103.82.209.58 at 20:31, 9 February 2021

2021-02-09T20:31:34Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox Politician (general)
| name= Muniswamy Mudaliar
| image= Muniswamy Mudaliar.png

| title= Member of the [[Legislative Council of Fiji|Legislative Council]] for Northern and Western
| term_start= 1932
| term_end= 1937
| predecessor= [[Parmanand Singh]]
| successor= [[Chattur Singh]]

| birth_date= [[British India]]
| birth_place=
| death_date= 23 December 1942
| death_place= [[Suva]], Fiji
| party=
| residence=
| spouse=
| profession= Teacher, farmer, shopkeeper
| footnotes=
}}

'''Muniswamy Mudaliar''' ([[Tamil language|Tamil]]: முனிசாமி முதலியார்) (died 23 December 1942) was an [[Indo-Fijian]] politician who was a member of the [[Legislative Council of Fiji|Legislative Council]] from 1932 to 1937. In 1933 he became Fiji's first Indo-Fijian [[Justice of the Peace]].

==Biography==
Mudaliar was born in North Arcot district of southern India and worked as a teacher in [[Sri Lanka|Ceylon]] before moving to Fiji in 1916 to work in agriculture.<ref name=PIM>[https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-311574745/view?partId=nla.obj-311589225#page/n8/mode/1up Young Indian Leaders in Fiji] ''[[Pacific Islands Monthly]]'', January 1935, p7</ref> He became President of the Madras Sangam, which built the largest Indian school in Fiji.<ref name=PIM/>

From 1929 to 1932 the three seats reserved for people of Indo=Fijians in the Legislative Council were vacant due to a boycott of the Council, led by [[Vishnu Deo]], in protest of the failure of the community to be granted a common roll with Europeans. When elections were called in [[1932 Fijian general election|1932]], Deo called for the boycott to continue. However, after a rebel Indo-Fijian put themselves forward as a candidate for the Southern Constituency, Deo nominated [[K. B. Singh]] to oppose them. Deo wanted Singh to move a motion for common roll when he was elected, and, aware that he would need a seconder for the motion, he nominated Mudaliar to stand in the Northern and Western Division, where he was elected unopposed.{{fact|date=July 2020}}

On 14 October 1932 Singh put forward a motion for common roll, seconded by Mudaliar. The Governor convinced the two to withdraw the motion so that he could discuss it with the Secretary of State. Contrary to Deo's advice, the motion was withdrawn. In February 1933, the Secretary of State informed the Legislative Council that it was impracticable to have common roll. Singh resigned and was re-elected over the same rival in by-election, but Mudaliar refused to resign. Singh took his seat in the Legislative Council, contrary to Vishnu Deo's instructions and the two evaded the common roll issue. They were denounced in public meetings organised by Deo and his associates, but Mudaliar was rewarded by the Government by being made Fiji's first Indo-Fijian [[Justice of Peace]].<ref>[https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-310913018/view?partId=nla.obj-310924260#page/n12/mode/1up First Indian J.P.] ''Pacific Islands Monthly'', September 1933, p11</ref>

On 23 March 1934, Mudaliar and Singh introduced another motion for common roll which was defeated but its consequence was that new motion could not be introduced immediately after next election. Fully aware that they would not be able to retain their seats in the next election, Singh and Mudaliar accepted the Governor’s advice and moved a motion calling for members of the Legislative Council to be nominated and not elected. The motion was passed but the Colonial Office implemented a compromise, combining election and nomination. The Legislative Council was increased to 31, made up of 15 unofficial members, made up of 5 members from each ethnic group, and 16 official members (usually heads of departments). All the [[Fijians|Fijian]] seats were to be nominated by the [[Great Council of Chiefs]], but three each of the Indian and [[Europe]]an seats were to be elected on [[Communal constituencies|communal franchise]] and the remaining two filled through nomination.{{fact|date=July 2020}}

Mudaliar and Singh did not stand in the [[1937 Fijian general election|1937 elections]], although Singh was nominated into the Legislative Council by the Governor. He died in the [[Colonial War Memorial Hospital]] in [[Suva]] on 23 December 1942.<ref>[https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-312977398/view?partId=nla.obj-313008158#page/n41/mode/1up/ Mr. Munsami Mudaliar] ''Pacific Islands Monthly'', February 1943, p40</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mudaliar, Muniswamy}}
[[Category:Indian members of the Legislative Council of Fiji]]
[[Category:Fijian Tamil politicians]]
[[Category:Fijian Hindus]]
[[Category:Politicians from Ba Province]]
[[Category:1942 deaths]]

Muniswamy Mudaliar - Revision history

103.82.209.58 at 20:31, 9 February 2021