Speeches and Writings of AD Patel, 1929-1969

A Vision for Change Speeches and Writings of AD Patel, 1929-1969

edited by Brij V Lal

THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

E PRESS E PRESS

Published by ANU E Press The Australian National University Canberra ACT 0200, Australia Email: [email protected] This title is also available online at: http://epress.anu.edu.au/

National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry

Author: Lal, Brij V. Title: A vision for change : speeches and writings of AD Patel, 1929-1969 / Brij V Lal. ISBN: 9781921862328 (pbk.) 9781921862335 (ebook) Subjects: Patel, A. D. (Ambalal Dahyabhai), 1905-1969. Fiji--Politics and government--20th century. Fiji--History.

Dewey Number: 320.099611

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Cover design and layout by ANU E Press

Cover photograph by Robert Norton.

Printed by Griffin Press

Acknowledgments ...... ix Introduction...... xi

Part I. Quest for Equality: The Political Struggle 1: Address to the 1965 London Constitutional Conference, 26 July 1965. . . 1 2: Suva Town Hall Resolutions at a Public Meeting of Indians, 30 November, 1929...... 2 3: Common Roll Conference with Sir Murchison Fletcher, 27 December 1929...... 3 4: Memorandum to Governor, 28 December 1929...... 5 5: Governor to Secretary of State, 2 January 1930 ...... 6 6: Memorandum to the Governor, 5 March 1935 ...... 7 7: A Delegation to the Governor, May 1935 ...... 11 8: Opposition to Nomination over Election, 19 May 1935...... 14 9: Conundrums of Colonial Legislature, 21 December 1945...... 15 10: Deed of Cession Debate, 16 July 1946...... 18 11: In Defense of Democracy, 2 September 1948 ...... 24 12: On Separate Representation for Muslims, 9 December 1949...... 30 13: Wanted: A Common Electoral Roll, 16 August 1956...... 33 14: Last But Not Long!, 1 February 1960 ...... 34 15: An Astounding Statement, 3 March 1960...... 35 16: A Constitutional Mirage, 13 April 1961...... 37 17: Welcome to Sir Derek Jakeway, 24 February 1964...... 38 18: Protest Letter to Sir Derek Jakeway, 24 January 1965...... 40 19: Public Notice (Undated, 1965)...... 42 20: Memorandum to Sir Derek Jakeway, 26 January 1965...... 43 21: Resolutions passed at the AGM of the Federation Party at Lautoka, 25 April 1965...... 44 22: Letter to Sir Derek Jakeway, 30 April, 1965 ...... 46 23: Sir Derek Jakeway to Patel, 6 May 1965...... 48 24: Memorandum to Unofficial Members of the Legislative Council, April 1965...... 49 25: Member of Social Services Office Notes, Pre-1965 constitutional conference ...... 51 v 26: Opening Address to the 1965 Constitutional Conference, 26 July 1965...... 53 27: Interview with Malcolm Billings, BBC, 31 July, 1965 ...... 54 28: The Indian Delegation’s Press Conference, 10 August 1965 ...... 56 29: Letter to Anthony Greenwood, Secretary of State for the Colonies, 12 August 1965...... 61 30: Post-1965 Constitutional Conference: Century Theatre, August 1965. . . 63 31: Response from Anthony Greenwood, 9 September 1965. . . . . 67 32: Debate on London Constitutional Conference, 15 December 1965. . . . 68 33: Federation Party Letter to A .D . Patel, 6 August, 1966...... 78 34: The Secretariat to AD Patel, 23 September 1966...... 80 35: Launch of the 1966 Election campaign, Century Theatre, July 1966. . . 82 36: Political Address, Sigatoka Valley, 25 September 1966...... 90 37: Call for a new Constitutional Conference, 1 September 1967. . . . 97 38: Federation Party Convention, Ba, 28-29 June, 1968...... 101 39: Political Statement by A . D . Patel, 30 August 1968...... 110 40: Final Letter from Sir Derek Jakeway, 7 November 1968 ...... 112 41: Pre-Independence Talks, Suva, 12 August 1969...... 113

Part II. Bitter Sweet: The Politics of the Fiji Sugar Industry, 1943-1969 The 1943 Strike: Contemporary Documents ...... 121 42: An Open Letter to Governor,12 August 1943 ...... 122 43: The Statement Made By A .D . Patel in Nadi Court, 12 August 1943 . . . 124 44: Report of the Commission: Letter to Governor, 12th August 1943. . . 125 45: What Happened in Suva? 21-26 August 1943...... 129 46: Growers Advised to Cut, nd ...... 134 47: Inaccuracies and Omissions in the Council Paper: ‘Dispute in the Sugar Industry’,1 September 1943...... 135 48: Can You Blame the Growers? 6 September 1943...... 137 49: Letter to Colonial Secretary, 20 September, 1943 ...... 146 50: Telegram to Secretary of State for Colonies...... 148 51: Negotiations 26 December 1943 ...... 149 52: Ratu Sukuna to AD Patel, 28 December 1943...... 151 53: AD Patel to Ratu Sukuna, 28 December 1943...... 154 54: Ratu Sukuna to AD Patel, 29 December 1943...... 155 55: AD Patel to Ratu Sukuna, 30 December 1943...... 156 56: Ratu Sukuna to AD Patel, 31 December 1943 ...... 157 vi 57: Ratu Sukuna to AD Patel, 2 January 1944 ...... 157 58: AD Patel to Ratu Sukuna, 3 January 1944 ...... 159 59: Ratu Sukuna to AD Patel, 4 January 1944 ...... 160 60: Reforming the Sugar Industry, 21 December 1945...... 162 61: A Commission at Gunpoint? 6 June 1960...... 169 62: A Drive for Disunity, 30 June 1960 ...... 171 63: Negotiations and a Plan for the Future, 7 July 1960...... 173 64: Memorandum to Mr . Julian Amery, 14 October 1960...... 175 65: Submission to the Eve Commission, 9 March 1961 ...... 185 66: Reforming the Sugar Industry, 2 May 1969...... 189 67: Ending Eve's Legacy, 12 May 1969...... 202 68: The Denning Arbitration, 19th August 1969 ...... 210

Part III. Land and Livelihood 69: All-Fiji Indian Conference, 30 October 1938...... 229 70: Economic Condition of Indians in Fiji Paper read at the All-Fiji Indian Conference by AD Patel, 30 October 1938 ...... 232 71: The Misadministration of Land, 20 August, 1945...... 236 72: Post-War Agricultural Development, 20 February 1946...... 240 73: Delay Is Dangerous, 3 September 1949 ...... 248 74: Their Darkest Hour, 17 September 1949...... 250 75: A Sop to Evictees, 15 October 1949 ...... 251 76: Adding Insult to Injury, 26 November 1949...... 252 77: Diversification of Agricultural Production, 4 November 1956. . . . . 253 78: Fruit Industry, 31 May 1956 ...... 256 79: Diet and its Effect, 3 August 1959...... 258 80: Fiji’s Growing Pains, 17 December 1959...... 259 81: The Medicine, 7 March 1960...... 262 82: Landlord and Tenant Bill, 20 July 1966...... 264 83: Nationalizing the Gold Mining Industry, 31 January 1968 ...... 271 84: Agriculture Landlord & Tenant Ordinance, 30 January 1969 . . . . . 278 85: Letter from Justin Lewis QC to AD Patel, 15 September 1969. . . 281

Part IV. Society and Culture 86: Swami Avinasananda to AD Patel, 15 October 1937 ...... 283 87: Letter to Swami Avinasananda, 30 September 1939...... 283 88: Sangam Registration, 3 November 1937...... 285 89: Letter to Governor Sir Harry Luke, nd ...... 286 90: Sangam's Petition to the Governor, 12 December 1947...... 288 91: To Drink or Not to Drink, 25 November 1947 ...... 292 vii To Drink or Not to Drink, II (1969) ...... 298 92: Ring in the Saints, 6 January 1952...... 301 93: The ‘Flowers’ of Fiji, 20 June 1952 ...... 302 94: Welcome, Mr . Dugdale, 4 August 1952 ...... 304 95: The Indian Problem in Fiji, 8 August 1952...... 306 96: Ramakrishna Mission in Fiji, 28 September 1952...... 307 97: Fragments of a Diary 1952 ...... 309 98: Divide and Rule, 15 December 1954...... 314 99: Fijians and Fijians, 29 January 1954...... 316 100: Segregation Stands Condemned, 11June1954 ...... 317 101: A Bogey Laid, 30 July 1954...... 319 102: With Malice Aforethought, 2 September 1955...... 320 103: Why Access to Books? 23 September 1955 ...... 322 104: First Things Last? 14 October 1955 ...... 324 105: A University College for the South Pacific, 26 April 1956...... 325 106: Invite the United Nations, 2 August 1956 ...... 327 107: On Sadhu Kuppuswami, 9 August 1956 ...... 328 108: Budgeting for Educational Progress, 6 December 1956...... 329 109: Library Service for Fiji, 29 August 1957...... 332 110: Progress & Custom, 7 November 1957 ...... 333 111: The Great Irony, 2 July 1959 ...... 334 112: Address to the Fiji Teachers Union, 9 September 1964 ...... 336 113: Social Security in Fiji, 26 March 1965...... 338 114: Address to the Fijian Teachers Association, 4 May 1965...... 341 115: Capital Punishment: Letter from Church Leaders, 12 May 1966. . . . 344 116: On the Abolition of Capital Punishment, 26 May 1966...... 346 117:Why I support Family Planning, 17 August 1966...... 352 118: The University of the South Pacific, 21 March 1967...... 353 119: A Common Name, 1 August 1967, Interpretation Bill ...... 359 120: Letter to Vasantika Patel from Ocean Island, 1 November 1967. . . . 360 121: Out of Many Races—One Nation, Nadi Jaycees, 1968 ...... 362 122: Bau—Renovation, 13th December 1968 ...... 368 123: New Year's Greetings, 1969 ...... 370 124: Hail Deliverer ...... 371

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