253:
February 1933, the
Secretary of State informed the Legislative Council that it was impracticable to have common roll. Singh resigned and was re-elected in the subsequent by-election with an increased majority over the same rival with Deo's support. However, he took his seat in the Legislative Council, contrary to Deo's instructions and evaded the common roll issue, which led to him being denounced in public meetings organised by Deo and his associates. On 23 March 1934, 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.
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that he had been refused permission to do so by the
District Commissioner, after which he complained to the Governor, and returned to the District Commissioner with instructions from the Governor that he be allowed to sit on the bench. The incident led to the Governor issuing a public clarification
256:
Fully aware that he would not be able to retain his seat in the next election, Singh 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
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as a protégé of Vishnu Deo but after the election took an independent stance opposed to the wishes of the majority of the Indo-Fijians. He supported nominated rather than elected representation, actively supported the war effort and even attempted to set up a farmers union opposed to a number of
252:
On 14 October 1932, under the guidance of Deo, Singh put forward a motion for common roll. The
Governor convinced him that his fears were unfounded and asked him to withdraw the motion so that he could discuss it with the Secretary of State. Contrary to Deo's advice, he withdrew the motion. In
248:
against the call for boycott from Vishnu Deo and other leaders, K. B. Singh was an obvious choice. He was regarded as a loyal supporter of Vishnu Deo and common roll. K.B.Singh defeated his opponent for the
Southern Indian Division, capturing 79 percent of the formal votes cast.
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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. All the Fijian seats were to be nominated by the
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existing unions. The
Government rewarded him for his loyalty by nominating him into the Legislative Council three times, appointing him as a Justice of the Peace and as the first Indo-Fijian member of the
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to support the military effort. With stiff opposition from Vishnu Deo, only 300 Indians joined the military service. In 1944, he proposed the raising of a unit of Fiji
Indians to serve in the
272:. This had previously been considered an honorary position in Fiji; however, Singh used his new status to request to sit on the bench alongside the magistrate during a court hearing in
30:
585:
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asked for a Royal
Commission and Vishnu Deo for a Court of Arbitration. He said that," when elephants fight the grass is trampled", pointing out that rivalry among
595:
311:
298:, after which he was nominated again by the Governor. In 1940, K.B. Singh supported the Native Land Trust Bill, which gave control of native land to the
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that all
Justices of the Peace were occasionally invited to sit on the bench, and that Singh had not been snubbed by the District Commissioner.
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438:
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470:
565:
333:, becoming the first Indian to serve in government. During the same year, he also attempted to establish a new union known as the
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302:. In the 1943 debate in the Legislative Council, on the sugar cane dispute, he condemned the rivalry among Indian leaders when
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led him to play an active role in aggressively promoting the Arya Samaj and finally into politics. He was elected into the
228:. He worked hand-in-hand with Vishnu Deo, in June 1930, to establish the Fiji Indian Labour Union to represent unemployed
503:
518:
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455:
405:
580:
570:
244:, Indo-Fijian leader Vishnu Deo needed a candidate to oppose a rebel candidate who had nominated for a seat in the
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Singh made several subsequent attempts to get back into the Legislative Council as an elected member, losing to
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leaders only harmed the humble farmer. In May 1943, he was commissioned as an officer to raise recruits for the
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337:. There was widespread opposition to this until Vishnu Deo took over its leadership. Following the
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216:. He was educated at Nadalon village high school, before joining the civil service and moving to
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to study accountancy, before moving to Fiji in 1927 as a teacher and taught at Viti School near
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439:"Fiji Elections Archive: Elections for the Legislative Council, Southern Division 1929 - 1959"
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8:
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388:"Committee to advise on closure of Nausori Mill". Fiji Times. 3 February 1958.
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341:, he lost his place in the Legislative Council. He was made an OBE in the
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as one of the nominated members. He ran unsuccessfully against Deo in the
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261:, but three each of the Indian and European seats were to be elected on
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Singh was nominated to the Legislative Council again following the
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290:, but was appointed to the Legislative Council by the
85:Nominated Indian Member of the Legislative Council
586:Indian members of the Legislative Council of Fiji
265:and the remaining two filled through nomination.
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427:. Guru Dayal Sharma, Suva, Fiji. p. 99.
596:Members of the Order of the British Empire
371:He died in Suva in 1979 at the age of 77.
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591:Members of the Executive Council of Fiji
276:. In September 1934 it was reported in
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179:teacher and politician. He arrived in
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329:. In 1946 Singh was appointed to
566:Indian expatriates in Singapore
335:Southern Division Farmers Union
551:People from Jalandhar district
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479:
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449:
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1:
425:Memories of Fiji: 1887 - 1987
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318:but this was rejected by the
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183:in 1927 as a teacher for the
601:Fijian justices of the peace
406:Young Indian Leaders in Fiji
7:
423:Sharma, Guru Dayal (1987).
268:In June 1934 he was made a
10:
617:
286:Singh did not contest the
208:Singh was born in 1905 in
187:but his association with
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581:Politicians from Nausori
571:Indian emigrants to Fiji
489:Pacific Islands Monthly,
522:Pacific Islands Monthly
507:Pacific Islands Monthly
474:Pacific Islands Monthly
459:Pacific Islands Monthly
410:Pacific Islands Monthly
300:Native Land Trust Board
279:Pacific Islands Monthly
259:Great Council of Chiefs
240:In the build-up to the
561:Indian civil servants
504:Fiji Birthday Honours
476:, September 1934, p29
456:The Franchise in Fiji
343:1948 Birthday Honours
175:(1905 – 1979) was an
486:The Fiji-Indian J.P.
270:Justice of the Peace
168:Kunwar Bachint Singh
22:Kunwar Bachint Singh
445:on 25 October 2009.
246:Legislative Council
193:Legislative Council
43:Legislative Council
491:November 1934, p17
413:, January 1935, p7
263:communal franchise
331:Executive Council
312:Fiji Labour Corps
198:Executive Council
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103:Executive Council
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509:, July 1948, p27
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471:Fiji Indian J.P.
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461:, July 1935, p53
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441:. Archived from
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236:Political career
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124:Personal details
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362:K. C. Ramrakha
358:1963 elections
339:1947 elections
327:1944 elections
304:B. D. Lakshman
296:1940 elections
288:1937 elections
242:1932 elections
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220:. He moved to
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101:Member of the
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366:1966 election
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135:British India
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556:Arya Samajis
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443:the original
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350:Andrew Deoki
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322:Government.
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274:Naduruloulou
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232:immigrants.
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74:Succeeded by
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45:for Southern
15:
546:1979 deaths
541:1905 births
316:Indian Army
308:Fiji Indian
177:Indo-Fijian
62:Preceded by
535:Categories
519:K.B. Singh
375:References
204:Early life
189:Vishnu Deo
185:Arya Samaj
154:Profession
79:Vishnu Deo
67:Vishnu Deo
41:Member of
360:, and by
222:Singapore
115:1946–1947
111:In office
96:1937–1947
92:In office
56:1932–1937
52:In office
292:Governor
364:in the
352:in the
320:British
230:Punjabi
226:Nausori
157:Teacher
210:Punjab
149:, Fiji
218:Delhi
356:and
354:1959
181:Fiji
147:Suva
144:1979
141:Died
132:1905
129:Born
212:in
172:OBE
537::
496:^
394:^
368:.
345:.
200:.
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