“Sewak Ratnam” Sadhu Kuppuswamy
31-Jul-2009

LIVES of all great men help us to make our life sublime because as they pass on into unknown they have left “footprints” on the sands of time. This is not less true in respect of Sewak Ratnam Sadhu Kuppuswamy.

Sadhu Kuppuswamy had no kith and kin. The whole world was his. The South Indians were greatly fortunate to have a person on his calibre who could produce light from the world of darkness in Fiji. In 1920 Sadhu Basisth Muni arrived from India to Fiji and the Saint showed the spiritual path to Sadhu Kuppuswamy. Sadhu Kuppuswamy followed his foot steps and served the people of Fiji. After 28 years of campaign and toil and turf he established the Sangam organisation for betterment and upliftment of Indian community.

In case of Sadhu Kuppuswamy most conspicuous force was life of service to community through intense love, sincerity of purpose and above all a very simple and plain mode of living.

Only through these he was successful on his mission to uplift the masses by life-long
campaign against illiteracy with unflinching devotion to the sacred cause. This was the key note of his greatness that he was entitled “Sewak Ratnam” and eventually honoured as “Father of Then India Sanmarga Ikya Sangam – an outstanding organisation of South
Indians settled in Fiji Islands. Sadhu Kuppuswamy was a product of the Victorian era.

Sadhu Kuppuswamy was one of those few who renounced everything and dedicated their lives to accomplish something good and great for those who had chosen Fiji as the country of adoption.

Sadhu Kuppuswamy son of Govind Swamy Naidu, was an ex-policeman from Madras (now Chennai).

Although his mother tongue was Telugu he was very well versed in Tamil language.

Sadhu Kuppuswamy was a devotee of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Swami Vivekananda and their teachings. As a South Indian he also cherished the two South Indian Saints namely Sri Ramana Maharshi and Ramalinga Swamigal popularly known as Vallalar.

Sadhu Kuppuswamy came from Madras (now Chennai) to Fiji at the age of 22 in Sutlej III on April 27, 1912. He was assigned to Yalandro, Tavua in the Estate of E.D. Francis to work as an indentured labourer.

Sadhu Kuppuswamy completed his five years of indenture at Yalandro Tavua. Later Sadhu Kuppuswamy met one Rama Swamy Gounder also known as Rama Swamy Wattier at Raviravi.

Sadhu Kuppuswamy was very much impressed with his conversation and he made him his guru.

From Tavua Sadhu Kuppuswamy moved to Rakiraki and started working in Melbourne Trust Company at Penang Mill, Ra, for five years. In those days the only religious observance by Indian community recognised were Holi Festival (Phagua) for Hindus and Moharram for Muslims.

Sadhu Kuppuswamy moved to Mullau Estate in Ra owned by K. S. Raman and built a bure of eight fathams for him to reside and teach children vernacular.

While at Mullau, Ra in his prayer place he kept photos of god and goddesses of Hindu Pantheon and called it “Sangam” means union of god and goddesses.

The world Sangam started from this place by Sadhu Kuppuswamy and later spread throughout
Fiji.

The South Indians suffered the most. They could not offer prayers or worship in their own traditional way. In the dark days of indenture and the hard days that followed, the Indian community lacked facilities for educating their children. Sadhuji felt the need for an organisation for the educational and cultural advancement of the backward community.

More than that he felt the urgent need for the spiritual regeneration of the Indians almost cut of from their moorings.

A committee already formed headed by Nagaiya as Chairman, Gopal Mudaliar as secretary with Committee Member namely Narain Nair, K.S. Raman, Karupan, Kuppuswamy, Appa Swamy and Dorswamy Mudaliar planned to celebrate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda and gave birth to the South Indian Organisation and invited the South Indians throughout Viti Levu at K.S. Raman’s residence.

An inaugural meeting of the South Indian Community was convened at the residence of K.

S. Raman at Vaileka, under the chairmanship of Goru Appal Swamy on January 10, 1926 after celebratingh the Swami Vivekananda Jayanti and gave birth to “Then Indian Sanmarga Ikya Sangam” with its motto (love, light and faith) under the chairmanship of Goru Appal Swamy.

Another meeting was convened at Nadi Temple by M.N. Naidu (M. Narain Swamy Naidu) inviting all the people throughout Fiji. On May 24, 1926 Sadhu Kuppuswamy was unanimously elected as the first president of Then India Sanmarga Ikya Sangam.

He served for a year only. In 1936 he was re-elected again as president and remained there till his demise. He died on August 2, 1956.

Sadhu Swamy, as he was known by the people was a soft spoken person.

He was lean and skeletal, but a Saint and yogi of the Gandhian type. He didn’t posses any property.

He was residing at Nadi Ashram which was donated by M.N. Naidu in memory of his adopted daughter Sitamma to Then India Samarga Ikya Sangam and later it changed hands to Sri Ramakrishna Mission.

Sadhu Swamy wore a white round neck singlet and a white dhoti wrapped around his body.

Wherever he went he carried an umbrella in one hand and in another hand Bhagavad Gita wrapped in cloth.

He never carried any cloth but people who were close to him kept a pair of clothes for him. He never carried any money as well.

No distance was too long for him to walk. No track was rough for him to tread. No door was barred against him. Thus he carved for himself a niche in the heart of all his Gandhian simplicity, saintly life and selfless silent work in Fiji for over three decades.

On September 26, 1952 on Sri Durga Puja Day a Branch of Sri Ramakrishna Mission was formally established in Nadi and Sadhu Kuppuswamy was elected as its Vice President.

Sadhu Kuppuswamy’s high sense of duty was admirable. The organisation was founded to establish harmony and love among all sections, and the society can survive only if it builds up moral and spiritual energy and eschew all hatred and violence. Thus did the great patriot taught and practiced.

Sadhu Kuppuswamy passed away at Nadi Hospital on Thursday, August 2, 1956 after a life of 44 years in Fiji. He led the life of celibacy throughout and he had all the qualities of a saint in him. It is a wonder that in their era of Kaliyug he had evolved of world of Satyug.

Sadhuji has gone to eternal rest after seeing his ideals materialised. His first work was to spread education among Indian children and second was to bring Ramakrishna Mission in Fiji.

Swami Rudrananda saw that Sadhu Kuppuswamy did meritorious work in his life time and his birth date was not known so August 2 every year was kept in the Sangam Calendar as “Sadhu Swamy Day” to be observed in Sangam Schools throughout Fiji. This date commenced from 1961 and from that till today Sadhu Swamy Day had been organised annually.

Sadhu Kuppuswamy lived with the motto “hating none and loving all”. After the demise of Sadhu Kuppuswamy the Indian community had lost a spiritual guidance, the Ramakrishna Mission’s ardent devotee and Fiji’s great (Karma Yogi) or selfless worker.

Sadhu Kuppuswamy’s services to the people of Fiji for three decades shall form an indelible mark on our country’s history.