433:
428:
950:
1140:
1130:
335:(1,091 Muslims out of 15,132) and a greater proportion of Christians than their North Indian counterparts. The
795:
784:
855:
652:
320:
1011:
976:
485:
Swami Avinashananda had the Sangam legally registered as an organisation under the company's act, and
1104:
690:
469:
1094:
930:
848:
381:
658:
1983 new lease was acquired for the Crown land, and the reconstruction programme began with the
1135:
668:
347:
Although South Indians were used to working overseas, most found it difficult to adjust to the
513:
August 1948 to cope with the educational needs of the community at large. Publications like
1099:
1078:
909:
8:
1109:
481:
304:
56:
464:. One of the most famous past President and Speaker of the Association was the late Hon
1006:
935:
714:
678:. The consecration ceremonies of their new national temple were held on July 15, 1994.
617:
Concern with the decline of South Indian culture and tradition led to the formation of
377:
48:
1068:
996:
945:
904:
744:
369:
40:
1027:
1001:
991:
981:
734:
706:
702:
522:
499:
392:
373:
52:
36:
1037:
955:
925:
894:
749:
538:
348:
168:
773:
971:
871:
825:
722:
718:
634:
580:
172:
815:
1124:
1052:
1032:
940:
694:
664:
44:
19:
are mainly descendants of the 15,132 contract labourers who were brought to
1047:
1042:
739:
675:
312:
710:
486:
456:
411:
by Verrappa Muthiah Pillai in Suva and branches were soon established in
28:
447:. The followers of Imam Shafi in Fiji are the descendants of Muslims of
754:
686:
639:
622:
598:
465:
461:
361:
308:
60:
820:
339:, who form the majority, belonged to over a hundred different castes.
448:
316:
835:
331:
The South Indian immigrants were made up of a smaller population of
899:
840:
332:
810:
577:
of Fiji was formed on 20 April 1941 at the Gallau Temple in Ra.
985:
880:
541:
were published and circulated to give vent to the voice of the
452:
416:
412:
336:
32:
24:
774:
Keep your culture The challenge for South Indians - Fiji Times
419:. In 1937 the Madras Maha Sangam merged with the TISI Sangam.
830:
672:
560:
which launched the very simple and humble charitable task of
542:
530:
444:
437:
581:
Shri Vivekananda High School (Now Swami Vivekananda College)
422:
441:
408:
407:
On 26 December 1927, the Madras Maha Sangam, was formed in
400:
20:
671:
as well as the principles of sacred architecture of the
451:
origin who came to Fiji under the indenture system from
326:
646:
355:
831:T.I.S.I. Sangam Religious & Cultural USA, Inc
1122:
836:Labour Leader commends South Indian contribution
709:, missionary and farmers’ leader and politician
796:Sri Ramakrishna Vijayam, December 2014; page 20
785:Sri Ramakrishna Vijayam, December 2014, Page 19
556:A Women's Wing was also formed in 1938 as the
27:and were mainly recruited in the districts of
856:
490:Kindergartens spread throughout the country.
440:Muslims in Fiji who are mostly followers of
436:(MIAF) represents approximately 30% of the
863:
849:
423:Maunatul Islam Association of Fiji (MIAF)
66:
811:Then India Sanmarga Ikya Sangam Web Site
342:
697:. Some other famous South Indians were
681:
1123:
475:
844:
628:
612:
327:Religious Background of South Indians
669:Dravidian Indian Temple architecture
360:At the end of his indenture period,
493:
13:
870:
558:Then India Sanmarga Maathar Sangam
434:Maunatul Islam Association of Fiji
429:Maunatul Islam Association of Fiji
387:
14:
1152:
821:Sri Siva Subramaniya Swami Temple
804:
647:Sri Siva Subramaniya Swami Temple
567:
368:(holy man). He was a devotee of
551:
397:Then India Sanmarga Ikya Sangam
356:Revival of South Indian Culture
789:
778:
767:
1:
760:
725:, Y. P. Reddy, S. V. Chetty.
575:Dakshina India Andhra Sangam
468:, who was the leader of the
7:
728:
653:Sri Siva Subramaniya Temple
10:
1157:
1100:Pondicherry Tamil diaspora
705:, founder of TISI Sangam,
650:
619:Fiji Sutha Sanmarga Sangam
497:
426:
290:
279:
268:
257:
246:
235:
224:
213:
202:
191:
154:
143:
132:
121:
110:
99:
88:
1110:Tamil Nadu Tamil diaspora
1105:Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora
1087:
1061:
1020:
1012:Sri Lanka (Indian Tamils)
977:India (Sri Lankan Tamils)
964:
918:
887:
878:
691:National Federation Party
507:Then India Valibar Sangam
470:National Federation Party
1095:Malaysian Tamil diaspora
1141:Indian diaspora in Fiji
816:Murukan worship in Fiji
382:Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
545:community as a whole.
67:South Indian Languages
1131:Ethnic groups in Fiji
343:Life during Indenture
682:Famous South Indians
460:Treasurer: Late Hon
167:In later years more
951:Trinidad and Tobago
482:Ramakrishna Mission
476:Swami Avinashananda
321:Legislative Council
715:Muniswamy Mudaliar
629:Sangam Rejuvenated
613:Ramalingar Mission
378:Ramalinga Swamigal
1118:
1117:
745:Gujaratis in Fiji
701:, a businessman,
370:Swami Vivekananda
303:Although by 1956
301:
300:
187: Percentage
165:
164:
84: Percentage
1148:
865:
858:
851:
842:
841:
798:
793:
787:
782:
776:
771:
735:Swami Rudrananda
707:Swami Rudrananda
703:Sadhu Kuppuswami
593:
592:
588:
500:Swami Rudrananda
494:Swami Rudrananda
393:Sadhu Kuppuswami
374:Ramana Maharishi
280:Other Languages
178:
177:
75:
74:
1156:
1155:
1151:
1150:
1149:
1147:
1146:
1145:
1121:
1120:
1119:
1114:
1083:
1057:
1016:
960:
914:
883:
874:
869:
807:
802:
801:
794:
790:
783:
779:
772:
768:
763:
750:Sikhism in Fiji
731:
684:
676:Vedic tradition
655:
649:
631:
615:
594:
590:
586:
584:
583:
570:
554:
502:
496:
478:
431:
425:
390:
388:Birth of Sangam
358:
345:
329:
78: Language
69:
17:Indians in Fiji
12:
11:
5:
1154:
1144:
1143:
1138:
1133:
1116:
1115:
1113:
1112:
1107:
1102:
1097:
1091:
1089:
1085:
1084:
1082:
1081:
1076:
1071:
1065:
1063:
1059:
1058:
1056:
1055:
1053:United Kingdom
1050:
1045:
1040:
1035:
1030:
1024:
1022:
1018:
1017:
1015:
1014:
1009:
1004:
999:
994:
989:
979:
974:
968:
966:
962:
961:
959:
958:
953:
948:
943:
938:
933:
928:
922:
920:
916:
915:
913:
912:
907:
902:
897:
891:
889:
885:
884:
879:
876:
875:
872:Tamil diaspora
868:
867:
860:
853:
845:
839:
838:
833:
828:
826:Tamils in Fiji
823:
818:
813:
806:
805:External links
803:
800:
799:
788:
777:
765:
764:
762:
759:
758:
757:
752:
747:
742:
737:
730:
727:
723:Manikam Pillai
719:James Madhavan
683:
680:
651:Main article:
648:
645:
635:Golden Jubilee
630:
627:
614:
611:
582:
579:
569:
566:
553:
550:
519:Pacific Review
498:Main article:
495:
492:
477:
474:
427:Main article:
424:
421:
389:
386:
357:
354:
344:
341:
328:
325:
299:
298:
295:
292:
288:
287:
284:
281:
277:
276:
273:
270:
266:
265:
262:
259:
255:
254:
251:
248:
244:
243:
240:
237:
233:
232:
229:
226:
222:
221:
218:
215:
211:
210:
207:
204:
200:
199:
196:
193:
189:
188:
185:
184: Number
182:
163:
162:
159:
156:
152:
151:
148:
145:
141:
140:
137:
134:
130:
129:
126:
123:
119:
118:
115:
112:
108:
107:
104:
101:
97:
96:
93:
90:
86:
85:
82:
79:
68:
65:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1153:
1142:
1139:
1137:
1136:Fijian Tamils
1134:
1132:
1129:
1128:
1126:
1111:
1108:
1106:
1103:
1101:
1098:
1096:
1093:
1092:
1090:
1086:
1080:
1077:
1075:
1072:
1070:
1067:
1066:
1064:
1060:
1054:
1051:
1049:
1046:
1044:
1041:
1039:
1036:
1034:
1031:
1029:
1026:
1025:
1023:
1019:
1013:
1010:
1008:
1005:
1003:
1000:
998:
995:
993:
990:
987:
983:
980:
978:
975:
973:
970:
969:
967:
963:
957:
956:United States
954:
952:
949:
947:
944:
942:
939:
937:
934:
932:
931:French Guiana
929:
927:
924:
923:
921:
917:
911:
908:
906:
903:
901:
898:
896:
893:
892:
890:
886:
882:
877:
873:
866:
861:
859:
854:
852:
847:
846:
843:
837:
834:
832:
829:
827:
824:
822:
819:
817:
814:
812:
809:
808:
797:
792:
786:
781:
775:
770:
766:
756:
753:
751:
748:
746:
743:
741:
738:
736:
733:
732:
726:
724:
720:
716:
712:
708:
704:
700:
696:
695:Jai Ram Reddy
692:
688:
679:
677:
674:
670:
666:
665:Jai Ram Reddy
661:
654:
644:
641:
636:
626:
624:
620:
610:
606:
602:
600:
589:
578:
576:
568:Andhra Sangam
565:
563:
559:
549:
546:
544:
540:
536:
532:
528:
524:
520:
516:
510:
508:
501:
491:
488:
483:
473:
471:
467:
463:
458:
455:(Malabar) in
454:
450:
446:
443:
439:
435:
430:
420:
418:
414:
410:
405:
402:
398:
394:
385:
383:
379:
375:
371:
367:
363:
353:
350:
340:
338:
334:
324:
322:
318:
314:
310:
306:
296:
293:
289:
285:
282:
278:
274:
271:
267:
263:
260:
256:
252:
249:
245:
241:
238:
234:
230:
227:
223:
219:
216:
212:
208:
205:
201:
197:
194:
190:
186:
183:
180:
179:
176:
174:
170:
160:
157:
153:
149:
146:
142:
138:
135:
131:
127:
124:
120:
116:
113:
109:
105:
102:
98:
94:
91:
87:
83:
81: Number
80:
77:
76:
73:
64:
62:
58:
54:
50:
46:
45:Visakhapatnam
42:
38:
34:
30:
26:
22:
18:
1073:
910:South Africa
791:
780:
769:
740:Indo-Fijians
685:
660:Bhoomi Pooja
659:
656:
632:
618:
616:
607:
603:
595:
574:
571:
561:
557:
555:
552:Women's Wing
547:
534:
526:
518:
514:
511:
506:
503:
479:
432:
406:
396:
395:founded the
391:
365:
359:
346:
330:
302:
166:
70:
16:
15:
1079:New Zealand
1048:Switzerland
1043:Netherlands
711:K. S. Reddy
699:M. N. Naidu
535:Na Pacifica
487:A. D. Patel
457:South India
349:Fiji Indian
192:Hindustani
144:Hindustani
29:North Arcot
1125:Categories
946:Martinique
936:Guadeloupe
905:Seychelles
761:References
755:Fiji Hindi
687:Sidiq Koya
640:Tamil Nadu
623:Radio Fiji
599:Vanua Levu
562:Pidi Arisi
517:in Tamil,
462:A. R. Manu
362:Kuppuswami
309:Fiji Hindi
305:Hindustani
269:Malayalam
258:Gurumukhi
111:Malayalam
61:Chingleput
57:Coimbatore
1069:Australia
997:Indonesia
992:Singapore
895:Mauritius
466:S.M. Koya
449:Malayalam
317:Malayalam
236:Gujarati
181:language
1088:See also
1007:Pakistan
1002:Maldives
982:Malaysia
919:Americas
729:See also
133:Marathi
122:Kannada
41:Godavari
1062:Oceania
1033:Germany
900:RĂ©union
527:Jagriti
523:English
333:Muslims
297:100.0%
294:26,031
214:Telugu
195:17,164
161:100.0%
89:Telugu
53:Malabar
49:Tanjore
37:Krishna
1028:France
1021:Europe
986:Chitty
941:Guyana
926:Canada
888:Africa
881:Tamils
717:, and
585:": -->
543:Indian
539:Fijian
533:, and
515:Sangam
453:Kerala
417:Labasa
413:Levuka
337:Hindus
313:Tamils
291:Total
247:Tamil
228:1,223
217:1,498
209:14.0%
206:3,644
203:Hindi
198:65.9%
169:Telugu
155:Total
106:27.8%
100:Tamil
95:54.0%
33:Madras
25:Madras
1038:Italy
972:Burma
673:Vastu
531:Hindi
445:Shafi
438:Sunni
366:sadhu
286:1.0%
275:0.5%
264:1.8%
253:3.1%
242:3.2%
231:4.7%
225:Urdu
220:5.8%
173:Tamil
171:than
150:4.2%
139:5.6%
128:2.9%
117:5.4%
1074:Fiji
965:Asia
587:edit
442:Imam
415:and
409:Suva
401:Nadi
380:and
283:273
272:134
261:468
250:797
239:830
158:589
103:164
92:318
55:and
21:Fiji
537:in
529:in
521:in
147:25
136:33
125:17
114:31
1127::
721:,
713:,
525:,
376:,
372:,
315:.
63:.
51:,
47:,
43:,
39:,
35:,
31:,
988:)
984:(
864:e
857:t
850:v
591:]
307:(
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