Vishnu Deo - Political Leader

Political Leader

He was ineligible to contest the 1932 election for his earlier conviction, but from 1937 to 1959 won the Southern Indian Division seven times. During his early political career he worked closely with the other champion of common roll in Fiji, A.D. Patel. They did not have the same view on all issues, for example, Vishnu Deo supported education in Hindi for Fiji Indians whereas A.D. Patel wanted the regional Indian languages taught in schools for Fiji Indians. As Vishnu Deo was based in the Southern Division and A.D. Patel in the Western Division there was no competition between the two until it was decided to nominate an Indian into the Executive Council in 1948. Both Indian leaders believed that they deserved the honour but Patel managed to outmeanouvre Vishnu Deo and gain the support of three out of the five Indian members of the Legislative Council to become the Indian Member of the Executive Council. At the next election, Vishnu Deo had his revenge when a candidate supported by him (Tulsi Ram Sharma) easily defeated A.D. Patel. In fact, A.D. Patel was kept out of the Legislative Council for as long as Vishnu Deo remained politically active.

After the 1950 Legislative Council elections, James Madhavan was chosen as the Indian member in the Executive Council. Vishnu Deo had to wait until 1956 before he finally joined the Executive Council.