Brij Vilash Lal , OF (21 August 1952 – 25 December 2021) was an

Indo-Fijian Indo-Fijians or Indian-Fijians (also known as Fiji Indians) are Fijian citizens of Indian descent, and include people who trace their ancestry to various regions of the Indian subcontinent.Girmit by Suresh Prasad Although Indo-Fijians constitu ...

historian who wrote about the Pacific region and the

Indian indenture system The Indian indenture system was a system of indentured servitude, by which more than one million Indians were transported to labour in European colonies, as a substitute for slave labor, following the abolition of the trade in the early 19th c ...

. A harsh critic of the Bainimarama government, which originated in the

military coup A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

of 2006 and retained power in the

2014 elections The following elections occurred in the year 2014. * 2014 United Nations Security Council election 16 October 2014 Africa * 2014 Algerian presidential election 17 April 2014 * 2014 Botswana general election 24 October 2014 * 2014 Comorian presi ...

, he lived in exile in Australia.

Early life

Lal was born in 1952 in Tabia,

Labasa Labasa (pronounced ) is a town in Fiji with a population of 27,949 at the most recent census held in 2007. Labasa is located in Macuata Province, in the north-eastern part of the island of Vanua Levu, and is the largest town on the island. T ...

on the northern island of

Vanua Levu Vanua Levu (pronounced ), formerly known as Sandalwood Island, is the second largest island of Fiji. Located to the north of the larger Viti Levu, the island has an area of and a population of 135,961 . Geology Fiji lies in a tectonically ...

, Fiji to illiterate parents. His paternal grandfather was a North Indian indentured sugar cane farmer in Fiji, known as a 'girmitya', - the focus of Lal's early academic research. He completed an

undergraduate degree An undergraduate degree (also called first degree or simply degree) is a colloquial term for an academic degree earned by a person who has completed undergraduate courses. In the United States, it is usually offered at an institution of higher e ...

in history at the

University of the South Pacific The University of the South Pacific (USP) is a public research university with locations spread throughout a dozen countries in Oceania. Established in 1968, the university is organised as an intergovernmental organisation and is owned by the go ...

. He went on to do an MA (1976) at the

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks among the top thre ...

and a PhD (1980) at the

Australian National University The Australian National University (ANU) is a public research university located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton encompasses seven teaching and research colleges, in addition to several national academies an ...

Academic career

Lal was professor of Pacific and Asian History at the School of Culture, History and Language at

from 1990 until his retirement in 2015, when he was appointed an Emeritus Professor. He previously taught at the

University of Hawaii at Manoa A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...

from 1983 to 1990. He also lectured at

in Suva and at the

University of Papua New Guinea The University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) is a university located in Port Moresby, capital of Papua New Guinea. It was established by ordinance of the Australian administration in 1965. This followed the Currie Commission which had enquired ...

. He held visiting positions at the

and the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a public collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world's third oldest surviving university and one of its most pr ...

, and served as head of the Centre for Diasporic Studies at the

University of Fiji The University of Fiji is a university based in Saweni, Lautoka, Fiji. It was established in December 2004 under academic leadership of the Fiji Institute of Applied Studies and financial sponsorship of the Arya Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji, a Hi ...

. Among his many books are an autobiography, ''Mr Tulsi's Store: A Fijian Journey'' (2001), which was named a "Notable" book by the

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

-based

Kiriyama Prize The Kiriyama Prize was an international literary award awarded to books about the Pacific Rim and South Asia. Its goal was to encourage greater understanding among the peoples and nations of the region. Established in 1996, the prize was last awa ...

in 2002. He was also the author of ''Chalo Jahaji: On a journey through indenture in Fiji'' (2000) and editor of ''Bittersweet: The Indo-Fijian Experience'' (2004), the latter two recounting the history of the trials and triumphs of the

community. He was the Editor of the ''

Journal of Pacific History A journal, from the Old French ''journal'' (meaning "daily"), may refer to: *Bullet journal, a method of personal organization *Diary, a record of what happened over the course of a day or other period *Daybook, also known as a general journal, a ...

'' and the Founding Editor of the literary journal, ''

Conversations Conversation is interactive communication between two or more people. The development of conversational skills and etiquette is an important part of socialization. The development of conversational skills in a new language is a frequent focus ...

''.

Honours

Lal was elected a fellow of the

Australian Academy of the Humanities The Australian Academy of the Humanities was established by Royal Charter in 1969 to advance scholarship and public interest in the humanities in Australia. It operates as an independent not-for-profit organisation partly funded by the Australia ...

(FAHA) in 1996. On 1 January 2001 he was awarded an Australian Centenary Medal "for service to Australian society and the humanities in the study of Pacific history". Lal was made an Officer of the

Order of Fiji The Order of Fiji is the highest honour of the Fijian honours system. Established 1 March 1995, the order is presented for achievement and merit to Fiji and mankind as a whole. The order is divided into a general division and military division, ...

(OF) in 1998, following his role on the 1995 Fijian Constitution Review Committee. Lal was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the

2015 Queen's Birthday Honours (Australia) The Queen's Birthday Honours 2015 for Australia were announced on 8 June 2015 by the Governor-General, Sir Peter Cosgrove.

"for significant service to education, through the preservation and teaching of Pacific history, as a scholar, author and commentator". He was honoured by the Fiji Millennium Committee for distinguished scholarship, and was also named as one of the seventy people who helped shape Fiji's history in the 20th century.

Political engagement

In the 1990s, Lal served as the nominee of the Leader of the opposition,

Jai Ram Reddy Jai Ram Reddy, CF (12 May 1937 – 29 August 2022) was an Indo-Fijian politician, who had a distinguished career in both the legislative and judicial branches of the Fijian government. In 1998, he received Fiji's highest honour, the Companion ...

on the three-member Constitutional Review Commission, whose work culminated in the adoption of the 1997 Constitution in 1997-1998. Lal condemned the

Military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

coup d'état A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, m ...

which deposed the government of

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

Laisenia Qarase Laisenia Qarase (pronounced ; 4 February 1941 – 21 April 2020) was a Fijian politician. He served as the sixth Prime Minister of Fiji from 2000 to 2006. After the military quashed the coup that led to the removal of Mahendra Chaudhry, Qarase ...

on 5 December 2006.

Fiji Live ''Fijilive'' is an online newspaper and business and cultural directory in Fiji. The site is owned by the Future Group of Companies owned by Fiji entrepreneur Yashwant Gaunder. ''Fijilive'' is one of Fiji's largest websites. The site rose to ...

quoted him as saying on 7 December that the coup was not different in essence from the two coups staged by

Sitiveni Rabuka Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka, (; born 13 September 1948) is a Fijian politician who has served as Prime Minister of Fiji since 24 December 2022. He was the instigator of two military coups in 1987. He was democratically elected as Prime Minist ...

in 1987, or

George Speight George Speight (born 1957) is a Fijian businessman and politician who was the leader of the 2000 Fijian coup d'état, in which he and rebel soldiers from Fiji's Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit seized the Fijian Parliament and held Prime Minister ...

's coup of 2000. This time, however, race was not seen to be a factor, he said, unlike the previous occasions when ethnic issues were used, he claimed, as a scapegoat for other interests. In November 2009, Lal discussed the ongoing political situation in Fiji after the expulsion of the Australian and New Zealand high commissioners, in an interview with Radio New Zealand. Shortly afterwards he was taken into custody and questioned about his comments. During the questioning, Lal reported that he was subjected to foul language and advised to leave the country within 24 hours, which he did. Lal has subsequently clarified that he was expelled rather than being deported.

Forced exile

In March 2015, Defence Minister

Timoci Natuva Colonel Timoci Lesikivatukoula Natuva (born 1957 in Wainibokasi, Tailevu) is a former Fijian politician and Member of the Parliament of Fiji. He has previously served as Minister for Immigration, National Security and Defence. Natuva is a fo ...

announced that Lal was prohibited indefinitely from returning to Fiji because his actions were "prejudicial to the peace, defence, public safety, public order and security of Government of Fiji". This decision was reiterated in late June or early July 2015. Lal reacted angrily to the ban on his return:

Personal life and death

Lal was married to fellow-academic Padma Lal. She too has been prohibited from returning to Fiji. He died at his residence in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...

on 25 December 2021, at the age of 69. Following the 2022 Fijian general election, the new government led by

revoked the prohibition order on Lal's wife, allowing her to return his ashes to Fiji.

References

Bibliography

Brij Lal Brij Lal is a Fijian politician and Member of the Parliament of Fiji. He is of Indians in Fiji, Indian descent. Lal was educated at Labasa College. He later went on to achieve a Teaching certificate from the Lautoka Teachers College, National T ...

, ''Girmityas: The Origins of the Fiji Indians'', Journal of Pacific History, Canberra, 1983 *

(ed), ''Politics in Fiji: studies in contemporary history'', Allen & Unwin, Sydney, 1986 *

, ''Power and prejudice: the making of the Fiji crisis'', New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, 1988 *

, ''Broken waves: A history of Fiji Islands in the twentieth century'', University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, 1992 *

(ed), ''Pacific islands history: journeys and transformations'', Journal of Pacific History, Canberra, 1992 *Sir Paul Reeves, Tomasi Rayalu Vakatora, and

, ''The Fiji Islands: towards a united future: report of the Fiji Constitution Review Commission'', Fiji Constitution Review Commission, Suva, 1996 *

, ''A vision for change: A.D. Pagel and the politics of Fiji'', National Centre for Development Studies, Canberra, 1997 *

, ''Another way: the politics of constitutional reform in post-coup Fiji'', Asia Pacific Press, Canberra, 1998 *

, ''Fiji before the storm: elections and the politics of development'', Asia Pacific Press, Canberra, 2000 *

and Kate Fortune, ''The Pacific Islands: An Encyclopedia'', University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, 2000 *

, ''Mr Tulsi's store: a Fijian journey'', Pandanus Books, Canberra, 2001 *

and Michael Pretes (eds.), ''Coup: reflections on the political crisis in Fiji'', Pandanus Books, Canberra, 2001 *

, photographs by Peter Hendrie, ''Bittersweet: the Indo-Fijian experience'', Pandanus Books, Canberra, 2004 *

(editor), ''The encyclopedia of the Indian diaspora'', National University of Singapore, Singapore, 2006 *Jon Fraenkel, Stewart Firth, and

(eds), ''The 2006 military takeover in Fiji: a coup to end all coups?'', ANU E Press, Canberra, 2006 *Doug Munro and

(ed.), ''Texts and contexts: reflections in Pacific Islands historiography'', University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, 2006 * Doug Munro and

, "Journeys and transformations", ''The Ivory Tower and Beyond : Participant Historians of the Pacific'', Newcastle upon Tyne, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2009, pp. 243–309. *

, ''In the eye of the storm: Jai Ram Reddy and the politics of postcolonial Fiji'', ANU E Press, Canberra, 2010 *

, ''Intersections: history, memory, discipline'', Fiji Institute of Applied Studies, 2011 *

, ''Chalo Jahaji: on a journey through indenture in Fiji'', ANU E Press, Canberra, 2012 *

, ''Turnings: Fiji factions'', ANU E Press, Canberra, 2013 *

, ''Historical dictionary of Fiji'', Rowman & Littlefield, ANU E Press, 2013 *

Bill Gammage William Leonard Gammage (born 1942) is an Australian academic historian, adjunct professor and senior research fellow at the Humanities Research Centre of the Australian National University (ANU). Gammage was born in Orange, New South Wales, ...

, and Gavan Daws (ed.), ''The boy from Boort: remembering Hank Nelson'', ANU Press, Canberra, 2014 *

(ed.), ''The Coombs: a house of memories'', ANU Press, Canberra, 2014 *

, ''Levelling Wind: Remembering Fiji'', ANU Press, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, 2019

External links

Lal
at Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University (2011)

Perth International Arts Festival *
Fiji Institute of Applied Studies

Brij Lal
at Austlit, The Resource for Australian Literature * ''

The Contemporary Pacific ''The Contemporary Pacific: A Journal of Island Affairs'' is an academic journal covering a wide range of disciplines with the aim of providing comprehensive coverage of contemporary developments in the entire Pacific Islands region, including Mel ...

'
14.1 (2002) 168-184
* ''Bittersweet: the Indo-Fijian experience'
(Lal's Chapter One: "Girmit, History, Memory")

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lal, Brij 1952 births 2021 deaths 20th-century Fijian writers 21st-century Fijian writers Indo-Fijian writers People from Labasa Fijian Hindus University of the South Pacific alumni Fijian historians Historians of the Pacific Fijian expatriates in Australia University of the South Pacific faculty University of Fiji faculty University of Hawaiʻi faculty University of Papua New Guinea faculty Australian National University faculty Fijian democracy activists Fijian exiles Members of the Order of Australia Officers of the Order of Fiji Recipients of the Centenary Medal Fellows of the Australian Academy of the Humanities University of British Columbia alumni Australian National University alumni