FOUNDER
and PATRON SAINT 
SEVAKA RATNAM SADHU KUPPU SWAMY
The
South Indians are said to be the late arrivals. The
first lot of them arrived around August 1903 in
the ship ELBE III, thence forth others followed till
1917. It was during this period that a young man aged
22 years was lured by the hiring agents to consent
to leave his motherland and venture into the unknown.
Perhaps it was fate, destiny or the good fortune
of the South Indians who had preceded him that
this noble soul should abandon his Police duties and
agree to come to this unknown place. Who was this
noble soul? He was none other than our Patron Saint
Sevaka Ratnam Sadhu Kuppu
Swamy.
Of
course he was only plain Kuppu Swamy the son of Govind Swamy Naidu. He was
born in a small village called Konoor which is near Villupuram some 103
Kilometers South of Madras City. His father, an Orthodox South Indian, ensured
that his son was given the best to develop his knowledge of South -Indian
religion, culture and art in his mother tongue Tamil from a young age. It is
believed that he came from a simple middle class community of Balija Caste.
He
arrived in Fiji as an indentured labourer or girmitiya on 12th April, 1912 in
the ship SUTLEJ III and was assigned to serve his 5 year term at Yalandro in
Tavua. While serving his term he observed the atrocities, meated out to his
fellow men and women alike in the cane farms by the white masters and their
stooges, the Indian Sirdars who would stoop to do anything to please their white
masters to gain personal favours. The daily occurrence of such cruelty caused
very grave concern to this young person who had served as a police man back in
Madras. His heart bled for his fellow men and he began to formulate ideas as to
what he could do to help ease the very tough conditions faced by the girmitiyas
He observed that one of the major factors that caused the grief was the
inability of the people to communicate, since the white men knew only English
and had picked up a bit of Hindi from the early arrivals from the North who were
mostly Hindi or Urdu speakers, thus making Hindi the lingua franca for the
Estate Managers, Overseers, Sirdars, the Courts and other Commercial Centres.
This made life of the South Indians who knew no other language but their mother
tongue very difficult and hence suffered the most. They were not allowed to pray
or worship in their own traditional ways. The only religious occasions
recognized by the "Masters" were Phagua for Hindus and Muharram for
Muslims both alien to the Hindu South Indians.
After
completing his indenture period Kuppu Swami acquired a piece of land in Tavua
and began farming but gave it up in a very short time and began to work for the
Melbourne Company as a double horse ploughman. At this point in time, Mr T.A.J.
Pillay who had been encouraging the South Indian groups to conduct their prayers
and bhajans began to face greater problems between the two factions, the
Saivites led by Kadirvelu Mudaliar and the Vaishnuvites led by Gopal Mudaliar.
Mr Pillay had to intervene and settle their dispute. He was looking for some one
stronger and with higher authority than himself on the issue of South Indian
religion and culture when he was told about a Yogi and Saint. He at once sent
for him and offered to accept him as his "Guru" and invited him to
come and live with him as one of the family members in his care. However when
the offer was refused by this yogi, Mr Pillay threatened to resign and go and
live with him. The yogi then very reluctantly accepted the offer, resigned as
ploughman and moved to live with Mr Pillay for twenty years, the first ten
years, continuously and the second off and on.
Towards
the end of 1922, Mr TA J Pillay organized a 48 days Shiva Puran Katha meeting at
Mr K.S. Raman's house near Vaileka Creek. The two rival parties of Kadirvelu
Mudaliar and Gopal Mudaliar took active part in bhajans, lectures and recital of
Shiva Puran followed by the distribution of Prasad am where all the poor of the
district were fed. A very prominent businessman, Mr M.N.Naidu was also present
during the last ten days of the Shiva Puran Katha. It was at the end of this
celebration and in the wake of the long prayer meeting, there was a suggestion
by the elders that a society should be formed for the welfare and reformation of
the handicapped South Indians. But the thought was put on hold to allow time to
consult the leaders from other districts. Further the untimely death of Mr
Pillays wife Papamma in 1922 came as a rude shock not only to Mr Pillay but also
to our saintly Swami, who lived with them Swamiji's concern for Mr Pillay was
immeasurable. He fasted for a week, and the formation of the Society for the
South Indians was further delayed Swamiji as Mr Pillay's Guru advised him to go
to India for the Dharshan of Bhagwan Ramana Maharishi to gain consolation at
this irreparable loss of his beloved wife Mr Pillay left his five children under
Swamiji's care and left for India on a years leave. Swami Ji was a great devotee
of Bhagwan Ramana Maharishi, Sri Ram Krishna Paramahamsa, Swami Vivekananda,
Ramalinga Swamigal and Mhatma Gandhi whose footsteps he emulated in his life. In
February 1926 there was a meeting to celebrate the birth of Ramkrishna
Pramahamsa at RakiRaki arranged through the efforts of Sadhu Swami. People from
as many districts as possible were invited. It was at a meeting held at the end
of the celebrations the formation of the Society was discussed once again. It
was then decided that they would convene another meeting at Nadi Temple to form
the Organisation.
It was the late Mr Narain Swamy Naidu, popularly known as Mr M.N. Naidu
who was born in Tenkasi in the Tirunelveli District of South India had first
come to Fiji in 1907 and was now residing in Lautoka as a wealthy merchant
(businessman with a chain of shops from Nadi to Ba) was asked to convene this
very important conference of the South Indians from all the districts. This four
day conference was held from 21 st to 24th May 1926, where the THEN INDIA
SANMARGA IKY A SANGAM was formally inaugurated by the South Indian Stalwarts,
our late fore-fathers They elected our humble Sadhu Swami as their first and
life long President, with our late Mr M.N. Naidu as a Vice President, and Mr TAJ
Pillay as the first General Secretary and Nadi was chosen as the Head Quarters
of Sangam.
There
after Sadhu Swami was no more a resident of Raki Raki but was on the move
through out the country inspiring the South Indians in building their schools
and temples to preserve their language and culture but open to people of all
caste and creed He attracted stalwarts of the South Indian Community, throughout
the Country, who helped to build Sangam into perhaps one the mosl dynamic and
powerful non-government Organisation in Fiji playing a very vital role in the
Social, cultural and educational development of the country as a whole Today
TISI Sangam operates 21 Primary and 5 Secondary Schools through out the Country
and has produced in thousands qualified professionals in the various vocational
fields. The first Sangam School was started in Raki Raki in Mr KS Ramans bure
followed by the one in Nadi. Hindus, Muslims and Christians of South Indian
origin banded together to render assistance Sangam began to flourish to the envy
of many. People like late Mr M.N. Naidu and others donated generously in cash
and kind One of the indefatigable stalwart of Sangam was Maulana Hasrat Basha
who graced the occasion of the opening of the Sangam School at Raki Raki on
August 31st, 1930.
Sadhu
Swami, lean and skeletal, but a Saint and Yogi, of the Gandhian type, clad in a
white dhoti, a white "T' Shirt and a white shawl with his inevitable black
umbrella continued with his toil mostly walking barefoot sometimes travelling in
what ever came his way from place to place spreading the Gospel of Sangam from
house to house, settlement to settlement, village to village and town to town.
He was most welcome in every home, so much so that many families had a new set
of his most favourite clothes to change if he chose to spend the night with
them. It was thus our Patrom Saint served his fellow men whose sorrow, indignity
and humility he witnessed in the cane fields of Yalandro during his girmit
period.
Therefore
it was only fitting that our Sangam Stalwarts of the day should recognize his
selfless service to Sangam as its life long PRESIDENT and honoured him by
bestowing upon him the Title "SEVAKA RATNAM" at the Annual General
Meeting held on 12th and 13th April 1941 and also acclaiming his very close
associate and colleque in Sangam Mr M.N.Naidu as "DANA VEER" for his
philanthropy and exceptionally liberal donations to Sangam.
It
is with very deep sorrow and breaking heart we had to witness our patron Saint,
the founding father of Sangam, Sevek Ratnam Sadhu Swamy, after presiding at his
last Annual General Meeting of Sangam held at Lovu Sangam School in June 1956,
becoming ill and after being admitted to Nadi Hospital for a very brief period
entered the eternal immortal garden of the Lord relinquishing his mortal body,
the remains of which are still with us in his special shrine at the new Sri Siva
Subramanya Swami Temple compound. Although our Patron Saint is no longer with us
in physical form. I am sure his spirit is all around us and with those who
dedicated themselves to serve the cause of Sangam. May his soul rest in peace
and continue to guide us, his children, to further advance the noble cause of
selfless service to mankind.
