Ami Chandra - Contribution To Education in Fiji

Contribution To Education in Fiji

See also: Arya Samaj in Fiji

Chandra, a graduate of Gurukul, Kangri in India, arrived in Fiji on 22 December 1927 and was enthusiastically welcomed by the Fiji Indian community at the Suva Town Hall. After a brief sojourn at Suva, he started teaching at the Gurukul Primary School in Saweni, Lautoka. In 1928 he became the Principal and under his leadership, boarding facilities were established at the school with 45 boarders out of a total population of 140, including 25 native Fijian students. During his time as Principal, the school made remarkable progress and he was commended by the Governor, Sir Murchison Fletcher. In 1930 he went to Suva where he was instrumental in the establishment of Arya Samaj Girls School at Samabula. Later, he went to Ba, establishing another school, Arya Kanya Pathshala (Arya Girls School). In 1950, he opened a post primary class for youth using volunteer professionals from a cross section of society in Ba. This became the forerunner of the Dayanand Ango Vedic College of Ba in 1952.

While in Ba Chandra was also recruited by the Colonial Sugar Refining Company (CSR) to teach company employees and overseers to speak proper Hindi and understand Indian culture. His greatest contribution was the series of books, Hindi Ki Pothi (Hindi Readers), that he published to enable Indian students to learn Hindi easily. These readers were compiled for students of different levels in primary schools and were used in Fiji for over twenty years.

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