Tulsi Ram Sharma
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Tulsi Ram Sharma | |
|---|---|
| Member of Legislative Council (Fiji) for North Western Indian Division | |
| In office 1950–1953 | |
| Preceded by | A. D. Patel |
| Succeeded by | Ayodhya Prasad |
| Personal details | |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Tulsi Ram Sharma MBE was the first Indo-Fijian to qualify as a lawyer. He served one term as member of the Legislative Council and three terms as the President of Fiji Indian Football Association. He was one of the founding members of the Maha Sangh, but his association with farmers' union was short-lived. In 1941 he was appointed to Central Indian War Committee, formed by the Government to enlist the support of Indians to the war effort.
After completing his law degree, Tulsi Ram started practising in Lautoka. In 1950, the two main organisations active in politics in the sugar cane growing districts of Fiji were the farmers’ unions, Kisan Sangh and Maha Sangh. A. D. Patel was the incumbent for the North West Indian Division[1] and had the support of Maha Sangh while the preferred candidate for Kisan Sangh was Ayodhya Prasad. When Tulsi Ram also put up his nomination, Ayodhya Prasad withdrew in his favour as he did not want to split the anti-Patel votes. With the support of the Kisan Sangh, Tulsi Ram won the election by 2340 votes to 1850 votes. After the election Tulsi Ram declared his neutrality as he wanted both farmers’ unions to work together. The Kisan Sangh withdrew its support for Tulsi Ram and he was destined to be a one-term member of the Legislative Council.