Parmanand Singh was born on 1905 and was one of the three Indo-Fijians elected to the Legislative Council of Fiji in October 1929 when Indo-Fijians were given the first opportunity to elect their own representatives.
10 Facts About Parmanand Singh
1.
2.
Parmanand Singh was born in Yalalevu in the Ba District of Fiji in 1905.
3.
Parmanand Singh's parents had come to Fiji as indentured labourers and prospered in the opportunities available after indenture.
4.
Parmanand Singh was educated at Auckland College, graduating in 1923.
5.
Parmanand Singh won easily with the support of Deo and the Arya Samaj, an organisation to which most educated Fiji Indians belonged.
6.
Parmanand Singh was opposed to the immigration of Punjabis and Gujaratis, a cause later taken up by his brother, Chattur Singh who was later a member of the Legislative Council.
7.
Parmanand Singh saw opportunities in the printing industry and established a printing press in Ba, which he used to publish a newspaper, Awaaz in the Hindi language.
8.
Parmanand Singh was unable to keep the newspaper in circulation due to a natural disaster and poor staff.
9.
Parmanand Singh then moved to Lautoka and in 1956, started publishing another newspaper, Jai Fiji, which remained in circulation until 1980.
10.
The family involvement in Fijian politics has continued with his son, Anand Parmanand Singh, serving in the House of Representatives and Senate and as the Attorney General of Fiji in the Fiji Labour Party government of Mahendra Chaudhry from 1999 to 2000.