Vijendra Kumar, the inaugural local editor of The Fiji Times, passed away peacefully in Brisbane at the age of 88 on Thursday, June 27, 2024, following a short illness. Born on June 2, 1936, he was the eldest son of Ram Dulare and Ram Dulari of Martintar, Nadi.
At the age of six, Vijendra moved to live with his father’s sister and her husband, Rameshwar Prasad, in Sabeto. Prasad, a distinguished scholar and headmaster of Sabeto Indian School, played a significant role in Vijendra’s early education. After completing his primary education, Vijendra passed the entrance exam for Natabua Secondary School while still in Class 7, skipping the usual final year of primary school. He later transferred to the newly established Shri Vivekananda High School in Nadi.
Encouraged by his principal PND Moosad to pursue journalism, Vijendra took up a part-time job at the Pacific Review, a weekly newspaper. Despite his initial ambitions to study law in Scotland, financial difficulties led him toward a journalism career. Post high school, he worked as a proofreader, reporter, and sub-editor at Sangam Press in Nadi, where he gained foundational journalism skills.
Vijendra eventually left Pacific Review to help his former teacher Dr. Shaukat Ali Sahib at Islamia College (now Tilak High School) in Lautoka. He spent 12 years teaching English, English Literature, Hindi, and Health Science, earning high praise from his students. During his tenure at Tilak High School, he married Sadan Devi, daughter of the well-known Pandit B D Lakshman, and they went on to have three children.
In 1969, Sam Berwick of The Fiji Times recruited Vijendra as a reporter. Showing exceptional talent, he quickly rose through the ranks, with his branch chief predicting that he would one day become editor. That prediction came true in September 1975 when Vijendra was appointed as the first local editor of The Fiji Times, leading the newspaper through significant political and social changes in Fiji.
The 1987 military coup in Fiji led to increased pressures and threats on Vijendra and his family, prompting their migration to Australia in July 1991. Settling in Brisbane, Vijendra worked for The Courier-Mail as a sub-editor for ten years before retiring.
Vijendra had a passion for soccer and classic cars, enjoyed old songs by artists such as Saigal, and was a keen reader and chess player. He maintained a deep interest in Fiji’s politics and frequently discussed these matters with the late historian Professor Brij Lal.
He is survived by his wife Sadan Devi and their three children, Jirin, Kartika, and Vrijesh. Praveen Chandra, a retired electrical engineer and close friend of Vijendra for over 60 years, paid tribute to his enduring legacy.