Background
Kuppuswami the son of Govind Swamy Naidu was born in the village of Konoor, Tamil Nadu, India in 1890.
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Sadhu Kuppuswami
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Career
At the end of his indenture period Kuppuswami Naidu, took up the cause of the South Indians in Fiji. He gave up worldly pleasures, taking up the life of a sadhu (holy man). He was a devotee of Swami Vivekananda, Ramana Maha Rishi, Ramalinga Swamigal and Rama Krishna Paramahamsa.
He was awarded the title "Sevaka Ratnam" in 1941
He was literate in Tamil and Telugu and was a police officer in India.
He arrived in Fiji on 12 April 1912 as an indentured labourer, abroad the Sutlej III. He served his five years of indenture in Tavua. On becoming a “free man” he tried cane farming but soon gave it up to join the Melbourne Trust Company in Rakiraki as a two-horse ploughman.
He came from a simple middle class community of Kamma Caste. At Rakiraki, he met T.A.J. Pillai, a court clerk, and stayed with his family while teaching Tamil to local children.
During the influenza epidemic of 1918, Sadhu Swami did a lot of relief work by transporting the sick to hospital.
He was also impressed with efforts by Vashist Muni to improve the plight of Fiji Indian farmers and workers. On 10 January 1926, while celebrating the birth of Swami Vivekananda in Rakiraki, attended by people of all districts, the idea of forming a South Indian organisation was proposed. On 24 May 1926, at a meeting in Nadi, the Then India Sanmargya Ikya Sangam (TISI Sangam) was formed with Sadhu Swami as its first President.
After the formation of the Sangam, Sadhu Swami and other like minded people, travelled throughout Fiji, setting up schools and temples.
Swami Avinashananda was replaced by Swami Rudrananda who had great influence in Fiji’s religious, cane farming and political activities. After many years of dedicated service, Sadhu Swami was honoured with the title of Sevaka Rathnam (Jewel of Service) in 1941 by the TISI Sangam.
He died suddenly on 2 August 1956. His remains were interred at the Sri Siva Subramaniya temple in Nadi.
