Family Background
Mahendra Chaudhry's ancestral ties are with the village of Bahu Jamalpur in Rohtak District, in the Indian state of Haryana.His grandfather, Ram Nath Chaudhry, arrived in Fiji in 1902, as an indentured labourer, to work on Fiji's sugarcane plantations. On his arrival in Fiji he disputed the agreement to work in the plantations and was employed as a store manager until he started his own business. He later returned to India with his wife, Jai Kali (died 22 September 1930 at age 45) whom he had met and married in Fiji, daughter, Raaj Kumari and second son, Ram Gopal. Their elder son, Krishn Gopal Chaudhry remained in Fiji. Ram Gopal Chaudhry returned to Fiji in 1934 or there abouts. Ram Gopal had seven children (five sons and two daughters), one of them and the eldest son, Mahendra. Mahendra's maternal grandfather was from Kerala, India who settled to Fiji in early 1900s. Maternal grandfather is believed to be married a native Fijian women or an Anglo-Fijian mixed women.
Chaudhry has been married to Virmati since 1965; they have three children and several grandchildren. Unlike the Hindu Chaudhry, Virmati is a born-again Pentecostal Christian (source). While her husband and son, Rajendra were still in captivity, she announced on 18 yJune 2000 that she had decided to forgive George Speight.
In 2004, Chaudhry received the Pravasi Bharatiya Community Service Award, which is granted to members of the Indian diaspora to honour their contributions to the countries of which they are members. Chaudhry was the first Fijian citizen to receive this award.
On 20 November 2005, Chaudhry's youngest son Sachindra married Marian Ma'afu, a descendant of the Tongan-Fijian prince Enele Ma'afu who conquered the Lau Islands and Taveuni in the nineteenth century.
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