Early Life and Migration

Ayodhya Prasad was born in the United Provinces of India in the early 20th century. Drawn by promises of
opportunity, he migrated to Fiji, where he joined the thousands of Indo-Fijians who had settled in the
cane fields after indenture ended in 1920. Like many, he found himself confronting the harsh realities of
sugar farming under the dominance of the CSR.

The Farmers’ Hardships

By the 1930s, Indo-Fijian farmers were locked into exploitative contracts with CSR. Rent, taxes, and
monopolistic purchasing practices left growers with little to survive on. Disputes over cane quality and
prices often ended in frustration, as farmers lacked bargaining power. These inequities formed the soil in
which Prasad’s activism would grow.

“We were the ones who cut the cane, yet we had no say in its price.”

Founding of the Kisan Sangh

In 1937, Ayodhya Prasad founded the Kisan Sangh — Fiji’s first farmers’ union. The name
itself, meaning “Farmers’ Association,” carried a powerful message of unity. The organisation quickly drew
support across Ba, Nadi, and Lautoka as farmers, for the first time, realised their collective bargaining
potential.

Campaigns and Negotiations

Prasad led strikes, petitions, and negotiations demanding fairer cane prices, transparent weighing systems,
and security of tenure for tenant farmers. His movement shook CSR’s dominance and forced the colonial
administration to recognise farmers’ grievances. By giving voice to the voiceless, he helped transform
Indo-Fijians from isolated cultivators into a political force.

Political Connections

Though primarily a farmers’ leader, Prasad’s activism intersected with Fiji’s wider politics. His work
influenced contemporaries like A.D. Patel and K.S. Reddy, who would carry the fight for farmers’ rights
into legislative arenas. The link between cane contracts and Indo-Fijian political mobilisation was
forged in his era.

Later Years

After the 1950s, Ayodhya Prasad’s influence declined as other leaders rose, and factionalism split the
farmers’ unions. Still, he remained respected as the original organiser who had lit the flame of
collective bargaining in Fiji’s cane belts.

Legacy

Ayodhya Prasad’s greatest achievement was showing farmers that unity was strength. By founding the Kisan
Sangh, he laid the foundation for decades of Indo-Fijian activism that tied farming to politics and labour
struggles. His work is remembered as the dawn of Indo-Fijian trade unionism.

References & Sources

Based on works by Brij V. Lal, Ahmed Ali, Fiji Times archives, and Kisan Sangh historical records.