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*As Fiji held its breath in April 1977, the newly elected NFP MP JAI RAM REDDY went on RADIO FIJI and cast doubt on the suitability and acceptability of a NFP government and Siddiq Koya as Prime Minister.
*In 1987, in an interview with an Indian journalist, Koya cited the religious card that, 'Jai Ram Reddy and his supporters, all NFP members, withheld support because they did not want a Muslim Prime Minister.’
*In 1985, our Founding Editor-in-Chief interviewed Reddy for his (Editor's) then book in progress, especially on the chapter 'The 1977 Constitutional Crisis'.
*Reddy unconvincingly defended his statement, claiming that his statement was misunderstood, and twisted by his NFP detractors.
*In that Radio Fiji broadcast, Reddy had made four claims, see below:
JAI RAM REDDY TO RADIO FIJI:
*Several questions arise here. Firstly, would an NFP Government have the unquestionable loyalty of the civil service, the armed forces, the police, and so on? I am not saying that it would not, but these are some of the considerations that one takes into account in deciding whether the Government would be viable or not.
* Would an NFP Government be acceptable to all the ethnic groups in Fiji? Anyone might say that the voters have given their verdict. There may be something there but several factors have worked in these elections and you have Butadroka’s statement that he would like to see an NFP victory simply to show to the Fijians that Fiji does not belong to them. I do not know to what extent this factor has contributed to the gain that the National Federation Party made but certainly this is something that one must bear in mind.
*If the NFP becomes the Government, you are going to have a situation where the Prime Minister would have seven nominees in the Senate and the combined strength of the Great Council of Chiefs’ members and the Leader of the Opposition’s members will be something like 14, and if they have made a mind to, they could frustrate legislation by delaying it and this is another practical consideration that one must take into account.
*Does the National Federation Party have a person of the stature that he can truly claim to be the leader of the people of Fiji?’ He answered: ‘I do not believe we have one at the present time. - ‘a large majority’ continued to look to Ratu Mara for leadership'.
Reddy's radio interview was music to the future racist coupist Sitiveni Rabuka, then studying in India at the Defence Staff College. After his treasonous coup in 1987 against the Bavadra coalition government, Rabuka disclosed that it was in 1977 after the NFP's razor-thin win in that election, that he had concluded that the 'Indians Will Never Rule Fiji'.
More analysis to follow. In 1980, Reddy rejected Ratu Mara's offer of a Government of National Unity and yet gave NFP's votes to Rabuka in 1994 for him (Rabuka) to become Prime Minister for the second time. Rabuka continued to oppress Indo-Fijians and other non i-Taukei minority groups through the racist and discriminatory 1990 Constitution. *Jai Ram Reddy, just like his successor BIMAN PRASAD, remained numb to the persecution of Indo-Fijians by then Rabuka regime from 1994 to 1999.
*The two conspired to foist on Fiji the 1997 Constitution in 1998, with a provision for a mandatory multi-party Cabinet - basically, the chiefly sponsored SVT and the NFP.
*Reddy had NO RIGHT to prostrate before the chiefs and ask that Indo-Fijians be accepted in Fiji. Its our birthright to be Separate but EQUAL.
The NFP's 'Rotten Mango' Fairy Tale on the late JAI RAM REDDY:
Mrs Reddy the extended Reddy family and friends..
We gather here tonight to reflect and remember a true son of Fiji and one of the finest statesmen of our nation, Honourable Justice Jai Ram Reddy.
Mr Reddy may not be amongst us in person. But his soul and spirit lives on. He was a giant amongst men.
His vision of a united, harmonious, politically stable, economically strong nation, where people of all races join hands in promoting and practicing fundamental freedoms and political rights without suppression, became a reality 23 years after people of Fiji rejected those virtues.
And both the National Federation and I are immensely proud that against all odds that prevailed since then, particularly in the last 16 years, we did not shirk Mr Reddy’s vision.
We did not abandon the values and objectives of the Party that formed the basis of the foundation of the South Pacific’s oldest political party that will in three weeks celebrate 60 years of existence.
And Justice Jai Ram Reddy, the grandson of a Girmitiya, loomed larger than life, both in the history of NFP for almost 30 years of its existence in various capacities, including almost 20 years as its undisputed leader, as well as that of the Indo-Fijian community. He was the longest serving leader of the opposition.
Everybody rates the 1997 Constitution as Mr Reddy’s crowning achievement in politics. A Constitution that was internationally acclaimed, had a comprehensive Bill of Rights, provision for establishment of truly independent constitutional bodies and entrenchment of Group Rights.
The manner in which it was achieved was truly remarkable.
Justice Jai Ram Reddy as the then NFP and Opposition Leader and the then Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka joined hands to restore political equality, self-dignity, respect and justice.
But to me Mr Reddy’s crowning achievement was to unite Fiji. He was widely accepted and respected as a leader by all communities. He provided multi-ethnic statesmanship.
And this unequalled virtue of his political life shaped NFP’s vision, culminating into the Party becoming part of a Government.
A government led by Sitiveni Rabuka, who has time and again credited Mr Reddy for shaping his political ideologies.
And so far in the last 7 months, the coalition government’s actions of kindness, care, compassion and empathy for the people, as well as its firm resolve to repeal and change all draconian and regressive laws that eroded fundamental rights and freedoms including suppression of media freedom and free speech is exactly what Mr Reddy would have done to ensure equality, dignity and justice.
Mr Reddy announced in June 2001 that he was out of politics when asked by NFP stalwarts to lead the party into the August 2001 general elections.
Indeed, Mr Reddy had quit politics after the 1999 elections. He was appointed the President of Fiji Court of Appeal until he resigned after the then Army Commander Frank Bainimarama abrogated the 1997 Constitution in May 2000, 10 days after a coup. He was re-appointed as President of the Court of Appeal in January 2002 after the re-instatement of the 1997 Constitution and the 2001 elections.
He resigned in April 2003 after his appointment as a Judge by the United Nations on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
He served in this position for over 5 years until December 2008 and was one of the judges who presided over the main trial of a military officer to convict him of crimes against humanity because of his role in the genocide in Rwanda. He brought glory and fame to Fiji at a time when the nation was a shame and under dictartorship.
What Mr Reddy achieved wasn’t handed to him on a platter. It was a result of personal and financial sacrifice. At one time he was the principal lawyer of Fiji’s largest law firm of Stuart Reddy.
He sacrificed this in order to become a full-time Leader of the Opposition and devote all his time and energy into re-shaping Fiji’s political destiny.
His speech to warring TISI Sangam members in 1976 unified the people, making Sangam the largest and most powerful cultural organisation in Fiji. Unfortunately, a few elements tried to destroy the organisation because of self-interest but I am confident that the organisation will overcome this challenge.
Mr Reddy’s oratory and speeches were absolutely brilliant. He moved the Chiefs of the Bose Levu Vakaturaga or GCC to tears when he became the first Indo-Fijian leader to address them in June 1997 and they unanimously accepted the 1997 Constitution ahead of its unanimous passage in the House of Representatives.
To date, Mr Reddy’s historic and defining speech is still being used. It was quoted during the re-convening of the GCC in May this year.
As NFP Leader, I was accorded respect and highly appreciated when I attended the re-convening of the GCC on the chiefly island of Bau because of Justice Jai Ram Reddy.
Mr Reddy single-handedly identified people who believed in his vision to join the NFP. He convinced academics like Professor Wadan Narsey and I to become active politicians. He identified trade unionists like Attar Singh who became the general secretary of the party and also served as its Leader for the 2001 and 2006 general elections.
Mr Reddy’s vision made us with a few others who firmly believed in him and respected his sacrifice to ensure the NFP remained a viable and visionary political party during its darkest years from 1999 to 2014. We never let our detractors succeed in destroying the party despite the fact we were out of parliament.
And Mr Reddy encouraged us to keep flying the flag saying it was a short-term pain that would result in long-term gain not only for the party but the nation as a whole.
And tonight I can proudly say Justice Jai Ram Reddy was absolutely right. When I became Leader in Mach 2014 ahead of the elections in September, Mr Reddy visited the NFP Headquarters together with Mrs Reddy. His words of wisdom galvanized us into a group determined to ensure the party once again re-claimed its rightful place in parliament.
And so it did. With three seats in both the 2014 and 2018 elections, we painstakingly strengthened the party. And ahead of the party’s 60 years of political life, the NFP is in government.
This is what Mr Reddy wanted. He believed the NFP would play a significant role in making Fiji a land of hope and opportunity.
In a powerful speech in 1993, Mr Reddy as NFP and Leader of the Opposition, outlined his vision for Fiji and what it should be in 2020. He said and I quote:
“I offer a vision which sees this beloved land of ours united in its diversity, forged out of adversity and built on trust. I offer you a vision of Fiji of which historians will say that, in the midst of our tragedy, we found courage and wisdom, and foresight and determination, to lead the nation away from the precipice into a prosperous future. I can only hope that my vision for this most wonderful of nations will fulfil its promise. I can only pray that we who have the moment at hand will find the courage, the strength and the determination to let the past be past, and build a nation that will stand not just to 2020, but down through the centuries”. - unquote
Mr Reddy’s vision has not gone in vain.
30 years after Mr Reddy outlined his vision for Fiji, the NFP, as part of a coalition government, is building a nation that will fulfil its promise and lead to a prosperous future for all our people.
Good things are not achieved overnight. It will take time. But we will get there. We have to. We owe this to Justice Jai Ram Reddy. We will not let Mr Reddy’s selfless sacrifice go to waste.
Justice Jai Ram Reddy lives on….
We gather here tonight to reflect and remember a true son of Fiji and one of the finest statesmen of our nation, Honourable Justice Jai Ram Reddy.
Mr Reddy may not be amongst us in person. But his soul and spirit lives on. He was a giant amongst men.
His vision of a united, harmonious, politically stable, economically strong nation, where people of all races join hands in promoting and practicing fundamental freedoms and political rights without suppression, became a reality 23 years after people of Fiji rejected those virtues.
And both the National Federation and I are immensely proud that against all odds that prevailed since then, particularly in the last 16 years, we did not shirk Mr Reddy’s vision.
We did not abandon the values and objectives of the Party that formed the basis of the foundation of the South Pacific’s oldest political party that will in three weeks celebrate 60 years of existence.
And Justice Jai Ram Reddy, the grandson of a Girmitiya, loomed larger than life, both in the history of NFP for almost 30 years of its existence in various capacities, including almost 20 years as its undisputed leader, as well as that of the Indo-Fijian community. He was the longest serving leader of the opposition.
Everybody rates the 1997 Constitution as Mr Reddy’s crowning achievement in politics. A Constitution that was internationally acclaimed, had a comprehensive Bill of Rights, provision for establishment of truly independent constitutional bodies and entrenchment of Group Rights.
The manner in which it was achieved was truly remarkable.
Justice Jai Ram Reddy as the then NFP and Opposition Leader and the then Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka joined hands to restore political equality, self-dignity, respect and justice.
But to me Mr Reddy’s crowning achievement was to unite Fiji. He was widely accepted and respected as a leader by all communities. He provided multi-ethnic statesmanship.
And this unequalled virtue of his political life shaped NFP’s vision, culminating into the Party becoming part of a Government.
A government led by Sitiveni Rabuka, who has time and again credited Mr Reddy for shaping his political ideologies.
And so far in the last 7 months, the coalition government’s actions of kindness, care, compassion and empathy for the people, as well as its firm resolve to repeal and change all draconian and regressive laws that eroded fundamental rights and freedoms including suppression of media freedom and free speech is exactly what Mr Reddy would have done to ensure equality, dignity and justice.
Mr Reddy announced in June 2001 that he was out of politics when asked by NFP stalwarts to lead the party into the August 2001 general elections.
Indeed, Mr Reddy had quit politics after the 1999 elections. He was appointed the President of Fiji Court of Appeal until he resigned after the then Army Commander Frank Bainimarama abrogated the 1997 Constitution in May 2000, 10 days after a coup. He was re-appointed as President of the Court of Appeal in January 2002 after the re-instatement of the 1997 Constitution and the 2001 elections.
He resigned in April 2003 after his appointment as a Judge by the United Nations on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
He served in this position for over 5 years until December 2008 and was one of the judges who presided over the main trial of a military officer to convict him of crimes against humanity because of his role in the genocide in Rwanda. He brought glory and fame to Fiji at a time when the nation was a shame and under dictartorship.
What Mr Reddy achieved wasn’t handed to him on a platter. It was a result of personal and financial sacrifice. At one time he was the principal lawyer of Fiji’s largest law firm of Stuart Reddy.
He sacrificed this in order to become a full-time Leader of the Opposition and devote all his time and energy into re-shaping Fiji’s political destiny.
His speech to warring TISI Sangam members in 1976 unified the people, making Sangam the largest and most powerful cultural organisation in Fiji. Unfortunately, a few elements tried to destroy the organisation because of self-interest but I am confident that the organisation will overcome this challenge.
Mr Reddy’s oratory and speeches were absolutely brilliant. He moved the Chiefs of the Bose Levu Vakaturaga or GCC to tears when he became the first Indo-Fijian leader to address them in June 1997 and they unanimously accepted the 1997 Constitution ahead of its unanimous passage in the House of Representatives.
To date, Mr Reddy’s historic and defining speech is still being used. It was quoted during the re-convening of the GCC in May this year.
As NFP Leader, I was accorded respect and highly appreciated when I attended the re-convening of the GCC on the chiefly island of Bau because of Justice Jai Ram Reddy.
Mr Reddy single-handedly identified people who believed in his vision to join the NFP. He convinced academics like Professor Wadan Narsey and I to become active politicians. He identified trade unionists like Attar Singh who became the general secretary of the party and also served as its Leader for the 2001 and 2006 general elections.
Mr Reddy’s vision made us with a few others who firmly believed in him and respected his sacrifice to ensure the NFP remained a viable and visionary political party during its darkest years from 1999 to 2014. We never let our detractors succeed in destroying the party despite the fact we were out of parliament.
And Mr Reddy encouraged us to keep flying the flag saying it was a short-term pain that would result in long-term gain not only for the party but the nation as a whole.
And tonight I can proudly say Justice Jai Ram Reddy was absolutely right. When I became Leader in Mach 2014 ahead of the elections in September, Mr Reddy visited the NFP Headquarters together with Mrs Reddy. His words of wisdom galvanized us into a group determined to ensure the party once again re-claimed its rightful place in parliament.
And so it did. With three seats in both the 2014 and 2018 elections, we painstakingly strengthened the party. And ahead of the party’s 60 years of political life, the NFP is in government.
This is what Mr Reddy wanted. He believed the NFP would play a significant role in making Fiji a land of hope and opportunity.
In a powerful speech in 1993, Mr Reddy as NFP and Leader of the Opposition, outlined his vision for Fiji and what it should be in 2020. He said and I quote:
“I offer a vision which sees this beloved land of ours united in its diversity, forged out of adversity and built on trust. I offer you a vision of Fiji of which historians will say that, in the midst of our tragedy, we found courage and wisdom, and foresight and determination, to lead the nation away from the precipice into a prosperous future. I can only hope that my vision for this most wonderful of nations will fulfil its promise. I can only pray that we who have the moment at hand will find the courage, the strength and the determination to let the past be past, and build a nation that will stand not just to 2020, but down through the centuries”. - unquote
Mr Reddy’s vision has not gone in vain.
30 years after Mr Reddy outlined his vision for Fiji, the NFP, as part of a coalition government, is building a nation that will fulfil its promise and lead to a prosperous future for all our people.
Good things are not achieved overnight. It will take time. But we will get there. We have to. We owe this to Justice Jai Ram Reddy. We will not let Mr Reddy’s selfless sacrifice go to waste.
Justice Jai Ram Reddy lives on….
