Indian Imperial Association (1911–1920)

A voice from the cane fields. Born in 1911 amid disaster and injustice, the I.I.A. became the first organised Indo-Fijian voice to demand dignity and rights.

Origins

Formed after a cyclone devastated the Central Division in 1911, the British Indian Association (later the Indian Imperial Association) gathered pioneers such as J.P. Maharaj, Totaram Sanadhya and Ram Singh. At its inaugural Suva meeting chaired by Shriyut Rupram, they listed grievances and authorised Sanadhya to write to Mahatma Gandhi — a plea that led to barrister Manilal Doctor arriving in 1912 to represent the community.

Milestones

Renamed the Indian Imperial Association in 1918 under Manilal’s leadership, it pressed for fair marriage laws, representation in the legislature and an end to capital punishment. Its advocacy helped bring humanitarian C.F. Andrews to investigate indenture abuses. In casework, the I.I.A. won freedom for Viraswamy, an educated recruit forced into field labour. On 26 December 1919, a landmark Suva Town Hall conference resolved on better schools, wages and land access — and expressed solidarity with India’s freedom struggle.

Legacy

Though it collapsed in 1920 after Manilal’s deportation, the I.I.A. proved Indo-Fijians could organise across caste and creed. Its campaigns hastened the end of indenture and seeded a political identity that later birthed unions and parties.

Did You Know?

  • The I.I.A.’s appeal to Gandhi led directly to Manilal Doctor’s arrival (1912), giving Indo-Fijians their first Indian legal advocate.
  • In 1919 the I.I.A. welcomed Lord Jellicoe “on behalf of all Indians”, asserting community representation.
  • Its 1919 resolutions backed India’s independence and equal rights for Fiji Indians — decades ahead of their time.

Sources

  • Wikipedia — Indian Imperial Association (Fiji)
  • Totaram Sanadhya, My Twenty-One Years in the Fiji Islands

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