Fiji’s Former Prime Minister Shri Mahendra Pal Chaudhry receives the Pravasi Bhartiya Samman Award-2004
The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Overseas Indian Affairs, Shri Jagdish Tytler, handed over the Pravasi Bhartiya Samman Award (PBSA)-2004 to Shri Mahendra Pal Chaudhry, Member of Parliament and former Prime Minister, Fiji, who is currently on a private visit to India. The award was given at the Minister’s office in South Block at a simple ceremony here today.
The PBSA is conferred on Non-Resident Indians and Persons of Indian Origin who have distinguished themselves in a particular area and made outstanding contribution towards fostering better understanding of India and her interests abroad.
For 2004, there were 12 Award winners including Shri Chaudhry. He was not able to attend the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas-2004 at New Delhi last January and was, therefore, unable to collect this award.
The Secretary, Overseas Indian Affairs, Shri S. Krishna Kumar read the following citation on the occasion:
"Shri Mahendra Pal Chaudhry ia Member of Parliament in Fiji and the leader of the Fiji Labour Party. Before coming into active public life, he worked in the office of the Auditor General of Fiji. In 1975, he resigned from the job to take up a full time position of General Secretary of Fiji Public Service Association. He has a long and distinguished career in trade union movement and is credited with initiating measures that relate to pay and working conditions in the public service. He has also been a member of statutory boards like the Fiji National Training Council.
Shri Chaudhry’s is a remarkable political career. He was the founder member of Fiji Labour Party and was elected to the House of Representatives in 1987 when he was made the Finance Minister. In 1992 and 1994 he was elected to the House of Representatives as Member of Ba West Indian Constituency. Since 1992 he has held charge of the Parliamentary Leader and the Secretary General of the Fiji Labour Party. In 1999 he rose to the position of the Prime Minister of Fiji. He was re-elected to the Parliament in 2001 and is awaiting a court ruling on his constitutional right as leader of the Fiji Labour Party to be included in the Government under power sharing requirement as required by the constitution of Fiji.
Shri Chaudhry is recognised for his service in the cause of the Diaspora and for promoting Indian values, culture and tradition abroad."
(Release ID :4359)