Kunwar Bachint Singh | |
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Member of Legislative Council for Southern | |
In office 1932–1937 | |
Preceded by | Vishnu Deo |
Succeeded by | Vishnu Deo |
Nominated Indian Member of the Legislative Council | |
In office 1937–1947 | |
Member of the Executive Council | |
In office 1946–1947 | |
Personal details | |
Born | 1905 British India |
Died | 1979 Suva, Fiji |
Profession | Teacher |
Kunwar Bachint Singh OBE[1] (1905 – 1979) was an Indo-Fijian teacher and politician. He arrived in Fiji in 1927 as a teacher for the Arya Samaj but his association with Vishnu Deo led him to play an active role in aggressively promoting the Arya Samaj and finally into politics. He was elected into the Legislative Council as a protégé of Vishnu Deo but after the election took an independent stance opposed to the wishes of the majority of the Indo-Fijians. He supported nominated rather than elected representation, actively supported the war effort and even attempted to set up a farmers union opposed to a number of existing unions. The Government rewarded him for his loyalty by nominating him into the Legislative Council three times, appointing him as a Justice of the Peace and as the first Indo-Fijian member of the Executive Council.