Vijay R. Singh - Early Life

Early Life

Vijay Singh was born in Yalalevu, Ba, Fiji and was the eldest of 14 children. He came from a prominent Arya Samaj family in Ba. He attended the local Arya Samaj school for primary education and obtained his secondary education at Marist Brothers High School in Suva. With no tertiary education available in Fiji, and not able to afford to travel overseas for further education, he took up employment in his uncle's accountancy and import business. Seeing his determination to pursue further studies, his uncle offered to finance him to study law. He began legal studies at Lincoln's Inn in London in 1951. He graduated with a Law degree in 1953 after only two years, the shortest period of study permissible to sit the final examination. He became a Barrister of the High Courts of England, Australia, and Fiji. In February 1954, he returned to Fiji and began to practise in Labasa. He also had offices in Nadi and Suva. In 1956 he married Maya, with whom he had a son, Vinay, and a daughter, Madhur.