Swami Rudrananda
Encyclopedia
Swami Rudrananda was born in Tamil Nadu
, India
in March 1901. He was sent to Fiji
by the Ramakrishna Mission
, in 1939, to assist the Then India Sanmarga Ikya (T.I.S.I.) Sangam in its religious and cultural activities. Swami Rudrananda consolidated and expanded the activities of T.I.S.I. Sangam based at Sangam Ashram in Nadi
. He acquired properties for Sangam. These included freehold land at Savusavu
(130 acres) and Madhuvani, Rakiraki
(1037 acres). The Sangam Sarada Printing Press was started, on 15 August 1948, to cope with the educational needs of the community at large. Publications like Sangam in Tamil
, Pacific Review in English
, Jagriti in Hindi
, and Na Pacifica in Fijian
were published and circulated to give vent to the voice of the Indian community as a whole.
Although Rudrananda had initially refused to take part in union or political activities, he worked with A.D. Patel
to help found the Maha Sangh
. During the 1943 strike, the Government restricted his movements and there were calls for his deportation to India. He also remained an active member of the Federation Party
.
In 1951, Rudrananda attempted to amalgamate the Sangam and Ramakrishna Mission into a single organisation. This was seen by some South Indians as an attempt by the Mission to take over the assets of the Sangam. There was widespread protest, although the founder of the Sangam, Sadhu Kuppuswami
, supported Rudrananda. A compromise was reached when the Sri Vivekananda High School was transferred to the Mission and the Sangam ran its own schools.
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in March 1901. He was sent to Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
by the Ramakrishna Mission
Ramakrishna Mission
Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission are twin organizations which form the core of a worldwide spiritual movement known as Ramakrishna Movement or Vedanta Movement. The Ramakrishna Mission is a philanthropic, volunteer organization founded by Ramakrishna's chief disciple Swami Vivekananda on...
, in 1939, to assist the Then India Sanmarga Ikya (T.I.S.I.) Sangam in its religious and cultural activities. Swami Rudrananda consolidated and expanded the activities of T.I.S.I. Sangam based at Sangam Ashram in Nadi
Nadi
Nadi is the third-largest conurbation in Fiji. It is located on the western side of the main island of Viti Levu, and had a population of 42,284 at the most recent census, in 2007. Nadi is multiracial with many of its inhabitants Indian or Fijian, along with a large transient population of foreign...
. He acquired properties for Sangam. These included freehold land at Savusavu
Savusavu
Savusavu is a town in the Fijian Province of Cakaudrove. The town is located on the south coast of Vanua Levu Island and had a population of 3,372 in the 2007 census.Savusavu is known as "the hidden paradise of Fiji."- Geography :...
(130 acres) and Madhuvani, Rakiraki
Rakiraki
Rakiraki is a district in Fiji's Ra Province. It is located about halfway between Suva and Nadi when travelling along the Kings Road, on the northern coast of Viti Levu, Fiji's largest island....
(1037 acres). The Sangam Sarada Printing Press was started, on 15 August 1948, to cope with the educational needs of the community at large. Publications like Sangam in Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
, Pacific Review in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Jagriti in Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
, and Na Pacifica in Fijian
Fijian language
Fijian is an Austronesian language of the Malayo-Polynesian family spoken in Fiji. It has 450,000 first-language speakers, which is less than half the population of Fiji, but another 200,000 speak it as a second language...
were published and circulated to give vent to the voice of the Indian community as a whole.
Although Rudrananda had initially refused to take part in union or political activities, he worked with A.D. Patel
A.D. Patel
Ambalal Dahyabhai Patel, better known as A.D. Patel, was a Fiji Indian politician, farmers' leader and founder and leader of the National Federation Party. Patel was uncompromisingly committed to a vision of an independent Fiji, with full racial integration...
to help found the Maha Sangh
Maha Sangh
Akhil Fiji Krishak Maha Sangh was a sugar cane farmers' union formed on 15 June 1941 in opposition to the existing union, the Kisan Sangh. Supporters of Kisan Sangh tried to stop the formation of the Maha Sangh but were unsuccessful. The people responsible for the formation of a second sugar cane...
. During the 1943 strike, the Government restricted his movements and there were calls for his deportation to India. He also remained an active member of the Federation Party
National Federation Party (Fiji)
The National Federation Party is a Fijian political party founded by A.D. Patel in November 1968, as a merger of the Federation Party and the National Democratic Party...
.
In 1951, Rudrananda attempted to amalgamate the Sangam and Ramakrishna Mission into a single organisation. This was seen by some South Indians as an attempt by the Mission to take over the assets of the Sangam. There was widespread protest, although the founder of the Sangam, Sadhu Kuppuswami
Sadhu Kuppuswami
Sadhu Kuppuswami was a Fiji Indian who inspired South Indians in Fiji to have pride in their culture and language and was instrumental in the establishment of the Sangam organisation in Fiji. At the end of his indenture period Kuppuswami Naidu, took up the cause of the South Indians in Fiji. He...
, supported Rudrananda. A compromise was reached when the Sri Vivekananda High School was transferred to the Mission and the Sangam ran its own schools.