Swami Rudrananda Maharaj

By Dr Shaukat Ali Sahib

Through the behest of Sangam, the Ramakrishna Mission in India sent Swami Avinashananda Maharaj to Fiji in 1937 to help improve the plight of the Indian indentured Labourers, now settled permanently in Fiji and to build schools to provide education to their children. Mahatma Gandhi sent Rev. C. F. Andrews and Mr S. B. Patel (1928) to report on the plight of the Indians settled in Fiji. On Sadhu Kuppuswami’s persuasion, Swami Avinashananda prevailed upon the Ramakrishna Mission in India to send a South Indian monk to Fiji on a similar mission. The Ramakrishna Mission sent Swami Rudrananda Maharaj (Swamiji) to Fiji in 1939.

Swamiji played a significant role in shaping the lives and activities of many persons of my generation. I am deeply grateful to Swamiji. I met him in 1939 when I had accompanied my parents to attend the meeting organised by the Then India Sanmarga Ikya Sangam, at Nadi Sangam School in Nadi, to welcome Swamiji. After the meeting, Sadhu Kuppuswami introduced my parents (including me, 11 year old) to Swamiji.

In the 30’s and 40’s, Sangam meetings were held at my father’s residence in Drasa, Lautoka. On occasions, Swamiji, along with Sadhu Kuppuswami, would spend the night with us after the meeting.

On one occasion in late 1947, after the Sangam meeting, Swamiji asked my mother what I was doing. My mother told him that after completing my secondary school education in 1946, I wanted to go to New Zealand for further education, but the Education Department refused to support my application for a student visa to go to New Zealand and that I was now working as a clerk at Millers Ltd. in Lautoka. Moreover, she told Swamiji that she had twelve children to look after and that she would have to raise a loan to send me to New Zealand. I told him that I wanted to do MBBS in Otago, New Zealand, but since I did not do any science in Natabua Indian Secondary School, the university registrar asked me to do 6th form science in a high school in New Zealand. The Director of Education, Lewis Jones refused to recommend me for admission to Wangarai Boys High School in New Zealand and that I now wished to do LLB. Swamiji looked at me hard and said that I should do BA.

A week after our discussion Swamiji walked into my office at Millers Ltd., Lautoka and said: “You and your father should come to the Ashram (Sangam Office) in Nadi, tomorrow morning, Saturday, at about 10.30 a.m.”

As arranged, my father and I went to the Ashram in Nadi at 10.30 a.m. Here we met Sangam Secretary, Mr. Jagannath Naidu and Swamiji. Swamiji told us that he had arranged with Sangam to finance my education in New Zealand. Mr A. D. Patel would draw up the necessary agreement, i.e. loan with 10% interest to be paid to Sangam on completion of my studies and that I was to pay them on monthly basis, once I started working here in Fiji.

We slept in the Ashram. On the following day, Sunday, my father and I signed the agreement at 3.00 p.m in A. D. Patel’s office and retuned to the Ashram at 4.00 p.m. Swamiji told us that he would arrange everything and that I should get ready to leave for New Zealand by March/April 1948. I went to New Zealand in April 1948 and joined Wellington Technical College. I passed UE in 1948, joined Victoria University in 1949 and graduated with BA (1953) and MA, Dip.Ed. (1954).

I returned to Fiji in January 1954 and joined Shri Vivekananda High School (now Swami Vivekananda College) in Nadi as an assistant teacher. I taught English Language and Literature and Mathematics. Mr P. N. D. Moosad was the Principal and Mr Bhaskaran Ayer, Assistant Principal. My other colleagues were Messrs K. S. Reddy (later Hon. K. S. Reddy), K. N. Rao and V. D. Sharma. Vivekananda College became a coveted secondary school in Fiji. I enjoyed teaching under Mr Moosad - an excellent administrator and accomplished teacher. I left Vivekananda College at the end of the year after paying off the loan and interest that I owed Sangam.

I came in close contact with Swamiji and valued his advice and guidance. I spent a lot to time in the Ashram and often wondered how cheerfully he attended to people pouring in the Ashram with all sorts of problems and people (men and women) of all walks of life: workers, including labourers, sugar-cane farmers, school teachers, businessmen, lawyers and doctors and even eminent personalities, for advice /suggestions, or for a cup of tea. I also saw the greatest Fijian leader, Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna, having tea with Swamiji in the Ashram - in fact, I was introduced to him by Swamiji in 1954.

I am not the only one whom Swamiji had helped financially to obtain university education overseas. There were many. The late Mr G. S. Naidu was another whom Swamiji helped financially for higher education in New Zealand. Many Vivekananda students received their university education free in India through Swamiji’s contacts with universities in India.

In Sangam primary and secondary schools Tamil, Telagu and Malayalam are taught, thus preserving South Indian languages, culture and traditions. South Indian culture and traditions are inculcated and revived through regular bhajans, pojas, prayers, dance and festivals and lectures…

Through his association with the education of the cane farmers’ children that Swamiji became acutely aware of the difficulties and hardships of the cane farmers and how they were exploited by the Colonial Sugar Refining Company. As Senior Growers’ Representative of the Sugar Advisory Council, Swamiji became a fearless and outspoken advocate of the cane-farmers’ grievances and rights. Swamiji played dominant role during the two Royal Commissions into the sugar industry (Lord Silsoe and Lord Denning). It is no exaggeration to say that Swamiji has played a pivotal role in the new sugar industry structure, which established the Sugar Cane Growers’ Council. The farmers won the battle - a decisive voice on all matters pertaining to the sugar industry. All the cane-growers - nay the entire country should be grateful to Swamiji for his tireless and selfless efforts to win for the farmers their legitimate rights in the sugar industry.

Swami Rudrananda Maharaj was a true devotee of the Ramakrishna Mission - service before self. He lived a simple life. He never claimed any credit or reward for what he has accomplished and achieved. May his soul rest in peace.

Dr Shaukat Ali Sahib is a distinguished educator; he founded and underwrote two secondary schools: Tilak High School (Lautoka) and Nadi College (Nadi). As a former Mayor of Nadi, member of Nadi Rotary Club, Nadi Cultural Society etc., his services to the community have been immense. To his eternal credit, he has been pursing higher education virtually throughout his life, graduating in law in 1995. He is currently Manager of Nadi College and its occasional principal.